The story of ‘Ria John Bob’
is the story of the music business… as it really is
Everything you could hope for from this musically entrenched trio. Ria John Bob represent the antithesis of ‘overnight success’ in that success usually follows years of hard work with thrills and spills along the way. If you’ve ever wondered what life is like inside the music business your curiosity will be satisfied by this poignant human and memorable story about ‘Ria John Bob’. It covers their 22-year journey through the music business, their music and their art. Their journey is filled with all the magic of the music biz and it gives a first-hand rare insight into the business of music… “how it works and how it really is”.
The narrative unfolds with rare intimacy. It’s an insider’s view of the music industry: the blissful highs, the crushing lows, the grind, the battles, and the beauty. Throughout the book, Ria conveys all of this with eloquence, passion and artistry through her lyrics and commentary. A typical quote from the spirited Ria follows.
“What will strike you most is the glory of the perseverance of Ria John Bob clearly walking to a different beat and the irony of it all“.
“This is not a sob story; it’s about highs and lows, ducking and diving to survive. Ultimately a story of creative endurance, to which many people will relate and unveils what is hidden behind the mask of people’s perception of what making it in the music business is about.” Ria
Some stories are too powerful to be contained by pages alone.
‘Ria John Bob Walking To A Different Beat’ is one of those stories and thankfully, in our modern times, we finally have the tools to experience it all. Yet, while technology has long offered us the possibility of combining book, music and video, rarely has anyone truly used this potential to such an immersive effect … until now. The groundbreaking DocuVideoBook from DVB Publishing is more than a book – it’s a living, breathing multimedia journey. From the very first page, Ria’s voice reaches out and greets you. The title, a poetic nod to one of Ria John Bob’s songs, sets the tone for what follows: a human and deeply moving insight into the unique life of a musically entrenched trio …- ‘Ria John Bob’. Music, words, vision and sound come together seamlessly, not as afterthoughts or clunky additions, but as integral parts of the storytelling.
Quotes from producers, journalist, managers, band members and novelist Dawn Laker enrich the perspective, while poetic lyrics float through the text like refrains of memory and feeling.
From discovering Ria’s talent at just 15 to nurturing her development with access to studios, writers and musicians … Manager – Dee O’Reilly’s unwavering support is a powerful subplot of its’ own. This is no mere “behind-the-scenes” account; it is the lived experience of someone who not only saw star potential but protected and fought for it through many challenges, changing formations and names – January Land, Lovatux, Super Delta Three, Babyvader, and Ria John Bob.
The book does not shy away from the darker realities of the business. There are no fairy tales here, only resilience, reinvention, perseverance and a refusal to be silenced. Being dropped, wrestling for music rights, battling disappointment and disillusionment – all of it turns into fuel for new songs, sharper lyrics, and a deeper artistic voice from the magnificent trio of Ria John Bob. Written and produced by Dee O’Reilly, Betty Kane (RIP) John O’Reilly – they were also the dedicated team of Ria John Bob for their entire music-biz journey.
“Of course, it’s not fair, it’s the music industry” Simon Cowell
“There are people I’ve worked with that I feel privileged to have met as a result of my experiences, But no true and honest story is complete without the darker days and how we made it through, So, as well as reading this story, read between the lines of this chronicle and the backdrop of people who fought together, had fun together, the ones that ran away, the ones that died, the ones that survived and everyone who quite simply made this story what it is”. Ria.
And then there are the layers: rare footage from Ria’s first music video in 1989, a rich mix of unreleased material. Then there is the untold story of ‘When Sam Met Bob’, a quiet reflection on the early, unrecorded and, only now about to be released, musical beginnings of a then-unknown and now global popstar Sam Smith… discovered by Bob.
Dee, Betty and John haven’t just written a book – they’ve redefined what a music biography can be.
Describing it as ‘reading’ doesn’t quite capture the essence – it’s more akin to experiencing a documentary within the pages of a book!
This DocuVideoBook doesn’t just tell Ria John Bob’s story… it lets you feel it.
For anyone passionate about music, stories of perseverance or innovative storytelling itself, this is a must-have experience.
Anne Palmowski – creative, archivist, Kung Fu Practitioner Erfurt Germany.
“Ria John Bob is a band of conviction and commitment, evidenced by their long-term working relationships and their vast and beautiful music and art catalogues. This unique story tells of a creative panoply, nurturing, shielding and developing talent. As their story is taken from detailed diaries, audio and filmed records from their very beginning, this is a step-by-step factual history. It shows how those involved took that extra step, developing an environment that allows no limitations and how integrity, mutual respect and time allow nothing but possibility and that with belief, patience, respect, a little bit of luck and trust in spirit and time, creation can be achieved with all of the dignity and none of the destruction” Derrick Moore V&M Creative Director
“Record labels were always like The Hunger Games: twenty artists go in but only one star comes out” CEO of Kobalt – Willard Ahdritz 2018
A small but significant part of the Ria John Bob story is about Bob discovering award-winning global popstar Sam Smith, ‘When Sam Met Bob’ is about that life defining meeting for Sam. At that time Sam had one dream only “I Want To Be A Star” and they were considering Musicals for their future career. Subsequently, Bob met Sam in a musicals’ class at Sylvia Young Theatre School where Bob was a part-time vocal and performance coach.
Bob immediately saw the potential in Sam’s voice and talents. Sam did not have the tools to achieve their “I Want To Be A Star” dream as they had no professional experience (previously only singing in school and competitions and singing covers of the female divas they loved). Also Sam had not yet discovered their own arts and skills or their personal and creative direction
But, Bob knew that Sam’s future lay in the potential of their voice and that would be best served in pop music where they could write and perform original songs.
Most importantly, Sam’s voice needed to be properly developed and Sam needed to learn how to protect their precious voice. Finding Sam’s Voice was the initial focus of Sam’s development programme; Bob was a big part of that process and Dr Voice (Sam’s vocal coach and guru) took care of the rest.
Bob then introduced Sam and their parents/managers to his own “artist-centric” label management – Venus and Mars Music.
Bob worked long hours with Sam, (essentially in the Pink House) spending many hours finding and developing the voice he knew Sam had; he then took Sam through routining songs for their first album – ’Sam Smith Diva Boy’ – which was later produced by Bob and Adam Helal.
“We had a lot of fun along the way, Sam’s Dad Fred was always with us and sometimes Mum Kate was too an sometimes all three of us had a singsong. oh and Sam’s Dad Fred, a great fella, served us a lot of great food!” Bob
The songs Sam chose, from hundreds on offer, for ‘Sam Smith Diva Boy’ were songs written by Ria John Bob. That album was exactly what Sam needed at that time which Sam recognised and said … “I love Sam Smith Diva Boy I have grown up with it and I have grown as a person with it”. Sam July 2009.
