Charles Shaar Murray

Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray on 27 June 1951) is an English music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the New Musical Express and many other magazines and newspapers, and has been interviewed for a number of television documentaries and reports on music.

Murray grew up in Reading, Berkshire where he attended Reading School and learnt to play the harmonica and guitar. His first experience in journalism came aged 18 in 1970 when he was asked to contribute to the satirical magazine Oz. In particular, he contributed to the notorious Schoolkids OZ issue, and was involved in the consequent obscenity trial.

He then wrote for IT (International Times), before decamping to the New Musical Express in 1972 for which he wrote until around 1986. Subsequently he worked for a number of publications including Q magazine, Mojo, MacUser, New Statesman, Prospect, The Guardian, The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, Vogue, and The Independent. He currently writes a monthly column about his lifelong love affair with guitars in Guitarist.

His broadcasting credits include:

• "The Seven Ages of Rock" (BBC2, 2007) as series consultant and interviewee
• "The South Bank Show" (ITV, 2006) Dusty Springfield - interviewee
• "Inky Fingers: The NME Story" (BBC2, 2005) - interviewee
• "Dancing in the Street" (BBC2) - series consultant
• "Jazz From Hell: Frank Zappa" (BBC Radio 3) writer and presenter
• "Punk Jazz: Jaco Pastorius" (BBC R3) writer and presenter
• "The Life and Crimes of Lenny Bruce" (BBC R3) writer and presenter

• "Jazz from Hell". BBC Radio 3. 12 June 2004. Retrieved 7 February 2011. 

He has also sung and played guitar and harmonica as "Blast Furnace" with the band Blast Furnace and the Heatwaves and currently performs with London blues band Crosstown Lightnin'.