Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams is American roots music's first superstar of the new century.

First finding cult fame with alternative country band Whiskeytown, his rebellious image and photogenic street urchin looks have won a wide fan following that includes Elton John and Noel Gallagher. The Guardian called him "an individual with the mad-eyed stare of a smalltown hoodlum".

In this first account of his life and work, Michael Heatley traces Adams' progress from smalltown North Carolina to trysts with actress Winona Ryder, the broken romances and personal demons that have fuelled his most affecting work and his dedication to legendary country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons.

Still in his mid-twenties, Adams has the world at his feet. If, unlike Parsons, he opts for self-preservation rather than the self-destructive image he often portrays. This book assesses the past, present and future of a performer with the potential and the eclecticism to be "the new Neil Young".

Fully illustrated with comprehensive discography.