This is the warts-and-all musician’s memoir of a cat-with-nine-lives survivor, detailing an improbable, fifty-year odyssey that began with a New Orleans childhood and climaxed writing music for "the biggest tech company in the world". The narrative charts his transformation from a youth whose talent was way ahead of his brain into a touring pro with bands like Uncle Rainbow and Bourgeois Tagg, detailing the challenges of the music business, including tours, record deals, and the influence of technology. It is a raw look at the author's struggle with addiction and subsequent turn to sobriety and Christian music. Chronicling his career's wild pendulum swing— a career revival in Nashville and later a unique role as a music executive—the book details how this shapeshifter regenerated his career over and over again, finally becoming a modern "cowboy" operating in the world of tech royalty at Meta (Facebook) . Interspersed along the way are personal life details, family history, and reflections on societal changes and aging. Step into a lifetime of close encounters, ironic misses, and brutal honesty delivered by the biggest names in the business: • Witness the self-sabotage of a lifetime: the band’s excited chatter accidentally scares off Paul and Linda McCartney , who tried to sneak into a dive bar show but fled when the crowd swelled to a near-riot. • Get pulled off the court at Sunset Sound to play H-O-R-S-E with Prince , who ended the game by running up the wall and defying gravity to slam-dunk a basketball. • Relive the lowest moment: receiving a brutal, soul-crushing command from producer Todd Rundgren to "use more heart, less head" , immediately followed by a disastrous DUI arrest—Todd laughing from the passenger seat the whole time.. • Fulfill a sonic destiny by recruiting Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac to sing harmonies on a personal ballad—the very part he composed in his head, for her, years earlier. • Discover the unexpected moments of celebrity proximity, from living next door to Anita Baker as she perfected her multi-million-selling Rapture album to attending a London charity auction alongside Princess Diana . landing at a London charity auction alongside Princess Diana . • Uncover the holy war waged over Jon Anderson ; the Yes singer gladly offered his soaring vocals for a Christian album, only to have the CCM establishment deem the "heathen’s" voice too pure for their gospel airwaves, forcing a re-recording of the chorus. • From the everyday sublime to royal absurdities: live next door to Anita Baker as she perfected her Rapture album, hearing her play the repetitive figure he jokingly called "Slime-y Girl", before • Navigate the music industry’s chaotic extremes: recording a soaring duet with rock legend Michael McDonald , then heading to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s home studio —complete with a demonic nine-foot phallic statue—to cut a contemporary Christian track while Lee bakes warm cinnamon rolls. "Speaking with humor and insight, this is a fascinating glimpse into Brent's heart and what makes him tick"- Jude Lemons "This is a book for the ages, a must-read...inspirational, entertaining, heart wrenching at times, and authentic in its delivery and emphasis. It is a history book, a hymnal, an exercise in humility, and a must read for people of all ages."- Taj Artis-Parsons "The Real Things is not just a great book by a great musician. It is a roadmap to reality-how to build a sustainable artistic life-and how to recover from both your victories and your failures, with grace and humility."- Charlie Peacock Brent Bourgeois is the co-founder of the pop group Bourgeois Tagg and the composer of four solo albums. He has recently retired from a fifty-year career in the music business.