Lonely Avenue: The Unlikely Life And Times Of Doc Pomus

The only biography of colorful and legendary songwriter Doc Pomus, who wrote such beloved songs as "Lonely Avenue," "Save the Last Dance for Me," and "Viva Las Vegas" "Doc was more than a man among men. He was the sun." (Lou Reed) One of the most original, influential, and commercially successful American songwriters, Doc Pomus (1927-1991) is remembered best for the dozens of hits he wrote during rock 'n' roll's first decade. A role model for several generations of composers, Doc was renowned for his mastery of virtually every popular style, from the gutbucket rhythm and blues of "Lonely Avenue" to the symphonic invention of "Save the Last Dance for Me" to the pop confection of "Viva Las Vegas." His songs have been recorded by everyone from Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, and B.B. King to Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and Bruce Springsteen. Despite his successes, few acquaintances knew that this writer of jukebox hits led one of the most dramatic lives of his time. Spanning extravagant wealth and desperate poverty, suburban family life and the depths of New York's underworld, enduring love and persistent loneliness, Doc's story remains one of the great untold American lives. Lonely Avenue is a beautifully written narrative that reads like a novel, fortified by full access to Doc Pomus's family and friends, voluminous journals, and archives. About the Author Alex Halberstadt's writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, GQ, the Los Angeles Times, the Oxford American, Grand Street, Dissent, and elsewhere. He is best known for his award-winning articles on American music that appear on Salon.com. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Peter Guralnick (Foreword) is the author of the best-selling two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love. Guralnick was one of Doc's favorite authors and a close friend. He lives in Massachusetts. # Hardcover: 416 pages # Publisher: Da Capo Press (February 26, 2007) # ISBN: 0306813009 Pre-order at Amazon