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Am I Famous Yet? Memoir of a Working-Class Rock Star

Am I Famous Yet? Memoir of a Working-Class Rock Star

By Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley

“Am I Famous Yet?” chronicles the life of a working musician who has gotten to know renowned rock stars. He has practically become a rock star himself but without all of the annoying trappings of actual notoriety or fortune. Follow this sideman’s hilariously heartbreaking search for fame, financial stability, and the ever-elusive quest for emotional peace of mind.

Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley has performed with 50 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, appeared in 12 Broadway shows, and is a Blues Hall of Fame inductee.

Now also available as a book at www.funkboy.net
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Ep. 17 - Road Rage

Am I Famous Yet? Memoir of a Working-Class Rock StarOct 26, 2021

00:00
14:02
Ch. 48 - Tailoring The Memoir Of A Working-Class Rock Star with Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley
Apr 05, 202201:29:45
Ch. 47 - The Brainwave Podcast
Feb 02, 202238:05
Ch. 46 - AlbumReview.Net podcast

Ch. 46 - AlbumReview.Net podcast

This is a great conversation with my new pal Greg Potters at the AlbumReview.Net podcast. Greg says: "In this episode, Ivan and I will talk about his life as a professional musician on the road and in the studio as portrayed in his book. With a career that has taken him to more than 29 countries playing to audiences of up to 82,000 people, it is no wonder that Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley is truly a working-class rock star."

www.albumreview.net
@albumreviewnet

Get my book: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Jan 20, 202201:32:03
Ep. 25 - Road Rage

Ep. 25 - Road Rage

A week in the life of a working musician that included a closing night off-Broadway, a late-night shift on Bleecker Street, a Russian wedding on Long Island with a maitre 'd from hell, and the inevitable blisters gained from practicing upright bass. 

Get my book: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Jan 12, 202205:13
Ep. 24 - Road Rage

Ep. 24 - Road Rage

Stories from a few weeks back about Subbing over to the Broad Way on "Ain't Too Proud, the Life and Times of the Temptations" and "Regina Comet" just off the Broad Way. Backing 12 doo-wop acts in 3 shows over 2 days in Atlantic City testing sight-reading survival skills. 

Photo with Bobby Rydell

Get my book: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Jan 05, 202207:46
Ep. 23 - Road Rage

Ep. 23 - Road Rage

Three days of no sleep. A wedding gig in Florida. Subbing on an off-Broadway show. Playing with Vincent Pastore aka "Big Pussy." Shaking 20 months of rust off preparing to once again sub in a pit over to the Broad Way and deal with a show bass that feels like wrestling a bear.

Get my book: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Dec 15, 202109:12
Ep. 22 - Road Rage

Ep. 22 - Road Rage

First time subbing on a new off-Broadway show. Flying to Mexico to get on a cruise ship. Lost at sea with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Little Anthony. Straight off the boat to a wedding gig in Florida. Back to NYC for my second time subbing on the off-Broadway show.

Get my book: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Dec 08, 202114:54
Ep. 21 - Road Rage

Ep. 21 - Road Rage

A stressful week! Learning a new off-Broadway musical 10 days before my first time subbing. A 40-year-old bass spontaneously popped off it's bridge and sent it clattering to the floor. Double gig days and late-night shows. Jay & the Americans concert. And a wedding gig where one of the musicians was in the wrong key for a stunning amount of time and couldn't seem to hear it. 

Get my book: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Dec 01, 202106:46
Ep. 20 - Road Rage

Ep. 20 - Road Rage

Trying to learn a new musical and re-learn an older one, including very rare bass player on stage choreography. Suddenly feeling over-extended after 15 months of doing nothing. Another 20-hour workday. Performing with a nine-piece band of strangers. And crack of dawn flights to play with Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. 

Get my book: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo


Nov 24, 202111:55
Ep. 19 - Road Rage

Ep. 19 - Road Rage

Rants and ruminations from the week in review. A rare triple that became a 22-hour workday ending with a 4 a.m. subway ride home. A same-day round trip to Massachusetts and back for a wedding gig. Watching the making of a preventable clam onstage. Hiring an expensive band for a wedding and then playing the first dance and parent dances as mp3s. And ending the week with a case of laryngitis. 

