Book excerpt: By any standards, Kings of Leon are unique. Consisting of three brothers and their first cousin, all surnamed Followill, the quartet from Tennessee have conquered the music world on their own terms. They have audaciously mixed elements of classic rock with grunge, garage and a very contemporary attitude. The result is music that has found a global audience, drawn from all ages. Along the way, the band have earned the respect of Bob Dylan, U2, and other A-list celebrities. Their hard-partying lifestyle and glamorous girlfriends ensure that the band remains a favourite with the media. This book traces the rise of Kings of Leon from local hopefuls to Grammy-winning chart-toppers. A religious background that kept them well away from rock music until 1997 has further added to the mystique surrounding the Kings, as Michael Heatley recounts in this first-ever full-length, authoritative biography of the band.