Guitarist Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter to Publish Memoir About His Unparalleled Career From Rock to the Defense Industry

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, a founding member of Steely Dan and former guitarist with the Doobie Brothers, has written his memoir of the astonishing story tracing his extraordinary journey from rock and roll to a highly successful second career as a subject-matter expert in the world of defense, space, wargaming and counter-terrorism. From Rock to Rockets: My Life as a Hall of Fame Guitar Slinger, Mad Scientist of Sound, and Citizen Warrior for National Defense, comes from Harper Influence, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The title arrives on January 26, 2027 and is available to order here.

From the Oct. 16 announcement: Baxter lives two lives. In one, he is a rock and roll legend, with fourteen Gold Records, eight Platinum albums, two Grammy Awards (plus six nominations) an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. In the other, he is an advisor to a number of the U.S. Department of War entities, including the Missile Defense Agency and, over the past thirty-plus years, a consultant to the Department of Homeland Security, NASA, prestigious research laboratories, and top defense contractors.

Told in his own words for the first time, “the most interesting man in music” (NPR) chronicles the improbable twists and turns that carried Baxter from rock star to national security subject-matter expert. Baxter recalls how a music-obsessed kid growing up between Mexico City and New York City quickly became a first-call session musician, and then a founding member of Steely Dan, vividly capturing the grit and magic of the rock scene in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles in the ’60s and ’70s—including world tours and recording sessions with Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Donna Summer, Elton John, Ringo Starr, and Joni Mitchell.

Related: In the early ’90s, Baxter was part of a short-lived supergroup with Keith Emerson, John Entwistle and Joe Walsh

Then comes his surprising pivot to the defense industry, trading the recording booth for the harsh confines cockpit of a reconnaissance aircraft recon plane—reflecting throughout on the mystical intersections of music and technology, and the mentors, friends, and collaborators who shaped both careers along the way.

“I invite you all to come along for the ride,” says Baxter of the journey recounted in the book.

His Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan bandmate, Michael McDonald, writes, “His prowess on six string and steel guitar, his imagination, humor and daring comes through loud and clear, the very attributes that make his story remarkable from childhood to present day. Made even better by the fact that he tells it in his own voice. He was certainly an important part of my musical life experience, both as a mentor and friend and I’m proud to have been any small part of his.”

From Gen. Lester L. Lyles, former Vice-Chief of Staff, USAF, (ret): “Jeff is a renaissance man who has embraced his passions for music, aviation, technology, the military, and service to our nation, to excel as a true ‘rock star’ and simultaneously a true ‘rocket scientist.’ Leaders at the highest levels of our government seek Baxter to help solve critical technology and national security challenges. [His] book is fun; it is educational; it is inspirational!”

Photo of Jeff “Skunk” Baxter by Jimmy Steinfelt; used with permission)

Baxter, born Dec. 13, 1948, has also served as a writer, columnist, and reviewer for publications ranging from Guitar Player, Guitar magazine, Billboard, Mix, Wired, Money, and The Wall Street Journal, among others.

Baxter’s second career as a consultant for the aviation and defense industry has included a Congressional appointment to chair the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense and participation in numerous wargames for the Pentagon and the U.S. national security community. He is a Senior Fellow and member of the Board of Regents at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, a Senior Thinker at the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, and a member of the Director’s Strategic Red Team at MIT/Lincoln Laboratory. He continues to tour and perform extensively, and records music for studio session work, film and television soundtracks, and commercials.