Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
Huge feature revisits Whitney Houston's life, and death. How one of the greatest female vocalists in history fell foul of hard drugs, and toxic relationships. “She became a huge star but, like so many creations, they fall apart”
Guitarist reminisces about childhood in Essex, joining Dr Feelgood, working with Ian Dury's Blockheads. "In the early days I thought after five years I'd have lots of money, and I'd go back to university and study Mandarin"
When Korean hip hop act Epik High was at the top of its game, online agitators turned against frontman Dan Lee, claiming, among other things, that he lied about his Stanford degree. Davis unravels a bizarre tale
Tribute to singer, drummer of The Band. Sang of "America of the tall tale, the underground history, the renegade, buccaneer country that belongs to all of us. He gave that history a voice we could all hear over the din of the times"
"In Mr Helm's drumming, muscle, swing, economy and finesse were inseparably merged. His voice held the bluesy, weathered and resilient essence of his Arkansas upbringing in the Mississippi Delta"
Kanye West. Five platinum albums, 18 Grammy awards. "The first true genius of the iPhone era, the Mozart of contemporary American music". Also "a petulant, adolescent, blanked-out, pained emotional mess". And a jackass
In April 1962, 18-year-old Richards wrote this letter to his aunt, Patty, describing an encounter that would ultimately change his life — the moment he met Mick Jagger for the first time since being childhood friends
Conversation with Britpop legend Damon Albarn. On Blur, heroin, writing music, even travelling to Iceland: "I got on a plane, and booked into the Saga hotel. I didn't know it meant Saga holidays, for older people"
There's more to Augusta, Georgia than the Masters golf tournament. It's also the hometown of the Godfather of Soul. Thompson goes to investigate Brown's side of town, and the legacy left by the singer
"'It's just this sense that you got something to say.' What he felt was the itch of an imminent insight, the tickle of lyrics that needed to be written down. 'I found myself writing this song, this story, this long piece of vomit'"
Singer talks about his art and his thalidomide disability. "I remember getting a call from Grünenthal [which sold thalidomide in Germany]. They asked me to sing at their Christmas party. I said: You must be out of your minds!"
He was born John Anthony Gillis, the 10th of 10 children. The business cards on his desk read: John A. White III, D.D.S. — Accidentist and Occidental Archaeologist. But you'll know him as Jack White, once of the White Stripes
Image by Ferrari + caballos + fuerza = cerebro Humano  on Flickr
Noel Gallagher, on band life with Liam
"I thought the most important part was the songs, and he thought the most important part was the chaos"
