Biographical Note
Ron Young was the founder and publisher of the pioneering indie music newspaper It’s Only Rock ’N’ Roll. The longtime music journalist, songwriter and musician grew up in San Antonio, where he graduated from Robert E. Lee High School. He studied journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. Young was an avid record collector and in the 1970s was a columnist and music critic at the daily newspaper San Antonio Light, and later a regular contributor to the San Antonio Express-News. The easygoing writer once described himself as the Bob Newhart of rock and roll. Young later moved to Nashville, Tennessee and became a published songwriter. He died in San Antonio from complications of cancer on May 11, 2017. He was 67.
Scope and Contents
It’s Only Rock ’N’ Roll was an indie music newspaper published in San Antonio from May 1978 to April 1982. The publication chronicled the rise of punk and New Wave music in San Antonio and Austin, reporting on national touring acts like Blondie, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, the Ramones, the Clash and the Sex Pistols, as well as local and regional rock ’n’ roll, blues and heavy metal acts. Issues included record reviews, guest columns, nightclub listings and numerous photographs. Included here are 44 issues, from March 18, 1978 through April 1982. Note: The November 1980 issue was mislabeled as Volume 4, number 8.