All roots lead to rock

All Roots Lead to Rock tells the story of a group of "couldabeens, hasbeens, shouldabeens," and just plain "weres" to show the many different influences that came together to make the mighty musical stew we call rock 'n' roll.

The family tree of rock 'n' roll has many branches. And the roots are often lost in the dusky soil - far from view of even the most loyal listeners. So today's fans of Marilyn Manson may only be vaguely familiar with the original Son-of-Satan, Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Hawkins's stage act included a mixture of voodoo, high gothic horror, and just plain kitsch that would have made Alice Cooper blush.

Similarly, some of today's most sexually explicit artists might find it interesting to know that, over four decades ago, there was a fantastically ribald blues singer out of Kansas City named Julia Lee who could cook with the best of them. All Roots Lead to Rock tells all of these stories - and more - in the vivid writings of many of today's greatest music historians and critics.