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Scott R. Benarde
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Stars of David: Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Jewish Stories Paperback – July 1, 2003

by Scott R. Benarde (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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What Grammy-award winning band’s Jewish members recite kiddush before their Friday night concerts? What member of a world-famous band blows the shofar at his synagogue on the High Holy Days? What famous rock musician packed his menorah as well as his drum set when preparing to go on world-wide concert tours? How did Judaism’s historic affinity with music―the Torah was meant to be sung―translate into some of the best-loved rock ‘n’ roll songs of the past century? 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 combining his love of Judaism, journalism, and rock 'n' roll investigating the Jewish contribution to rock music from 1953 to the present. Noting that outside of the Christian rock genre the media had rarely (with the exception of Bob Dylan) dealt with a rock star’s religion or spirituality, 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 really be something if these celebrities cared about being Jewish? Focusing on these musicians, singers, and songwriters, Stars of David offers a highly readable 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 groups such 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. Benarde reveals how Judaism has played a greater role in rock music than we realize and discovers that many Jewish rockers are more in tune with their Judaism than we would have imagined. Based largely on one-on-one interviews with the artists, the result is a surprisingly personal and introspective consideration of faith, art, and the relationship between pop culture and spirituality. Also revealed is 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. With entertaining anecdotes and personal revelations enhanced by more than seventy photographs, Stars of David is not so much about how Jewish these artists are but ultimately, how they are Jewish, and how their Jewishness has affected rock ‘n’ roll.
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  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Brandeis University Press
  4. Publication date
    July 1, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    7 x 1.25 x 10 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1584653035
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1584653035
  8. See all details
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4.1 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • D. Conner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stars of David: Rock'n' Roll's Jewish Stories
    Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    This is an awesome book! I highly recommend it for those who like the 1960's musicians. I never knew so many were Jewish! Awesome!
    Helpful
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  • Interfarfacing Rare Books
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Very Good book
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  • Cardreader
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book; Deceptive Subtitle
    Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2004
    This is a very interesting, at times spiritually moving book, although it is ill-served by its deceptive subtitle "Rock'n'Roll's Jewish Stories." This book is NOT an overview of Jews or the Jewish influence in rock or in popular music. Those expecting discussions of Alan Freed or the Chess Brothers will be disappointed. Instead this book features over 50 profiles (mainly interviews) with a wide variety of musicians, all of whom are Jewish by one definition or another, several of whom are rock n rollers only by the loosest definition. (Peter Yarrow?)
    Among those profiled are Bob Dylan, Mike Bloomfield, Janis Ian, Kinky Friedman, Stan Lynch of the Heartbreakers, Max Weinberg, Barry Goldberg, Peter Himmelman and Johnny Clegg. With the exception of Dylan, living artists are interviewed. (Dylan fans will find little new here.)Interviews were conducted with family members of those who have passed on (Bloomfield, Marc Bolan, Randy California.)
    Because the questions focus on spirituality and Jewish identity (or lack thereof) these interviews are not typical of what you'd read in the regular media. Many of the musicians' responses are passionate, heart-felt, thoughtful and often provocative. Because the criteria for inclusion was Jewish identity of some sort, rather than record sales, many fine musicians who do not receive the media attention they deserve are included. For me, it was worth the price of the book to read the moving interviews with the wonderful and under-appreciated Genya Ravan and Marcella Detroit/Marcy Levy.
    What makes this book a 4 star rather than 5 star book is the somewhat arbitrary choice of profiles. There is no explanation given as to why certain Jewish artists are profiled and why others are barely mentioned or ignored. It seems to be based purely on the author's whim or personal preference but this isn't clear. It can't be because certain artists refused to participate because there's no interview or indication of participation from Dylan. So the question becomes, why Bob Dylan and not Paul Simon? Melissa Manchester but not Bette Midler? Leiber and Stoller but not the wonderful Doc Pomus? Why profiles of the Blues Project but not of the J. Geils Band, another group with heavy Jewish concentration?
    That said, if you are interested in any of these musicians, in discussions of Jewish identity or of spirituality in general, this is a worthwhile, interesting book.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • Eric F. Scholl
    3.0 out of 5 stars Critical mistake or typographical error?
    Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2007
    In the preview, page 18, third paragraph, the book states a glaring error, perhaps it is a typographical error, but if not, it is a BIG mistake.

    The line reads:
    "His parents had arrived in the United States abord the Lusitania in 1925...".

    The mistake?
    May 7, 1915, the Lusitania sailed near the coast of Ireland.
    At 2:10 p.m., a torpedo fired by a German submarine hit the side of the Lusitania.
    18 minutes later, the Lusitania was history, just another collection in Davy Jones's Locker.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Dorothy Rosenthal
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great Gift Idea for a Baby Boomer
    Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2009
    Always hard to select gift for people this age. This book is a wonderful read for that generation. One of my recipients begun reading the book while at my home and really found it entertaining and informative.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • M.M.
    1.0 out of 5 stars Where are: Leonard Cohen, Carole King, Ben ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Where are : Leonard Cohen, Carole King, Ben Sidran , Paul Simon, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Fagen, Mark Knopfler, David Lee Roth ( Van Halen ), Lou Reed and many, many others who made R & R ??????? ABSOLUTELY INCOMPLETE !!!!!!!
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