Get my book: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Nov 16, 202113:20
Ep. 18 - Road Rage

Ep. 18 - Road Rage

In which I have only two gigs in a week, get asked to write charts that never get used, enjoyed my first post-pandemic traffic jam, played a 7-hour gig, dodged coyotes & bears, and had my first encounter with live on-site butchers.

Get my book: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Nov 09, 202107:60
Ep. 17 - Road Rage

Ep. 17 - Road Rage

Notable events for the week included fake it 'til you make it at a jam session. A great viewing party for The Tony Awards. Wedding musicians who seem allergic to doing homework for a job at which they were being highly paid. A finicky request list from a fastidious couple that required an epic song transcription. And an orthodox wedding at which the groom wanted to sing "Fly Me to the Moon" and where law enforcement was nearly summoned, though not for the singing.

Get my book here: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Oct 26, 202114:02
Ep. 16 - Road Rage

Ep. 16 - Road Rage

The stress of self-quarantine after a Covid exposure scare that jeopardized an entire Broadway production. Playing an event that billed itself as Disney World but with guns. Driving 5,000 miles in just two months. Playing a 5-1/2 hour wedding gig that made my hand seize up. Flying in a small plane into a dangerous line of thunderstorms. And finally getting to witness my lovely partner's debut in a new show over to the Broad Way. 

Get my book here: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Oct 20, 202114:46
Ep. 15 - Rage at People Who Jeopardize My Livelihood

Ep. 15 - Rage at People Who Jeopardize My Livelihood

A lunchtime gig for pensioners who left as soon as the free food ran out. Cancellation due to a Hurricane. The most popular wedding night of the year. Frustration with professionals who don't do their homework. Rage at selfish people who jeopardize my ability to make money. 

Get my book here: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Oct 12, 202112:12
Ch. 45 - Rebroadcast - Another Cup of Coffee

Ch. 45 - Rebroadcast - Another Cup of Coffee

This is a super fun conversation with my old pals from New Orleans, the very charming and entertaining Paul Sanchez and Mike Mayeux. We talk about my book, the music biz, life, the universe, and everything. Pour yourself another cup of coffee and check it out.

Get my book here: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Oct 08, 202101:15:15
Ep. 14 - Rude, Drunk Wedding Guests & Peril on the High Seas
Oct 06, 202116:41
Rebroadcast - Good Talk with Donnie Vapor and Robin Eve

Rebroadcast - Good Talk with Donnie Vapor and Robin Eve

This is a rebroadcast of an episode of Good Talk with Donnie Vapor and Robin Eve originally aired on Strong Island Television Oct. 11, 2020. Donnie was a great friend of mine who has since passed on. I really enjoyed this conversation with him. He was also kind enough to play my song "Look at That Cookie" in the episode as well as to replay one of the chapters from my book "Am I Famous Yet?" RIP, Donnie, you were a good man! 

Get my book here: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo


Oct 02, 202128:27
Ep. 13 - Perils of Life on the Road - I'm Not Who You Think I Am

Ep. 13 - Perils of Life on the Road - I'm Not Who You Think I Am

A gig at the Minnesota State Fair with Little Anthony & the Imperials complete with Jumbotron, getting "recognized" in airports and hotels, gig cancellations, and subsequent rescheduling.

Sep 30, 202110:01
Ep. 12 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 12 - Playing for a Living

In which I discuss Covid testing required for international travel, a one-nighter wedding gig in Tuscany, and getting off a flight from Rome and going straight to a gig.

Sep 23, 202110:31
Ep. 11 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 11 - Playing for a Living

This week I detail a jam session in Manhattan, a classic rock gig at a biker (adjacent) bar, multiple Covid tests for gig protocols, writing copious charts in preparation, a wedding in Massachusetts with questionable catering, and a little schadenfreude at the misfortune of others...

Sep 14, 202114:05
Ch. 43 - Appendix and Acknowledgements

Ch. 43 - Appendix and Acknowledgements

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been with me on this entire journey. What a strange and fun life it continues to be. 

Sep 10, 202106:26
Ep. 10 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 10 - Playing for a Living

First concert back from the pandemic with Jay & the Americans in Buffalo, NY. A visit to the final resting place of Rick James. A pool party at a billionaire's crib. And more overnight drives through the countryside on the highways and byways.

