Best Biographies of Pop Artists

Carly Simon's New York Times bestselling memoir, Boys in the Trees , reveals her remarkable life, beginning with her storied childhood as the third daughter of Richard L. Simon, the co-founder of publishing giant Simon & Schuster, her musical debut as half of The Simon Sisters performing folk songs with her sister Lucy in Greenwich Village, to a meteoric solo career that would result in 13 top 40 hits, including the #1 song "You're So Vain." An Amazon Best Book of December 2015: In the trees is just about the only place in Carly Simon’s world that there aren’t boys, suggests this unputdownable memoir by the beloved singer and the first artist in history to win a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for the same song ("Let the River Run" from the movie Working Girl ).

From Bing Crosby's early days in college minstrel shows and vaudeville, to his first hit recordings, from his 11 year triumph as star of America's most popular radio show, to his first success in Hollywood, Gary Giddins provides a detailed study of the rise of this American star. Jazz critic Giddins's latest subject will probably surprise those who think of Bing Crosby (1903-1977) as "a square old man who made orange-juice commercials" and sang "White Christmas" every year on TV. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Those who remember Bing Crosby only for "White Christmas" may be surprised to find jazz-critic Giddins, the author of books on Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker, singing Der Bingle's praises as "one of the handful of artists who remade American music in the 1920s." Through a combination of careful research and precise, remarkably insightful analysis of vocal technique, Giddins shows how Crosby, the first white singer to recognize the genius of Louis Armstrong, remade our notion of pop singer (the term didn't even exist before Crosby), developing a vocal style that was based on intimacy and naturalness--the very opposite of the artificial, effeminate tenors who were fronting orchestras before Bing. Following Crosby's development from childhood in Spokane, Washington, through a revolutionary period with Paul Whiteman's band (where Bing quickly associated himself with other top jazzmen including Bix Beiderbecke, Frank Trumbauer, and Joe Venuti), and on to his phenomenal solo career, on record, on radio, and in the movies, Giddins reveals how Crosby transformed mass entertainment, whether it was teaching a generation of American singers how to use a microphone or redefining what it means for an actor to "play himself."

A revelatory account of the life of beloved American music icon, Paul Simon, by the bestselling rock biographer Peter Ames Carlin. To have been alive during the last sixty years is to have lived with the music of Paul Simon. Rich Cohen, "New York Times "bestselling author of "The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones """"The world of pop music has paraded its own mythologies for decades, insisting that art and business can be separated, that authenticity is the condition of the greats, that politics is as easy as a statement made from a stage. Warren Zanes, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Petty""" [A] nuanced, fascinating portrait Carlin expertly tracks Simon's professional career, from the earliest days with Garfunkel when they were finding their footing as performers, through the climax of their career as a band with their 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water, to Simon's solo artistic peak with the 1986 release of Graceland. An absorbing and layered study of one of the most influential voices in Western popular culture. Rich Cohen, New York Times bestselling author of The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones "The world of pop music has paraded its own mythologies for decades, insisting that art and business can be separated, that authenticity is the condition of the greats, that politics is as easy as a statement made from a stage. An absorbing and layered study of one of the most influential voices in Western popular culture.

Now band member and guitarist Don Felder finally breaks the Eagles’ years of public silence to take fans behind the scenes. "An entertaining tell-all."

Now band member and guitarist Don Felder finally breaks the Eagles’ years of public silence to take fans behind the scenes. "An entertaining tell-all."

Love bravely, live bravely, be courageous--there's really nothing to lose. --Jewel. McFarland is the pseudonym for a well-regarded journalist who, over the last decade, has written for a host of leading publications, including Rolling Stone, SPIN, Vanity Fair, Details, and The Los Angeles Times .

In his early teens his solace was the guitar, and his incredible talent would make him a cult hero in the clubs of Britain and inspire devoted fans to scrawl “Clapton is God” on the walls of London’s Underground. It was while working with the latter that he fell for George’s wife, Pattie Boyd, a seemingly unrequited love that led him to the depths of despair, self-imposed seclusion, and drug addiction. By the early seventies he had overcome his addiction and released the bestselling album 461 Ocean Boulevard , with its massive hit “I Shot the Sheriff.” He followed that with the platinum album Slowhand , which included “Wonderful Tonight,” the touching love song to Pattie, whom he finally married at the end of 1979. As he retraces every step of his career, from the early stints with the Yardbirds and Cream to his solo successes, Clapton also devotes copious detail to his drug and alcohol addictions, particularly how they intersected with his romantic obsession with Pattie Boyd. At times, he sounds more like landed gentry than a rock star: bragging about his collection of contemporary art, vigorously defending his hunting and fishing as leisure activities, and extolling the virtues of his quiet country living. “Like the bluesmen who inspired him, Clapton has his share of scars... his compelling memoir is... a soulful performance.” — People “An absorbing tale of artistry, decadence, and redemption.” — Los Angeles Times.

While he was exalted by his devoted fans as the "black Bob Dylan" (a term he hated) and widely sampled by the likes of Kanye West, Prince, Common, and Elvis Costello, he never really achieved mainstream success. “Controversial and enigmatic, the tragic trajectory of Scott-Heron's life and career is expertly examined in this testament to one of the last great radical artists.” ― Kirkus.

