New York Times bestselling author Bill Janovitz has returned today with ‘The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told’ (Da Capo) - a definitive history of the new wave pioneers and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, which has been met with critical praise across the board. Janovitz (himself a prominent Boston musician in Buffalo Tom) draws on first-hand insight, and the participation of each surviving member of The Cars (Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, David Robinson), to chronicle the band's rapid ascent, landmark albums, deeply-rooted conflicts, untimely demise and the legacy they've left nearly 50 years on. Lauded for its deeply-researched discoveries, The Cars’ keyboardist Greg Hawkes notes in his foreword to the book: “I’ve learned things about all The Cars that I never knew before, and I have come to appreciate the talents and perspectives of the other members of the band— Ric, Ben, Elliot, and David— a little better having read this book."
Janovitz recently spoke to Rolling Stone about ‘The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told,’ in a piece that hails the “revelations he unearthed,” while noting (after half a century) “it’s amazing there isn’t already a comprehensive book” that rises to the level of this new release: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-cars-book-ric-oca…
Order ‘The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told’ here: https://www.dacapopress.com/titles/bill-janovitz/the-cars/9780306835087/
Janovitz will celebrate the release of ‘The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told’ with special events this fall from coast to coast. Next Monday (October 6), Janovitz will come to New York City for a conversation with legendary music journalist David Fricke at Rough Trade - and on Wednesday (October 8), he’ll host a Los Angeles event at the hi-fi audio showroom Wrensilva, joined by The Cars’ Elliot Easton and actor/producer Mike O’Malley. These events follow last night’s powerful hometown celebration at Berklee College of Music, which brought Janovitz together with The Cars’ Greg Hawkes and David Robinson for a riveting conversation. The author will host more events across Massachusetts this fall, including at his alma mater UMass Amherst (also the founding location of Buffalo Tom) on October 22, with esteemed industry veteran Jim Neil - and in Lexington (the community where he’s lived for decades) with the Boston Globe’s Jim Sullivan on November 20. Before writing ‘The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told,’ Janovitz became a New York Times bestselling author for his 2023 biography Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History. He has also established himself as a leading authority on The Rolling Stones, penning renowned work like Exile on Main St. (33 ⅓) and Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell the Story of the Rolling Stones.
Bill Janovitz - ‘The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told’ Book Events
October 6 - Rough Trade Below - New York, NY - with David Fricke
October 8 - Wrensilva Listening Studio LA - Los Angeles, CA - with Elliot Easton and Mike O’Malley
October 22 - Bowker Auditorium (UMass Amherst) - Amherst, MA - with Jim Neil
November 20 - Follen Church Society - Lexington, MA - with Jim Sullivan