Sep 07, 202111:47
Ch. 42 - Epilogue - I Think We’ve All Learned Something Here Today

Ch. 42 - Epilogue - I Think We’ve All Learned Something Here Today

The chapter in which I attempt to extract life lessons from my aspirations to be a professional musician. Has it all been worth it? It is worthwhile even doing it?

Aug 27, 202113:54
Ep. 9 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 9 - Playing for a Living

Wherein I recount a jam session gig featuring "Sir Duke" in the key of A, and a road trip to Napa, CA, on very little sleep for a fundraiser where I enjoyed a brief encounter with a drug-addled maniac.

Aug 22, 202109:14
Ch. 41 - Midnight Train to NYC

Ch. 41 - Midnight Train to NYC

The chapter in which I detail a particularly memorable gig celebrating an historic event by performing with three Rock & Roll Hall of Famers in one night. It was a career-high punctuated with a final indignity.

Aug 20, 202120:02
Ep. 8 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 8 - Playing for a Living

More tales from the road describing the trials and tribulations of playing in a house band for a blues jam, then a cabaret show with a Tony-nominated Broadway star, a double on Bleecker Street playing in funk bands, a fundraiser in Connecticut, and a wedding in Maine.

Aug 17, 202111:04
Ch. 40 - Climbing the Same Mountain Every Day

Ch. 40 - Climbing the Same Mountain Every Day

The chapter in which I detail the daily challenges of being a freelance musician and the motivation it takes to start each day with step one.

Aug 13, 202108:08
Ep. 7 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 7 - Playing for a Living

More tales from the road. This week seemed like the first "normal" week back at work since the pandemic. And even though a wedding gig ended with police and EMS responding, it didn't seem out of the ordinary...

Aug 03, 202107:00
Ep. 6 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 6 - Playing for a Living

The copious logistics necessary to create a ritzy wedding in a remote field at 7,000 feet elevation in the Rocky Mountains. Missed flights. Exercising and performing at altitude and a sound company attitude. Differing levels of road-doggedness noticeable in the touring party. 

Jul 27, 202110:19
Ep. 5 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 5 - Playing for a Living

Six hours of driving, a six-hour gig, and six more hours of driving all in the same day! Also miscellaneous wedding gig shenanigans therein.

www.funkboy.net

Jul 22, 202111:04
Ch. 39 - Putting on the Blazer

Ch. 39 - Putting on the Blazer

The chapter in which I detail the notable difference between playing in the backing group versus being an actual member of a band.

My book is available at www.funkboy.net

Jul 16, 202109:28
Ep. 4 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 4 - Playing for a Living

In which I discuss outdoor gigs, weather permitting. Entertaining late-night drunks, the importance of setlists, learning how to improvise cohesive song endings onstage (or not!), and the necessary skills and occasional impediments involved with ascertaining the exact hours of an engagement. 

My book is available at www.funkboy.net

Jul 12, 202111:34
Ch. 38 - Time to Pay the Piper

Ch. 38 - Time to Pay the Piper

The chapter in which I detail incidents where immediate remuneration at the completion of my duties is neither forthcoming nor expedient.

Get the book at: www.funkboy.net

Jul 09, 202110:57
Ep. 3 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 3 - Playing for a Living

This week I detail long hours in the car, a country club with in-house noise police, witnessing a traffic stop that was a guaranteed trip to jail, hiring a drummer in Italy via smartphone while underground on the NYC subway, and the definitive answer to the question: how many bandmembers does it take to push the play button on a karaoke track?

My book is available at www.funkboy.net

Jul 06, 202111:60
Bonus clip - Martha Reeves

Bonus clip - Martha Reeves

My former boss, Martha Reeves of the Vandellas, says some very kind words about my playing. 

Jul 04, 202100:31
Ch. 37 - Phil the Camel

Ch. 37 - Phil the Camel

The chapter in which I detail what it's like to be a substitute musician on a circus gig. Further expounded upon is the fondness I develop for the show's star dromedary and his tale of woe.

