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Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and Korn
From Reggie “Fieldy” Arvizu, legendary bassist of nu-metal pioneers KORN, comes Got the L a no-holds-barred look at his extreme highs, drug- and-booze-fueled lows, and, finally, redemption through a conversion to Christianity. Got the Life is simultaneously an insider’s look at rock n’ roll superstardom—the good, the bad, and everything in between—and a survivor’s story of a life brought back from the precipice by a new found belief in religious salvation.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 16, 2009
Let me save you some time: Fieldy (you would have to read to page 131 to learn his real name) grows up in an abusive family, he becomes an addict, and the bass player for the world's greatest hard rock/heavy metal band. What? Korn is not the world's greatest metal band? Fieldy will tell you several times that they are. Never mind Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica or AC/DC. Korn is the greatest, according to Fieldy. (Don't you dare say that they are rap/metal and will be forgotten in less than 8 years!) Oh yeah, he gets sober and finds the Lord. Now he is a really cool dude that you want babysitting your kids, even though he looks like a homeless crackhead. The last quarter of the book is all about how the Lord saved him and how He might do you some good as well. Now that you know how dull and cookie cutter this book is go read Hammer of the Gods again. Pay some respects to the great Led Zeppelin.
February 6, 2014
In honor of Korn’s newest record which was released this week (The Paradigm Shift), I decided to read Fieldy’s autobiography which was released in 2009.
If you are a fan of Korn, you will know that in 2005 guitarist Brian “Head” Welch left the band after giving his life to following Jesus and wanting to get clean and take care of his daughter. He went on to write an autobiography called Save Me From Myself (which is an excellent book) and to record two full length records: Save Me From Myself (under his own name) and Between Here and Lost (under the band name Love and Death – an unbelievable record). With the release of The Paradigm Shift, and to the excitement of all Korn fans, Head has rejoined the band.
Got the Life by Fieldy is a book on the spiritual transformation that has happened in his life. Unlike Head, Fieldy did not leave Korn when he turned his life around, but rather stuck with the band and his new found faith at the same time.
Got the Life is a very honest and transparent look at Fieldy’s life from childhood through the evolution and explosion of the bands popularity. What I appreciate about the book is that you can tell Fieldy although not proud at all about his past mistakes, doesn’t sugarcoat his faults and shares with brutal honestly the depths to which his life had sunk to, and all the pain he caused both family and friends.
The book is not necessarily written as a diary or journal, but it very much reads like one. Stories are very detailed and varied. If you are reading this as a conservative Christian, keep in mind this is an autobiography about a rockstar’s life (sex, drugs, and rock & roll). Although not gratuitous, Fieldy doesn’t shy away from describing the kind of life he was living. It really is a dramatic story of redemption, and by the time you get to the last couple of chapters you feel like it’s an all new author writing the book. The transformation is profound.
If you are a fan of Fieldy and Korn, this is a must read. If you are looking to read a book on how God can miraculously transform someone’s life even when they seem to be hopelessly lost, this book is a testimony to how great and powerful God is.
Blog: www.jonathanstephens.wordpress.com
Twitter: @jonstephensNY
If you are a fan of Korn, you will know that in 2005 guitarist Brian “Head” Welch left the band after giving his life to following Jesus and wanting to get clean and take care of his daughter. He went on to write an autobiography called Save Me From Myself (which is an excellent book) and to record two full length records: Save Me From Myself (under his own name) and Between Here and Lost (under the band name Love and Death – an unbelievable record). With the release of The Paradigm Shift, and to the excitement of all Korn fans, Head has rejoined the band.
Got the Life by Fieldy is a book on the spiritual transformation that has happened in his life. Unlike Head, Fieldy did not leave Korn when he turned his life around, but rather stuck with the band and his new found faith at the same time.
Got the Life is a very honest and transparent look at Fieldy’s life from childhood through the evolution and explosion of the bands popularity. What I appreciate about the book is that you can tell Fieldy although not proud at all about his past mistakes, doesn’t sugarcoat his faults and shares with brutal honestly the depths to which his life had sunk to, and all the pain he caused both family and friends.
