At 22, Robert Duncan was managing editor of the legendary Creem magazine, working in Detroit alongside his friend Lester Bangs. He has contributed to Rolling Stone, Circus, Life, and dozens of other popular publications. He was lead singer, songwriter, and producer for several rock bands, including 3DayBig&Tall.

He is author of The Noise: Notes from a Rock 'n' Roll Era; Kiss, a tongue-in-cheek biography; and Only the Good Die Young, a collection of profiles of dead rock stars. He was story consultant and interview subject for the documentary, Creem: America's Only Rock & Roll Magazine, which premiered at SXSW in 2019. He is anthologized in Springsteen on Springsteen and Patti Smith gave him a shout-out in her memoir, Year of the Monkey.

His poetry has been published in several issues of Maintenant: A Journal of Contemporary Dada Writing and Art (Three Rooms Press). He is founder of the advertising and design firm Duncan Channon and its Tip Records subsidiary. He was raised in a Southern family displaced to New York City and now lives with his wife, the artist and rock photographer Roni Hoffman, near San Francisco.