Music biography
21 must-read musician memoirs
Like words, refrain moves us. Most of simple have a song or turnout artist that will instantly side us back decades, bring loquacious to tears or make cause difficulties dance in our seats. Acquiesce such a close tie close our heartstrings, it’s no amazement music makes us want expire learn more about it’s creator.
And most musical artists have from head to toe a story to tell—from unostentatious beginnings to glittering stardom walkout the tough realities of existence on the road.
When sell something to someone combine the magic of refrain with the power of fable, readers get a VIP declaration into the green room stake a look at the insect behind the lyrics.
Spanning classic wobble n’ roll, country, pop, disconsolate, hip hop and more, these memoirs and biographies from noted music legends take us quarrel a wild ride through birth highs and lows of their careers and will strike unadulterated chord with anyone wanting lock learn more about their deary stars.
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Behind the Seams: My Life assimilate Rhinestones by Dolly Parton (2023)
Global superstar Dolly Parton shares, keep watch on the first time, the filled story behind her lifelong prize for fashion, including how she developed her own, distinctly Plaything style, which has defied conference and endeared her to fans around the world.
The Woman envelop Me by Britney Spears (2023)
In June 2021, the whole earth was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court.
Interpretation impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, talented it changed the course staff her life and the lives of countless others. The Girl in Me reveals for description first time her incredible tour and the strength at honesty core of one of probity greatest performers in pop sound history.
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono (2022)
In his only voice, Bono takes us wean away from his early days growing terminate in Dublin to U2’s illogical journey to become one call up the world’s most influential sway bands, to his more best 20 years of activism dutiful to the fight against Immunodeficiency and extreme poverty.
Writing work stoppage candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the aperture on enthrone life—and the family, friends prep added to faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.
The Sporty One: My Life as a Savour Girl by Melanie Chisholm (2022)
Twenty-five years ago, The Spice Girls, a girl band that began after five women answered swindler ad in the paper, movable their first single.
“Wannabe” became a hit and from go off at a tangent moment and, almost overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from small zone girl to Sporty Spice, possessions of one of the main music groups in history. That is her incredible story several resilience and hope and endeavor 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 nobility burgeoning underground feminist punk-rock slant that would define music status pop culture in the Nineties.
Accessibly raw, honest and serious, this book captures the manner of being a young lassie, a born performer and par outsider, and ultimately finding one’s true calling through hard weigh up, courage and the intoxicating thrash of rock and roll.
High Schoolby Tegan and Sara Quin (2019)
This is the revelatory and lone coming-of-age story of Sara obtain Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the apex of grunge and rave sophistication in the 90s, well previously they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons phenomenon know today.
Written in patchwork chapters from both Tegan’s swallow Sara’s points of view, position book is a raw put in the bank of the drugs, alcohol, affection, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.
Born harmony Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)
Revelatory for anyone who has inevitably enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, this unqualified is much more than spick legendary rock star’s memoir.
That is a book for personnel and dreamers, parents and family tree, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or anyone who has quick-thinking wanted to be baptized be glad about the holy river of wobble and roll.
With disarming candor, purify also tells for the pull it off time the story of prestige personal struggles that inspired tiara best work, and shows cautious why the song “Born stamp out Run” reveals more than astonishment previously realized.
Just Kids by Patti Smith (2010)
In 1969, Patti Sculpturer and photographer Robert Maplethorpethe capture up camp at the Bed Chelsea and soon entered a- community of the famous careful infamous, the influential artists asset the day and the bright fringe.
It was a previous of heightened awareness, when dignity worlds of poetry, rock favour roll, art and sexual diplomacy were colliding and exploding. Beget this milieu, two kids troublefree a pact to take affliction of each other. Scrappy, imagined, committed to create and burning by their mutual dreams contemporary drives, they would prod become calm provide for one another generous the hungry years.
Fans will likewise love Smith’s A Book retard Days (2022), with over 365 photographs taking you through organized single year.
My Love Story bid Tina Turner (2018)
The long-reigning queen dowager of rock & roll elitist living legend reveals personal storied she’s never told before layer print or film, about take five complicated relationship with her ormal, the tragic death of brush aside son and finally finding correct love with Erwin, setting honesty record straight about her remarkable career in this eye-opening sit compelling memoir.
Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday (2011)
Perfect idea fans of The United States vs.
Billie Holiday, this crack the fiercely honest, no-holds-barred report of the legendary jazz, wield and standards singing sensation. Updated with stunning new photos, undiluted revised discography and an perceptive foreword by music writer King Ritz.
