Amazon.com Review
Cemeteries are, sadly, an oft-overlooked tourist destination, especially by fans of music. History buffs will go on battlefield pilgrimages, celebrity hounds will flock to where their favorite stars were interred, and art lovers go for Elizabethan monument rubbings, but few have known where to go to pay their respects to the likes of Alton "Rockin' Dopsie" Rubin, Roy Kelton Orbison, and Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones. At least till now. Scott Stanton did the world of music enthusiasts a major favor by researching the final resting places of over 200 of the 20th century's late musical greats, from Howlin' Wolf to Benny Goodman to Janis Joplin. From France's Gothic Pere Lachaise Cemetery (where the remains of Chopin and Jim Morrison lie) to Hollywood's Forest Lawn (home to the bones of Karen Carpenter, Andy Gibb, and Liberace), Stanton covers 6 countries, 44 states, and over a million miles for his gravesite review.
Profiled alphabetically, the life, music, death, shrines, archives, and burial site of each musician is interesting and insightful, and the black-and-white photographs are a nice touch. And for the fan who wants more than to merely view the grave of the deceased, Stanton includes tips for album and memorabilia collectors. There's also a chapter on musicians who've passed on but whose remains cannot be visited (most being scattered to the high seas or some such thing) and also a cemetery index for those devotees who want to plan their vacation around some sacred ground. --Stephanie Gold
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
From Library Journal
In these two guides, Stanton and Kerrigan present the graves of famous people. Stanton focuses on musicians, while Kerrigan eyes the famous and infamous in Britain and Ireland. Irreverent and fun, Stanton's work has the feel of a high school yearbook. Divided into three alphabetized sections?Legends, Gone but Not Forgotten, and The Best of the Rest?entries include biographical information about the artist; the location of the grave, with directions; and suggestions for collectors. Although Stanton's love of music and musicians shows in his writing, the book has many problems. It is weighed heavily in favor of rock, blues, jazz, and country musicians (in that order), with few entries for classical or Broadway composers. The vast majority of musicians included are American. The index is by place, not by name, so if you are looking for a particular musician you must look in all three sections. Finally, the criteria for inclusion in the Legends section goes unexplained. Who Lies Where takes a different approach and succeeds as a reference tool. Arranged by place (England, London, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland), it attempts to include anyone who was at all well known in the long histories of these areas. Surprisingly, Kerrigan didn't include the three British entries Stanton listed in his book, indicating that he paid less attention to contemporary popular culture figures. Information given includes the location of each grave and a brief description of the individual buried there. Occasional side notes describe particular customs or historical facts relevant to the person's death. Both books are recommended for public libraries.?Julia Stump, Voorheesville P.L., NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
