Rock Bottom Remainders
The Rock Bottom Remainders is an ensemble of prominent authors who formed a rock band with a fun, amateurish vibe, starting in 1992 for a charity event. This group, named after a term for heavily discounted books, was created by literary publicist Kathi Kamen Goldmark. The band gained popularity for its lively performances, which often featured guest appearances by well-known musicians like Bruce Springsteen, Roger McGuinn, and Warren Zevon. Notable literary figures such as Stephen King, Amy Tan, and Dave Barry were among the ever-changing lineup, with Al Kooper serving as the musical director. Their repertoire is characterized by classic blues and rock hits, including songs like "Louie Louie" and "Gloria." Throughout the 1990s, the Rock Bottom Remainders produced a music video, an album, and performed nationwide to support charitable causes. The group's status was further solidified when they participated in the celebration marking the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Overall, the Rock Bottom Remainders represents a unique intersection of literature and music, leveraging celebrity status for charitable endeavors.
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Subject Terms
Rock Bottom Remainders
Identification Rock band consisting of best-selling authors
Date Formed in 1992
In realizing the youthful dream of playing in a rock-and-roll band, a group of successful middle-aged professional writers spoke to the ascendancy of the culture of the baby-boom generation.
Taking its name from a publisher’s term for heavily discounted books, the Rock Bottom Remainders is a group of well-known authors who gained a second celebrity through their participation in an enthusiastic amateur “garage band”-style rock group. The rock band was founded by literary publicist Kathi Kamen Goldmark in 1992 for a charity event at the American Booksellers Association convention. The group’s sense of fun and its party-band performance style found an appreciative audience and attracted professional rock musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Roger McGuinn, and Warren Zevon, who on occasion enjoyed sitting in with the band. Ever-shifting personnel included Dave Barry, Stephen King, Amy Tan, Barbara Kingsolver, Roy Blount, Jr., Robert Fulghum, Scott Turow, James McBride, and Matt Groening, with actual rock musician Al Kooper as musical director. Its repertoire consisted of classic blues and familiar rock standards, such as “Louie Louie,” “Wild Thing,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Nadine,” “Midnight Hour,” and “Gloria.”
Impact
With a music video, an album, and performances for charity all over the country, the band enjoyed success throughout the 1990’s and beyond. The band achieved legendary status when, in 1995, it was part of the famous celebration of the opening the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Bibliography
McGrath, Charles. “Rock On, but Hang On to Your Literary Gigs.” The New York Times, June 4, 2007, p. E1.
Marsh, Dave, ed. Mid-life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude. New York: Viking Press, 1994.