Alan Clayson – författare

Brian Jones, the legend and icon, is familiar to generations of rock fans, but the reality of his life has always remaned mysterious. Granted godlike status alongside giants like Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, Jones was more than the Stones'' ill-fated pretty boy.Set against the dramatic backdrop of the swingin'' sixties, Alan Clayson''s biography reveals an extremely talented musician and a surprisingly driven man whose creative energies propelled him to fame even as they prepared him for an early drink and drug-feuelled demise. Clayson interviewed many of Jones''s family and contemporaries for this in-depth portrait. Clayson examines the many spheres of Brian Jones'' life, from assessing his contributions in the crucial early years of The Rolling Stones to the rumors that Jones was murdered by a bodyguard.

Often appearing as a mere onlooker who didn''t really want to be there, Charlie Watts - ''the silent Stone'' - embraced fame reluctantly. Yet, ironically, if any one of the Stones could have made it big without the rest, it surely would have been Watts, who showed as much early promise as an artist as he did a jazz drummer.Understated and seemingly underwhelmed, Watts provided a stark contrast to the brash Keith Richards and the bohemian Brian Jones, and was, in some ways, an unlikely candidate for the drummer''s stool. Forty years later, however, he is regarded by many as the one factor that has kept the band going, bringing vitality to their music as well as artistry to their album covers.Charlie Watts, remarkably the first biography of the drummer, continues Alan Clayson''s study of The Rolling Stones with an intriguing insight into the life of the man who has been keeping time for the Stones for over four decades.Alan Clayson is a noted writer and author of many musical biographies, including The Beatles Box biography set.

For many years, John Lennon has been seen as the crazed and eccentric Beatle who provided some of the most memorable melodies the music world has ever known. After remaking pop in his own image with The Beatles, the erstwhile would-be artist and Liverpudlian reprobate went on to carve out a significant solo career, with the enigmatic Yoko Ono at his side. Following his murder in 1980, his work and life took on mythic status, his role as mentor to a musical generation assured.Alan Clayson sets out to discover the truth behind the myth of this most controversial, antagonistic, yet publicly adored genius of the 20th century.

My hair is a statement and always will be, even when I no longer have any.The social revolution of the Swinging Sixties led to a renaissance of unchecked hair growth, and long hair, especially on men, was worn as a political or countercultural symbol of protest and as an expression of masculinity.No-one who was affected by one of a turbulent decade's loudest controversies - or anyone who ever wondered what all the fuss was about - will fail to be interested in this personal account of when the 'us and them' divide between youth and elders was most profound.

Although together for only five years, The Yardbirds exerted tremendous influence on the music and style of the '60s and for decades beyond. Their impact has been felt throughout the rock genre, from psychedelia to blues-rock, heavy metal, and the music of today's jam bands. The Yardbirds came from middle-class England, embraced the soulful music of the African-American South, and helped re-import it back into the States as the embryo of heavy metal music. In the process, the band produced three guitar greats: Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. Every fan of The Yardbirds, or of '60s-derived music in general, will revel in this book (which includes more than 50 photos from the group's heyday, plus a detailed diary of every gig, recording and broadcast they did) and enjoy reading the stories – old and new – as much as Clayson enjoys telling them.

In the field of popular culture, a handful of artists enjoy a status that is beyond stardom - they are true icons whose life and art remain an inspiration to millions around the world. Sanctuary''s Gospel series is a new collection of books that celebrate a handful of those artists through inspirational quotes, biographical anecdotes, photos, memorabilia and other miscellany from their life and work. Elaborately designed and organized into six thematic sections - Life, Love, Success, Family, Work and Friendship - and complete with a full discography of each artist, the Gospels serve as both a reflection on a life well lived and a model for personal success.