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Robert Hilburn

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Robert Hilburn
Hilburn in front of his personal library in 2010
Born (1939-09-25) September 25, 1939 (age 85)
Natchitoches, Louisiana, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materCalifornia State University, Northridge
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • music critic
  • author
  • biographer
Years active1966–present
Spouses
  • Ruthann Snijders
  • Kathi Hilburn[1]
Children2 [1]
Websitewww.roberthilburnonline.com

Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As music critic and editor at the Los Angeles Times from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays, and profiles have appeared in publications worldwide. A member of the nominating committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 20 years, he has written five books, including biographies of Johnny Cash, Paul Simon and Randy Newman.

Early life and education

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Hilburn was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and lived there until he was five, mostly on his grandfather’s cotton farm in nearby Campti. During those years, and when visiting his grandparents in later summers, he was exposed to the blues and country music styles that eventually gave birth to rock ‘n’ roll. After a few years in Dallas, Texas, he moved with his family to Southern California. He attended Reseda High School and in 1961 graduated from California State University, Northridge with a degree in journalism.

Career

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1966-2005: Early career, Los Angeles Times

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Hilburn worked as a news reporter on a suburban Los Angeles newspaper, The Valley Times, in the early 1960s, and was later a public information officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Eager to write about music, Hilburn began writing for the Los Angeles Times as a freelancer in 1966. He wrote a series of articles about artists including Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin for the paper before he was hired full-time,[2][3] replacing Pete Johnson as rock critic in 1970.[4] While at the Times, Hilburn accompanied several artists on landmark tours; he covered Elton John's inaugural visit to Russia, Paul Simon's Graceland tour stop in Zimbabwe; and Bob Dylan's first concerts in Israel.[5] He spent a week on the road with the Sex Pistols during the British band's first U.S. tour.[6] He was with Johnny Cash when he performed at Folsom Prison in 1968.[7]

In addition to writing extensively about Dylan, Springsteen, David Bowie, and U2, Hilburn was an early champion of artists including John Prine, Patti Smith, The Eagles, Tom Petty, Prince, Elvis Costello, Guns N' Roses, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, Eminem, The White Stripes, Arcade Fire, and X.[8] John credited Hilburn for helping to launch his career; U2,[9] Prine,[10] Springsteen, and Dr. Dre,[11] among other artists, commented similarly.[12]

Although credited with taking rock journalism to a "new, more serious frontier," Hilburn approached rock criticism as a fan; in a 2009 interview with the Washington Post, he said: “I thought the message of the artist was more important than the writing style...I tried to be clear, I wanted everyone to be welcome."[13] In 2005 he accepted a buy-out package and retired from his staff position at the Times. He continued to write features for the paper.[14][15]

2006-present: Corn Flakes with John Lennon; Dylan, Simon, and Newman biographies; KSCN

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In 2010, Hilburn's memoir, Corn Flakes with John Lennon, was published. It focused on the work and influence of John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Phil Spector, Michael Jackson, U2, Kurt Cobain, and N.W.A.[11] In a review of the book in The Austin Chronicle, Margaret Moser wrote: "It's not just that Hilburn has been there and gotten the tour T-shirt... Hilburn is the real thing writing about the real thing."[16]

In 2013, Hilburn published a biography of Cash titled Johnny Cash: The Life.[17][18] Michiko Kakutani, the chief book critic of the New York Times, named the biography one of her ten favorite books of the year.[19] Kirkus called it "an instant-classic music biography with something to offer all generations of listeners."[20]

After reading the Cash book, Paul Simon, who previously declined multiple offers to tell his story, sat for more than 100 hours of interviews with Hilburn. Published by Simon & Schuster in 2018, Hilburn's biography, Paul Simon: The Life,[21] was described as "epic" in Rolling Stone. A four-star review in USA Today described the book as "a straight-shooting tour de force", noting Hilburn’s "reportorial skill" and "nuanced attention to the dynamics and the substance of Simon’s artistry." [22]

Hilburn's A Few Words in Defense of Our Country: The Biography of Randy Newman, was published by Hachette in October 2024. Friends since they met at Newman's 1970 debut concert at the Troubadour, Hilburn wrote that Newman would become a "creative master." Despite their relationship, it took Hilburn some time to convince Newman to support the biography. In an interview with The Independent, Hilburn noted that despite Newman's success, he did not like to talk about his songs. Shy and introverted, Newman described songwriting as torture. "He always had to find what was important enough to say; he really wanted to truly explain his country." [23] A Few Words in Defense of Our Country explored Newman's catalog of socially conscious songs that attacked what he saw as shortcomings in the American character, including racism, sexism and greed. An "immersive and satisfying" biography, it "clarifies the intentions underlying Newman's most challenging songs." [24][25]

