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johnlingan.bsky.social
Writer. "Homeplace," about Patsy Cline's hometown. "A Song for Everyone," about CCR. "BACKBEATS: A History of Rock and Roll in 15 Drummers" is out on 11/11/25. johnlingan.com
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Charlie Watts would have been 84 today. Here's a sample of the chapter about him from my new book about rock and roll drummers, out in November. Talking about "Tumbling Dice" specifically. bookshop.org/p/books/back...

submitted 3 hours ago • 0 comments

Consider, if you dare, the barren and nightmarish interior world of people who consider Antonin Scalia a gifted prose stylist.

submitted 4 hours ago • 0 comments

It means the applicants dose with Ken Kesey at 6 when the first Fillmore set begins.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Wild story about the young lion whose career was derailed by purported Al Qaeda connections.

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The Rehearsal: One hilarious man’s reflexive self-examination of his compulsive need to spend HBO’s money.

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Just got the publisher’s style guide for my forthcoming book, including spellings of all names mentioned. I think G is my favorite group of the bunch.

submitted 2 days ago • 1 comment

Key tasks: • Keep on toinin’ • Keep on chooglin’ • Bring a nickel, tap your feet • Run through the jungle

submitted 2 days ago • 2 comments

World-historical villain.

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Two capos?

submitted 3 days ago • 2 comments

Happy 30th, perfect album.

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

Biggest breakthrough in my CCR book research was connecting with a Berkeley guy who spent a mid-60s summer with Fogerty playing music in Portland, OR, where the future star first sang on stage. The NW scene at the time was total proto-punk like the Kingsmen and the Sonics. Fogerty loved "The Witch."

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

No one brings Fogerty up as one of the era's great shredders but listen to this fire:

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

It's John Fogerty's 80th birthday, which you could celebrate by reading my 2022 CCR bio. One of the most outright strange & preternaturally talented 1960s hitmakers, a terribly underrated guitarist/producer, and a mystery to me even after years of research and 300 pages written about him.

submitted 5 days ago • 1 comment

There’s a busker with a harmonica playing off-key and -rhythm to amateur CCR backing tracks in DuPont Circle right now and I’m having the time of my life in this Adirondack chair.

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

This is from David Stacton’s “Judges of the Secret Court,” supposedly “About John Wilkes Booth” but obviously more capacious. @nyrb-imprints.bsky.social What do you do after writing a paragraph like this? Smoke a cigar?

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

This is gorgeous. “We heard his first cry and we heard his last cry.”

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submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

Beautiful. If they cover "North Dakota" I will buy two copies.

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

For my forthcoming book I wanted to cover a metal drummer despite never enjoying metal. Finally settled on Slayer because Dave Lombardo is a genius and also for reasons finely outlined by @drewmagary.bsky.social. I listen to "Seasons in the Abyss" while cooking now.

submitted 12 days ago • 1 comment

Such a thoughtful and insightful review of the first album by Laura Snapes: pitchfork.com/reviews/albu...

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

“Today’s boys don’t have positive role mod—”

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

Pristine first edition, inscribed, $6 at the library book sale. Miracles happen. Thank you, Althea.

submitted 14 days ago • 1 comment

A Sunday song: Rhythmically and lyrically this is an off kilter subtle masterpiece that also manages to be one of her catchiest songs. Played and produced to perfection. Definitive “Americana” for me.

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments