literature
Beat's music literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase musicians.
DAVID BOWIE
He was awarded 10 platinum album certifications. 11 gold and 8 silver in the U.K. He released 11 number-one albums. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. He has been placed among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and was called the “Greatest Rock Star Ever” following his death in 2016. He was David Bowie!
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in Beat
Soundtrack To My (So-Called) 90's Life
At 16, I scoured the pages of my dELiA's catalogue desperately seeking something unique to call my own. Constructing myself like a magazine collage, I carefully procured each aspect of who I wanted to be. I hoped that in my small town of 10,000 people, the end result was individuality without seeming eccentric.
By Christina Hunter5 years ago in Beat
Dreaming in Blue
He eyed the other teenagers gathered outside the record shop, playfully pushing one another and laughing periodically at little jabs from the louder mouths. Had he gone to school he’d probably share a classroom with them, and he stood daydreaming of another life in their company while he waited impatiently, shifting his weight between feet, for his wristwatch to hit 9:04am.
By Jane Lynch5 years ago in Beat
Home Ain't No Place
I only had a few dozen interviews under my belt when I got the call that Smokin’ Bo Waites was willing to let me do a feature on him-- his first interview in over forty years. He was a fiercely private man and didn’t care at all for the media circus side of the music business. But when I reached out to his manager, I explained that I wasn’t just another young gunner, looking to break through by getting his name attached to my CV. I had been a disciple of his music since I was fourteen. The first time I ever heard one of his songs, it pierced me to my core and brought me to tears. He was more than just a blues legend to me; he was a religious figure, a mystic, a saint, who had led me through some of the darkest times in my life. I’d like to think that something I said must have convinced him, but in reality, Bo probably just decided the time was right to share his story.
By A. L. Hamilton5 years ago in Beat
The Lead Man's Journal
The Lead Man’s Journal 5/14/22 New Orleans, Louisiana Congratulations little black Moleskine notebook - you just became the landing strip of the thoughts nobody else will hear, but must be expressed. Ever since I blacked out after the Mardi Gras concert two months ago, I’ve been poked and prodded by doctors, only for them to say it was all in my head. They told me to write, so I’m writing. Derrick, my manager is so obsessed with getting me right only because his job depends on me. Otherwise, I think he’d throw me to the wolves and get a brand new model. He still may. I’m the front man, so if I go, the band would have to have a complete overhaul. Rebranding, new merchandise, maybe even a new name. You think the bet’s worth the hand? Honestly, when I landed this gig, it was like winning the lottery to me. Now I feel like I’ve traded my life for a blur of an existence and a miser who’s in charge of my piggy bank.
By A Rose Williams5 years ago in Beat
The Angels of Hell, Michigan
The Angels of Hell, Michigan by AP West It was a cold November Wednesday evening in 1998 when Serendipity unpacked her guitar and flute from the trunk of her car. She headed into The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Michigan for its local band night. This was a national rock venue and she was a young woman in a new city trying to prove herself and trying to network with the local bands.
By Pamela West-Finkle5 years ago in Beat
This Child Can Sing.
This Child can Sing By Anquinette Miller February 23, 2021 One thing is certain, everyone has a voice, every baby born, alive, has a scream, a yell, yelp, a squeal, raspy, low, high, different sounds, soft, loud and all in between, for many parents they feel a Star is born.
By Anquinette N Miller5 years ago in Beat