The book is not necessarily written as a diary or journal, but it very much reads like one. Stories are very detailed and varied. If you are reading this as a conservative Christian, keep in mind this is an autobiography about a rockstar’s life (sex, drugs, and rock & roll). Although not gratuitous, Fieldy doesn’t shy away from describing the kind of life he was living. It really is a dramatic story of redemption, and by the time you get to the last couple of chapters you feel like it’s an all new author writing the book. The transformation is profound.
If you are a fan of Fieldy and Korn, this is a must read. If you are looking to read a book on how God can miraculously transform someone’s life even when they seem to be hopelessly lost, this book is a testimony to how great and powerful God is.
Blog: www.jonathanstephens.wordpress.com
Twitter: @jonstephensNY
October 21, 2012
Unbelievably, I read this book today. It was on sale at Barnes and Noble and promised many valuable things for a Saturday read: Addiction. Recovery. Arrogance mixed with spiritual exuberance. Transformation. And simple writing. Rock/addiction/spiritual transformation books are my literary candy. Yum yum in the tum. I wish Fieldy the best, and I'm happy dude found a way to change his life. Rock on.
September 3, 2023
Be an abusive arse all your life then find God and you are ABSOLVED
April 29, 2019
As I am a "fan" of Korn, I was really interested in the biography of Fieldy and his story about his life with the band. But damn, I have to say, what an asshole. He also doesn't try to hide this, quite the opposite: he just talks about how much he drank, smoked, cheated and insulted. What really happened inside the band or inside him isn't really topic. That was a bit disappointing.
June 13, 2011
“Am I really done? Help me God, because if I am really done, I’m going to need your help.” –Fieldy
Fieldy’s (Reginald Arvizu bassist for KoRn) raw confession of how his new found faith in God and relationship with Jesus Christ literally saved his life from the destructive slow death of drugs, alcohol, casual sex, and selfishness, gluttony and anger. GOT THE LIFE: MY JOURNEY OF ADDICTION, FAITH, RECOVERY, AND KORN is an interesting and inspiring true story of Fieldy’s life; written in a conversational way. It is not a profound or intellectual read, but what it is an honest and naked account of one man’s story, as he achives some of the greatest successes according to the terms of this world, yet nearly pays the highest price for that success. In the Bible, Mark 8:36 says… "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"
Saved only by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ, Fieldy is born again and finds that living the life of a musician and “rock star” doesn’t have to come at the cost of your soul. You could spend your whole life searching for “the greatest party” that is promised by Hollywood and the secular world trying to fill that hole within you, only to end up feeling more empty and unhappy. I promise you that there is only one peace that will complete you and fill that hole and that is the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were created in His image to love and worship him and as long as you are trying to live on your own, according to your terms, there will always be a void within you that can only be filled by the love of Christ. “You’re free to surrender to what you choose, but you’re not free of the consequences of that choice.”- Fieldy
God wants us to be happy and live our dreams (yes, even the dreams of being a rock star). Who do you think gave us the gifts (amazing voice or musical skills) to be able to achieve these dreams?... But in all things the Lord must come first. His plan for us is always better than any plan we could have for ourselves. By putting the flesh and that of this world first in our lives we make those things our gods and sacrifice ourselves in the process. But by putting the Lord first, with his help we are rewarded with the greatest love you could ever imagine, a better and happier life then could ever accomplished on our own in this world and an eternity in paradise in His presents. Even if you’re basically a good person and think your life is pretty sweet, just think how much more amazing it could be with God’s love.
