Not Fade Away

by Ben Fong-Torres

Overview

(Book). From 1969 to 1981, Ben Fong-Torres was one of the first "star" writers on staff at Rolling Stone the "scruffy rock journal" that metamorphosed into one of the most powerful voices of a generation. Now in this fascinating book, Fong-Torres revisits his most intriguing celebrity interviews and profiles, and for the first time tells the revealing stories behind the stories, the stars, his writing process, and life at Rolling Stone .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780879305901
Publisher:	Backbeat
Publication date:	11/01/1999
Pages:	354
Sales rank:	466,146
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.87(h) x 0.89(d)

Table of Contents

	Foreword	5
	Introduction	7
	Acknowledgments	15
	Everybody Is a Star: Travels with Sly Stone	17
	Hey, Janis Is Feeling Great	30
	The Jackson 5: The Men Don't Know, But the Little Girls Understand	33
	Jim Morrison's Got the Blues	44
	Jefferson Airplane Grunts: 'Gotta Evolution'	49
	Ike & Tina: The World's Greatest Heartbreaker	57
	Marvin Gaye: Honor Thy Brother-in-Law	73
	Three Dog Night: See How They Run	90
	The Resurrection of Santana	100
	The Rolling Stone Interview: Ray Charles	118
	The Rolling Stones in Paradise	131
	The Formerly Little Stevie Wonder	139
	Dick Clark: Twenty Years of Clearasil Rock	149
	Knockin' on Dylan's Door	158
	The Ego Meets the Dove: The Reunion of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young	172
	Elton John: The Four-Eyed Bitch is Back	185
	George Harrison: Lumbering in the Material World	197
	Linda Ronstadt: Heartbreak on Wheels	209
	Bonnie Raitt: Daughter of the Blues	221
	Yesterday, Today, and Paul	233
	The Importance of Being Neil Diamond	244
	The Life and Lurues of Diane Keaton	256
	What Is This Thing Called Hunter S. Thompson?	269
	Fifteen Years Dead	272
	Rodney Dangerfield: He Whines That We May Laugh	280
	Steve Martin Sings: The Rolling Stone Interview	289
	Annie Leibovitz: The Photographer As an Activist	299
	Rick Nelson: A Travelin' Man at His Own Pace	302
	Eddie Murphy: Who Does He Think He Is?	306
	Tom Hanks Plays It Cool	313
	Rickie Lee Jones: Say Goodbye to That Slinky Black Dress	319
	James Brown: The Godfather's Back, with a Bullet!	324
	Iggy, We Hardly Knew Ye	331
	Joni Mitchell Rocks Again	335
	Epilogue: My Back Pages	339
	Index	343
	Biography	351
	Credits	352

Editorial Reviews

Fong-Torres, who is best known as a writer and editor for Rolling Stone and whose most recent books include The Rice Room: Growing Up Chinese-American--From Number Two Son to Rock 'n' Roll and The Hits Just Keep On Coming: The History of Top 40 Radio, is one of the few rock journalists whose work deserves to be anthologized. This book collects 34 of his higher-profile pieces, drawn mostly from work he did for Rolling Stone in the 1970s--including profiles of and interviews with Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Tom Hanks, and Rodney Dangerfield. He contextualizes the chronologically arranged stories with bits of information about his personal background, the growth of Rolling Stone, and pop culture. At times he picks on "unhip" easy targets like Three Dog Night and Dick Clark, but mostly his rapport with his subjects and eye for detail provide intimate and complex portraits. Recommended for most popular music collections.--Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Fong-Torres captured the most celebreated rockers of the day (Dylan, the Stones, Jefferson Airplane), but the best of Not Fade Awayis him going where others didn't bother to go: His feature on Three Dog Night explores the inner workings of a Top Forty pop-rock hit machine and is as relevant today as it was in 1972.

Rolling Stone

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