Chris Salewicz

In 27: Amy Winehouse, the first in a series of exclusive ebooks, acclaimed music writer Chris Salewicz celebrates the life of one of the most talented performers of recent times. In an intimate mini-biography, he explores Amys artistic influences and inspirations, her ability to capture the imagination and her appetite for self-destruction. Salewicz provides a startling portrayal of the perils of genius and the true cost of fame. Must the ferociously good die young?

Robert Johnson was, according to Eric Clapton, "the most important blues singer that ever lived." An itinerant street musician, with a weakness for whisky and women, his is a life of pure legend - the man who sold his soul for the devil, and thereby invented modern music.Precious little is known about his 27 years, or the circumstances of his death, and even the site of his grave is contested. In this mini-biography, acclaimed music critic Chris Salewicz investigates the truth behind the myth, evoking an incisive profile of an enigmatic figure who, with just 29 songs, changed popular music for ever.27: Robert Johnson is the final part of a series of short music ebooks. Other titles in the series include 27: Brian Jones, 27: Jimi Hendrix, 27: Janis Joplin, 27: Jim Morrison, 27: Kurt Cobain and 27: Amy Winehouse.

Jim Morrison, musician, singer and poet was found dead, the victim of a suspected heroin overdose, in a Paris apartment bathtub in 1971. He was 27.Morrison was a talented, charismatic, wild-tempered cultural cipher. He struggled to cope with his exalted status and his death, officially from heart failure, remains shrouded in mystery.In 27: Jim Morrison, acclaimed music critic Chris Salewicz pays homage to Morrison as a rock icon, whilst acknowledging the dark side of this conflicted character. It is the sixth title in a series of exclusive music ebooks, an ambitious project examining the perils of genius, celebrity and excess. Other titles in the series include 27: Amy Winehouse, 27: Kurt Cobain, 27: Jimi Hendrix and 27: Janis Joplin.

Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter, counterculture icon, the Queen of rock and roll, died aged just 27. During a short four-year career, blighted by alcoholism and drug abuse, she changed the face of music, carving out opportunities for a generation of female talent. Her powerful, raw vocals touched fans of folk music, blues and soul alike, with recordings such as Me and Bobby McGee, To Love Somebody and Mercedes Benz widely recognized as classics of their era.In 27: Janis Joplin acclaimed author Chris Salewicz examines Joplins troubled and unconventional existence, and explains her profound musical influence. This is the fifth in a series of exclusive music ebooks, an ambitious project examining the perils of genius, celebrity and excess. Other titles in the series include 27: Amy Winehouse, 27: Kurt Cobain, 27: Brian Jones, and 27: Jimi Hendrix.

Kurt Cobain, Nirvana frontman, died aged just 27. In this insightful mini-biography, respected music critic Chris Salewicz examines Cobains journey from sensitive loner to generational icon. Salewicz scrutinizes Cobains tormented inner life, his tempestuous relationship with Courtney Love, and the importance of his cultural legacy.27: Kurt Cobain is the second in a series of exclusive music ebooks, an ambitious project examining the perils of genius, celebrity and excess. Other titles in the series include 27: Amy Winehouse, 27: Jimi Hendrix, 27: Jim Morrison and 27: Janis Joplin.

Brian Jones, multi-instrumentalist, visionary and the golden boy of the 60s, was, at the age of 27, the first rock casualty of his generation.A strange, somewhat impenetrable character, Brian Jones was a founding member and guiding spirit of The Rolling Stones. Adored and misunderstood in equal measure, Jones was perhaps the most creatively ambitious cultural force of his time, an artist whose commitment to the experimental and exotic remains profoundly influential.Always unconventional, Joness voracious appetite for lifes extremes led to unparalleled debauchery, drug and alcohol fuelled paranoia, and ultimately personal ruin.27: Brian Jones is the third in a series of exclusive music ebooks, an ambitious project examining the perils of genius, celebrity and excess. Other titles in the series include 27: Amy Winehouse, 27: Jimi Hendrix, 27: Jim Morrison and 27: Kurt Cobain.

