Synopses & Reviews
If Steve Earle weren't a living, breathing person, he'd be a character in a blues song -- a raucous ballad about a gifted rebel who drank too much, lost most of his women in a blizzard of crack and cocaine addiction, and always came out on the wrong side of the law. Somewhere in the midst of all this, he also managed to weld rock to country, the Beatles to Springsteen, and bluegrass to punk, establishing himself among the most thoroughly original and politically astute musicians of his generation. Granted unrestricted access to Steve and his family and friends, Lauren St John has given us a sometimes shocking, often moving, and completely unvarnished biography of one of America's most talismanic sons.
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“A sympathetic look at Earle..that doesnt cover up any blemishes...an on-the-mark biography.” San Antonio Express-News
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“St. John does a fantastic job...Earles story is a reminder that not all addict musicians burn out and die.” Charlotte Observer
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“Fascinating reading...a riveting portrait.” St Louis Playback
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“Steve Earle deserves any attention he gets.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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“Meticulously researched and wellwritten...captures the heart and soul of one of Americas most talented, troubled, and controversial songwriters.” Charles R. Cross, author of Heavier tha Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain
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“Shockingly honest.” Q Magazine
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“A fascinating book…utterly compelling…heartfelt…insightful…and much recommended.” Time Out London
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“St John tells Earles story in grisly detail, thereby baring “the stuff that legends are made of.” Booklist
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“A sensitive and amusing book…the Earle material is particularly entertaining, confessional and full of wicked one-liners.” Sydney Morning Herald
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“A wonderfully spirited and sympathetic new biography...Earle is a worthy successor to the alltime greats of American music.” Howard Frank Mosher
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“Brilliant...St. John manages to demythologize a man whose life often threatens to overshadow his music.” Publishers Weekly
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“A dark and compelling tale.” Chicago Tribune
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“An intimate and intelligent biography of an artist wholike all the greatsaint ever satisfied.” Eric Alterman
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“If you love Steve Earle, youll buy this book. If not, get it anyway. Its one helluva story.” Uncut (UK)
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“A no-holds barred portrait of a controversial artist who came back from the brink.” Entertainment Weekly
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“Hardcore Troubadour offers intimate and accurate behind-the-scenes of the songwriters trials and tribulations....a fascinating new biography.” Toronto Star
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“Harrowing and inspirational.” Maxim
About the Author
Lauren St. John is the author of Walkin After Midnight: A Journey To The Heart Of Nashville,a biography about Steve Earle, and four other biographies. She writes regularly for The Sunday Times and The Independent. She lives in London, England.