My book is available here: www.funkboy.net

#AmIFamousYet #WorkingClass #RockStar #bassplayer #music #memoir #podcast #musician #rockandrollhalloffame #rocknroll #jazzfunk #QuarantineSessions #MusicFromTheVaults #broadwaymusicals #jazz #fenderbass #musicismylife #BassLessons #bassist #jazzmusic #jazzmusicians #broadway #contemporaryjazz #funkmusic #precisionbass #musicaltheatre #bassistsofinstagram #musicvideo

Jul 02, 202106:34
Ep. 2 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 2 - Playing for a Living

Road stories of the week including 9 hours of driving to a wedding gig, a monsoon that almost canceled the entire event, a guitar player who made some interesting decisions on the gig, a drunken patron who wanted to sit in with the band, and a curious case of indecent exposure among the extremely rich. 

Jun 30, 202114:11
Ch. 36 - Summertime in the Park

Ch. 36 - Summertime in the Park

The chapter in which I recount many summer concerts in New York City backing legends of soul music including one show that almost ended in a duel with pistols.

Jun 25, 202108:50
Ep. 1 - Playing for a Living

Ep. 1 - Playing for a Living

I'm trying something new here. Now that the gigs have returned post-pandemic lockdown, I have decided to regale you with a synopsis of the week's notable events in the life of a working-class musician. The full season of "Am I Famous Yet?" will continue having chapters released on Fridays for an additional eight weeks. After that, I plan to send some re-broadcasts of podcasts where I was a guest down this feed. As always, my book is available via www.funkboy.net. 

Jun 23, 202106:35
Ch. 35 - Choose Your Words Carefully

Ch. 35 - Choose Your Words Carefully

The chapter in which I detail specific incidences of receiving very confusing instructions in the form of printed sheet music.

My book is available at: www.funkboy.net

Jun 18, 202107:55
Ch. 34 - I Remember This One Time

Ch. 34 - I Remember This One Time

The brief chapter in which I recount a brief incident of receiving a brief from a fellow traveler.

Jun 11, 202102:23
Ch. 33 - Oh, Yeah, You Blend

Ch. 33 - Oh, Yeah, You Blend

The chapter in which I explore the phenomenon of people remembering my face for some reason when I don't necessarily remember theirs. I detail one jarring incident when I had forgotten meeting a celebrity who nonetheless remembered meeting me. And he had the receipts.

Jun 04, 202114:55
Ch. 32 - You Know Who You Look Like?

Ch. 32 - You Know Who You Look Like?

The chapter in which I detail the surprising frequency with which I am assaulted by this question and the variety of people who are insisted upon as answers to this question. It's never flattering.

May 28, 202107:59
Ch. 31 - Oh, The Indignity! Enter Through the Kitchen

Ch. 31 - Oh, The Indignity! Enter Through the Kitchen

The chapter in which I detail the social hierarchy almost universally imposed upon lowly musicians at catering halls and the hoops that must be jumped through not to get yelled at by random people who aren't even your direct employers.

May 21, 202126:19
Ch. 30.5 - Bonus Episode

Ch. 30.5 - Bonus Episode

The episode in which I give thanks to my viewers and give an update about the status of the physical publication of the book, which is now finally available here: 

https://funkboynyc.wixsite.com/funkboy/am-i-famous-yet

May 14, 202105:18
Ch. 30 - Taking the Temperature of the Room

Ch. 30 - Taking the Temperature of the Room

The chapter in which I detail various phenomena that greet a weary traveler upon first walking in the door of a new establishment, which is something as musicians we do constantly, ranging from rare warm welcomes to odd and belligerent reprimands that usually have nothing to do with us.

May 07, 202113:32
Ch. 29 - The Girl in the Hamster Ball
Apr 30, 202113:43
Ch. 28 - Weddings, Funerals, and Bar Mitzvahs

Ch. 28 - Weddings, Funerals, and Bar Mitzvahs

The chapter in which I detail the many kinds of private parties and the resulting shenanigans therein. A Funeral Directors' convention? You bet!

Also, my book is finally available! Get your copy here: 

https://funkboynyc.wixsite.com/funkboy/am-i-famous-yet

Apr 22, 202118:05
Ch. 27 - Gig I Didn't Get and Why

Ch. 27 - Gig I Didn't Get and Why

What do Santana, Keith Richards, Joan Jett, Chic, Wilson Pickett, Stanley Clarke, and Rod Stewart all have in common? The chapter in which I quantify my greatest misses.

Apr 16, 202118:17
Ch. 26 - Groupies

Ch. 26 - Groupies

The dirtiest and also the shortest chapter in the book.

Apr 09, 202103:50