(2009) There's No Traffic on the Extra Mile: Lessons on the Road from Dreams to Destiny. Rickey Minor. (ISBN: 1592404189 / 1-59240-418-9)

Book Description: Gotham Books, New York, NY, U.S.A., 2009. Stated First Edition January 2009, number line on copyright page reads: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, First Printing Thus. Light Gray Hard Cover Boards, Blue Spine with Silver lettering. 172 pages, B&W photos, 5.75" x 8.5" tall, .75" thick. No underlining, No highlighting, No owner names, No remainder marks, this is a Brand New book. New copy - Never read - Not price clipped. Beautiful gift quality copy of book and dust jacket.

Book Condition: Brand New.

Dust Jacket Condition: Brand New. NON price-clipped DJ [$25.00 US].

Synopsis: The ultimate American Idol insider reveals what it takes to achieve your dreams, recalling his journey from South Central to center stage.

As a highly successful musician and producer, Rickey Minor has worked with some of the world’s most celebrated performers. He knows firsthand that there are reasons why some people succeed, while others fail despite their talent. As American Idol’s music director, Rickey Minor helps contestants reach for their dreams week after week. He’s seen it all behind the scenes at the wildly popular show.

In There’s No Traffic on the Extra Mile, Minor spins stories from his life in the music business into inspirational gold, imparting the lessons he has learned the hard way, including:

• Always give people more than they were expecting. But remember that you can’t please everyone all the time.
• Look for mentors. Minor recounts how Quincy Jones became his.
• Why every action moves you closer or farther away from your aspiration—and how to tell the difference.
• If you can’t get what you want, it may be because you’re not ready yet. When the time comes, you’ll know.

He also provides juicy behind-the-scenes anecdotes about Idol contestants, and the keys to their success. He sees the show as a condensed version of life itself. The setbacks the performers face, and their triumphs, mirror our own. But his bottom line, no matter what your field of endeavor, is this: If you drive hard enough, sooner or later you will be the only one left on the road.

About The Author: Rickey Minor is a music director, composer and music producer, now best known as musical director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor was born in Louisiana to parents Cole and Goldie Minor and was raised in South Central Los Angeles, CA. Much of his musical training was self-taught.

Minor has served as musical director for numerous superstar tours, including: Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Ray Charles, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé and for television productions, including: the Grammy Awards, the NAACP Image Awards and the Super Bowl. In addition to his work as musical director for American Idol, he served as bandleader on Fox's Don't Forget the Lyrics!.

As bandleader, Minor differs from Eubanks in terms of material used. While Eubanks would play original music with the band, Minor on the other hand plays established hits ranging from heavy metal to rap to classic rock.

Minor resides in Southern California with wife, Karen Denise, and son, Sean Anthony. His book, There's No Traffic on the Extra Mile, was released in January 2009.