But he had access to many of the band’s members – even visiting them at their homes - which built the foundation for his telling of War’s story. He pored over books, archived newspaper and magazine pieces, films, even album liner notes for research. It took Ruggiero just over three years to complete the book, juggling family, full-time work and freelance writing to do so. I’ve always wanted to write a music bio myself, and I’m a big admirer of War, so I decided that I’d remedy that situation on my own,” he said. “I’ve read hundreds and hundreds of music biographies and memoirs and I could not believe that no one had already written one about this incredibly influential and popular band. If you’ve read Ruggiero’s work, you know he is an avid reader whose reviews of classic rock bios have helped steer readers to (or, in some cases, away) from the bookstore. And my brother and I throwing metal horns with Ronnie James Dio backstage!” He’s interviewed many of rock’s elite and said some “highlights would include getting to interview Willie Nelson in person on his bus during a Fourth of July picnic in Fort Worth near snoozing David Allen Coe, spending an entire Sammy Hagar show at The Woodlands as an onstage ‘extra’ on risers behind the band and having Little Steven bring me backstage himself to meet Bruce Springsteen outside of his dressing room at the Toyota Center.
Photo by Vincent Ruggiero, courtesy of Bob Ruggiero “I wanted to make such a good impression on the editor that I made sure I saw the band twice before writing a word about them!” Ruggiero said. His first Houston Press work was a three-paragraph concert preview piece for a local band called Rosebud. “He did the phone interview with me while standing over the stove in his kitchen cooking beans!”įrom then, Ruggiero was hooked. It was a profile on bluesman John Lee Hooker who was coming to play at Antone’s," Ruggiero recalled.
My first published piece in college in 1988 was at the Daily Texan at the University of Texas at Austin. “My two great interests have been music and writing, so it was only natural that they would sort of collide in this way.
He’s done so for Houston Press since 1997 and shares his knowledge of the subject elsewhere, such as the archival website Rock’s Backpages and his own blog, Classic Rock Bob. It’ll be a crowning moment for Ruggiero, who has devoted a majority of more than 25 years in journalism writing about music, particularly classic rock. The author will be joined by original War member Howard Scott for an interview and audience Q&A following Scott’s live performance of some of the band’s greatest hits. Cactus Music hosts a very special book signing 3 p.m. This is the sort of insider information Ruggiero is able to offer in Slippin’ Out of Darkness: The Story of WAR. They also made a pact early on to share songwriting credit no matter who did the lion’s share of the music and lyric writing, which is why all seven members, and occasionally (manager/producer) Jerry Goldstein get writing credit.” “Even among the band’s principal songwriters, they would rarely come to the studio with a mostly-complete song, so everyone had a chance to contribute. “The thing that surprised me the most is that the vast majority of the music that came out on the records were extracted and mined from super long jams the band had in the studio, where the tape never stopped rolling,” Ruggiero related. The veteran music journalist and longtime Houston Press writer has authored the first and only biography of the influential rock, funk and soul band. The classic crossover band War had a surprising system for bringing hits like “The Cisco Kid” and “Low Rider” to life according to Bob Ruggiero.
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