Rock 'n' Roll Sweepstakes: The Authorised Biography of Ian Hunter Volume Two: Hunter By Proxy

By Campbell Devine

Ian Hunter's fifty-year-long career and extensive repertoire of percipient, creative songs have earned him a reputation as a true rock phenomenon.

This second part of a two-volume authorised biography offers inside stories from Ian's solo career following his departure from Mott the Hoople, including his collaborations with Mick Ronson, Queen and Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, and reflects on resonant recordings such as 'You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic', 'Shrunken Heads', 'Fingers Crossed', 'Once Bitten Twice Shy', 'Ships' and 'Dandy' - his homage to David Bowie.

Based on interviews with Ian Hunter and an impressive cast of supporting characters, 'Rock 'n' Roll Sweepstakes: Hunter by Proxy' is a fascinating and frank exploration of Ian's honest and distinctive style, his articulate "better than Dylan" writing and the absurdity of music-related fame.