By
Rob Jones
There and Black Again
Don Letts with Mal Peachey
Via Omnibus Press
Don Letts – filmmaker, musician, DJ, broadcaster, social commentator, husband and father – has always defied conformity. A British born son of Windrush parents, he seamlessly pivoted between London’s punk and reggae scenes earning his reputation as the ‘Rebel Dread’.
In There and Black Again – published by Omnibus Press – Don Letts looks back on an exceptional life and tells tales of him befriending Bob Marley after sneaking into his hotel, joining The Clash’s White Riot tour as manager of The Slits, and becoming one of the UK’s most highly regarded video directors during the MTV boom.
Told in part as scenes from a movie shot on locations including London, Kingston, New York City, Los Angeles, Windhoek, Salt Lake City and Goldeneye, There and Black Again co-stars a cast of hundreds including Joe Strummer, John Lydon, Bob Marley, Chrissie Hynde, Chris Blackwell, Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, Keith Richards, Patti Smith, Chuck D, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood.
With reflections on Black Lives Matter and the highs and lows of personal relationships, There and Black Again includes moments of civil unrest, live music, humour and political struggle. With author Mal Peachey There and Black Again is the refreshing and often unexpected story of a man who has never been afraid to disrupt, create, and tread his own path.
Hear Don host his Don Letts Culture Clash Radio show on BBC 6 Music on Sunday evenings but please make this book your next port of call because if you have any interest in contemporary culture this is a must see destination.
Connect with Don Letts:
https://www.donletts.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lettsdon/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDonLetts/
https://omnibuspress.com/
