| Format | Hardcover |
| Publication Date | 08/02/22 |
| ISBN | 9781639362073 |
| Trim Size / Pages | 6 x 9 in / 368 |
An acclaimed rock and roll journalist evokes the legacy of The Rolling Stones—iconic, granitic, commercially unstoppable as a collective; and fascinating, contradictory, and occasionally disturbing as individuals.
As Lesley-Ann Jones writes, the Rolling Stones are "still roaming the globe like rusty tanks without a war to go to. Jumping, jacking, flashing, posturing, these septuagenarian caricatures with faces that might have been microwaved but coming on like eternal thirty-year-olds.” On 12th July 1962, the Rollin’ Stones performed their first-ever gig at London’s Marquee jazz club. Down the line, a ‘g’ was added, a spark was lit and their destiny was sealed. No going back. These five white British kids set out to play the music of black America. They honed a style that bled bluesy undertones into dark insinuations of women, sex, and drugs. Denounced as ‘corruptors of youth’ and ‘messengers of the devil,’ they created some of the most thrilling music ever recorded. Now their sound and attitude seem louder and more influential than ever. Elvis is dead and the Beatles are over, but Jagger and Richards bestride the world. The Stones may be gathering moss, but on they roll. Yet how did the ultimate anti-establishment misfits become the global brand we know today? Who were the casualties, and what are the forgotten legacies? Can the artist ever be truly divisible from the art? Lesley-Ann Jones’s new history tracks this contradictory, disturbing, granitic and unstoppable band through hope, glory and exile, into the juggernaut years and beyond into rock’s ongoing reckoning . . . where the Stones seem more at odds than ever with the values and heritage against which they have always rebelled. Good, bad, and often ugly, here are the Rolling Stones as never seen before.
Lesley-Ann Jones is a bestselling biographer, novelist, and broadcaster. She honed her craft on Fleet Street as a newspaper journalist. She is the author of Bohemian Rhapsody: The Definitive Biography of Freddie Mercury and Hero: David Bowie. A childhood friend of David Bowie, Lesley-Ann has interviewed many of the world's most-loved artists, including Paul McCartney, Madonna, and Prince, often forming lifelong friendships with her subjects. Lesley-Ann lives in England.
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Praise for The Search for John Lennon:
"A feast for those looking for Rolling Stones gossip." Kirkus Reviews
"Biographer Jones delves into the personal struggles of music legend John Lennon in this masterful work... This survey is groundbreaking in its revelations, impressive in scope, and is a must-read for creatives, artists, musicians, and Beatles fans." Publishers Weekly (starred)
"[Jones's] deep psychological exploration of the legend’s life is literary, even lyrical, from the very first lines... [and] her long reporting career also yields caches of gold.” The Boston Globe
"[A] probing, insightful, admirably evenhanded portrait of the artist as a young enigma.” Richard Zoglin, Air Mail
“Jones has a lavish… writing style that is absolutely perfect for this material and a delight to read.” Greg Young, author of The Bowery Boys
"A gorgeously written, fascinating examination of the late artist’s many angles and layers.” SouthCoast TODAY
Praise for Hero: David Bowie:
"Through interviews with friends and colleagues, as well as detailed research, the writer has gained unprecedented knowledge of the true story behind the legend. Reveals fascinating insight into one of the greatest artists of our lifetime.” The Evening Standard
"An intriguing book. This is a personal friendship in writing. The knowledge divulged here is an endearing and powerful tale of a man who conquered the entire entertainment industry with his creative force.” Variety
"Through several interviews with Bowie she evocatively portrays his fascinating life, often with a tenderness you wouldn't expect.” The Daily Express
"Rather than following the well-trodden path of a chronological celebration of everything pertaining to the Stones' universe, Lesley-Ann Jones choses to train her focus on the fate and fortunes of individual band members, their women and recurring themes in the lives of the chillingly focussed and thoroughly calculating Sir Mick and the comparatively chaotic and charmed (if drug-addled) lifestyle of Keith, his lifelong partner in crime." Shindig! Magazine
