Biography
Initially recognized for his work as a music journalist and historian focused on power pop, Ken Sharp later began crafting his own polished albums, establishing him as an overlooked trailblazer in the 1990s underground pop scene. Based in Philadelphia, Sharp had already built a strong reputation as a skilled writer and interviewer by the time his 1993 publication Overnight Sensation: The Story of the Raspberries cemented his status as the leading authority on the power pop icons' history. Following nearly fifteen years spent composing classic-style power pop material, he issued his debut album, 1301 Highland Avenue, in 1994 via the Japanese label M&M; although the effort earned positive notices, domestic distribution remained minimal. Lacking funds for a subsequent project, Sharp resumed his journalistic pursuits, collaborating on volumes about the Beatles, Kiss, and Cheap Trick; in 1997 he joined Doug Sulpy to release Power Pop! Conversations with the Power Pop Elite, an inaugural wide-ranging examination covering the scene's key acts, twenty-eight in total. Eventually securing an arrangement with Not Lame, the leading underground pop imprint, Sharp delivered his follow-up album Happy Accidents in 2000, again drawing strong critical acclaim.
Albums