Ben Fong-Torres – författare

Formed in 1969 by ex-members of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, Little Feat created groove-heavy music that was an irresistible mix of rock, blues, R&B, country, jazz, soul, and funk. Fronted by the doomed, enigmatic, and charismatic vocalist and slide guitarist Lowell George, they recorded such classic studio albums as Sailin'shoes and Dixie Chicken , as well as what many consider to be one of the best live albums of all time: Waiting for Columbus . After George's tragic death in 1979 and a long period of silence, the band later re-formed in 1987, delighting concert crowds with tight renditions of their beloved songs, including their signature outlaw trucker anthem "Willin'."Acclaimed journalist Ben Fong-Torres, working with surviving band members and their friends and associates, has based Willin' on hours of brand-new interviews with all the key players, resulting in the definitive, first-ever biography of this beloved rock 'n' roll institution.

An instant best-seller when originally published in 1994, this expanded and updated edition of "The Rice Room" tells of growing up with a double identity - Chinese and American. Ben Fong-Torres was torn between an alluring American lifestyle - including Elvis and rock 'n' roll - and the traditional cultural heritage his proud immigrant parents struggled to instill in their five children. Now illustrated with personal family photographs as well as photos of the author with various celebrities, Fong-Torres rounds out his life story with a new final chapter.

An instant best-seller when originally published in 1994, this expanded and updated edition of The Rice Room tells of growing up with a double identity—Chinese and American. Ben Fong-Torres was torn between an alluring American lifestyle—including Elvis and rock ‘n’ roll—and the traditional cultural heritage his proud immigrant parents struggled to instill in their five children. Now illustrated with personal family photographs as well as photos of the author with various celebrities, Fong-Torres rounds out his life story with a new final chapter.

From 1969 to 1981, Ben Fong-Torres was one of the first “star” writers on staff at Rolling Stone – the “scruffy rock journal” that metamorphosed into one of the most powerful voices of a generation. Now in this fascinating book, Fong-Torres revisits his most intriguing celebrity interviews and profiles, and – for the first time – tells the revealing stories behind the stories, the stars, his writing process, and life at Rolling Stone.

This lively blast from the past peels back the many layers of the Top 40 phenomenon: the DJs fans singles jingles dedications contests requests and more. The book features interviews with such renowned radio personalities and programmers as Casey Kasem Dick Clark Wolfman Jack Cousin Brucie Morrow Gary Owens and many others and includes a link to exclusive online audio of airchecks ä rare recordings from 16 legendary DJs on actual Top 40 broadcasts ä so that readers can hear the crazed creative and compelling voices that made Top 40 so memorable. Also includes lots of fantastic black-and-white photos to help readers put faces to the voices they know so well a bibliography and index and a special Top of the Pops section featuring the Number One records of Top 40 radio from 1957 through 1997 as calculated by the staff of Gavin.

This volume collects many of the best articles from veteran Rolling Stone writer Ben Fong-Torres. While many will recognize Ben as he was portrayed in Cameron Crowe's hit film Almost Famous, his thoughtful and engaging stories have been providing a backstage view for over 30 years. This book features a slew of entertaining and informative music and pop-culture pieces, as well as personal essays about growing up Asian-American and about Ben's interest in radio broadcasting. Through insightful introductions to every article, Fong-Torres offers an inside view of the writing and editing process, from getting an assignment and developing an idea to an article's completion in printed form.

Eagles: Take It To The Limit is the fascinating inside story of one of the greatest rock bands of all time, written by one of music journalism's most influential voices. Ben Fong-Torres was at Rolling Stone magazine when the Eagles were a cover story in 1979. He followed the band's career, interviewed them himself, and even played in the now-famous Eagles vs Rolling Stone magazine softball match. Filled with anecdotes and insights spanning almost 50 years, Take It To The Limit follows the Eagles as the band changed line-up, toured the world, made the best-selling album in American history, split up, and finally reunited. Fully updated in anticipation of their 50th anniversary, this is an exceptional tribute to one of the great American bands.