First published 2009
Robert Hilburn opens doors to the hidden world of rock music through his decades as one of the genre's most respected critics. He was the sole journalist who accompanied Johnny Cash into Folsom Prison, shared meals with John Lennon during his lost weekend period in Los Angeles, watched cartoons with Michael Jackson, and grabbed coffee with a road-weary Bob Dylan. Hilburn advised Bruce Springsteen on concert song arrangements when performances fell flat, slipped past Elvis Presley's manager for private conversations with the King, and crafted an intimate profile of Kurt Cobain that helped the musician retain custody of his daughter despite struggles with addiction and depression. The book transcends personal anecdotes to chronicle rock and roll as a cultural force, revealing legendary performers as fragile, brilliant, deeply human individuals. Hilburn demonstrates how music criticism became a lens for understanding both artistic genius and personal vulnerability in an industry that created gods from mortals.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, non-fiction, music, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, personal-anecdotes
Setting: Folsom Prison, Los Angeles
Period: Lost Weekend
314 pages · Paperback · Turner