Roadhouse Blues - by Bob Batchelor (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Smart, engaging..."-PopMatters

"Fascinating, informative, extraordinary, and essential reading for the legions of Jim Morrison fans."--Midwest Book Review

Shrouded in mystery and the swirling psychedelic sounds of the Sixties, the Doors have captivated listeners across seven decades. Jim Morrison--haunted, beautiful, and ultimately doomed--transformed from rock god to American icon. With each successive generation of fans, the Doors become more popular and transcendent. Yet the band's full significance is buried beneath layers of mythology and folklore.

In Roadhouse Blues, Bob Batchelor presents an epic tale of one of rock's (and America's) most significant periods, as the Age of Aquarius gave way to a new age of mayhem, presidential misdeeds, and murder. Batchelor combines cultural history, musical and lyrical analysis, and a broad stroke of pop-culture mythos to give fresh perspective on a pivotal time.

Candid, authoritative, and utterly absorbing, Roadhouse Blues is a biography of a man, a band, and an era that set the tone for the contemporary world. Beyond the mythology, the hype, and the mystique around Morrison's untimely death, this book takes readers on a roller-coaster ride, examining the impact the band had on America as the nation veered from decadence to debauchery.

"We're gonna have a real good time!"

Review Quotes

"Bob Batchelor writes with great eloquence and insight about the Doors, the greatest hard-rock band we have ever had, and through this book, we plunge deeply into the mystery that surrounds Jim Morrison. It is Batchelor's warmth and compassion that ignites Roadhouse Blues and helps explain Morrison's own miraculous dark fire."--Jerome Charyn, PEN/Faulkner Award finalist

"Batchelor writes well and his narrative flows smoothly. His work is an insightful look at the Doors as creative artists and a compelling portrait of Morrison."--Thomas Hauser, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award nominee

"Bob Batchelor writes with great eloquence and insight about the Doors, the greatest hard-rock band we have ever had, and through this book, we plunge deeply into the mystery that surrounds Jim Morrison. It is Batchelor's warmth and compassion that ignites Roadhouse Blues and helps explain Morrison's own miraculous dark fire."-Jerome Charyn, PEN/Faulkner Award finalist

"Batchelor writes well and his narrative flows smoothly. His work is an insightful look at the Doors as creative artists and a compelling portrait of Morrison."--Thomas Hauser, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award nominee

About the Author

Hailed as "one of the
greatest non-fiction writers and storytellers," by New York Times bestselling biographer Brian Jay Jones, cultural
historian Bob Batchelor is a noted expert on contemporary American culture,
history, and biography. His books examine modern popular culture icons, events,
and issues, from comic books and music to literary figures and history's
outlaws.

Bob wrote a concise biography
of Bob Dylan, introducing the iconic music legend to a new generation of
readers, and edited a collection of fiction and essays inspired by the
legendary Johnny Cash. He has written about MTV, the Grunge movement, and REM
for PopMatters; Aerosmith, Metallica,
and the Beatles in Rock Brands; and
the evolution of music history in The
1900s, The 1980s, and American Pop. Bob has talked about
numerous musicians and musical influences as an on-air or quoted expert on
television and in the media, including Dylan, George Michael, Hair Metal, Glam
Rock, Grunge, and Michael Jackson.

Bob has also published books
on Stan Lee, The Great Gatsby, Mad Men, and John Updike, among others. Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an
American Icon, An Illustrated History won the 2021 Independent Publishers
Book Award for Fine Art. The Bourbon
King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius won
the 2020 Independent Publishers Book Award for Historical Biography. Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel was a
finalist for the 2018 Ohioana Book Award for Nonfiction.

Bob's books have been
translated into a dozen languages. His work has appeared or been featured in the
New York Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, Los
Angeles Times, Today.com, The
Guardian, and Time. Bob is also
the creator and host of the podcast John
Updike: American Writer, American Life. He has appeared as an on-air
commentator for The National Geographic Channel, PBS NewsHour, BBC, PBS, and NPR. Bob hosted "TriState True Crime"
on WCPO's Cincy Lifestyle television
show.

Bob earned a doctorate in
American Literature from the University of South Florida. He has taught at
universities in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as Vienna, Austria.
Bob and his wife Suzette live in North Carolina and have two wonderful teenage
daughters.