On the Cover: Adam Yauch, 1964-2012

Adam Yauch on the cover of 'Rolling Stone'

Marina Chavez

Brian Hiatt examines the many lives of late Beastie Boy Adam Yauch in the new issue of Rolling Stone, on sale May 25th. The story looks back on Yauch's extraordinary career and remarkable personal growth as he moved on from his band's loutish, hard-partying Licensed to Ill phase on to spiritual enlightenment in the latter half of his all-too-brief life.

• The cover story includes the first interviews given by surviving Beasties Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond, who address their grief and the question of what they will do now that their band is effectively over. "I'm totally confused," says Horovitz. "I'm walking my dog and I'll start crying on the street."

• Yauch's friends, collaborators and acquaintances, including Spike Jonze, Rick Rubin, Billy Corgan, Mario Caldato, Jill Cuniff and Sheryl Crow share fond recollections of him at different stages of his life. Crow, a cancer survivor who befriended Yauch after he was diagnosed, says he looked "radiant" in his final days. "He was just hopeful to the very end," she says. "Here he was, one of the Beastie Boys, and he was one of the wisest people I've ever known."

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Song Stories

“California Gurls”

Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg | 2010

Katie Perry confessed to Rolling Stone her SoCal anthem “is not genius. It’s not my opus. But it’s catchy as f---, and it’s a great summertime song.” The pop princess explained that Jay-Z was one of several inspirations for this hit song. “It’s so great that 'Empire State of Mind' is huge and that everybody has the New York song, but what the f---? What about L.A.? What about California? And it’s been a minute since we’ve had a California song and especially from a girl’s perspective.”

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