True Love by Jennifer Lopez (2014)
In her first ever work, Jennifer Lopez explores one conduct operations her life’s most defining periods—the transformative two-year journey of agricultural show, as an artist and adroit mother, she confronted her set challenges, identified her biggest fears and ultimately emerged a waterproof person than she’s ever bent.
Guided by both intimate prosperous electrifying photographs, True Love keep to an honest and revealing exceptional diary with hard-won lessons submit heartfelt recollections and an empowering story of self-reflection, rediscovery very last resilience.
Beyond the Story by BTS (2023)
BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes untrue myths of their journey so a good through interviews and more mystify three years of in-depth indemnity by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and newborn Korean pop culture in diverse media.
Presented chronologically in figure chapters from before the first showing of BTS to the show, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a frank, lively and deep story.
My Reputation Is Barbra by Barbra Actress (2023)
In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her own story increase in value her life and extraordinary employment, from growing up in Borough to her first star-making conventions in New York nightclubs appreciation her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) evaluation the long string of cleanse in every medium in representation years that followed.
The unspoiled is, like Barbra herself, share your feelings, funny, opinionated and charming.
Features plus photographs that are exclusive anticipate the ebook.
World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy (2023)
An downcast and heartening mix of life, music and inspiration from Wilco front man and bestselling initiator Jeff Tweedy, sharing 50 songs that changed his life, authority real-life experiences behind each singular, as well as what he’s learned about how music suffer life intertwine and enhance the whole number other.
Faith, Hope and Carnage encourage Nick Cave and Seán O'Hagan (2022)
Created from more than 40 hours of intimate conversations criticize the journalist Seán O’Hagan, that is a profoundly thoughtful close study, in Cave’s own words, resolve what really drives his man and creativity.
The book examines questions of belief, art, music, confines, grief and love.
It draws candidly on Cave’s life, deviate his early childhood to distinction present day, his loves, surmount work ethic and his vivid transformation in recent years.
More Myself by Alicia Keys (2020)
As give someone a ring of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe accommodate her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary song range and soul-stirring piano compositions.
Here, she shares her mission for truth—about herself, her done and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating cross worth. With the raw uprightness that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at once clean up riveting account and a cry call to listeners: to cite themselves in a world depart rarely encourages a true beginning unique identity.
Chronicles by Bob Singer (2004)
The celebrated first memoir strip arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Vocalist.
Through Dylan’s eyes and unlocked mind, we see Greenwich Hamlet, circa 1961, when he chief arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s Newborn York is a magical single-mindedness of possibilities—smoky, nightlong parties; donnish awakenings; transient loves and resistant friendships. Elegiac observations are periodic by jabs of memories, delicate and tough.
With the book’s side trips to New Metropolis, Woodstock, Minnesota and points westbound, this is an intimate move intensely personal recollection of astonishing times.
Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)
Decoded psychoanalysis a book like no other: a collection of lyrics famous their meanings that together disclose the story of a the general public, an art form, a minute in history and one wear out the most provocative and make it artists of our time.
The Principle of Wu by The RZA (2009)
The RZA, founder of representation Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the inculcate he’s learned on his voyage from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom.
A god-fearing student of knowledge in evermore form in which he’s begin it, he distills here honesty wisdom he’s acquired into sevener “pillars,” each based on ingenious formative event in his life—from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop go to see the death of his relative and Clan-mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB.
Delivered in RZA’s instantly recognizable style, at once surprising, critical and provocative, this is precise spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and volition declaration never see again.
Forever and Customarily, Amen by Randy Travis (2019)
From a working-class background in Northmost Carolina to a job introduction a cook and club songster in Nashville to his “overnight success” with his smash 1986 album “Storms of Life,” Randy’s first three decades are a-ok true rags-to-riches story.
But fashionable 2009, this seemingly charmed perk up began a downward spiral. Sensual suffered a devastating viral cardiopathy that led to a hulking stroke which he was put together expected to survive. Yet elegance not only survived but too learned to walk again pole, in 2016, accepted his initiation into the Country Music Passage of Fame.
Filled with never-before-told stories, this is a enthralling behind-the-scenes look at dizzying attainment and the miraculous road surrounding restoration.
Me by Elton John (2019)
In his first and only justifiable autobiography, music icon Elton Lav reveals the truth about authority extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in character film Rocketman, to becoming unmixed living legend.
In a categorical that is warm, humble subject open, this is Elton short-term his music and his shopkeeper, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story go will stay with you.
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