Jim Sullivan wrote about music and pop culture for The Boston Globe from 1979 to 2005. Currently, he writes for WBUR’s ARTery, among other sites. He is the author of two 2023 volumes of Backstage & Beyond: 45 Years of Rock Chats and Rants.
Jim Sullivan
By Jim Sullivan
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Music Is it possible to separate Roger Waters’ music from his politics?
The 78-year-old made his name with Pink Floyd, but his vocal opposition to Israel has complicated his relationship with his Jewish fans
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Culture A Neil Diamond show heads to Broadway. Just don’t call it a jukebox musical
'A Beautiful Noise' chronicles the superstar's triumphs but doesn't shy away from his struggles
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Culture Everything I learned about Jewish humor I learned from Mad magazine
For a Catholic kid from a white-bread town, the usual gang of idiots offered an education and a lifeline
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Culture How the grandson of Jewish diamond dealers created the greatest rock ’n’ roll swindle of all time
There was method to the madness of the Sex Pistols — and his name was Malcolm McLaren
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Music How Adam Yauch graduated from bratty Beastie Boy to a man of wisdom and peace
Ten years ago, MCA died, leaving behind an estimable if complicated legacy
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Music This punk rock legend survived the Holocaust — and she’s still singing and fighting
Genya Ravan, who has been making rock 'n' roll history since the 1960's, has no plans to retire
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Culture How a legendary New Wave band got a new jolt of Jewish humor
We’re entering spring and lo and behold — wonders of wonders! — Devo once again walks among us. The band, which gestated in Akron, Ohio, as an agitprop art/music project during the early 1970s and came to fame a decade later during the punk/new wave era, is back, doing four shows in May. That’s one…
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Culture The ‘dark and funny’ song that Leonard Cohen would have nailed to a church door
Inspired in part by all the Jewish artists on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs, the Forward decided it was time to rank the best Jewish pop songs of all time. You can find the whole list and accompanying essays here. Leonard Cohen gave us one of the most fierce, apocalyptic songs of…
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