Seattle based music writer Charles R. Cross has died.
The journalist and author passed away on August 9th, with his family confirming the news in an official statement. It reads: “We are sorry to share that Charles Cross has passed. He died peacefully of natural causes in his sleep on August 9th, 2024. We are all grief-stricken and trying to get through this difficult process of dealing with the next steps.”
Charles R. Cross was 67 years old.
The writer found success with his acclaimed biographies of two very different figures in Seattle music. Heavier Than Heavy found the author probing the life and legacy of Kurt Cobain, unpicking old myths in the process. Constructed from over 400 interviews, it became a best-seller, and won the 2002 ASCAP Award for Outstanding Biography.
By contrast, Room Full Of Mirrors found Charles R. Cross shedding new light on the work of Jimi Hendrix, publishing at a time when the guitarist’s posthumous stock was low.
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Both books are written with love and insight, talents gleaned from years in the critical trenches. Charles R. Cross began writing with The Rocket – a free Seattle weekly – in 1982, becoming editor of the paper in 1986; his stint at editor continued until the paper folded in 2000.
One lifelong passion for Cross was Bruce Springsteen – he founded the Backstreets Magazine in 1980, a fan-rooted tome that grew to become a 43 year endeavour, documenting the work, tours, and cultural impact of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.
Fellow Seattle music writer Chase Hutchinson comments: “When I was lucky enough to meet Charles, it was like meeting a fundamental part of Seattle’s music history, present, and future. The work he did at The Rocket and elsewhere remains essential. His loss is not just a loss for the region, but culture itself.”
Music critic Timothy Egan adds: “This is just shockingly sad news. Charles Cross was brilliant, passionate, and understood the music of our times more than an Olympic swimmer knows water. Such a loss.”
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