Fieldy’s (Reginald Arvizu bassist for KoRn) raw confession of how his new found faith in God and relationship with Jesus Christ literally saved his life from the destructive slow death of drugs, alcohol, casual sex, and selfishness, gluttony and anger. GOT THE LIFE: MY JOURNEY OF ADDICTION, FAITH, RECOVERY, AND KORN is an interesting and inspiring true story of Fieldy’s life; written in a conversational way. It is not a profound or intellectual read, but what it is an honest and naked account of one man’s story, as he achives some of the greatest successes according to the terms of this world, yet nearly pays the highest price for that success. In the Bible, Mark 8:36 says… "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"
Saved only by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ, Fieldy is born again and finds that living the life of a musician and “rock star” doesn’t have to come at the cost of your soul. You could spend your whole life searching for “the greatest party” that is promised by Hollywood and the secular world trying to fill that hole within you, only to end up feeling more empty and unhappy. I promise you that there is only one peace that will complete you and fill that hole and that is the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were created in His image to love and worship him and as long as you are trying to live on your own, according to your terms, there will always be a void within you that can only be filled by the love of Christ. “You’re free to surrender to what you choose, but you’re not free of the consequences of that choice.”- Fieldy
God wants us to be happy and live our dreams (yes, even the dreams of being a rock star). Who do you think gave us the gifts (amazing voice or musical skills) to be able to achieve these dreams?... But in all things the Lord must come first. His plan for us is always better than any plan we could have for ourselves. By putting the flesh and that of this world first in our lives we make those things our gods and sacrifice ourselves in the process. But by putting the Lord first, with his help we are rewarded with the greatest love you could ever imagine, a better and happier life then could ever accomplished on our own in this world and an eternity in paradise in His presents. Even if you’re basically a good person and think your life is pretty sweet, just think how much more amazing it could be with God’s love.
March 22, 2011
I read Head's book first and recommend they be read in that order. Even though the writing is not great, I got the feeling this is what Fieldy would tell me if we sat down to talk. I think that's just what fans of Korn would want and need. Though I have never been one, every fan of Korn should read both books to get the truth. I hope these books inspire even just an interest in getting to know the peace of Christ. That's really all you need to get started. I found Fieldy's story to be hugely inspiring. Every high school library needs a copy of both books.
May 16, 2010
I am a big Korn fan, so I just had to read this book. Although the beginning kept me entertained, I had to force myself to read the end.
September 6, 2016
I often read books that are completely out of my realm of existence or experience. Sometimes it's nice to get completely out of my own world, even when the experience is not that great.
Such was the case with this biography of a rock star bassist.
I'm not a fan of Korn, which doesn't mean that I dislike them. I don't know their music. I can't name a single song by them. I'm not even sure what kind of music they sing (a 90s flavor of metal), but the author will assure you many times, in case you are in doubt, that Korn is thee greatest rock band that ever lived and no one will ever be as great as they are or were (hard to tell if they are still a band). Just throw away your entire record collection and save the Korn.
This book was so bad I couldn't put it down!
In chapter after chapter we read glossed over accounts of drunken nights and orgies, including one grim incident of how he pushed a girl out the door of their moving tour bus after they passed her around to their satisfaction. Apparently the author was too drunk to actually remember the details of these endless sordid (but, as we shall later learn, ultimately meaningless) nights. I felt that when he was pressed for details by an editor, he simply made them up. For example, he claimed that his band was held at gunpoint, specifically AK-47s, by British cops at the Heathrow Airport. I call bullshit. British cops are not allowed to carry firearms. They are allowed to carry only billy clubs, which is how they got their name "billies."
Even worse was the way he treated his best friends and bandmates. How can you like this guy? To make matters worse, the book contains letters of apology to each of them, for basically being a dick. Thing is, he comes off like a dick, even when apologizing for being a dick!
I'd like to tell you how this band got its stupid name, but I couldn't make sense of this guy's explanation. His nickname "Fieldy" made even less sense.
When his dad got sick, he suddenly got religion and gave up his Budweiser but not his badassery (to be sure, he reads like an asshole the entire time) or bass guitar. We are meant to thank god for that last fact, obviously. His dimwit girlfriend agreed to marry him so he'd be pure in the eyes of the Lord. Thank goodness God loves Rock N Roll Dickheads and will forgive everything so long as they marry their current dimwitted girlfriends and properly divorce their current wives, who just have no understanding of what they're going through!
Male rock stars are such dicks. Why do women adore them so much?
And finally, what is with the Christ figure on the front cover? Are we to believe he sacrificed something?
Such was the case with this biography of a rock star bassist.
I'm not a fan of Korn, which doesn't mean that I dislike them. I don't know their music. I can't name a single song by them. I'm not even sure what kind of music they sing (a 90s flavor of metal), but the author will assure you many times, in case you are in doubt, that Korn is thee greatest rock band that ever lived and no one will ever be as great as they are or were (hard to tell if they are still a band). Just throw away your entire record collection and save the Korn.
