JIM CARROLL Catholic Boy [1980]

James Dennis "Jim" Carroll (August 1, 1949 – September 11, 2009) was an author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work The Basketball Diaries, which was made into the 1995 film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.

Carroll was of Irish descent and attended Roman Catholic grammar schools from 1955 to 1963. In fall 1963, he entered public school, but was soon awarded a scholarship to the elite private school Trinity School (New York). He entered Trinity High School in 1964.

Apart from being interested in writing, Carroll was an all-star basketball player throughout his grade school and high school career. He entered the "Biddy League" at age 13 and participated in the National High School All Star Game in 1966. During this time, Carroll was living a double life as a heroin addict who prostituted himself to afford his habit, but was also writing poems and attending poetry workshops at St. Mark's Poetry Project.

He attended Wagner College and Columbia University.

Carroll attracted the attention of the local literati and published his first book Organic Trains at age 17. Several of his poems have been published in such magazines as Paris Review and Poetry. In 1970, his second collection of poems, 4 Ups and 1 Down was published, and he started working for Andy Warhol. At first, he was writing film dialogue and inventing character names; later on, Carroll worked as the co-manager of Warhol's Theater.

Also in 1978, Carroll formed The Jim Carroll Band, a New Wave/punk rock group, with encouragement from Patti Smith. The band was formerly called Amsterdam, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The musicians were Steve Linsley (bass), Wayne Woods (drums), Brian Linsley and Terrell Winn (guitars).

Catholic Boy (1980) is an album by The Jim Carroll Band. Carroll was notable for publishing a memoir, The Basketball Diaries, and poetry collections including Living at the Movies. It spawned two FM hits, "It's Too Late," in this case, "to fall in love with Sharon Tate," but more that it is too late to understand the attitudes of beautiful, rich and bored women. "People Who Died," is about friends of the singers who died before their time. The front cover photograph was taken by Annie Leibovitz.

1."Wicked Gravity" (Jim Carroll) – 4:56
2."Three Sisters" (Carroll, Terrell Winn) – 3:19
3."Day and Night" (Carroll, Allen Lanier) – 2:22
4."Nothing Is True" (Carroll, Brian Linsley) – 3:29
5."People Who Died" (Carroll, Brian Linsley,Stephen Linsley, Terrell Winn,Wayne Woods) – 4:59
6."City Drops into the Night" (Carroll, Stephen Linsley, Brian Linsley) – 7:23
7."Crow" (Carroll, Terrell Winn) – 3:02
8."It's Too Late" (Carroll, Wayne Woods) – 3:04
9."I Want the Angel" (Carroll, Brian Linsley) – 2:49
10."Catholic Boy" (Carroll) – 3:03

Jim Carroll – vocals
Brian Linsley – guitar
Stephen Linsley – bass
Terrell Winn – guitar
Wayne Woods – drums
Allen Lanier – keyboards on "Day and Night" & "I Want the Angel"
Bobby Keys – saxophone on "City Drops into the Night"
Amy Katner – vocal on "Day and Night"
Sally, Hilary, Neon, Janet – backing vocals on "People Who Died"