We wanted to round out today’s show by remembering a man described as the greatest music journalist Seattle ever had - Charles R. Cross.

For over 40 years, Cross tracked the pulse of Seattle through its music. He was also known for his biographies of local rock legends: Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart.

Cross’ family confirmed in a statement that he died on Aug. 9 of natural causes at his home in Shoreline. He was 67. 

Charles was also a regular guest on KUOW. . 

Our last conversation was back in January. Charles invited me over to his house to pour over archives of The Rocket - the scrappy biweekly music magazine he owned and edited. The paper published from 1979 to 2000, and its writers were tastemakers for the whole music industry  during grunge’s dizzying heights in the ‘90s. When we sat down to talk, Cross had just announced that all 336 issues of The Rocket were available online, a painstaking process that exemplified the deep love he had for the journalism and artists who helped build Seattle culture . 

Here’s that conversation.

Guest:

• Seattle-based music journalist Charles R. Cross

Relevant Links:

• Variety: Charles R. Cross, Music Journalist Who Wrote Heralded Kurt Cobain Biography and Edited Seattle’s Alt-Weekly the Rocket, Dies at 67
• The Seattle Times: Charles R. Cross, influential Seattle music journalist, dead at 67

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