Nick Tosches

Nicholas P. Tosches (; October 23, 1949 – October 20, 2019) was an American journalist, novelist, biographer, and poet. His 1982 biography of Jerry Lee Lewis, Hellfire, was praised by Rolling Stone magazine as "the best rock and roll biography ever written." His grandfather emigrated from Italy to New York City in the late 19th century. His grandparents were Arbëreshë from Casalvecchio di Puglia in Apulia.

According to his own account, Tosches "barely finished high school". and later, in the early 1970s, as a snake hunter for the Miami Serpentarium, in Florida. A fan of early rock and roll and "oddball" records, He was also reviews editor for Country Music magazine. He has been described as "the best example of a good rock journalist who set out to transcend his genre and succeeded," He was fired by Rolling Stone for collaborating with Meltzer in filing record reviews under each other's byline. He described his literary influences as "Hesiod, Sappho, Christopher Marlowe, Ezra Pound, William Faulkner, Charles Olson, and God knows who else."

Tosches died on October 20, 2019, at his home in Manhattan, three days before his 70th birthday.

Influence and admiration Actor Johnny Depp has stated that he is fan of the author. "I always feel really lucky after I've read one of Tosches's books because it's like you've had this experience with him. And it's funny because hanging out with him is very much like being in one of his books." Depp's enthusiasm for Tosches's works even goes so far that he bought his literary estate for 1.2 million dollars.