Mick Wall
| Mick Wall | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 23, 1958 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | music journalist, author |
| Years active | 1977-Present |
| Known for | Kerrang!, Classic Rock |
Mick Wall (born 23 June 1958) is a British music journalist, radio and TV presenter and author.[1]
Wall began his career contributing to the music weekly Sounds in 1977, where he wrote about punk and the new wave, and then rockabilly, funk, New Romantic pop and, eventually, hard rock and heavy metal. In 1979, he left music journalism to become the partner in his own PR firm, Heavy Publicity, aged 20, where he oversaw press campaigns for artists such as Black Sabbath, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Thin Lizzy, Ultravox, The Damned, Dire Straits and several others. In the early 1980s he also worked at Virgin Records as press officer for such artists as Gillan, The Human League, Simple Minds, Japan and others.
By 1983, Wall become one of the main journalists in the early days of Kerrang! magazine, where he was their star cover story writer for the next nine years. He subsequently became the founding editor of Classic Rock magazine in 1998, and presented his own television and radio shows on Sky TV, Capital Radio, BBC GLR, BBC Radio 1, Planet Rock and others. He has also guested on several television programmes and documentaries on BBC TV,[2] ITV, Sky One, Channel Four and MTV.
Wall has authored many biographies of musicians and bands including Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Metallica and Guns N' Roses.[3] The latter mentioned him in their song "Get in the Ring" after Wall fell out with former friend, singer W. Axl Rose. In April 2016, Wall gave a impassioned apology to Rose on his blog with "As for the book, the biog I wrote on Axl, over 10 years ago now, that I can do something about. It’s not that the facts are all wrong or any of that. But the spirit is mean, disgruntled, unworthy. I’m sorry I wrote it. Sorry I wasn’t man enough to see the bigger picture. Sorry I squeezed all of the peace, love and understanding out of the book. I’d just had a heart attack, was angry at the world, thought I was about to check out and rather than reach for the light, I blew out the candles then sat there in the dark mouldering. I’m not like that anymore." "So goodbye W.A.R. It sure wasn’t fun writing you, I doubt it was much fun reading you, and you know what, it’s time to get you out of the fucking ring once and for all. Meanwhile, back in the world of sunlight and song, I can’t wait to see what Axl Rose and Guns N’ Roses do next. They are the last of the giants and I am a fan." [4]
His bookParanoid: Black Days With Sabbath & Other Horror Stories (1999) is a semi-fictionalised account of his substance-abusing days in the 1980s working with some of the biggest rock stars in the world. In 2008 he published a critically acclaimed biography of Led Zeppelin, entitled When Giants Walked the Earth.,[5] a worldwide best seller.
Wall is also the author of a blog on his official website, consisting of a compendium of domestic affairs and anecdotes from his past.
Wall currently lives in Oxfordshire with his wife and children.
Bibliography
- Diary Of A Madman - The Official Biography of Ozzy Osbourne, Zomba Books, 1986
- Market Square Heroes - The Authorized Biography of Marillion, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1987
- Guns N’ Roses: The Most Dangerous Band In The World, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1991
- Pearl Jam, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1994
- All Night Long: The True Story of Jon Bon Jovi, Omnibus Press, 1995
- Run To The Hills: The Authorised Biography of Iron Maiden, Sanctuary Books, 1998
- Paranoid: Black Days With Sabbath & Other Horror Stories. Mainstream, 1999
- Mr Big: Ozzy, Sharon and My Life as the Godfather of Rock, Robson Books, 2004 (written with Don Arden)
- XS All Areas: the Autobiography of Status Quo, Sidgwick & Jackson, 2004 (written with Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt)
- John Peel – A Tribute To The Legendary DJ and Broadcaster, Orion Books, 2004
- Bono: In The Name Of Love, Andre Deutsch, 2005
- Star Trippin’: The Best Of Mick Wall 1985-91, M&G, 2006
- W. Axl Rose: The Unauthorised Biography, Sidgwick & Jackson, 2007
- When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin, Orion Books, 2008
- Osbournes Confidential: An Insider's Chronicle, JR Books, 2008
- Appetite For Destruction: Legendary Encounters With Mick Wall, Orion Books, 2010
- Enter Night – Metallica: The Biography, Orion Books, 2010
- AC/DC - Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be, Orion Books, 2012
- Black Sabbath: Symptom of the Universe, Orion Books, 2013
- Lou Reed: The Life, Orion Books, 2013
- Love Becomes A Funeral Pyre: The Biography of The Doors, Orion Books, 2014
- Black Sabbath: Symptom of the Universe St. Martin's Press, 2015
- Getcha Rock's Off: Sex & Excess. Bust Up's & Binges. Life & Death on the Rock N' Roll Road, Orion Books, 2015[6]
- Foo Fighters : Learning to Fly, Orion Books, 2015
- Lemmy : The Definitive Biography, Orion Books, 2016[7]
References
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- ↑ David Cheal, 'When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin by Mick Wall', Telegraph.co.uk, 27 October 2008.
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