The Clash were — and still are — one of the most important groups of the late 70s and early 80s. Indebted to rockabilly, reggae, Memphis soul, cowboy justice, and 60's protest, the overtly political band railed against war, racism, and a dead-end economy and in the process imparted a conscience to punk. Their eponymous first record and London Calling still rank in Rolling Stone's Top Ten best albums of all time and they were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Joe Strummer was The Clash's front man and his surprising and untimely death in December 2002 has served to only further solidify his iconic status. Chris Salewicz was a friend to Strummer for close to three decades and as a music journalist has covered The Clash's career and the entire punk movement from its beginnings. He has used his vantage point to write the definitive biography of Strummer — one that examines by turns both Strummer's and punk's ongoing cultural influence.

"In this biography of punk icon Joe Strummer, music writer Salewicz focuses on the heady days of the punk explosion and Strummer's long hiatus after leaving the Clash. Born John Graham Mellor in 1952 in Ankara, Turkey, to diplomat parents, Strummer enjoyed a peripatetic childhood before being parked at a British boarding school. An art school dropout, Strummer (who was known then as 'Woody') lived a hand-to-mouth existence in London squats before rock impresario Bernie Rhodes selected him to head a new punk band, and Woody became Joe Strummer, the sardonic, gravelly voiced rabble rouser. For a long moment, the Clash channeled the most progressive elements in pop culture, blending punk anger, rasta vibes, bank robbers, cowboys and revolutionary traditions into music that remains compelling today. After the band's breakup in 1985, Strummer fell into a long depression that Salewicz attributes to heavy pot smoking and a family legacy that included his brother's suicide. Yet Strummer had revitalized his career and was making excellent music before his sudden death of heart failure in 2002. As a young writer in the punk years, Salewicz had plenty of access to Strummer, and does a good job of providing a blow-by-blow account of the tours and albums. However, Salewicz provides little historical context, thereby diminishing the importance of the Clash. Despite nearly 600 pages of analysis, Strummer remains an opaque figure. (May)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"[A] valiant, considered effort for all popular music collections and an excellent companion to Pat Gilbert's Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of the Clash." Library Journal

"Redemption Song is the epic tale of rock & roll's unlikely, complicated rebel hero. Chris Salewicz was front and center for Joe Strummer's whole wild ride — and he's got the scars and bruises to prove it." Alan Light, music journalist for Rolling Stone and The New York Times, and former editor-in-chief of Spin and Vibe

"God might be in the details, but as Redemption Song so vividly reveals, so is Joe Strummer, in all his flawed glory. As it turns out, the man who achieved the seemingly impossible...was all too human. But as a wise man once said, 'The one who always strives can be redeemed.' That is the message of this remarkable book." Michael Azerrad, author of Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana and Our Band Could Be Your Life

"Joe Strummer was one of the most electrifying rock stars of all time. Chris Salewicz's in-depth biography is a labor of love that definitively captures the man's humanity — his complex, volatile and vulnerable soul." Jon Savage, author of England's Dreaming

The Clash was--and still is--one of the most important groups of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Indebted to rockabilly, reggae, Memphis soul, cowboy justice, and '60s protest, the overtly political band railed against war, racism, and a dead-end economy, and in the process imparted a conscience to punk. Their eponymous first record and London Calling still rank in Rolling Stone's top-ten best albums of all time, and in 2003 they were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Joe Strummer was the Clash's front man, a rock-and-roll hero seen by many as the personification of outlaw integrity and street cool. The political heart of the Clash, Strummer synthesized gritty toughness and poetic sensitivity in a manner that still resonates with listeners, and his untimely death in December 2002 shook the world, further solidifying his iconic status.

Music journalist Chris Salewicz was a friend to Strummer for close to three decades and has covered the Clash's career and the entire punk movement from its inception. With exclusive access to Strummer's friends, relatives, and fellow musicians, Salewicz penetrates the soul of an icon. He uses his vantage point to write the definitive biography of Strummer, charting his enormous worldwide success, his bleak years in the wilderness after the Clash's bitter breakup, and his triumphant return to stardom at the end of his life. In the process, Salewicz argues for Strummer's place in a long line of protest singers that includes Woody Guthrie, John Lennon, and Bob Marley, and examines by turns Strummer's and punk's ongoing cultural influence.

Music journalist Salewicz was friends with the late lead singer of the Clash, Joe Strummer, for close to three decades and has covered the band since its inception. He uses this vantage point to penetrate the soul of a punk rock icon in this definitive biography.

Chris Salewicz's writing on music and popular culture has appeared in publications around the globe, including New Musical Express and The London Sunday Times. He is the author of over a dozen books.