James Marshall Jimi Hendrix is the most famous and perhaps the most innovative guitarist in music history. He died aged 27.In this thought-provoking mini-biography, acclaimed author Chris Salewicz attends not just to Hendrixs virtuoso skill, but also to his enigmatic and unpredictable character. He explores Hendrixs status as psychedelic talisman and fashion icon, detailing the attitude and style that informed his legend.27: Jimi Hendrix paints an intimate portrait of a man struggling with fame and substance abuse while mesmerizing the world. 27: Jimi Hendrix is the fourth in a series of exclusive music ebooks, an ambitious project examining the perils of genius, celebrity and excess. Other titles in the series include 27: Amy Winehouse, 27: Kurt Cobain, 27: Brian Jones, and 27: Jim Morrison.

Robert Johnson. Brian Jones. Jimi Hendrix. Janis Joplin. Jim Morrison. Kurt Cobain. Amy Winehouse. They were inspirational, controversial, talismanic and innovative. They lead lives full of myth, scandal, sex, drugs and some of the most glorious music that has ever heard. Though each of their lives were cut tragically short at the age of 27, they would all leave the world having changed it irrevocably. Chris Salewicz tells, in intimate detail, the stories behind these compelling figures. From Robert Johnson and his legendary deal with the devil, to Jimi Hendrix appearing like a psychedelic comet on the London scene, through to Amy Winehouses blazing talent and her savage appetite for self-destruction.

The definitive biography of Joe Strummer, released with a new epilogue to mark the 60th anniversary of his birth. Chris Salewicz was an intimate friend of Strummers for over 25 years. Drawing on more than 300 interviews with family, friends and associates, this is a comprehensive, compelling insight into the man behind The Clash. The Clash was the most influential band of its generation, producing punk anthems including London Calling, White Riot and Tommy Gun. For countless fans across the world, they are the ultimate iconic mainstays of their generation. With his talent, extreme good looks and laid-back attitude Joe Strummer was the driving force behind the band: he was the archetypal punk frontman. His untimely death in December 2002 shook the world to its core. Written with full approval and co-operation of relatives, companions and fellow musicians, this is the ultimate account of one of British rock & rolls most fascinating idols: his life, his work and his immeasurable impact on the world. Redemption Song is the best and last word on the subject.

Founder of one of the most influential and successful rock bands of all time, legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has nevertheless remained an enigma. In this definitive and comprehensive biography of his life so far, Chris Salewicz draws on his own interviews with Page and those closest around him to unravel the man behind the mystery. Having sold over 300 million copies worldwide, Led Zeppelin was the biggest band of the 70s and has been loved by the legions ever since. From his own conversations with Jimmy, the rest of Led Zeppelin, old girlfriends, tour managers and session musicians to name but a few, Salewicz reveals the many trials and tribulations which transformed the middle class boy from the Surrey suburbs into one of rocks most enigmatic frontmen. Detailed, thrilling and expertly researched, Salewicz discovers a man who was prepared to die for his art; who justified heroin use so he could harness its narcotic focus whilst making albums, and who overcame numerous death threats during this time. A warrior magician, Salewicz delves into the many skeletons and eccentricities in Pages closet, contextualising him against a background of London gangsters, deaths, and power struggles which Page has continued to rail against to this day, even within his own band. As entertaining as it is insightful, and from a writer who experienced first-hand the Led Zeppelin furore, this promises to be as close to a Jimmy Page autobiography as fans can get.

What was it about Bob Marley that made him so popular in a world dominated by rocknroll? How is that he has not only remained the single most successful reggae artist ever, but has also become a shining beacon of radicalism and peace to generation after generation of fans across the globe? On May 11, 1981, a little after 11.30 in the morning, Bob Marley died. The man who introduced reggae to a worldwide audience, in his own lifetime he had already become a hero figure in the classic mythological sense. From immensely humble beginnings and with talent and religious belief his only weapons, the Jamaican recording artist applied himself with unstinting perseverance to spreading his prophetic musical message. And he had achieved it: only a year earlier, Bob Marley and The Wailers tour of Europe had seen them perform to the largest audiences a musical act had up to that point experienced. Record sales of Marleys albums before his death were spectacular; in the years since his death they have become phenomenal, as each new generation discovers afresh the remarkable power of his music. Chris Salewicz, who had a sequence of adventures with Bob Marley in Jamaica in 1979, offers us a comprehensive and detailed account of Bob Marleys life and the world in which he grew up and came to dominate. Never-before-heard interviews with dozens of people who knew Marley are woven through a narrative that brings to life not only the Rastafari religion and the musical scene in Jamaica, but also the spirit of the man himself.