Kaye, Lenny

Lenny Kaye is an American guitarist, composer, record producer, and writer, and a founding member of Patti Smith and Her Band. In 2011, he was awarded the honor of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by le Ministre de la Culture et de la Communication of France. Rock and roll was born in basements and garages, radio stations, and dance halls in cities where unexpected gatherings of artists and audiences changed and charged the way music was heard and celebrated. In Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll (Ecco), Kaye offers an insider’s take on the evolution and enduring legacy of the music that rocked the 20th century. It’s a guided tour inside style and performance to see who’s on stage, along with the movers and shakers, the hustlers and hangers-on. He explores 10 crossroads of time and place that define the genre. Whether describing Elvis Presley’s Memphis, The Beatles’ Liverpool, Smith’s New York, or Kurt Cobain’s Seattle, Lightning Striking – informed by Kaye’s knowledge and experience – reveals the communal energy that creates a scene. Sweeping and detailed, it’s an ear-opening insight into our shared musical and cultural history.