POWER CHORD

A pilgrimage of Heavy Metal guitarists and the secret allure of the electric axe itself. As a young man McKenzie worshipped Ace Frehley of KISS. Listening to his outrageous guitar solos made Scott feel the way many pilgrims do - transcendent, inspired, and witness to a higher power. And still, nearly two decades later, McKenzie finds himself no less enthralled by men like Frehley, George Lynch of Dokken, Mick Mars of Motley Crue and others whose stagecraft and musicianship inspired a generation of music fans for whom they still remain Guitar Heroes. Determined to find what happened to these men, men like Yngwie Malmsteen, the Scorpions' Michael Schenker, Slash, and Ace Frehley himself, McKenzie sets off to solve this mystery, unlock the key to guitar heroism and come to terms with the instrument that's held him in such sway for so long.

As a young man Scott McKenzie swore he saw God. Dressed in all black with knee high silver booths, a patent leather breastplate and full-face make up, he clutched a beautiful, custom, Les Paul guitar. Ace Frehley was the lead guitarist for KISS and his image filled the multiple posters lining Scott's rural Kentucky bedroom. Listening to Frehley's outrageous guitar solos while staring at the posters made Scott feel the way many pilgrims do - transcendent, inspired, and witness to a higher power. And still, nearly two decades later, McKenzie finds himself no less enthralled by men like Frehley, George Lynch of Dokken, Mick Mars of Motley Crue and others whose stage craft and musicianship inspired a generation of music fans for whom they still remain Guitar Heroes. Determined to find what happened to these men, men like Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Eddie Van Halen, Slash, and Ace Frehley himself, McKenzie sets off on a pilgrimage to solve this mystery, unlock the key to guitar heroism and come to terms with the instrument that's held him in such sway for so long. POWER CHORD has the intrepid spirit of books like Killing Yourself to Live and Confederates in the Attic mixed with the funny but poignant regard for the way the music we love defines us, seen in books like Love is a Mix Tape and High Fidelity. And this quest couldn't be more timely. The Guitar Hero video game franchise has sold more than 20 million copies, while the Rock Band format has sold more than 10 million. Many of the musicians in POWER CHORD are featured performers on the games, and users of both formats have cumulatively downloaded more than 55 million songs, exposing a completely new generation to these Guitar Heroes. Additionally, Scott's diverse background is sure to be a help in promoting the work. He is a credited contributor to Neil Strauss' bestselling THE RULES OF THE GAME, is the founder and operator of the publishing website www.slushpile.net, and previously worked for Richard Howorth at SQUARE BOOKS in Oxford Mississippi. He has a Masters in Creative Writing from University of Mississippi and his writing his writing has appeared in Tin House, Paste, Stuff, Inked, Sync, Laptop, the Wall Street Journal's Managing Your Career, Articulate, Kentucky Monthly, Columbus Monthly, Pen World, and many others.