As previously reported, former BONFIRE bassist/co-founder Joerg Deisinger has been writing his memoirs with the aid of BW&BK; scribe Carl Begai. After several delays the project is now complete. Carl has issued the following long-winded statement:

"Back in 2005 bassist Joerg Deisinger, a founding member of the German ‘80s hard rock band Bonfire, asked me if I’d be interested in helping him write his memoirs. His intention was to put them out as a book, both in German and in English, and because I’m a writer he figured it would be to his advantage if I helped him shape his story. My initial thought was 'Why? Are you dying?', immediately followed by 'Who’s going to care about your story?'. Then I remembered Joerg had almost been killed by the tsunami that ripped through Thailand on December 26th, 2004, saved only by a last minute twist of fate that prevented him from being at ground zero when he should have been. If there’s one thing that’ll put your life in perspective it’s a near death experience, I suppose.

I agreed to the project, and following several hours’ worth of dictation, countless hours in front of my computer translating Joerg’s words from German to English, and four million liters of tea, the English version of the book, entitled Fire And Fame, is done.

Question is, why should anyone care? After all, with the exception of the Fireworks album from 1987 Bonfire did nothing in North America, right? Well, fact is the band was huge in Europe at that time, and if the Bonfire guestbooks, forums and fansites are anything to go by there’s an audience out there. That's the assumption, anyway.

As I wrote in the bio on the official Fire And Fame MySpace page, the book traces Deisinger’s career as a professional musician, from his early days as a starstruck AC/DC fan that wanted nothing more than to be on stage, through Bonfire’s formative years and runaway success in Europe that included major tours with ZZ TOP and JUDAS PRIEST, to his eventual departure from the band in the early ‘90s. It’s not a tell-all book airing out the band’s dirty little secrets, nor is it an attempt to outdo Mötley Crüe’s debauched classic The Dirt or cash in on Bonfire’s continued success. As cornball and cliche as it may sound, Fire And Fame is behind-the-scenes look at how a kid from a small town with the seemingly impossible dream of becoming a rock star actually managed to pull it off. It’s a book for anyone who has ever had a similar dream, for those who have lived it, and for those who continue to do so.

For myself, the most interesting aspects of Deisinger's tale are the stories behind Bonfire's relationships with producers/songwriters Michael Wagener, Jack Ponti, Desmond Child and Mack to chance meetings with the likes of TESTAMENT (when they were still called LEGACY), SCORPIONS and BON JOVI. And then there's his one-off gig as the soundcheck bassist for Priest...

So, at this point we’re finalizing the artwork and sorting out all the ugly little details required to sell the thing online, with plans to start selling it in early 2008. We’re looking for a publisher, of course, but I’m not holding my breath. That said, if anyone knows a publisher that pays in $$ and not in ?? drop me a line.

The official release of the English version of Fire And Fame is slated for early 2008. A German language version will follow. An excerpt from the book is currently available in the blog section of the MySpace page, with more due to be uploaded soon."