Gryphon Gallery: A Little Known Rock Star?

January 14, 2022

Alumni

Stuart Brambley, Archivist Stuart Brambley, Archivist photo

John David Elison Dalton boarded as a young boy at Glenlyon Preparatory School from 1948 to 1952. He is a bestselling author and a founding editor of Rolling Stone, in which he penned cover stories on Little Richard, James Brown and Elvis Presley.

Dalton is a recipient of the Columbia School of Journalism Award for co-authoring an interview with Charles Manson. He is also a winner of the Ralph J. Gleason Best Rock Book of the Year award for Faithfull, about Marianne Faithful. Dalton has written 24 books, including biographies of James Dean, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Sid Vicious, the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, and in 2010, a critically acclaimed biography of Andy Warhol.

Given the recent ‘hype’ over the new documentary on the Beatles’ final album, it is interesting to note that Dalton is the co-author (with Jonathon Cott) of Get Back, the only book ever commissioned by the Beatles, which includes a transcript of an extended interview with the Fab Four. He lives with his family in upstate New York.

This is part of a new series entitled “Gryphon Gallery” created by our School Archivist that will provide snapshots that celebrate the achievements of a variety of alumni and staff from throughout the history of GNS.