Hilburn, who lives in Los Angeles, hosts a weekly Wednesday evening music program, Rock 'n' Roll Times, on 885 The SoCal Sound, a public broadcasting radio station in Southern California.[26]

Bibliography

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  • Springsteen, Rolling Stone Press, January 1986; 256 pages; ISBN 0684187035
  • Cornflakes with John Lennon and Other Tales from A Rock and Roll Life; Rodale Books, October 2010; 288 pages; ISBN 160529165X
  • Johnny Cash: The Life, Orion Books, January 2013, 352 pages; ISBN 0297866583
  • Paul Simon: The Life; Simon & Schuster; May 28, 2019; 448 pages;ISBN 9781501112133
  • A Few Words in Defense of Our Country: The Biography of Randy Newman; Hachette Books; October 2024, 544 pages; ISBN 9780306834691

References

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  1. ^ a b Hilburn, Robert (May 28, 2019). Paul Simon: The Life. Simon and Schuster. p. 395. ISBN 9781501112133.
  2. ^ "CORN FLAKES WITH JOHN LENNON AND OTHER TALES FROM A ROCK 'N' ROLL LIFE". Kirkus Reviews. September 15, 2009.
  3. ^ Camacho, Natalie L. (September 26, 2017). "Music Critic Thanks CSUN for Helping Him Land "The Best Job in the World"". CSUN TODAY.
  4. ^ Robert Christgau. "A History of Rock Criticism" (PDF). p. 140. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  5. ^ Fong-Torres, Ben (March 28, 1974). "Bob Dylan Bids a Restful Farewell to Tour '74". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Marchese, David (October 23, 2013). "Johnny Cash Turned Down 'The Gambler,' and Other Revelations from His New Bio". Spin. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  7. ^ Stewart, Allison (May 28, 2018). "At Folsom prison, Johnny Cash found his cause". Washington Post.
  8. ^ Bemis, Alec Hanley. "What's happened to Robert Hilburn's rock'n'roll heroes?". Arcade.
  9. ^ Waddell, Ray (January 17, 2014). "Billboard's 2014 Industry Icon: Paul McGuinness on 35 Years Guiding 'The Biggest Band in the World' (Q&A)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  10. ^ Greenblatt, Mike. "John Prine: AMERICA'S GREATEST LIVING SONGWRITER." Goldmine, vol. 44, no. 7, July 2018, pp. 59
  11. ^ a b Boucher, Geoff (October 11, 2009). "Who is Robert Hilburn? A champion and an advocate". Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^ "Elton John: 'It's vital that music venues stay open'". August 26, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  13. ^ Morse, S. (1985, Nov 30). A NEW BIOGRAPHY OF THE BOSS: [THIRD EDITION]. Boston Globe (Pre-1997 Fulltext)
  14. ^ "In & out." Hollywood Reporter, vol. 392, no. 3, 1 Dec. 2005, p. 3. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.
  15. ^ Greenburg, Rudi (October 12, 2009). "Storytellers: Robert Hilburn, 'Cornflakes With John Lennon (And Other Tales From a Rock 'n' Roll Life)'". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  16. ^ Moser, Margaret (December 10, 2010). "Best Music Writing 2010 and Corn Flakes With John Lennon and Other Tales From a Rock 'n' Roll Life". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  17. ^ Hilburn, Robert (2013). Johnny Cash: The Life (Deckle Edge). New York, New York: Little Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-19475-4.
  18. ^ "Biography Doesn't Hold Back On Darkest Years Of 'The Man In Black'". Morning Edition. NPR. October 29, 2013.
  19. ^ Kakutani, Michiko (December 19, 2013). "Michiko Kakutani's 10 Favorite Books of 2013". New York Times.
  20. ^ "JOHNNY CASH - THE LIFE". Kirkus Reviews.
  21. ^ Greene, Andy (May 8, 2018). "Inside Paul Simon's Definitive New Biography". RollingStone.
  22. ^ Damsker, Matt. "As Paul Simon launches farewell tour, new biography celebrates a musical prophet". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  23. ^ Beaty, Zoe (November 28, 2024). "Randy Newman's scathing satire of America has never been more relevant than now". The Independent. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  24. ^ Hajdu, David (October 23, 2024). "Why Randy Newman Is Least Loved for His Best Work". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  25. ^ Nelson, Elizabeth (November 14, 2024). "Robert Hilburn's "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" is a biography of a musician famous for both sarcasm and sentiment". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  26. ^ "Rock 'n' Roll Times". KCSN.
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