The late music writer John Swenson, a former editor and frequent contributor to OffBeat, will be memorialized with a concert The Broadside on Saturday, May 14, as a benefit for The New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic.
The memorial will be held from 6-10 p.m. and features a stellar lineup of New Orleans musicians, including James Andrews & The Crescent City All-Stars, Ed Volker, Debbie Davis, Davis Rogan, Helen Gillet, 101 Runners featuring Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Joe Cabral, Andy J. Forest, Michael Skinkus, Dayna Kurtz, Don Bartholomew and the Bartholomew Boyz and others.
Swenson died on March 28 at the age of 71 after a long battle with cancer. He began writing about popular music in 1967. He worked as editor for Crawdaddy, Rolling Stone, Circus Magazine, Rock World and OffBeat. Swenson’s wrote for numerous other magazines including Beetle Magazine, The Village Voice, Zoo World Music Magazine, Sounds Magazine, Spur Magazine, High Times, Musician Magazine, Guitar World, Creem, Spin, Record Culture Magazine and the Oxford American. In addition, he edited the website jazze.com for Knit Media and published 15 books, including biographies on Kiss, the Who, the Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Simon and Garfunkel and Bill Haley. In addition, Swenson, along with Rolling Stone writer Dave Marsh, published the Rolling Stone Record Guide and he edited the Rolling Stone Jazz and Blues Album Guide. His 2010 book, New Atlantis: Musicians Battle for Survival of New Orleans, clearly demonstrated Swenson’s encyclopedic knowledge of New Orleans music and its musicians.
Swenson was also a syndicated music columnist for more than 20 years at United Press International and Reuters.
The New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic (NOMC), founded in 1998, provides comprehensive medical care and social services to musicians, performing artists, cultural workers, and tradition bearers. Any patient age 19 or older and their family is served, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
The Broadside is located at 600 N. Broad Street. Tickets will be available for advance purchase here.
