Crowe started out as a rock music journalist who turned his talents to film directing and screenwriting, writing and/or directing such acclaimed films as Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, and Almost Famous (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay). Now, Cameron Crowe is set to publish his memoir, titled The Uncool: A Memoir, which arrives October 28, 2025, via Simon & Schuster’s Avid Reader Press imprint. It’s available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
From the publisher’s announcement:
The long-awaited memoir by Crowe—one of America’s most iconic journalists and filmmakers—reveals his formative years in rock and roll and bringing to life stories that shaped a generation. The 352-page The Uncool is a joyful dispatch from a lost world, the real-life events that became Almost Famous, and a coming-of-age journey filled with characters you won’t soon forget. The book’s title is a reference to a line spoken in that film.
Cameron Crowe was an unlikely rock and roll insider. Born in 1957 to parents who strictly banned the genre from their house, he dove headfirst into the world of music. By the time he graduated high school at fifteen, Crowe was contributing to Rolling Stone. His parents became believers, uneasily allowing him to interview and tour with legends like Led Zeppelin; Lynyrd Skynyrd; Bob Dylan; Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young; and Fleetwood Mac.
The Uncool offers a front-row ticket to the 1970s, a golden era for music and art. There was no such thing as a media junket—just a rare chance a young writer might be invited along for an adventure. Crowe spent his teens politely turning down the drugs and turning on his tape recorder. He talked his journalism teacher into giving him class credit for his road trip covering Led Zeppelin’s 1975 tour, which landed him—and the band—on the cover of Rolling Stone. He embedded with David Bowie as the sequestered artist transformed himself into a new persona: The Thin White Duke. Why did Bowie give Crowe such unprecedented access? “Because you’re young enough to be honest,” Bowie told him.
The Uncool is also a surprisingly intimate family drama. If you’ve seen Almost Famous, you may think you know this story—but you don’t. For the first time, Crowe opens up about his early formative years in Palm Springs, and pays tribute to his father, a decorated Army officer who taught him the irreplaceable value of the human voice. Crowe also offers a full portrait of his mother, whose singular spirit helped shape him into an unconventional visionary.
