Heart’s Nancy Wilson has posted a tribute to author Charles R. Cross, a prominent figure of the Seattle grunge scene who also co-authored the 2012 biography Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock & Roll with Nancy and her sister and bandmate Ann Wilson.
“Whadda one of a kind guy. His passion and purpose was to make it his life’s work to celebrate and chronicle the beautiful global renaissance that started with our local Seattle music scene,” Nancy wrote on Instagram. “Charley was the coolest rock litterati bookworm to ever be lucky enough to know. And all us cool rock people got to feel even cooler to know him and call him a friend.”
Calling Cross “the cutest bespeckled nerd at the dance,” Nancy shared that he was “our trusty biographer and implicitly trusted friend. Never selatious never invasive always impeccably appropriate and always brought that sharp worldly humor with him.”
Finally, she shared, “I truly loved Charley Cross. One of a kind class act. Rest in wit and wisdom dear fine feathered friend.”
Cross’ family shared news of his death in a statement, saying he “died peacefully of natural causes in his sleep on August 9th, 2024.” He was 67.
In addition to the Heart biography, Cross chronicled the rise of grunge in Seattle and wrote a biography of the late Kurt Cobain, Heavier than Heaven, in 2001. He also founded the Bruce Springsteen fanzine Backstreets, which shut down in 2023.
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