By day, they’re authors.

Really famous authors.

But once a year they shed their pen-and-pencil clutching personas and become rock stars, complete with roadies, groupies and a wicked cool tour bus.

The Rock Bottom Remainders is a band that includes some of today’s most talented authors: Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Roy Blount Jr., Greg Iles, Stephen King, Matt Groening, James McBride, Ridley Pearson, Amy Tan, and Scott Turow. Between them, they’ve published more than 150 titles, sold more than 200 million books, and been translated into more than 25 languages.

For one week a year, they’re rock stars–artist-access-only, laminate-wearing, security-escorted rock stars with roadies and groupies. Four ringers help them out: drummer Josh Kelly, Erasmo Paolo on saxophone, Sam Barry on harmonica and Janine Sabino on vocals.

The Remainders were founded by the late Kathi Kamen Goldmark. 

“In the fine rock & roll tradition, the Rock Bottom Remainders were conceived in a car,” said Kathy. “As a semi-pro musician with a day job in book publicity, I spend a lot of time driving touring authors around San Francisco…I decided to form a band of authors!”

The group burst upon the world at the 1992 American Booksellers Association convention in Anaheim. A write-up in the Washington Post described it as “the most heavily promoted musical debut since the Monkees.

Hailed by critics as having “one of the world’s highest ratios of noise to talent,” the Remainders have no music videos, no record contract, no Grammy® nominations—but do have over 159,000 hits on Google.

In addition to the literary band members, rock legends such as Bruce Springsteen and the late Warren Zevon have done guest appearances.

Rock Bottom Remainders have raised more than $2 million dollars for charity through their concert tours.