Amarillo’s Connection to the Stars of Rolling Stone Magazine

I grew up reading Rolling Stone Magazine. It's one of those magazines you pick up when you love music and you want to know all the backstories of your favorite artists. Anyone who is anyone would be featured in Rolling Stone.

That magazine shaped a lot of our lives. So when you find out one of the big Rolling Stones writers, a guy who knew everyone, spent time as a child in Amarillo you can't help but think wow.

If you don't know the name Ben Fong-Torres you really should. If you have seen Almost Famous then you probably remember him. Even though Ben says the only thing about the character in the movie that was real was his love for loud shirts.  If you read Rolling Stone you know who Ben is as well.

If you have Netflix you may have caught "Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres". I happened across it the other day. I missed it when it first came out in May. I am sorry it took me so long to discover this show.

I had no idea that this guy who wrote for Rolling Stone Magazine and got to hang out with all the cool artists of the times actually spent part of his childhood here in Amarillo. I mean this guy who hung out with folks like Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Steve Martin called Amarillo home for a bit.

How freaking cool is that? His dad even ran a restaurant here in Amarillo. The family immigrated to the US from China. They spent some time in Oakland and here in Amarillo. The move to Amarillo happened when Ben was twelve.

He was the only Asian American in a school of white kids. He had to learn to adjust. Oh, and he did. He discovered Rock and Roll and that was all it took to make friends here.

Watching the show and knowing that his humble beginnings included a stop in Amarillo is just about as cool as it could be. Make sure you catch it on Netflix too.

gallery gallerytitle="30 Actors Who Were Born in Texas " galleryid="190:47640"]