This book was so bad I couldn't put it down!
In chapter after chapter we read glossed over accounts of drunken nights and orgies, including one grim incident of how he pushed a girl out the door of their moving tour bus after they passed her around to their satisfaction. Apparently the author was too drunk to actually remember the details of these endless sordid (but, as we shall later learn, ultimately meaningless) nights. I felt that when he was pressed for details by an editor, he simply made them up. For example, he claimed that his band was held at gunpoint, specifically AK-47s, by British cops at the Heathrow Airport. I call bullshit. British cops are not allowed to carry firearms. They are allowed to carry only billy clubs, which is how they got their name "billies."
Even worse was the way he treated his best friends and bandmates. How can you like this guy? To make matters worse, the book contains letters of apology to each of them, for basically being a dick. Thing is, he comes off like a dick, even when apologizing for being a dick!
I'd like to tell you how this band got its stupid name, but I couldn't make sense of this guy's explanation. His nickname "Fieldy" made even less sense.
When his dad got sick, he suddenly got religion and gave up his Budweiser but not his badassery (to be sure, he reads like an asshole the entire time) or bass guitar. We are meant to thank god for that last fact, obviously. His dimwit girlfriend agreed to marry him so he'd be pure in the eyes of the Lord. Thank goodness God loves Rock N Roll Dickheads and will forgive everything so long as they marry their current dimwitted girlfriends and properly divorce their current wives, who just have no understanding of what they're going through!
Male rock stars are such dicks. Why do women adore them so much?
And finally, what is with the Christ figure on the front cover? Are we to believe he sacrificed something?
August 5, 2015
I really shouldn't have even picked this up. My nostalgia goggles started going crazy when I saw that another Korn member wrote a book (I read Head's book several years ago). Even though I realized it was another born-again Christian thing, I still decided that I had to read it.
Full disclosure: I am not religious at all.
Of course, at least part of my issue is the proselytizing going on after Fieldy finds God, but it is a deeper frustration for me. I hate this notion (that both he and Head put forth) that a life without Jesus is always going to be full of debauchery and terrible things. They both blamed their terrible behavior on a lack of God in their lives. I have been atheist for as long as I knew what the term meant, and I would never act the way Fieldy did early in the book. He was just a jerk, plain and simple. I do appreciate that his newfound religion helped him personally get rid of that bad behavior, but he definitely got a bit holier-than-thou.
I also felt like he had an unrealistic view of Korn. Here's the thing - I was positively obsessed with this band when I was 12/13. I wanted tattoos of the band name and wanted to meet them all and I credited them with every good thing that happened in my life. Even back then I am not sure I would have quickly agreed to Fieldy's claims that they are the best metal/rock band to have ever existed.
(And these gripes are all separate from the simple fact that it wasn't very well-written.)
At any rate, I hope he is happy and continues to live a life that is fulfilling to him.
Full disclosure: I am not religious at all.
Of course, at least part of my issue is the proselytizing going on after Fieldy finds God, but it is a deeper frustration for me. I hate this notion (that both he and Head put forth) that a life without Jesus is always going to be full of debauchery and terrible things. They both blamed their terrible behavior on a lack of God in their lives. I have been atheist for as long as I knew what the term meant, and I would never act the way Fieldy did early in the book. He was just a jerk, plain and simple. I do appreciate that his newfound religion helped him personally get rid of that bad behavior, but he definitely got a bit holier-than-thou.
I also felt like he had an unrealistic view of Korn. Here's the thing - I was positively obsessed with this band when I was 12/13. I wanted tattoos of the band name and wanted to meet them all and I credited them with every good thing that happened in my life. Even back then I am not sure I would have quickly agreed to Fieldy's claims that they are the best metal/rock band to have ever existed.
(And these gripes are all separate from the simple fact that it wasn't very well-written.)
At any rate, I hope he is happy and continues to live a life that is fulfilling to him.
