Don letts autobiography

There and Black Again: The Autobiography of Don Letts

Don Letts has always defied conformity. A British-born son of Windrush parents, he seamlessly pivoted between London’s punk and reggae scenes – earning his reputation as the ‘Rebel Dread’.

In There and Black Again, Don Letts looks back on his exceptional life, which has seen him befriend Bob Marley after sneaking into his hotel, join The Clash’s White Riot tour as manager of The Slits and become one of the UK’s most highly regarded video directors just as the MTV boom hit.

Told in part as scenes from a movie shot on location in London, Kingston, New York City, Los Angeles, Windhoek, Salt Lake City and Goldeneye, There and Black Again co-stars a cast of hundreds, including Joe Strummer, John Lydon, Bob Marley, Chrissie Hynde, Chris Blackwell, Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, Keith Richards, Patti Smith, Chuck D., Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood.

With reflections on the Black Lives Matter movement and the highs and lows of personal relationships, this impactful book includes moments of civil unrest, live music, humou

There and Black Again: The Autobiography of Don Letts

‘Like the crowning unmade episode of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe – lavished with the author’s cinematic eye for detail’Mojo

'It’s a hoot of a book…but also probes the highs and lows of Letts’s personal life and offering pertinent insights into race.’The Irish Times

By Don Letts and Mal Peachey

Don Letts – filmmaker, musician, DJ, broadcaster, social commentator, husband and father – has always defied conformity. A British-born son of Windrush parents, he seamlessly pivoted between London’s punk and reggae scenes – earning his reputation as the ‘Rebel Dread’.

In There and Black Again, Don Letts looks back on his exceptional life, which has seen him befriend Bob Marley after sneaking into his hotel, join The Clash’s White Riot tour as manager of The Slits and become one of the UK’s most highly regarded video directors just as the MTV boom hit.

Told in part as scenes from a movie shot on location in London, Kingston, New York City, Los Angeles, Windhoek, Salt Lake City and Goldeneye, There and Black Again co-s

There and Black Again: The Autobiography of Don Letts

August 29, 2021
Many interesting tales in this one about growing up black in 60s/70s London, witnessing the birth of the punk scene there, hanging with friends of the day who became and remain cultural icons (members of The Clash, in particular), creating a career as music video maker at the dawn of that innovative era (including anecdotes about filming Rock the Casbah in my home town of Austin), becoming a “musician” with 80s college radio faves Big Audio Dynamite, along with many more enjoyable stories from his long career in the business.

If you like The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite, you’ll definitely enjoy this memoir. If you have a general interest in alternative music from the 60s through 80s, especially the fusion of reggae into modern day songs, you may like it as well.

As someone who enjoys music generally, and especially from the that era, I really liked this one. Greatly expanded my Spotify playlists as well thanks to the many musical influences he cites throughout. I feel a vinyl LP shopping binge coming on….

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