{{short description|American music journalist}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Austin Scaggs | image = | caption = | birthname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|08|02}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | education = | occupation = Music journalist | alias = | status = | title = | family = Boz Scaggs (father) | spouse = | children = | relatives = | networth = | credits = | agent = | URL = }} '''Austin William Scaggs''' (born August 2, 1978) is an American music critic and a contributing editor for ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. He's also written for ''Men's Journal''. His father is musician Boz Scaggs.
==Early life== Scaggs was born to Boz and Carmella Scaggs.<ref name=Whiting>{{cite web |last1=Whiting |first1=Sam |title=Carmella Scaggs, socialite and ex-wife of singer |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Carmella-Scaggs-socialite-and-ex-wife-of-singer-10932897.php |website=SFGATE |access-date=May 6, 2022 |date=February 15, 2017}}</ref> Jann Wenner (the eventual editor and publisher of ''Rolling Stone'') served as their witness at their wedding.<ref name=Whiting/> Austin was born in San Francisco and grew up, along with his brother Oscar, in Presidio Heights.<ref name=Whiting/> He attended the Town School for Boys.<ref name=Whiting/> His parents divorced in 1980, and after a three-and-a-half-year battle, they were awarded joint custody.<ref>No byline (July 3, 1988). http://www.beautifulboz.com/65951/html/page.html ''The Dallas Morning News'' c/o BeautifulBoz.com Retrieved December 3, 2007</ref> Carmella would bring her sons to Tower Records on Tuesdays to peruse the newly-released music.<ref name=Whiting/>
==Career== Scaggs read ''Rolling Stone'' as a child, but never planned to go into music journalism.<ref name=SSAQ>(September 12, 2007) [https://web.archive.org/web/20070916155655/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/16385483/the_smoking_section_answers_your_questions "The Smoking Section Answers Your Questions"] RollingStone.com Retrieved November 29, 2007</ref> At 19, he moved from San Francisco to New York City to play guitar in a band, and began interning at ''Rolling Stone''. He loved it and eventually began picking up small assignments. After two years, he began receiving travel assignments.<ref name=SFG>Fong-Torres, Ben (January 25, 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20070206150936/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/25/DDGP2NNQAE1.DTL "He was from Rolling Stone -- he can tell you what it's really like"] SFGate.com Retrieved November 29, 2007</ref> Four years into his job, he was assigned the section "Random Notes", which, incidentally, had been his favorite section as a child. He has interviewed many prominent musicians, including Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, and Ray Charles .<ref name=SSAQ/> Scaggs will sometimes get inebriated with the artists he interviews; he did ecstasy with James Blunt.<ref>"Scurrilous: Chicago's No. 1 Couch Potato". Chicago Sun-Times. September 27, 2007. FindArticles.com. November 29, 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20070927/ai_n21025816</ref> In regard to his interviewing style, he has said that he does not "write to stir up controversy, make tabloid headlines, or get someone busted".<ref name=SSAQ/>
Since 2001, Alex Levy and Austin Scaggs have planned annual tribute nights to various artists, along with their Cabin Down Below Band, in the East Village in New York City and Nashville.<ref name="Paulson">{{cite web |last1=Paulson |first1=Dave |title='Dylan Fest' is Nashville's coolest all-star concert |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/05/19/dylan-fest-nashvilles-coolest-all-star-concert/328900001/ |website=The Tennessean |access-date=May 6, 2022 |date=May 19, 2017}}</ref>
Scaggs plays bass.<ref>Reiter, Amy (December 17, 1999). [http://archive.salon.com/people/col/reit/1999/12/17/np1217/index.html "Rack of hams"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517035418/http://archive.salon.com/people/col/reit/1999/12/17/np1217/index.html |date=May 17, 2008 }} Salon.com Retrieved November 29, 2007</ref> He is an avid poker player and occasionally plays in celebrity tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abowitz |first=Richard |date=September 9, 2007 |title=What's $3,000 if you're a Killer? Flowers snubs Scaggs |url=http://vegasblog.latimes.com/vegas/2007/09/whats-3000-if-y.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206075148/http://vegasblog.latimes.com/vegas/2007/09/whats-3000-if-y.html |archive-date=2008-12-06 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>
==Personal life== His brother Oscar died of a heroin overdose in 1998 at 21 years old.<ref name=Whiting/>
He is married with two children.<ref name=Whiting/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070916155655/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/16385483/the_smoking_section_answers_your_questions "The Smoking Section Answers Your Questions"], an interview with Scaggs about his time with ''Rolling Stone''. *[https://web.archive.org/web/20081004084919/http://usmusic.cc/2007/08/05/dave-matthews-band-audio-interview-outtakes-video-premiere-tour-photos-and-more/ "Dave Matthews Band: Audio Interview Outtakes, Video Premiere, Tour Photos and More"], audio of Scaggs interviewing Dave Matthews in August 2007
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Scaggs, Austin}} Category:American music critics Category:American music journalists Category:American poker players Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people