Going Down to the River by Doug Seegers

Going Down to the River by Doug Seegers is an autobiography about Doug Seegers and how he wrote this song and it became a best seller.  Now I loved this book and I loved hearing how Doug found Jesus and lost sight of his goal and Jesus brought him back to the fold and along the way this song he wrote as a homeless songwriter and singer brought comfort to the author and those who heard it sang both on the streets and in concerts--but I gotta be honest I thought well this must be the man who actually wrote Alison Krauss' song, which as every one knows is 'Going Down to the River to Pray'.  Well I was a lot into this really great book before I realized my mistake but I am sure glad I read it.
 
Doug Seegers grew up with his brothers in a musical family.  His mother though never singing professionally was the most talented but gave up her chance at a career to raise the children as best she could with a hard drinking husband who dreamed of becoming a famous singer.  Doug became a hard drinker before becoming a drunk druggie.  He was very talented and many people tried to help him get off the drugs before he finally accepted the help and though he was by then in his sixties. He eventually found fame in Sweden and in the USA as a singer and songwriter as he always wanted to be.  Along the way he married a woman who was the mother of his son and daughter but he rarely saw them after he left his family--just as his father had done to him. 

This story is not a feel sorry for me book.  The author is very self honest with himself as well as the writing.  The author now mostly lives in Sweden and sometimes tours the USA for concerts.  Read this book for the knowledge of how this down on his luck finally came back to Jesus, got off the drugs and became what he was always meant to be-A child of God who sings.
I received this book from Booksneeze for this review.