Everett True

For the cartoon character, see The Outbursts of Everett True.

Everett True (born Jerry Thackray in 1960 or 1961) is a British music journalist, who grew up in Chelmsford, Essex. He became interested in rock music after hearing The Residents, and formed a band with school friends.

In 1982, he went to a The Laughing Apple gig and met the group's lead singer Alan McGee. McGee offered him a column in his new fanzine, Communication Blur, but Thackray left after two issues, because he objected to McGee's proposal to put a flexidisc of The Smiths on the front cover. He instead started his own zine, The Legend!, under which name he recorded the single "73 in 83", the first to be released by McGee's Creation Records. In 1984, he released a second single, "Legend Destroys the Blues", but his performing career did not take off. He puts this down to the fact that he "didn't like to perform a song more than once", although he has continued to make occasional appearances.

In 1983 or 84, Thackray began working at the New Musical Express. In 1988, he was sacked from the paper, and instead took a job at its rival, Melody Maker. He was told to adopt a new pseudonym, as the "Legend!" name was too closely associated with the NME. He chose "Everett True", from the early twentieth century cartoon The Outbursts of Everett True. Within months, he was sent to Seattle to cover the emerging grunge scene. He helped to publicise the music and befriended many of the bands. In 1989, he performed guest vocals on a single with Calvin Johnson and Tobi Vail's band The Go Team as "The Legend!". In 1991, he introduced Kurt Cobain to Courtney Love at a Butthole Surfers and L7 gig. The three became close friends, and, for example, in 1992, True wheeled Cobain on stage at the Reading Festival[1].

During his time on the weeklies, True became one of the UK's most controversial music journalists - some appreciated his enthusiastic tone, while his critics were infuriated by the highly subjective, self-referencing nature of his work.

Leaving MM in the late 1990s, he became editor of Vox, reverting on this occasion to his real name. It has been claimed that the band theaudience were formed after founder member Billy Reeves bet True £100 that he could form a band and get it signed.

In 1998, True returned to Seattle, where he worked for a year as music editor for The Stranger. Back again in the UK, he set up the magazine Careless Talk Costs Lives in 2002. Issues of this publication began at #12 and counted down, claiming that "we have set out to replace the decaying music press in Britain, so by issue zero we will either have achieved our objectives or given up trying". By the twelfth issue (#1), it was clear that it would not achieve its ambitions, and True instead founded Plan B.

As of 2006, True is the Editor-in-Chief of Plan B. He has also contributed to magazines and newspapers, including The Times. He has also written many books, including ones on The Ramones, The White Stripes and his latest, a definitive account of Nirvana.