Phil Spector created the "wall of sound," produced the Beatles' last record, persuaded the Ramones to go "pop," made the Righteous Brothers sound respectable, and was a millionaire by age 21. His credits include some of the most important and memorable songs of the 1960s: The Ronettes' "Be My Baby," The Crystals' "And Then He Kissed Me," and Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High."Culled from more than 100 interviews with Spector's closest associates, including staff producers, singers, musicians, and ex-wives, He's a Rebel discusses all stages of Spector's varied musical career, from his first hit, "To Know Him Is To Love Him" (written as a teenager) to his appointment to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.In addition to chronicling his musical achievements and unpredictable genius, the author boldly explores Spector's legendary eccentricities, addictions, and violent, reclusive tendencies. He's a Rebel offers a definitive, unflinching portrait of...

This intimate story of Lynyrd Skynyrd tells of how a band of lost souls and self-destructive misfits with uncertain artistic objectives clawed their way to the top of the rock 'n' roll world. Based on interviews with surviving band members, Whiskey Bottles and Brand-New Cars shares how lead singer and front man Ronnie Van Zant guided the band's hugely successful five-year run and, in the process, created not only a new country rock idiom, but a new Confederacy in constant conflict with old Southern totems and prejudices. Placing the music and personae of Skynyrd into a broad cultural context, this book gives a new perspective to a history of stage fights, motel-room destructions, cunning business deals, and brilliant studio productions. It also offers a greater appreciation for a band whose legacy, in the aftermath of their last plane ride, has since descended into self-caricature.