Rockin' the Kremlin - by David Junk (Hardcover)

About the Book

This is the true story of Universal Music Russia's first CEO and his quest to bring Western popular music to post-Soviet Russia. With many wild twists--from political chaos to the launch of t.A.T.u., Russia's biggest pop act--it shows how an American built cultural bridges and how that would all shatter with Putin's rise and the invasion of Ukraine.

Book Synopsis

This is the true story of Universal Music Russia's first CEO and his quest to bring Western popular music to post-Soviet Russia. With many wild twists--from political chaos to the launch of t.A.T.u., Russia's biggest pop act--it shows how an American built cultural bridges and how that would all shatter with Putin's rise and the invasion of Ukraine.

Review Quotes

"I led an American pop music invasion... to Russia. It was too loud and brash, like rock 'n' roll--these words from David Junk impressed and inspired me. He tries to find meaning behind the cause to which he devoted over three decades of his life--bringing America and Russia closer together after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Visiting my homeland, Ukraine, David questions if dedicating these thirty years was in vain. His story is captivating."

"A compulsive, shocking story. David Junk thought he was being made head of Universal Music in Russia, but in fact, he was being appointed the American music industry's commander-in-chief against the Russian underworld, their corrupt military, and Putin's appalling security forces. Yet, he still managed to give Russia its first ever international supergroup. David Junk is a man in a million."

"A funny, fascinating, and frightening angle on Russia's trajectory from decadence to dictatorship."

"A revealing and engaging account by an American farm boy who became the most powerful music executive in Russia and led a cultural revolution, with behind-the-scenes stories of how he brought Western pop culture to the country and orchestrated hits by legendary artists like Mariah Carey, Eminem, Shania Twain, and U2."

"David Junk chronicles his experiences in the exciting--if dangerous--Russia directly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. We were fueled by hope and belief that we were paving the way to a better society, and I am extremely grateful that David has put pen to paper. David invites readers into this world in this captivatingly told story."

"Holy perestroika! David Junk brings alive music and business in Russia with intrigue, insight, and humor. He barely pauses for breath, and the result is both compelling and satisfying."

"Russia during the collapse of the Soviet Union and the 'wild 90s' that followed was anarchic, violent, corrupt, and exciting, as this gonzo page-turner of an account makes clear--just as it illustrates the return of order first and then authoritarianism. Gangsters, rockers, entrepreneurs, idealists, Putin, Sting, and a mortar full of vodka--they're all here."

"This book is fun, full of action, and perfectly captures the madness of the times as well as the ugly side of Russian show business, populated with scary thugs, dodgy characters, and impatient billionaires. Highly recommend. It reads like a thriller, but it all really happened."

[D]avid Junk delivers the goods in Rockin' the Kremlin, a jaunty, picaresque memoir.

Junk, former CEO of Universal Music in Moscow, collaborated with music journalist Bronson to create a fascinating, nicely paced memoir charting the rise and, sadly, eventual fall, of Junk's fortunes in Russian's music industry as he attempted to open the doors to international music acts (Elton John, Mariah Carey, Bon Jovi) and open world markets for Russian acts following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Junk's journey from idealistic, young American rock 'n' roller to hard-tested music industry vet is peppered with encounters with myriad shady characters. When Junk began working in Russia in the early 1990s, he writes, the country was as "chaotic, corrupt, and dangerous [as] Chicago was in the 1930s." Still, Junk scores a number of notable successes, introducing hip hop to Russia, convincing rising Russian pop star Alsou to go to the Eurovison Song Contest, and nurturing t.A.T.u, an act that attained international fame and became the biggest-selling Russian artists of their time. Putin, his increasingly authoritarian rule, and Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine cast a shadow, yet Junk's accomplishments inspired hopes of what might be again in some future, freer Russia.

Music industry executive and cultural ambassador David Junk, and veteran music journalist Fred Bronson, have combined their talents to write a fast-moving, information-rich narrative about the intersections between politics and pop culture behind the Iron Curtain.... Rockin' the Kremlin is timely and up-to-date with valuable information about the war in Ukraine, terrorism, Chechnya, Russian-style repression, and the underground resistance to a kleptocracy where kleptocracts steal from the people.

Music industry veteran Junk debuts with an energetic chronicle of his crusade to bring popular Western music to post-Soviet Russia. Inspired by the end of the Cold War, the author moved to Moscow in the early 1990s aiming to topple 'the old Soviet music industry' in favor of one befitting the 'new Russia.' At Polygram Records and then Universal Music Russia (where he eventually became CEO), Junk dealt with 'gangster capitalism'; rampant music piracy; powerful oligarchs; and the Russian Orthodox Church's antagonism toward pro-LGBTQ musical acts, most notably the Russian girl group t.A.T.u. Along the way, he scoured the radio, music competitions, and MTV Russia to discover top-selling talent including Alsou and Smash!! (Russia's boy band answer to Wham!).... It's an exciting and colorful look at a dynamic period in Russia's cultural history.

What's the link between an American record label executive and the war in Ukraine? In this book, Junk, the former head of Universal Music Russia, ponders that question as he returns from a visit to Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion. This intriguing memoir, written with the help of journalist Bronson, details a peculiarly capitalistic adventure in Russia following the fall of the USSR, from the heady early days of American corporations exploring a veritable gold rush of new markets through the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Some readers may view Junk's lens as somewhat narrow, yet it's wider than one might think due to his having to deal with both the Russian government and the criminal underworld just to do business. Junk's successes include mitigating music piracy in Russia, the international breakout of pop stars t.A.T.u, and helping to establish a distinctly Ukrainian music industry. How much difference these made will be for history to decide. An absorbing illustration of the mutuality of music and politics. For musicians, business people in the music industry, and readers interested in the intersection of politics and art.

About the Author

David Junk was the first CEO of Universal Music in Moscow, and for a decade he promoted international artists in Russia, including stars like Mariah Carey, Elton John, U2, Sting, and Bon Jovi. He also signed many Russian artists to Universal, including t.A.T.u and Alsou. He was vice-president Eastern Europe at Universal Music in 2003, opened the first Universal Music office in Kyiv, Ukraine, and developed music reality shows for Ukrainian TV. He is a founding member of the Russian Music Industry Association and the US Ambassadors Task Force on Intellectual Property Rights.
Fred Bronson is the bestselling author of six books including The Jacksons: Legacy, The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook, Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and three Billboard charts books. For over three decades, he has been reporting on the music industry for Billboard magazine, covering many topics including American Idol, the Eurovision Song Contest, ABBA, and Motown. His articles have also appeared in The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and the Los Angeles Times. He is a four-time guest on American Idol and a writer of three Star Trek episodes. Fredbronson.com.