The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars

April 1, 2008
More than just a chronicle of deceased rock 'n' rollers, Simmonds's ("The Rough Guide to Rock") revised and retitled edition of "Number One in Heaven: The Heroes Who Died for Rock 'n'roll" (2006) is a cheekily informal and entertaining account of artists both popular and obscure who died between the years 1965 and 2006. From Jimi Hendrix to Dimebag Darrell, Grady Pannel to Wayne Reynolds (of the Southern psychedelic outfit Electric Toilet), representatives from every subgenre of rock 'n' rollfrom rap to punk to Norwegian black metalcan be found here listed alongside golden age luminaries like Mary Wells and Del Shannon. Entries are arranged chronologically, each one serving as a brief biography of the artists' lives and often untimely ends. Notable near misses are identified as such with the headline "Close!" while other boxed texts highlight strange facts with the header "Dead Interesting!" Symbols are used at the beginning of each entry to indicate the manner of death and include icons for such events as rail accidents and on-stage deaths. Cross-references pepper the text, with arrows to indicate their chronological order. Browsing through the 40-odd years explored in this book is simplified with the addition of the month and date that appear at the base of every page. BOTTOM LINE The revised edition boasts an additional 30 pages of coverage. Simmonds's style makes for an engrossing read. And, although much of this information is available at disparate web sites, they lack the cohesion, depth, and flair of Simmonds's work. The only detail that seems to be overlooked is a more inclusive index; it would have been aided by the inclusion of group names rather than just those of the artists. An inexpensive and fascinating resource for public libraries. [Available in print only.]Daniel Sifton, Cariboo Regional Dist. Lib., Williams Lake, B.C.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.