It was the summer Coltrane died, the summer of love and riots, and the summer when a chance encounter in Brooklyn led two young people on a path of art, devotion, and initiation. Bound in innocence and enthusiasm, they traversed the city from Coney Island to Forty-second Street, and eventually to the celebrated round table of Max's Kansas City, where the Andy Warhol contingent held court. Smith's memoir of their friendship, Just Kids , is tender and artful, open-eyed but surprisingly decorous, with the oracular style familiar from her anthems like "Because the Night," "Gloria," and "Dancing Barefoot" balanced by her powers of observation and memory for everyday details like the price of automat sandwiches and the shabby, welcoming fellow bohemians of the Chelsea Hotel, among whose ranks these baby Rimbauds found their way. Smith transports readers to what seemed like halcyon days for art and artists in New York as she shares tales of the denizens of Max's Kansas City, the Hotel Chelsea, Scribner's, Brentano's, and Strand bookstores. In the lobby of the Chelsea, where she and Mapplethorpe lived for many years, she got to know William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Johnny Winter.

How music provided hope in one of the world's darkest times—the inspirational life story of Alice Herz-Sommer, the oldest living Holocaust survivor. Written with the cooperation of Alice Herz-Sommer, Melissa Müller and Reinhard Piechocki's Alice's Piano is the first time her story has been told. REINHARD PIECHOCKI is the author of a number of works of cultural history and a close friend of Alice Herz-Sommer's for many years.ALICE HERZ-SOMMER, at 107 years old, is the oldest living Holocaust survivor.

” — Complex “A cautionary tale that ends in triumph.” — GQ “A revelation and a welcome addition to hip-hop’s literary legacy.” — All Hip Hop. Born in rural Bessemer, Alabama, Radric Delantic Davis became Gucci Mane in East Atlanta, where the rap scene is as vibrant as the dope game. He inspired and mentored a new generation of artists and producers: Migos, Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, Zaytoven, Mike Will Made-It, Metro Boomin. In his extraordinary autobiography, the legend takes us to his roots in Alabama, the streets of East Atlanta, the trap house, and the studio where he found his voice as a peerless rapper. There are scenes from Gucci Mane’s new autobiography that seem better fit for a gripping Oscar drama than for the story of a guy who recently won his first MTV Video Music Award.” —GQ “A captivating dive into the mind of Radric Davis. The book provides incredible insight into one of the most influential rappers of the last decade, detailing a volatile and fascinating life . By the end, every reader will have a greater understanding of Gucci Mane, the man and the musician.” —PITCHFORK “A story of black manhood in the American South as never described before. Even while incarcerated, Gucci remained a cult hero to a generation that reached far beyond the Southern city where his influence first blossomed. —HIGHSNOBIETY “Gucci Mane’s story is one of reinvention.” —PEOPLE.COM “Highly-anticipated . a serious look inside his major life struggles and triumphs.” —BILLBOARD “Inspirational.” —THE SOURCE “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane, written with music journalist Neil Martinez-Belkin, quietly defies the conventions of the celebrity memoir genre; in parts, it reads like what I can only describe as pop culture poetry. riveting, filled with music-world intrigue and inner-city shootouts and buoyed by a self-awareness not marred by ego.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY “Gucci Mane managed to turn his entire life around and penned that ascent in his newest memoir . a well-rounded portrait.” —REVOLT TV “Gucci’s family life, drug dealing and arrests — as well as the perfection of a musical style that would help elevate the careers of a slew of young Southern artists such as Migos, Young Thug and Zaytoven — are on full display in the new The Autobiography of Gucci Mane . the trap king’s roots, and his past, remain close to his head and his heart.” —THE UNDEFEATED “ Autobiography buzzes with the grandeur and grittiness that Gucci is known for, and some of that can be attributed to the music journalist Neil Martinez-Belkin, who co-wrote it.” —THE OUTLINE “As entertaining as anything Gucci has ever made . The entire book feels less like an autobiography but rather a conversation . something moving and meaningful, much more so than the usual 'hustler to rapper' story.” —SWGRUS “ The Autobiography of Gucci Mane is about growth, resilience and how no matter the setback, Gucci Mane is always prepared to come back harder than ever before. the many lessons Gucci Mane endured and shared in this autobiography can be valued by us all.” —ESSENCE “Better than any urban novella, the book is an exemplary account of the life and times of Radric Davis from Bessemer, Alabama—otherwise known as Gucci Mane.” —NEWSWEEK “His book brings a fuller worldview to the rhymed version of the biography he’s previously shared.” —PACIFIC STANDARD “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane is Gucci’s greatest redemption song . His autobiography shines because we get to see an emotionally intelligent Gucci. Given Gucci’s influence on this generation and its rappers, as well as neighborhood pushers from inner-city dwellings around the country, his newly debuted book is poised to inspire rappers and men like myself to give more thought to mental health, drug use and the kind of lives we want to lead.”. — VIBE “ The Autobiography of Gucci Mane is written with an appealing matter-of-factness, and it helps to replace myth with something closer to the real story.”. — THE NEW YORKER Gucci Mane, born Radric Delantic Davis, is a critically acclaimed, platinum-selling recording artist. The Autobiography of Gucci Mane is his first book.

Waylon Jennings relates the story of his life as a country music star. With the help of writer and rock guitarist Kaye, an older, calmer, drug-free Jennings now relates his life story, from his childhood in a dirt-floored house in West Texas, through his busted marriages and hard-partying days, to his current existence as happily married man (to country star Jessi Colter) and member of the Highwaymen, the country music supergroup made up of Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. A country music star tells of his poor childhood and rise to stardom.