Barney Hoskyns
Encyclopedia
Barney Hoskyns is a British music critic and editor of the online music journalism archive Rock's Backpages
.
Hoskyns graduated from Oxford
with a First Class degree in English. He began writing about music for Melody Maker
and New Musical Express, quitting his job as staff writer at NME to research a book about soul music
. The result was Say It One Time For The Brokenhearted: Country Soul In The American South (UK: Fontana, 1987; Bloomsbury reissue 1998).
Hoskyns has written regularly on pop culture and the arts for British Vogue
, where for five years he was a Contributing Editor, and for The Times
, The Guardian
, The Independent
, The Observer
and Arena magazine
. He has also contributed to Harper's Bazaar
, Interview magazine, Spin magazine and Rolling Stone
, as well as to Amazon.com
and CDNOW
.
Between 1993 and 1999, Hoskyns worked as Associate Editor and then U.S. Editor of Mojo magazine. Faber (UK) and Simon & Schuster (US) published his Glam! Bowie, Bolan & The Glitter Rock Revolution in 1998, tying in with Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine. Haynes provided an introduction. 1999 saw the publication of the bestselling The Mullet: Hairstyle Of The Gods, written with Mark Larson and published by Bloomsbury.
In 2000, Hoskyns became Senior Editor of CDNOW
in London, leaving to co-found Rock's Backpages
, an online library of classic rock journalism. Hoskyns edited The Sound and the Fury: A Rock’s Backpages Reader (Bloomsbury, 2003) and Ozzy Osbourne: A Rock’s Backpages Reader (Omnibus, 2004). Hoskyns’ Hotel California: Singer-Songwriters & Cocaine Cowboys In The L.A. Canyons (UK: 4th Estate/Harper Collins; US: Wiley), was published in 2005. A BBC documentary based on the book was broadcast in 2007.
In 2006, Hoskyns published his study of Led Zeppelin IV in Rodale’s Rock Of Ages series, together with a US reissue of Across The Great Divide (Hal Leonard Books). His next book on American music, Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits
, was published in March 2009 by Faber and Faber
. He is a regular broadcaster and pundit on both radio and television, appearing on the Top Ten series (CHANNEL 4), the I Love The 80s/90s series (BBC 2), Walk On By (BBC 2), Behind The Music (VH1) and Classic Albums (BBC2). He was the consultant on the acclaimed 2005 series Soul Deep (BBC 2). Hoskyns’ other books include Montgomery Clift: Beautiful Loser (UK: Bloomsbury/ US: Grove, 1992), Across The Great Divide: The Band & America (UK: Viking; US: Hyperion, 1993) and the novel The Lonely Planet Boy: A Pop Romance (UK/US: Serpent’s Tail, 1995). Waiting For The Sun: Strange Days, Weird Scenes & The Sound Of Los Angeles (UK: Viking/US: St. Martin’s Press, 1996) was nominated for a Ralph J. Gleason award in the U.S.
Hoskyns is married to former actor and interior designer Natalie Forbes.
Rock's Backpages
Rock's Backpages is an online archive of music journalism, sourced from freelance contributions to the music and mainstream press from the 1950s to the present day. The articles are full text and searchable, and all are reproduced with the permission of the copyright holders. The database was...
.
Hoskyns graduated from Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
with a First Class degree in English. He began writing about music for Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
and New Musical Express, quitting his job as staff writer at NME to research a book about soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. The result was Say It One Time For The Brokenhearted: Country Soul In The American South (UK: Fontana, 1987; Bloomsbury reissue 1998).
Hoskyns has written regularly on pop culture and the arts for British Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, where for five years he was a Contributing Editor, and for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
and Arena magazine
Arena (magazine)
Arena was a British monthly men's magazine. The magazine was created in 1986 by Nick Logan, who had started The Face in 1980, to focus on trends in fashion and entertainment. British graphic designer Neville Brody, who had designed The Face, designed Arena's launch appearance.The magazine featured...
. He has also contributed to Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Interview magazine, Spin magazine and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, as well as to Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and CDNOW
CDNOW
CDNOW.com was an online retailer. The company was founded in February 1994 by twin brothers Jason Olim and Matthew Olim of Ambler, Pennsylvania...
.
Between 1993 and 1999, Hoskyns worked as Associate Editor and then U.S. Editor of Mojo magazine. Faber (UK) and Simon & Schuster (US) published his Glam! Bowie, Bolan & The Glitter Rock Revolution in 1998, tying in with Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine. Haynes provided an introduction. 1999 saw the publication of the bestselling The Mullet: Hairstyle Of The Gods, written with Mark Larson and published by Bloomsbury.
In 2000, Hoskyns became Senior Editor of CDNOW
CDNOW
CDNOW.com was an online retailer. The company was founded in February 1994 by twin brothers Jason Olim and Matthew Olim of Ambler, Pennsylvania...
in London, leaving to co-found Rock's Backpages
Rock's Backpages
Rock's Backpages is an online archive of music journalism, sourced from freelance contributions to the music and mainstream press from the 1950s to the present day. The articles are full text and searchable, and all are reproduced with the permission of the copyright holders. The database was...
, an online library of classic rock journalism. Hoskyns edited The Sound and the Fury: A Rock’s Backpages Reader (Bloomsbury, 2003) and Ozzy Osbourne: A Rock’s Backpages Reader (Omnibus, 2004). Hoskyns’ Hotel California: Singer-Songwriters & Cocaine Cowboys In The L.A. Canyons (UK: 4th Estate/Harper Collins; US: Wiley), was published in 2005. A BBC documentary based on the book was broadcast in 2007.
In 2006, Hoskyns published his study of Led Zeppelin IV in Rodale’s Rock Of Ages series, together with a US reissue of Across The Great Divide (Hal Leonard Books). His next book on American music, Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, was published in March 2009 by Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
. He is a regular broadcaster and pundit on both radio and television, appearing on the Top Ten series (CHANNEL 4), the I Love The 80s/90s series (BBC 2), Walk On By (BBC 2), Behind The Music (VH1) and Classic Albums (BBC2). He was the consultant on the acclaimed 2005 series Soul Deep (BBC 2). Hoskyns’ other books include Montgomery Clift: Beautiful Loser (UK: Bloomsbury/ US: Grove, 1992), Across The Great Divide: The Band & America (UK: Viking; US: Hyperion, 1993) and the novel The Lonely Planet Boy: A Pop Romance (UK/US: Serpent’s Tail, 1995). Waiting For The Sun: Strange Days, Weird Scenes & The Sound Of Los Angeles (UK: Viking/US: St. Martin’s Press, 1996) was nominated for a Ralph J. Gleason award in the U.S.
Hoskyns is married to former actor and interior designer Natalie Forbes.