There Was A Light: The Cosmic History of Chris Bell and the Rise of Big Star

This book arrived yesterday and I wound up reading 100 pages before going to sleep. Quite the page-turner. It's mainly comprised of interviews with the usual cast of characters from the Big Star universe as well as rock journalists and authors, inspired musicians, etc. I think it’s a terrific format for this book as we're getting info 'straight from the horse's mouth'. There are loads of pictures throughout as most of the gang were into photography back in the day.I was pretty well-versed on Big Star before reading this but there are so many great details about Chris' friends, family and upbringing, early bands and the Memphis scene, the inception of Ardent, and his unbelievable passion for music that I had no clue about. Andy Hummel (Big Star bassist) delivers a full history of growing up with Chris during high school and college so the book serves as a partial Andy Hummel bio too. And I still have 293 tantalizing pages to go!This project was well-researched and a very personal affair for the author. I kept wondering what Chris would think about some dude in Colorado (me) reading a detailed bio about him, in the year 2019. I think he'd be blown away! Let's keep his spirit alive and learn all we can from him. The music is just too important to let languish, especially coming from a man who is the cosmos and the wind after all.

Wow! I'm a longtime fan of Chris Bell, and Big Star, and I really feel that this is an awesome book -- not sure if you would call it a biography or not because it is pieced together from interview quotes with Chris Bell, his bandmates, studio associates, family, friends, and others who knew Chris Bell. But I was interested in the life of Chris Bell, and his band Big Star, and I really feel that this book delivered, and exceeded my expectations. I would recommend it.

Disclaimer: this book is compiled interviews.With that said, this book was clearly a labor of love to preserve the history of Big Star and Chris Bell as a person. This is the closest you’ll ever get. It’s full of personal photos, interviews, it’s so much more information than I have ever found online. Chris was not a celebrity in his lifetime so it makes you feel like you really know him. Thank you to the author for creating a thorough history of this timeline

As a longtime Big Star fan, I've been grateful for the attention they've gotten in recent years. After ages of digging through magazines for little scraps of information about a band that means so much to me, now I have actual books to read on the subject. They've all been excellent, but Rich Tupica has penned the best of the bunch. He mostly lets the extensive cast of characters speak for themselves, to wonderful effect. No one has dug deeper into Big Star, and especially Chris Bell...and it's done with class and heart. A must read for any fan.

Excellent book. Must own if you are a Chris Bell fan, Big Star fan, a fan of Memphis music. And for all music fans. Very well written. I really love how it is told by the people who lived the story and knew Chris. And even Chris' own words. I know I'll be reading it over and over again.

Enjoyed every page. Fine talking history. Surely a "Don't miss" for Big Star and music history fans. Recommended.

The tremendously talented and overlooked Chris Bell, has a book worthy of his musical genius. Kudos to author Rich Tupica

This is the ultimate oral history of Big Star--with lots of photos, too. While it mainly focuses on Chris Bell, the founding member, it also delves into the overall history of the band and the iconic Alex Chilton. For those who've always wondered about the late Chris Bell, this is likely the final word on him. From his earliest days, up to the 2017 re-issues of his music, this covers most, if not all, the bases.