Stars of David: Rock 'n' Roll's Jewish Stories - Softcover

Benarde, Scott R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1584653035 ISBN 13: 9781584653035

Publisher: Brandeis University Press, 2003

Synopsis

Inspired by a backstage conversation with David Lee Roth during which the rock star revealed that he first learned to sing preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, Scott R. Benarde spent five years investigating the Jewish contribution to rock music from 1953 to the present. Benarde was determined to find out how Judaism influenced rock music and the people who created it. Jews "kvell" when they discover that someone famous or accomplished in any field is a member of the tribe, but wouldn't it be something if these celebrities cared about being Jewish? Focusing on these musicians, singers and songwriters, this study offers a collection of short vignettes that demonstrate the rich strand of Jewish belief and sentiment that underscores the work of many of the best-known rock stars of our time. Among those discussed or interviewed are the legendary songwriting teams of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil; performers such as Bob Dylan, Melissa Manchester, Janis Ian, Randy Newman, Billy Joel, Kinky Friedman (of the Texas Jewboys) and David Lee Roth; and members of such groups as the Tokens, Jay and the Americans, Country Joe and the Fish, Yes, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bon Jovi, Phish, the Wallflowers and many others. Based largely on one-on-one interviews with the artists, the volume reveals the sheer variety of the Jewish experience in rock 'n' roll. From the deeply religious childhood of some, to the late-in-life religious reawakening of others, from the explicit use of scripture in song to the subtle yet resonant religious motifs that influence this most secular genre of music, the volume links faith, art and popular culture in surprising and provocative new ways.

About this title

Review:

"A fascinating look into how Judaism has shaped and influenced the makers of rock music over the past 50 years..."--Lifestyles "Books such as Stars of David continue to illuminate Jewish contributions to the pop culture."--The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles "Benarde seeks to document the significant contributions Jews have made to rock music as performers, producers, and songwriters. Following a brief introduction, he sketches brief, highly readable vignettes of the lives and careers of some 50 Jewish rock artists."--Jewish Book World "I found Stars of David to be consistently fascinating."--Palm Beach Post

About the Author:

SARA BENDER is associate professor in the Department of Jewish History at Haifa University. She is the associate editor of Yad Vashem's Encyclopedia of the Righteous Among the Nations (2007).

About this edition

• Publisher: Brandeis University Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1584653035
• ISBN 13: 9781584653035
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416