January 26, 2012
Considering that I was and still am a Korn fan, this book was definitely on my list to read from the band members with the other books being from Brian "Head" Welch. Granted before this book came to my attention, i had all ready known about Brian quitting the band due to a lot of reasons & I knew that at one point Fieldy had a falling out with the rest of the band as well, but..i was totally unaware of the fact that Fieldy was going through similar if not the same issues that Head was going through himself. I found this book to be insightful and interesting when it came to the life of 1 Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu. I did at times feel really bad for Fieldy as he didn't seem to have the smoothest or best of a family life when he was younger, but thankfully he has survived all of the trials and tribulations of his younger years and has come out of the "darkness" as a better and more enlightened man. I for 1 am glad that he decided that it is far better to live a "straight edge" lifestyle so that he can be around for his children and hopefully...his grandchildren. To any Korn fan's out there, if you haven't peeped this book out yet, i recommend that you do so, along with Brian "Head" Welch's books.
May 5, 2013
Some highlights:
- Fieldy discovered Limp Bizkit.
- His dad was in a band called Reggie and Alex
- Jonathan Davis used to call him Billy (never explained why)
- Another John used to call him Gopher, which then evolved into Gar. Then that became Garfield, then Field, then Fieldy.
- He's worked with Cheech from Cheech and Chong
- There's half a chapter banging on about his solo album, Fieldy's Dreams
- All the chapter titles are KoRn songs
- Loves the stories about 'our Lord'.
Genuinely don't know how to rate this, let's just say 5 stars, because it's the best autobiography I've read by a nu-metal bassist.
- Fieldy discovered Limp Bizkit.
- His dad was in a band called Reggie and Alex
- Jonathan Davis used to call him Billy (never explained why)
- Another John used to call him Gopher, which then evolved into Gar. Then that became Garfield, then Field, then Fieldy.
- He's worked with Cheech from Cheech and Chong
- There's half a chapter banging on about his solo album, Fieldy's Dreams
- All the chapter titles are KoRn songs
- Loves the stories about 'our Lord'.
Genuinely don't know how to rate this, let's just say 5 stars, because it's the best autobiography I've read by a nu-metal bassist.
November 1, 2012
Absolutely fascinating read about a guy with an extraordinary life, who found an extraordinary God. Loved reading about his journey with Korn and with Christ. I had an opportunity to have Fieldy as a guest on my radio show, "Divine Intervention" and to hear him tell his story of faith first hand. He was a great interview, and very interesting. You can listen to the interview here:
http://divineintervention.typepad.com...
http://divineintervention.typepad.com...
August 26, 2011
Interesting story of a sinner saved by grace.
June 9, 2013
A very good book. I didn't really know anything about the guys in Korn.
July 30, 2010
I read this in my high school years, since I was a fan of Korn at the time. (I still am, just not as much.) The book was very easy to read. The writing wasn't much of anything special, but it pretty much documents his early lifestyle on drugs and alcohol and later concludes with how he sobers up and redeems himself. Like I said earlier, the writing isn't the best, but the book is very entertaining and informative. It can be a bit preachy, but it definetly shows just how damaging that the party lifestyle can be, which is why I found it to be important.
March 30, 2010
I did not like as well as "Head's" book Save me from myself but it was good. I loved the story of how he found himself and God but it just didn't connect the same way as I did with Brian "Head" Welch's book but I would recomend it is a great story of struggle, starvation, drug addiction and finally recovery
May 12, 2011
Got s little carried away with the descriptions of debauchery. It's like he had to let us know how really BAD he was but went way overboard with it. Had some really good insights in the end. Loved his journal entries. Wish the book was like his journal writings. Now that would be something far more edifying to read!
August 9, 2018
I guess I'm not THAT big a fan of things Korn anymore. It was interesting to read what Fieldy's life has been and then to talk about how he's paying attention to what his heart finally wants. I put this on the same level as Head's book so I'm pretty sure if you are highly religious or liked Head's book, you'd like this one. Just not me.
November 9, 2021
A lot of this is your standard rock autobiography with a lot more preachiness thrown in (unless we are talking about Dave Mustaine’s book, which is as preachy). I knew that going in so I’m really not complaining about that. What does suck is that there’s very little about Korn and Fieldy’s role within Korn. That was a pretty big letdown.
