Dead Man's Curve

<p> Jan Berry leader of the music duo Jan & Dean from the late 1950s to mid-1960s was an intense character who experienced more in his first 25 years than many do in a lifetime. As an architect of the West Coast sound he was one of rock 'n' roll's original rebels--brilliant charismatic reckless and flawed. As a songwriter music arranger and record producer for Nevin-Kirshner Associates and Screen Gems-Columbia Music Berry was one of the pioneering self-produced artists of his era in Hollywood. He lived a dual life reaching the top of the charts with Jan & Dean while transitioning from college student to medical student until an automobile accident in 1966 changed his trajectory forever. Suffering from brain damage and partial paralysis Jan spent the rest of his life trying to come back from Dead Man's Curve. </p><p> His story is told here in-depth for the first time based on extensive primary source documentation and supplemented by the stories and memories of Jan's family members friends music industry colleagues and contemporaries. From the birth of rock to the bitter end Berry's life story is thrilling humorous unsettling and disturbing yet ultimately uplifting.</p>