Greg Prato releases grunge tome on 15th anniversary of Cobain suicide

Fifteen years after Kurt Cobain’s suicide on April 5th, 1994, comes the authoritative story of grunge. Grunge is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music' (released April 1 in the U.S. and June 4 in the U.K., via ECW Press) by Greg Prato is the definitive story of the Pacific Northwest music scene of the late '80s and early '90s. Never before has a book attempted to examine the scene as a whole. Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament says, "Finally, a book about the early years of our little scene in Seattle. I can't wait to hear all the different perspectives from the people that were actually there, not the so-called experts, who didn't show up until the '90s."

Taking the form of an oral history, Prato’s tome contains over 130 original interviews conducted for the book over a three-year period. No outside interviews are included and most of the interviews are published here for the first time. Some of the original interviews include:

- Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam singer

- Jeff Ament, Pearl Jam/Mother Love Bone bassist

- Kim Thayil, Soundgarden guitarist

- Susan Silver, Soundgarden/Alice in Chains' manager, ex-wife of Chris Cornell

- Duff McKagan, Guns N' Roses bassist

- Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney, Alice in Chains guitarist and drummer

- Nancy Layne McCallum, mother of late Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley

- Mark Arm, Mudhoney singer

- Chad Channing, Nirvana drummer

- Jack Endino, producer Nirvana/Soundgarden/Mudhoney

- Charles Peterson, photographer

- Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman, founders Sub Pop Records

'Grunge is Dead' begins with a retrospective of the '60s and '70s that explains the rise of the Seattle music scene. Additionally, a large number of previously unpublished photographs appear in color and black and white throughout the book. The result is the complete first-hand history of grunge. 'Grunge is Dead' will allow rock fans to discover a unique chapter in music history, through the experiences of the people who were actually there.

Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-based journalist whose writing has appeared in All Music Guide, Classic Rock Magazine, and Goldmine Magazine, and is the author of the books 'A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon' and 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story.' He has interviewed many noted rock musicians over the years, including members of Rush, Kiss, Jane's Addiction, The Ramones, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and others.

Prato will sign copies of his new book at The Book Revue in Huntington, NY on Wednesday, 8-April at 7pm (313 New York Ave), and also at Easy Street Records and Cafe in West Seattle on Saturday, 25-April at 6pm (4559 California Ave SW). These events are free and open to public (for more information, visit www.bookrevue.com and www.easystreetonline.com).

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