April 6, 2009
Wow, what a terrible book. The only part I really enjoyed was in the middle where he talks about Korn starting up and the first couple of albums. The writing is terrible and you can rally tell that the guy is just stuck up, even though if has now found Jesus.
May 19, 2012
I am so happy for the change in Fieldy's life. He gave a lot of gory details of his former life. It seems that he needed us to know exactly how bad he was so we can appreciate the change. It is lovely to see that God works in people who choose to turn totally away from him.
September 29, 2010
i absolutely love this book. It has definately made my list of top 10 books.
Read
October 13, 2011it is really good
January 27, 2012
I personally thought that this book was facinating. It told his story and journey throughout his life, from the very beginning. I even did myproject on this book!:D
July 7, 2013
such a good book. i now have a new found respect for Fieldy and the struggles he went through earlier in life.
December 19, 2017
I read this after reading both of Brian "Head" Welch's books. Interesting journey God has taken both of these guys from Korn on. I wonder what's next?
November 16, 2009
This book is about my favorite bass player and my hero: Fieldy.
November 17, 2017
I have always been a fan of Korn, but never knew anything personal about their band-members. I read this book in three days after deciding which book I should read next. I hated Fieldy during the first 150 pages or so of the book due to his mistreatment of every woman in his life besides his mother. I enjoyed hating him so much that I laughed out loud at the part when he was wetting his pants a few times a day. It was difficult to feel bad for the piece of shit that Fieldy had become, enjoying the glory of his rock band career. If there is one famous person experiencing "King Baby" syndrome, this was the guy. He lived a life of luxury and entitlement. I fucking hated this piece of shit but I'm glad that he made the choice to better himself and come clean with the life he had previously lived. I couldn't believe that the only justifiable reason for him to treat others with such ferocity was with the divorce between his father and mother when he was sixteen or whatever. He lived such an amazing and privileged life I couldn't bring myself to accept any of Fieldy's behavior toward people. He was such a fucking hypocrite. He cheated on every single one of his relationships including the relationship with his current wife Dena (he had three wives). He was such a whore.
I guess this dude's alright since he claims to be sober now. God's the judge. Whatever, Fieldy.
I guess this dude's alright since he claims to be sober now. God's the judge. Whatever, Fieldy.
February 22, 2024
3.5 stars.
I tried to read this last year and ending up DNFing about a third of the way through but I’m glad I gave it another chance. If you’re a Korn fan I’d recommend giving it a try.
In Fieldy’s own words he’s been a jerk and a bully in his life, hurting people just because he could (and by accident through thoughtless words). Those parts are hard to get through, especially as the book opens with a scene of domestic violence committed by Fieldy against his wife. If you can get through that you will learn more about the nervous little boy Reggie, off the rails teen Reggie and out of control rockstar Fieldy. As a big Korn fan I do like the nostalgia of hearing snippets about the band. I do wonder how different Fieldy’s life would’ve turned out if he had had a happy childhood.
Religion is not my thing. I’m an atheist (always have been) and I’ve not had a drink for over two years (from choice, I was only a social drinker) but I can see how people can need faith to find peace. I hope Fieldy can keep faith, sobriety and peace in his life.
A hard read but good for fans.
I tried to read this last year and ending up DNFing about a third of the way through but I’m glad I gave it another chance. If you’re a Korn fan I’d recommend giving it a try.
In Fieldy’s own words he’s been a jerk and a bully in his life, hurting people just because he could (and by accident through thoughtless words). Those parts are hard to get through, especially as the book opens with a scene of domestic violence committed by Fieldy against his wife. If you can get through that you will learn more about the nervous little boy Reggie, off the rails teen Reggie and out of control rockstar Fieldy. As a big Korn fan I do like the nostalgia of hearing snippets about the band. I do wonder how different Fieldy’s life would’ve turned out if he had had a happy childhood.
Religion is not my thing. I’m an atheist (always have been) and I’ve not had a drink for over two years (from choice, I was only a social drinker) but I can see how people can need faith to find peace. I hope Fieldy can keep faith, sobriety and peace in his life.
A hard read but good for fans.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews