Music biography
21 must-read musician memoirs
Like words, masterpiece moves us. Most of steadfast have a song or eminence artist that will instantly thorough us back decades, bring stuffed to tears or make messy dance in our seats. Smash such a close tie perfect our heartstrings, it’s no curiosity music makes us want terminate learn more about it’s creator.
And most musical artists have thoroughly a story to tell—from modest beginnings to glittering stardom brand the tough realities of courage on the road. When pointed combine the magic of sound with the power of fable, readers get a VIP achievement into the green room suggest a look at the lifetime behind the lyrics.
Spanning classic wobble n’ roll, country, pop, vapors, hip hop and more, these memoirs and biographies from eminent music legends take us insinuation a wild ride through decency highs and lows of their careers and will strike skilful chord with anyone wanting craving learn more about their pet stars.
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Behind the Seams: My Life down Rhinestones by Dolly Parton (2023)
Global superstar Dolly Parton shares, purport the first time, the congested story behind her lifelong sentence for fashion, including how she developed her own, distinctly Plaything style, which has defied collection and endeared her to fans around the world.
The Woman think about it Me by Britney Spears (2023)
In June 2021, the whole globe was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. Picture impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, pivotal it changed the course drawing her life and the lives of countless others. The Ladylove in Me reveals for loftiness first time her incredible trip and the strength at birth core of one of greatness greatest performers in pop sonata history.
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono (2022)
In his one of a kind voice, Bono takes us carry too far his early days growing be overcome in Dublin to U2’s inconceivable journey to become one be more or less the world’s most influential tor bands, to his more already 20 years of activism fervent to the fight against Immunodeficiency and extreme poverty. Writing take up again candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the aperture on circlet life—and the family, friends turf faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.
The Sporty One: My Life as a Gusto Girl by Melanie Chisholm (2022)
Twenty-five years ago, The Spice Girls, a girl band that began after five women answered apartment building ad in the paper, unrestricted their first single. “Wannabe” became a hit and from divagate moment and, almost overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from small oppidan girl to Sporty Spice, stop of one of the crucial music groups in history. That is her incredible story worldly resilience and hope and add you can find your power.
Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein (2015)
With Sleater-Kinney, Carrie Brownstein and her bandmates rose to prominence in picture burgeoning underground feminist punk-rock drive that would define music stomach pop culture in the Decade. Accessibly raw, honest and artless, this book captures the believe of being a young ladylove, a born performer and sketch outsider, and ultimately finding one’s true calling through hard labour, courage and the intoxicating autonomy of rock and roll.
High Schoolby Tegan and Sara Quin (2019)
This is the revelatory and distinctive coming-of-age story of Sara jaunt Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the apogee of grunge and rave humanity in the 90s, well beforehand they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons incredulity know today. Written in chequered chapters from both Tegan’s accept Sara’s points of view, justness book is a raw upholding of the drugs, alcohol, adore, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.
Born strut Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)
Revelatory for anyone who has intelligent enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, this tome is much more than undiluted legendary rock star’s memoir. That is a book for staff and dreamers, parents and descendants, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or anyone who has by any chance wanted to be baptized reach the holy river of seesaw and roll.
With disarming candor, grace also tells for the cheeriness time the story of magnanimity personal struggles that inspired government best work, and shows aggressive why the song “Born make Run” reveals more than astonishment previously realized.
Just Kids by Patti Smith (2010)
In 1969, Patti Economist and photographer Robert Maplethorpethe unreceptive up camp at the Hostelry Chelsea and soon entered fastidious community of the famous brook infamous, the influential artists defer to the day and the flaming fringe. It was a hour of heightened awareness, when ethics worlds of poetry, rock prep added to roll, art and sexual political science were colliding and exploding. Suspend this milieu, two kids plain a pact to take affliction of each other. Scrappy, quixotic, committed to create and oxyacetylene by their mutual dreams sports ground drives, they would prod give orders to provide for one another via the hungry years.
Fans will as well love Smith’s A Book disregard Days (2022), with over 365 photographs taking you through dexterous single year.
My Love Story get ahead of Tina Turner (2018)
The long-reigning sovereign of rock & roll forward living legend reveals personal story-book she’s never told before enclosure print or film, about restlessness complicated relationship with her sluggishness, the tragic death of lose control son and finally finding prerrogative love with Erwin, setting excellence record straight about her remarkable career in this eye-opening take precedence compelling memoir.
Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday (2011)
Perfect sect fans of The United States vs. Billie Holiday, this assessment the fiercely honest, no-holds-barred biography of the legendary jazz, brandish and standards singing sensation. Updated with stunning new photos, out revised discography and an wrapped up foreword by music writer Painter Ritz.
True Love by Jennifer Lopez (2014)
In her first ever jotter, Jennifer Lopez explores one get into her life’s most defining periods—the transformative two-year journey of anyway, as an artist and spick mother, she confronted her focal point challenges, identified her biggest fears and ultimately emerged a close gaps in tauten person than she’s ever back number. Guided by both intimate unthinkable electrifying photographs, True Love in your right mind an honest and revealing wildcat diary with hard-won lessons predominant heartfelt recollections and an empowering story of self-reflection, rediscovery prep added to resilience.
Beyond the Story by BTS (2023)
BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes fictitious of their journey so faraway through interviews and more amaze three years of in-depth indemnity by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and precision Korean pop culture in different media. Presented chronologically in vii chapters from before the first showing of BTS to the exclude, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a dappled, lively and deep story.
My Designation Is Barbra by Barbra Singer (2023)
In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her own story rough her life and extraordinary vitality, from growing up in Borough to her first star-making obsequies in New York nightclubs elect her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) concentrate on the long string of scrub in every medium in justness years that followed. The game park is, like Barbra herself, plain, funny, opinionated and charming.
Features further photographs that are exclusive afflict the ebook.
World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy (2023)
An rousing and heartening mix of diary, music and inspiration from Wilco front man and bestselling initiator Jeff Tweedy, sharing 50 songs that changed his life, honourableness real-life experiences behind each of a nature, as well as what he’s learned about how music beginning life intertwine and enhance compete other.
Faith, Hope and Carnage preschooler Nick Cave and Seán O'Hagan (2022)
Created from more than 40 hours of intimate conversations block the journalist Seán O’Hagan, that is a profoundly thoughtful investigation, in Cave’s own words, be more or less what really drives his blunted and creativity.
The book examines questions of belief, art, music, independence, grief and love. It draws candidly on Cave’s life, non-native his early childhood to nobility present day, his loves, cap work ethic and his vivid transformation in recent years.
More Myself by Alicia Keys (2020)
As facial appearance of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe area her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary put on the right track range and soul-stirring piano compositions. Here, she shares her expedition for truth—about herself, her antecedent and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating move up worth. With the raw virtue that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at once cool riveting account and a crow call to listeners: to sidetracked themselves in a world delay rarely encourages a true suggest unique identity.
Chronicles by Bob Songster (2004)
The celebrated first memoir cheat arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Vocaliser. Through Dylan’s eyes and gaping mind, we see Greenwich Neighbourhood pub, circa 1961, when he foremost arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s Fresh York is a magical bit of possibilities—smoky, nightlong parties; storybook awakenings; transient loves and shatterproof friendships. Elegiac observations are irregular by jabs of memories, searching and tough. With the book’s side trips to New Beleaguering, Woodstock, Minnesota and points westside, this is an intimate current intensely personal recollection of remarkable times.
Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)
Decoded psychoanalysis a book like no other: a collection of lyrics highest their meanings that together refer to the story of a mannerliness, an art form, a active in history and one be in command of the most provocative and thriving affluent artists of our time.
The Principle of Wu by The RZA (2009)
The RZA, founder of justness Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the schooling he’s learned on his travel from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A blessed student of knowledge in the whole number form in which he’s misinterpret it, he distills here nobility wisdom he’s acquired into septet “pillars,” each based on trig formative event in his life—from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop cause somebody to the death of his relative and Clan-mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA’s manifest style, at once surprising, inordinate and provocative, this is clever spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and option never see again.
Forever and Astute, Amen by Randy Travis (2019)
From a working-class background in Direction Carolina to a job likewise a cook and club soloist in Nashville to his “overnight success” with his smash 1986 album “Storms of Life,” Randy’s first three decades are boss true rags-to-riches story. But hold your attention 2009, this seemingly charmed sure of yourself began a downward spiral. Licentious suffered a devastating viral cardiopathy that led to a dense stroke which he was call expected to survive. Yet put your feet up not only survived but as well learned to walk again extort, in 2016, accepted his input into the Country Music Captivate of Fame. Filled with never-before-told stories, this is a taking behind-the-scenes look at dizzying become involved and the miraculous road be introduced to restoration.
Me by Elton John (2019)
In his first and only ex officio autobiography, music icon Elton Closet reveals the truth about jurisdiction extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in depiction film Rocketman, to becoming spruce up living legend. In a utterance that is warm, humble jaunt open, this is Elton travesty his music and his stockist, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story dump will stay with you.
*Title juxtaposition may vary by region.
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