Charles Richard Cross (May 7, 1957 – August 9, 2024) was an American music journalist, author and editor who was based in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
.
He documented the Seattle music scene as the editor of ''
The Rocket'' in Seattle from 1986–2000.
Cross wrote three ''New York Times'' bestselllers, including the award-winning 2001 biography of
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...
, ''
Heavier Than Heaven
''Heavier Than Heaven'' is a 2001 biography of musician Kurt Cobain, the frontman of the grunge band Nirvana. It was written by Charles R. Cross.
For the book, Cross desired to create the definitive Cobain biography, and over four years condu ...
,'' and ''Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix,'' which
''Vibe'' described as "one of the greatest-ever books on music". In addition to writing the 1989
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
biography, ''Backstreets: Springsteen, the Man and His Music,'' he founded ''
Backstreets Magazine'', a periodical for Sprinsteen fans.
In 2004, while conducting research for the Hendrix biography, Cross discovered the gravesite of
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
's mother, Lucille Jeter Hendrix, in an abandoned section of
Greenwood Memorial Park, where Jimi Hendrix was buried. Her gravesite was lost because the standard welfare marker of her day, an inscribed brick, was buried in decades of mud.
Cross died in Shoreline, Washington on August 9, 2024, at the age of 67.
Books
* 1989 ''Backstreets: Springsteen, the Man and His Music'', Harmony Books, New York 1989/1992. .
* 1991 ''Led Zeppelin: Heaven and Hell'', Harmony, 1991. .
* 1998 ''Classic Rock Albums: Nevermind: Nirvana'', Music Sales Group, 1998/2003. . Coauthored with
Jim Berkenstadt
* 2001 ''
Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain'', Hyperion, 2001. .
* 2005 ''
Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix'', Sceptre, 2005. .
* 2008 ''Cobain Unseen'', Little, Brown and Company, 2008.
* 2009 ''Led Zeppelin: Shadows Taller Than Our Souls'', It Books.
* 2012 ''Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock & Roll'', HarperCollins, New York, 2012. . Coauthored with
Ann
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie and Ana.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in ...
and
Nancy Wilson
* 2014 ''Here We Are Now: The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain''
References
External links
*
*
About us page of Backstreets magazine
1957 births
2024 deaths
American music journalists
American biographers
American male biographers
Mass media people from Seattle
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