King Cal

Peter McDade spent fifteen years traveling the highways of America as the drummer in the rock bands Uncle Green and 3 lb. Thrill, releasing a half-dozen albums on various major and independent labels. Raised in New Jersey, he now lives with his family in Atlanta, where he teaches at Clark Atlanta University. King Cal is his third novel.

"When I am asked by parents of kids who are considering a life in popular music if I would recommend that path, I say that if their child can even imagine doing anything else with their life, they should do that. But if the kid can’t conceive of any future but music, I urge them to offer encouragement. Now, I can just tell them to read this book."--Elliot Easton, lead guitarist for the Cars and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member"Having lived through my own musical coming-of-age, I’m often dismayed by just how wrong most music-themed books get it. Not King Cal. This is one of the few novels about music that have felt utterly real to me. As the book wound its way to a deeply moving end, I was both desperately hoping it would all work out for our unlikely hero and thanking Pete McDade for getting it so right."--Dan Wilson, Grammy-winning singer (Semisonic) and songwriter (“Closing Time”)