The autobiography of the legend many- including Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughn- refer to as the greatest blues guitarist of all time, and whose story- which features such greats as Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, and the Rolling Stones- stands at the absolute nexus of modern blues.
A memoir by Morris Day of The Time centering around his lifelong relationship and association with Prince
The most important and revealing book ever on Elvis Presley - by his wife and daughter Twenty seven years after his death, Elvis Presley remains one of the world's most beloved and iconic figures. There has been an impressive array of bestselling Elvis books over the years, but there has never been a book like this. Now, for the first time, Elvis, the man, husband father and artist, is remembered intimately and honestly by his ex wife Priscilla, daughter Lisa Marie and other close family members. Including deeply personal documents and previously unseen family photographs, this lavishly illustrated book will also feature new interviews with family and friends by celebrated Rolling Stone founder, David Dalton. From personal diary entries to unearthed artefacts, Elvis by the Presleys is set to become a publishing phenomenon and will come closer than any other book in revealing the private dreams and truths of the extraordinary and complex man, who became the king of Rock and Roll.
"Etta tells it like it is. I related to every page. Great book!"--Ray Charles Etta James--brash, sassy, and uncannily gifted--has left a soul-sized footprint on modern music, from blues to R&B to jazz. As the Houston Chronicle puts it, her "expressive voice and exquisite dramatic timing can actually make you tremble." Rage to Survive captures that amazing voice. Etta tells riveting stories of her youth in Los Angeles--from being discovered at age five singing in her church choir (when celebrities like Lana Turner and Orson Welles would sneak in the back to listen to the girl genius) to why she hates encores (her father would drag her out of bed in the middle of the night to sing for his card-playing buddies) to her first hit record and her work with Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, and the great stars of the Golden Age of Soul. She tells of meeting the man she believes is her father--the legendary pool hustler Minnesota Fats--her recovery from the grip of drugs, her childhood dealing with a mother who worked on the streets, and her lifelong trouble with "bad men." To quote Liz Smith in Newsday: "Candid? Brutally honest? You don't know about candor and brutal honesty until you've read Etta's life story in her own rough, unvarnished, and humorously right-on words . . . any major movie studio would do itself a huge favor by turning this book into a sizzling, big-screen saga."
In "True You," Janet shares her emotional journey through lifelong challenges, particularly with yo-yo dieting and self-acceptance. She candidly explores her struggles with body image, vulnerability, and societal pressures, offering insights into her path toward self-love and breaking free from negative patterns.
In the 1970s, Marvin Gaye was the soulful prince of Motown with the seductive liquid voice; his chart-topping, socially conscious album What's Going On made him a superstar. Primarily silent since Marvin's tragic death in 1984, Jan Gaye gives a cautionary tale about the ecstasy and dangers of loving him-- and a memoir of drugs, sex, and old school R & B. She reveals what it's like to be in love with a creative genius who transformed popular culture and whose artistry continues to be celebrated today
B. B. King has the blues running through his blood. Growing up in the rural poverty of the Mississippi Delta, King first experienced the blues at nine years old, when his mother passed away. The man of the house before the end of his first decade, he used this strife as a source of inspiration and launched one of the most celebrated musical careers in American history. King has led a remarkable life, and this riveting autobiography dramatizes his whirlwind adventures from the Memphis of the forties to the Moscow of the nineties with unflinching candor and sincerity. But most of all, B.B.'s story is the story of the blues—the evolution from country acoustic to urban electric, the birth and explosion of rock 'n' roll—and B.B.'s own long, but ultimately triumphant, struggle for crossover success, during which he remained unwaveringly true to the music of his heart.
The definitive biography of the Queen of Soul from acclaimed music writer David Ritz.
"Over the last forty-five years, David Ritz has collaborated with some of the biggest stars in music. Working to give a voice to these iconic musicians, he found his own, and following the sacred pulse he calls "The God Groove," he also found belief in Christ. In his moving memoir, he recalls growing up as a secular Jew in New York and Dallas, and finding himself drawn to the smoky jazz clubs and Pentecostal churches where the music touched something deep in his soul, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It was this love of music, coupled with an equal passion for words--both language that flowed across the page and language sung out loud--that led him, against all odds, to convince Ray Charles to hire him as a ghostwriter. Through this first project, David learned the art of capturing another's voice. As Marvin Gaye's biographer and cowriter of "Sexual Healing," David learned about Marvin's father, a charismatic storefront preacher in an ultra-strict Christian sect, but he also saw the visceral love Marvin had for Jesus. David's conversations with Aretha Franklin, conducted during the two-year process of writing her memoir, yielded further insights into Christianity. Threaded throughout David's story are in-depth conversations with Willie Nelson, BB King, Janet Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Etta James, Buddy Guy, and Jessi Colter, all of whom shaped his thinking about faith."--Amazon.com
Born in China to parents whose musical careers were interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, Lang Lang has emerged as one of the greatest pianists of our time. Yet despite his fame, few in the West know of the heart-wrenching journey from his early childhood as a prodigy in an industrial city in northern China to his difficult years in Beijing to his success today. This autobiography documents the remarkable, dramatic story of a family who sacrificed almost everything--his parents' marriage, financial security, Lang Lang's childhood, and their reputation in China's insular classical music world--for the belief in a young boy's talent. And it reveals the devastating and intense relationship between a boy and his father, who was willing to go to any length to make his son a star. An engaging, informative cultural commentator who bridges East and West, Lang Lang's book opens a door to China.--From publisher description.
