Introduction

My name is Louis P. Spector. I am in the process of writing a memoir about my time spent living with my father, a well-known record producer. I was not raised by a mother, just my father, along with my two brothers and the house manager/bodyguard/chauffeur. His name was George, and he was the one who taught me about life. At an early age, I had a speech impairment and learning disability, making it hard for me to grow up. I didn't learn to read until I was 15. Until then, comic books were all I had, the easy ones like Richy Rich, Casper, and Hot Stuff. My younger brother, who was three years old, would read to me on occasions from my other comics, such as Spider-man, Batman, and Superman, on the count of them being too advanced for me to read. My other brother, who is also my twin, often annoyingly corrected me whenever I mispronounced or misused a word, and he was rather stubborn about it. I was not born into the family, something my grandmother often reminded me of, but instead adopted into it, along with my twin brother. We were five years old at the time and presented as gifts during Christmas.

The purpose of our arrival was to save a marriage. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, and six months later, we were without a mom. From that day on, we spent most of our time locked up in our rooms whenever at home. From early on, Dad knew there was something off about me. He assumed I was "brain damaged," and because of that, he felt any education would be wasted on me; fortunately, however, George saw potential in me. He encouraged me to read, keep focused, and be a better person. His approach was direct and stern, like when he taught me how to swim. He threw me into the pool's deep end, where I first learned how not to drown. My memoir is about my unorthodox upbringing, my struggle to overcome a learning disability, and my estranged relationship with my father. Though I grew up in a family of 4, I grew up alone in what I call the Gingerbread House of Beverly Hills, located on the winding road of LaCollina Drive.