The Living Years

Genesis: from humble beginnings as a schoolboy band, to a million-selling legendary live act. Mike Rutherford was there from the beginning. Now, in the first memoir by a member of the band, Mike reveals the truth about Genesis's evolution, and his own band Mike and the Mechanics.
There were lineup changes, there was drink, there were drugs; there were arguments and excess. But, in the background - and sometimes in the audience - there was also Mike's father, a World War II naval captain. He watched Genesis grow from travelling to gigs in a Hovis bread van, to an iconic band who toured the world just as he had done in the line of duty.
But when his father suddenly died, Mike was forced to re-examine their relationship and, in so doing, began to understand how their lives had overlapped. Candid, insightful and very funny, it will strike a chord in just the same way as the classic hit 'The Living Years'.
'Rutherford tells [a] story . . . that celebrates love of family, loyalty to friendship, passion for music, and - in his father's tradition - devotion to duty.' The Times

Michael Rutherford is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. Rutherford often played rhythm guitar and 12-string guitar for the band in the early years. Following the departure of Steve Hackett from Genesis in 1977, he assumed the role of lead guitarist on the band's studio albums, beginning with And Then There Were Three in 1978. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis (the other is keyboardist Tony Banks). Rutherford wrote the lyrics to many Genesis songs during their career, including some of the band's biggest international hits, such as "Follow You, Follow Me", "Turn It On Again", "Land of Confusion" and "Throwing It All Away". He also formed Mike + The Mechanics in 1985. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.