''Zoo World'' was an American bi-weekly

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States and ...

magazine that operated between 1971 and 1975. Available throughout the United States, it was published in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

and intended as a rival to ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

''. In early issues of the magazine, the cover carried a subtitle reading: "The Music Megapaper". The publication was funded by Florida businessman Jack P. Hunt. Its offices were in a building he owned at the corner of Oakland Park Boulevard and Bayview Drive. The magazine grew to include offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, with a combined staff of 60 under publisher Les Feldman. A contemporary report in the Lauderdale ''

Ledger A ledger is a book or collection of accounts in which account transactions are recorded. Each account has an opening or carry-forward balance, and would record each transaction as either a debit or credit in separate columns, and the ending o ...

'' described ''Zoo World'' as a "bi-weekly tabloid featuring record reviews, feature articles on rock celebrities and gossipy news stories on the music world". Among its contributors were journalists and authors Jim Esposito, Arthur Levy, Michael Gross,

Jon Tiven Jon Tiven (born January 3, 1955) is an American composer, guitarist, record producer, and music journalist. He has produced albums by Wilson Pickett, Frank Black and Don Covay as well as a series of tribute albums paying tribute to the songwriti ...

Nick Tosches Nicholas P. Tosches (; October 23, 1949 – October 20, 2019) was an American journalist, novelist, biographer, and poet. His 1982 biography of Jerry Lee Lewis, '' Hellfire'', was praised by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as "the best rock and roll ...

, Wayne Robins,

John Swenson John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, Steven Rosen,

Gene Sculatti Eugene Paul Sculatti (born January 30, 1947) is an American music journalist who compiled and edited the book ''The Catalog of Cool'' (1982). In 1966, he became the first journalist to write about the nascent San Francisco music scene in a nati ...

Ira Robbins ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/ publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference t ...

, David Rensin and

Barbara Charone Barbara Charone is a UK-based American public relations officer for musical artists and Board Member of Chelsea F.C. Formerly a journalist and music critic, she wrote regularly for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', the ''NME'' and ''Rolling Stone'' while ...

. In an online discussion at the music critics' website rockcritics.com, in February 2013, author and journalist Richard Riegel recalled that ''Zoo World'' resembled ''Rolling Stone'' in format, and he likened the title's "editorial personality" to that of ''

Crawdaddy! ''Crawdaddy'' was an American rock music magazine launched in 1966. It was created by Paul Williams, a Swarthmore College student at the time, in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music. The magazine w ...

'' following the departure of that magazine's founding editor,

Paul Williams Paul Williams may refer to: Authors * Paul O. Williams (1935–2009), American science-fiction author and poet * Paul L. Williams (author) (born 1944), FBI consultant, journalist * Paul Williams (journalist) (1948–2013), American founder of mu ...

. By the time of its demise in January 1975, ''Zoo World'' enjoyed a circulation of 300,000. Although Feldman and his colleagues were confident that the magazine remained a viable title, Hunt's withdrawal of his patronage forced its closure, the decision for which was announced to employees in December 1974. Dated January 2, 1975, the cover of the magazine's 75th and final issue carried a picture of soul singer

Barry White Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came ...

References

{{Reflist Music magazines published in the United States Biweekly magazines published in the United States Defunct magazines published in the United States English-language magazines Magazines established in 1971 Magazines disestablished in 1975 Magazines published in Florida