Reviewer Dr. Wesley Britton: Dr. Britton is the author of four non-fiction books on espionage in literature and the media. Starting in fall 2015, his new six-book science fiction series, The Beta-Earth Chronicles, debuted via BearManor Media.
In 2018, Britton self-published the seventh book in the Chronicles, Alpha Tales 2044, a collection of short stories, many of which first appeared at a number of online venues.
For seven years, he was co-host of online radio’s Dave White Presents where he contributed interviews with a host of entertainment insiders. Before his retirement in 2016, Dr. Britton taught English at Harrisburg Area Community College. Learn more about Dr. Britton at his WEBSITE
Authors: Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March
Publisher: EditPros LLC
ISBN-10: 1937317005: ISBN-13: 978-1937317003
Click Here To Purchase Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? -- Volume 1
Authors: Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March
Publisher: EditPros LLC
ISBN-10: 1937317005: ISBN-13: 978-1937317003
Ah, we Baby Boomers love our nostalgia, especially when it comes to popular music. Whether reunion concerts, interviews with stars of old on radio or television, or Googleing for our favorite songs on YouTube, we seem to cherish that good ole rock ‘n roll just as much today as yesterday. Part of this nostalgia is an ongoing curiosity about what all the singers and musicians have been doing since they topped the charts way back when. One problem is that many print and online sources repeat often unreliable or outright incorrect information based on, well, unreliable or incorrect information. One of the pleasures of books like Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone is that some biographers take the time to talk to the performers themselves in order to be accurate, detailed, and credible.
For example, Volume 1 of this new series explores the
past and present lives of members of The
Association, Herman’s Hermits, Kingston Trio, Spiral Starecase, The
Zombies, and singers Chris Montez and Bobby Vee. Each of these
performers gets a chapter that begins with a history of their early
musical careers filled with first-hand anecdotes and
behind-the-scenes stories about their work in the studio and on the
road. Then there are a series of “Epilogues” in which we learn
what each musician has been doing up to the present. In many cases,
players remained in the music business in one form or another,
sometimes in the production booth, sometimes helping shape the
careers of new artists for various record companies. For others, the
music was something they left behind as they took on a variety of
other interests.
For all the highlighted groups and soloists, interviews (or “conversations,” the term co-author Jeff March prefers) with the principals are the foundation for both the main chapters and “Epilogues.” Some conversations were clearly done over the past two decades, notable as five of the spotlighted players have since passed. These recollections are supplemented with conversations with spouses, ex-spouses, and offspring as personal lives are a major part of the biographies. We learn what the children of the stars have been doing as well and how they feel about their father’s brushes with fame and fortune. All this, according to March, enhanced a “participatory” approach to the book which also included the authors asking the subjects to preview the discussions about them to ensure accuracy.
Along the way, we get insights from old-timers looking back on all the changes over the years. For example, Chris White of The Zombies remembers when bands went on tour to promote an album; now groups record albums to promote tours. Still, Volume 1 does not serve as any sort of overview of popular music as the chosen artists don’t necessarily represent specific trends or genres. The Kingston Trio stand out as a group deserving more appreciation for what they contributed, and they were indeed significant trendsetters. In a sense, Bobby Vee represents the crooners who filled the charts before the onslaught of the Beatles. Herman’s Hermits and the Zombies represent the British Invasion and it’s good to see the rest of those Hermits getting some notice. I suppose you can say the Spiral Starecase is representative of all those “one hit wonders” and The Association and Chris Montez are the faces and voices of popular music that wasn’t so much rock as pop.