We Will Rock You

My name is Sterling Whitaker. I’m a Nashville-based singer/songwriter and music journalist, and the author of two books: Unsung Heroes of Rock Guitar in 2003, and 2007’s The Grand Delusion: The Unauthorized True Story of Styx, which was an Amazon bestseller and earned  positive reviews in Classic Rock magazine, Record Collector, Goldmine, and numerous online publications. I have appeared as a guest on VH1, BBC Radio, and radio all over North America.

We Will Rock You is a way for me to present my in-depth interviews with some of your favorite rock musicians in a new setting. With print there is always the possibility that a tone of voice doesn’t translate, or that something that is said gets transcribed incorrectly. That’s why I am excited about my new venture into podcasting. No more writing for some editor’s needs, or having to slant something toward a particular demographic slice. Never again will I have someone destroy my work under the guise of “editing”. Now it’s just me and my interviews subjects, and you get to listen in. I’m going to make this as interactive as possible, too, by taking your questions and making them part of the interview process.

I want We Will Rock You to do something that so-called “music journalism” almost never does: actually serve the needs of its audience, while respecting both that audience and the musicians whose work both creates and serves that audience. Most of the time music journalism is either written from an elitist standpoint that dismisses the vast majority of popular music unduly (while simultaneously deriding the  tastes and sensibilties of the audience that supports that music), or it serves as nothing more than a shallow promotional vehicle for a given artist’s latest endeavor. What I hope to do is stand the middle ground and give you honest, hard-hitting interviews that are entertaining and informative, while still respecting both the artists I speak to and their audiences. That can be a tall order, but if you’ve read my writing over the years I hope you’ll agree that’s what I’ve always done.

I welcome any and all comments, suggestions, praise or criticism. I can’t make this blog better if you don’t tell me what you like and don’t like about it, so bring it on!