A Voice of the Warm: The Life of Rod McKuen

by Barry Alfonso

Overview

In his 1960s-1970s heyday, Rod McKuen was a phenomenally popular singer-songwriter as well as the bestselling poet in publishing history. To his legions of fans around the world, he was a voice of compassion and healing, as much a prophet as an author/entertainer. McKuen songs like “If You Go Away” and “Jean” earned him massive hits, while books like Listen to the Warm sold millions of copies.

McKuen's huge sales and devoted following didn't stop the critics from calling his work sentimental kitsch cranked out for the money. Who was this enigmatic artist who aroused so much love and hatred? A Voice of the Warm: The Life of Rod McKuen is the first-ever biography of one of the 20th century's most popular and misunderstood pop-culture icons. Drawing upon extensive research and over 100 interviews, author Barry Alfonso tells how McKuen overcame childhood physical and sexual abuse to become a teenage radio host, film actor, and Beat-style poet before connecting with a vast audience as a writer and recording artist. McKuen's role as a pioneering gay rights activist who bridged the '60s generation gap with a message of love and tolerance help to make his story uniquely relevant today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493059805
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/15/2021
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	661,442
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Barry Alfonso grew up in San Diego, California, where he began his career as a music journalist for publications like the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, and Rolling Stone. He wrote songs for the films All the Right Moves (starring Tom Cruise) and Two of a Kind, as well as Pam Tillis’s number-one country hit, “In Between Dances.” He received a 2004 Grammy nomination for the liner notes to the Peter, Paul and Mary box set, Carry It On.

Table of Contents

Foreword Michael Feinstein ix

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 The Wandering Soul 1

Chapter 2 The Lonesome Boy 19

Chapter 3 Happy Is a Boy Named Me 35

Chapter 4 Mr. Oliver Twist 51

Chapter 5 Till My Ship Comes In 65

Chapter 6 Stoopy and the Summer of Love 79

Chapter 7 A Man Alone and Others 93

Chapter 8 Money, Mush, and Fun with Fondue 109

Chapter 9 A Kind of Loving 125

Chapter 10 Mac and Anita 139

Chapter 11 How Deep Is Down? 153

Chapter 12 The Last of the Wine 167

Coda: I'll Say Goodbye 181

Acknowledgments 185

Notes 191

Selected Bibliography 211

Selected Discography 213

Editorial Reviews

Because Rod McKuen was ubiquitous in the '60s and '70s, I thought I knew him and his work. It turns out that Rod's back story was full of surprises and Barry's book unravels the tragic history from Rod's own self-created myths. What emerges is a thoroughly researched and powerfully told biography of a most unusual and complicated character, one who deserves to be rediscovered.

Michael Shelley

A Voice of the Warm is a comprehensive look at an artist I had never heard of, and one I now consider something of a friend, as did so many others in his lifetime. Alfonso brings great context and hindsight to this study of a star-studded and exciting life; one full of mistakes and missed opportunities as well as successes. Edge highly recommends this biography.

Sam Cronin

In sewing together the tapestry of McKuen's life, Alfonso interviewed over a hundred people who worked with and knew the man. Sifting truth, often shadowed by McKuen's exaggeration of an already extraordinary life, the tale reveals twists and turns from military service in The Far East as a propaganda operative, '60s celebrity, wealth, gay rights activism, depression, a rediscovery through the internet and a tragically low-key passing in 2015. It's a tale rewarding and touching in its humanity and pathos and a fascinating read even for those not familiar with the music – but if it invites curiosity to dig deeper, all the better. You will not be disappointed.

Richard Allen

[Rod McKuen’s] writings and music connected on a deeply personal level and his ideas still resonate today. Alfonso digs deep with research and interviews of those who knew McKuen best to provide the definitive biography of the important queer pioneer.

Donald Padgett

McKuen's story is tragic and fascinating…A Voice of the Warm is a real page-turner.

Bill Kopp

Rod McKuen's life and career were remarkable in many ways. His contributions to popular culture have been overlooked for too long. Strip away the accrued soil of judgment and misunderstanding and underneath you will find a pure and shiny patina. It's time for a reintroduction to this beautiful stranger.

Michael Feinstein Michael Feinstein

Alfonso chronicles [McKuen's] rise to unprecedented fame with a clear eye, placing his works within the context of their era and exploring the valid notion of McKuen as a proto-self-empowerment/self-help guru… Rod McKuen might remain an enigma, but you'll feel much closer to him thanks to Barry Alfonso's exhaustively researched and compellingly written account of his singular life.

Joe Marchese

Rod McKuen's life and career were remarkable in many ways.  His contributions to popular culture have been overlooked for too long. Strip away the accrued soil of judgment and misunderstanding and underneath you will find a pure and shiny patina. It's time for a reintroduction to this beautiful stranger.

Michael Feinstein