The Mick Ronson Story: Turn and Face the Strange

Remembered most famously as David Bowie’s guitarist during his glam rock period, Mick Ronson (1946–93) was the prototypical 1970s rock god axeman. Playwright/ director Creed and teacher Burnett, producers of the Ronson stage show tribute Turn and Face the Strange, make the case in this book that Ronson showcased many talents during his storied career as a musician, arranger, and producer. Ronson’s vast list of album credits includes work on Lou Reed’s Transformer, Mott the Hoople’s All the Young Dudes, and Pure Prairie League’s Bustin’ Out. He was also a guitarist for Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour and produced Morrissey’s 1992 album Your Arsenal. Ronson’s own LP as a solo artist, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, reached the UK top 10. Ronson may have been one of the Spiders from Mars bandmates, but, through interviews with the friends and musicians who knew him best, this book portrays him as a down-to-earth guy with wide-ranging musical talent.