Charles R. Cross was the editor of The Rocket, northwest America's leading music magazine, from 1986 to 2000. He is now a freelance writer and journalist writing for diverse publications from The Times to Rolling Stone, Playboy to Guitar World. His previous book HEAVIER THAN HEAVEN was a huge critical and commercial success. He lives in Seattle with his family.
'meticulously researched' - Mojo''Charles R Cross has got as close to the truth as anyone yet in his exhaustive and ground-breaking account of the life of the greatest guitarist in the history of rock.' - GuardianFor HEAVIER THAN HEAVEN:One of the most moving and revealing books ever written about a rock star. - Los Angeles TimesCross's research is impeccable... he writes with a fine mixture of sympathy and sense, weeding the myth of all its lies and exaggerations but never minimising the complexity of his subject. - Lynn Barber, Daily TelegraphWins immediate entry into the rock lit pantheon. Five stars. - Q MagazineA superbly researched and harrowing book. - The Sunday TimesCross's portrayal of a shy but prodigiously gifted child is a joy to read. - Observer
'meticulously researched' - Mojo''Charles R Cross has got as close to the truth as anyone yet in his exhaustive and ground-breaking account of the life of the greatest guitarist in the history of rock.' - GuardianFor HEAVIER THAN HEAVEN:One of the most moving and revealing books ever written about a rock star. - Los Angeles TimesCross's research is impeccable... he writes with a fine mixture of sympathy and sense, weeding the myth of all its lies and exaggerations but never minimising the complexity of his subject. - Lynn Barber, Daily TelegraphWins immediate entry into the rock lit pantheon. Five stars. - Q MagazineA superbly researched and harrowing book. - The Sunday TimesCross's portrayal of a shy but prodigiously gifted child is a joy to read. - Observer
While albums with "rare" or "lost" Jimi Hendrix studio tracks pop up annually, the late guitar god's biographers haven't been as revealing-they tend to regurgitate tired facts or reinforce the image of Hendrix as a rock martyr. Cross, who previously tamed Kurt Cobain's legacy in the best seller Heavier Than Heaven, ends that cycle by tackling Hendrix with authority and objectivity to spin a tale that's as compelling as it is illuminating. Readers are introduced to a boy who grew up in astonishing poverty and social dysfunction in Seattle; Cross also highlights the rocker's faults by detailing Hendrix's exploitation of women and the little-known fact that he was discharged from the military after lying about his sexuality. And he teases readers with passages of letters that Hendrix wrote to his father, Al, before and after becoming famous. Not only does this read like the definitive take on Hendrix but it also positions Cross as the next great rock biographer. Highly recommended for all libraries, especially those in the Pacific Northwest. [See the Q&A with Cross on p. 84.-Ed.]-Robert Morast, Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, SD Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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