Noted rock music critic and journalist Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was born on December 13, 1948, in Escondido, California, to Norma Belle, a devoted Jehovah's Witness, and Conway Lesley Bangs, a truck driver who tragically died in a fire when Lester was just nine years old.
Raised by his mother in El Cajon, San Diego County, California, Lester attended El Cajon Valley High School, where he developed a keen interest in writing, jazz music, science fiction, and comic books. His early fascination with these subjects laid the groundwork for his future career as a renowned music critic.
After briefly attending San Diego State College in 1968, Lester dropped out and pursued his passion for music criticism, publishing his first album review in Rolling Stone magazine in 1969. He continued to write album reviews for Rolling Stone until 1973, when editor/publisher Jann Wenner fired him for his unapologetic critiques of musicians.
Undeterred, Lester started writing album reviews for Creem, a Detroit-based rock publication, in August 1970. He soon moved to Detroit to become a staff writer and head writer for Creem, where he remained a key contributor until 1976. During his time at Creem, Lester established himself as an authority on the emerging punk rock movement of the 1970s and solidified his reputation as one of the most colorful, distinctive, and opinionated rock music critics of his generation.
Outside of Creem, Lester wrote for various publications, including Fusion, Playboy, Penthouse, New Musical Express, and Phonograph Record Magazine. After parting ways with Creem, he relocated to New York City and wrote album reviews for The Village Voice. Additionally, Lester recorded a few singles and albums and penned a controversial book about the New Wave band Blondie.
Tragically, Lester's life was cut short when he died at the age of thirty-three on April 30, 1982, from an accidental drug overdose at his New York City apartment. Despite his untimely passing, Lester's legacy as a pioneer of gonzo rock music criticism continues to inspire and influence music enthusiasts to this day, and his writing remains a testament to his unwavering passion for music.
