My Life in Heaven Town – Hurricane JJ Maguire

Description

JJ Maguire was truly the master of wrestling ring music. As Jimmy Hart’s go-to songwriting partner since their days in the Gentrys, JJ collaborated on 110 pieces of music for WWF, WCW, and WWE. His list of credits probably looks like your playlist of favorite wrestling themes, as he wrote the entrance music for Demolition, the Honky Tonk Man, Bret Hart, Ted DiBiase, Shawn Michaels, and (in WCW) Hulk Hogan. He was a member of Hulk’s Wrestling Boot Band, contributing music to the album “Hulk Rules,” and later became the host and MC for Kentucky Zone Wrestling.

That said, JJ Maguire is far from just a wrestling guy. JJ Maguire was a musical prodigy who turned heads at the piano at the tender age of five. He was a member of the legendary rock group The Gentrys and played with numerous other bands from Kentucky to California. He wrote music for Hulk’s TV show Thunder in Paradise and even won a recurring role on the show. In a career spanning six decades, he’s rubbed shoulders with Prince, Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, Vince Neil, Gene Simmons, Kirstie Alley, Henry Winkler, Robert Conrad, Mark Mothersbaugh, Telly Savalas, Carol Alt, Patrick MacNee, and John Landis. He visited the shop of the legendary Hollywood car builder George Barris. He discussed Kentucky burgoo recipes with Bob Hope. He shot pool with Jackie Gleason inside the Great One’s basement. He even got a kiss from Farrah Fawcett.

The book opens with a foreword from Jimmy Hart, Maguire’s long-time song writing collaborator, who writes, “JJ has always been there when I needed him. When we were with The Gentrys, he was there. When I was with WWF, he was there. When I moved to WCW, he was there. Through the Wrestling Boot Band, Thunder in Paradise, and so many adventures, JJ Maguire has been by my side. He is a good friend and one of the most talented people I’ve ever met in my life.

”Yes, JJ Maguire is the master of wrestling ring music. Yes, he is the face of Kentucky Zone Wrestling. And yes, he wrote or co-wrote a lot of your favorite wrestlers’ theme songs. But his book is more than just a wrestling story. It’s a story for music lovers, for TV and film lovers, and for anyone who has ever had a dream. From the heart and soul of small town America to the bright light and glitz and glamour of Hollywood to the pageantry of professional wrestling, this is the true story of ‘Hurricane’ JJ Maguire!”

Updated in 2024, this new edition of JJ’s autobiography includes a new cover and a new afterword by co-author John Cosper in remembrance of JJ, who passed in 2022.