Richard Meltzer

Richard Meltzer was one of the first and best pioneering rock critics to hit the burgeoning rock music journalism scene back in the early 70s. He was born on May 11 in 1945. Richard studied philosophy at both the State University of New York at Stony Brook and Yale University. He was kicked out of the latter for his often wild misbehavior and hence never completed his studies there. Meltzer initially started writing about rock music in 1967 for Paul Williams' groundbreaking "Crawdaddy!" magazine. He briefly taught a class in aesthetics at the Maryland Institute College of Art and wrote lyrics for the rock group Blue Oyster Cult. Richard's book "The Aesthetics of Rock" was published in 1970. Meltzer's fiercely sarcastic sense of humor and highly idiosyncratic point of view gave his writing a distinctive offbeat style and tone that's both entertaining and illuminating in equal measure. Legendary gonzo rock critic Lester Bangs frequently cited Richard as his one and only true mentor. Among the publications Meltzer has contributed to throughout the years are "The Village Voice," "Spin," "Fusion," "Creem," "The L.A. Reader," "Addicted to Noise," "The San Diego Reader," "Los Angeles CityBeat," and "L.A. Weekly." He's the author of such books as "Gulcher: Post-Rock Cultural Pluralism in America," "Richard Meltzer's Guide to the Ugliest Buildings of Los Angeles," "The Night (Alone): A Novel," "L.A. Is the Capitol of Kansas: Painful Lessons in Post-New York Living," "Holes: A Book Not Entirely About Golf," "A Whore Just Like the Rest: The Music Writings of Richard Meltzer," and "Autumn Rhythm: Musings on Time, Tide, Aging, Dying, and Such Biz." Richard has appeared in two movies: he's an angry motorist in the crummy fright flick comedy "Horror House on Highway Five" and a writer in the indie drama "Good Grief." Meltzer has recorded and performed with the improvisational music group Smegma. Richard Meltzer lives with his longtime girlfriend Irene Forrest in Portland, Oregon.