Idol Truth: A Memoir Hardcover – November 5, 2019

The memoir accomplished exactly what a memoir is supposed to do: give a true glimpse and explanation of a life where we can feel it as if we were there. Leif's "voice" comes through loud and clear, and if you were a young girl in the 70s/80s then you hung on every word. Leif's memoir shows his grappling with understanding who he was and reconciling the popularity with a feeling of being an imposter. The sad part is he didn't see this: we didn't love Leif for his music--we loved Leif for Leif. The memoir is a puzzle Leif is putting together but the end picture isn't quite right because we always knew who Leif was. We loved him for his personality, his kindness, his vulnerability, and his craft. Leif's memoir almost throws the baby out with the bathwater when he discounts so much of his own value because the music was staged. It's no different than watching a movie or a play--we look for an actor's personality and who they are, and we saw that behind the music the whole time. No one else had Leif's kind smile, shyness, vulnerability, caring for fans, and humor. That is why we had posters on our walls, and not because of the music created by Scotti Brothers as assumed by Leif.The memoir shows Leif's heart and his struggles, so relatable to many, especially dealing with our parents in those decades and wanting them to guide us just as he was wanting. The memoir shows Leif's struggle with drugs but it was a metaphor for his struggle to understand and reconcile his life. I hope he will write another memoir and update us with what he is doing now as we all would love to read it. And I hope it will show he now sees how his life pieces truly fit.

Wow!As a woman now, who grew up watching Leif on those shows, movies, tv appearances for his music and listening to his albums, this was quite an insightful, truthful and heartbreaking book.I feel the injustice done to him in his career and it angers me that so many sharks are out there taking advantage of young talent. A cautionary tale for certain.My father was approached by a Hollywood director when I was six or seven years old. My dad said no. My older brothers were angry about it but he stood fast. I often wondered what it could have been, but nearly every day, I thank God for giving me a protective dad who I know did the right thing for me.I wish things had been better for Leif but I commend him on coming out the other side. I believe people can change and I truly feel he has.I still remember the song “Memorize Your Number“ a great song that didn’t get the credit it deserved. Or the airplay.Leif, I hope you are feeling better about yourself, your life and know that there is someone in Portland who thinks you’re a good person.Thank you for sitting down and getting this book written.

Reading “Idol Truth: A Memoir” is bittersweet. I am only 5 years older than Leif, but was never a fan—I like his megahit I Was Made for Dancing and thought he was adorable, but never really paid much attention to him. After weekly readings of historical books since the pandemic began. I thought I’d read something light and nostalgic. It was light, but also sad, tender, gut-wrenching. I had no idea what this poor teen went through, how he was used, abused, and chewed up by money-hungry managers. He was a blond-locks sensation that became almost like a worldwide cult, much like “Tommy” in The Who fame.The book cruises along more or less in chronological order, with many very short chapters that are more like vignettes. About his early years: his father who abandoned the family; his mother who dated Burt Reynolds; name dropping the super nice stars (Burt, Tony Randall), his drug buddies (Robert Downey Jr, John Belushi, Chris Farley), the predators (Warren Beatty’s cousin, Rick Finch) and plenty more. The main theme is abuse: he was abused by the system, by himself and without anyone to really protect him. He abused drugs, they abused him. But the real monsters here are the Scotti brothers who wrung every cent out of this kid by controlling his entire life for 5 years. He was the puppet on stage and they pulled the strings. I thought the car crash when he was 17 was the turning point in his life but no. He details the crash and aftermath, which left his passenger a paraplegic, but shockingly, just sentences away: “In between recovering from the accident and getting ready for the tour of the Far East, I went to a pool party with a couple of friends.” Just like that. And there he falls madly in love with Nicollette Sheridan, which takes up a lot of pages in the book. It was a jarring read.Along with the central theme of abuse is addiction: to drugs, to fame, and above all to women. You could justly say Garrett was a sex addict as well as heroin addict. If not, he is a braggart. It was too much to read constantly, over and over, about his sexual conquests, how Aerosmith band members were intrigued by his conquests and how he had his choice of women, and the occasional threesome. But when he wrote he was frustrated “at having left Los Angeles without having consummated my relationship with my friend, Tatum O’Neal; it frustrated me when a woman made me wait. So many women were throwing themselves at me, yet Tatum was keeping me waiting.” Women were just used, conquests, much like the Scottis were using him. And how dare one stand up to him? Much like the Scottis said to him when he tried to assert his desire to perform more modern music.So there are these contradictions. A final one is that he claims “Just as I had always done in my career, I did what I was told. I was obedient, and I played along.” And yet in other places, he claims he was defiant, risk-taking, disobedient and willful. Maybe he was both. Still, I found myself believing in Garrett when he writes, “I know I want to be a good person. I’m a survivor, but I’m also a dreamer. I believe in the good of people. I’m positive. I will always believe that love is the most important, unifying force on the planet.” He might not be there yet, and may be still finding his way. I think it was good for him to write this. He was a cultural phenomenon and he matters. I agree with his coauthor about Garrett’s life: “I found it riveting. I found it sad. But I also found it very compelling.”