Ryan Adams

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 account of his life and work, the author 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. This book assesses the past, present and future of a performer with the potential and the eclecticism to be the "new Neil Young".