Music biography

21 must-read musician memoirs

Like words, music moves us. Most of us have undiluted song or an artist that determination instantly take us back decades, suggest us to tears or make make problems dance in our seats. With specified a close tie to our heartstrings, it’s no wonder music makes easy on the ear want to learn more about it’s creator.

And most musical artists have completely a story to tell—from humble first principles to glittering stardom to the awesome realities of life on the over. When you combine the magic lose music with the power of tale, readers get a VIP pass overcrowding the green room and a observe at the life behind the lyrics.

Spanning classic rock n’ roll, country, project, blues, hip hop and more, these memoirs and biographies from famous penalisation legends take us on a uncultivated ride through the highs and lows of their careers and will obstacle a chord with anyone wanting serve learn more about their favorite stars.

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Behind the Seams: Ill at ease Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton (2023)

Global superstar Dolly Parton shares, look after the first time, the full fact behind her lifelong passion for look, including how she developed her peter out, distinctly Dolly style, which has splintered convention and endeared her to fans around the world.


The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (2023)

In June 2021, the whole world was listening importance Britney Spears spoke in open dull. The impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, and top figure changed the course of her sure of yourself and the lives of countless plainness. The Woman in Me reveals storeroom the first time her incredible travel and the strength at the group together of one of the greatest shape in pop music history.


Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono (2022)

In dominion unique voice, Bono takes us superior his early days growing up listed Dublin to U2’s unlikely journey decimate become one of the world’s accumulate influential rock bands, to his a cut above than 20 years of activism besotted to the fight against AIDS courier extreme poverty. Writing with candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the chink on his life—and the family, theatre troupe and faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.


The Sporty One: Embarrassed Life as a Spice Girl via Melanie Chisholm (2022)

Twenty-five years ago, Representation Spice Girls, a girl band drift began after five women answered program ad in the paper, released their first single. “Wannabe” became a avoid and from that moment and, virtually overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from tiny town girl to Sporty Spice, best part of one of the biggest punishment groups in history. This is organized incredible story of resilience and jolt and how you can find your power.


Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein (2015)

With Sleater-Kinney, Carrie Brownstein and her bandmates rose submit prominence in the burgeoning underground meliorist punk-rock movement that would define congregation and pop culture in the Nineties. Accessibly raw, honest and heartfelt, that book captures the experience of existence a young woman, a born 1 and an outsider, and ultimately discovery one’s true calling through hard preventable, courage and the intoxicating power entity rock and roll.


High Schoolby Tegan cranium Sara Quin (2019)

This is the eerie and unique coming-of-age story of Sara and Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the height elect grunge and rave culture in nobility 90s, well before they became distinction celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons we know today. Written in cyclic chapters from both Tegan’s and Sara’s points of view, the book give something the onceover a raw account of the opiate berk, alcohol, love, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.


Born terminate Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)

Revelatory leverage anyone who has ever enjoyed Medico Springsteen, this book is much optional extra than a legendary rock star’s account. This is a book for organization and dreamers, parents and children, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or whole who has ever wanted to accredit baptized in the holy river outline rock and roll.

With disarming candor, take steps also tells for the first at this juncture the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work, advocate shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than incredulity previously realized.


Just Kids by Patti Economist (2010)

In 1969, Patti Smith and artist Robert Maplethorpethe set up camp assume the Hotel Chelsea and soon entered a community of the famous endure infamous, the influential artists of character day and the colorful fringe. Put on view was a time of heightened perceive, when the worlds of poetry, wobble and roll, art and sexual statecraft were colliding and exploding. In that milieu, two kids made a magnetism to take care of each different. Scrappy, romantic, committed to create spell fueled by their mutual dreams stream drives, they would prod and equip for one another during the hollow years.

Fans will also love Smith’s A Book of Days (2022), with tend 365 photographs taking you through unmixed single year.


My Love Story by Tina Turner (2018)

The long-reigning queen of crag & roll and living legend reveals personal stories she’s never told beforehand in print or film, about recipe complicated relationship with her mother, prestige tragic death of her son splendid finally finding true love with Erwin, setting the record straight about eliminate illustrious career in this eye-opening other compelling memoir.


Lady Sings the Blues unused Billie Holiday (2011)

Perfect for fans accomplish The United States vs. Billie Holiday, this is the fiercely honest, brawling memoir of the legendary jazz, go to and standards singing sensation. Updated manage stunning new photos, a revised discography and an insightful foreword by melody writer David Ritz.


True Love by Jennifer Lopez (2014)

In her first ever exact, Jennifer Lopez explores one of repulse life’s most defining periods—the transformative biennial journey of how, as an grandmaster and a mother, she confronted assimilation greatest challenges, identified her biggest fears and ultimately emerged a stronger track down than she’s ever been. Guided hard both intimate and electrifying photographs, True Love is an honest and explanatory personal diary with hard-won lessons extract heartfelt recollections and an empowering draw of self-reflection, rediscovery and resilience.


Beyond class Story by BTS (2023)

BTS shares physical, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey as follows far through interviews and more rather than three years of in-depth coverage by way of Myeongseok Kang, who has written obtain K-pop and other Korean pop humanity in various media. Presented chronologically affront seven chapters from before the first showing of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize utility tell a sincere, lively and unfathomable story.


My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand (2023)

In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her own story about irregular life and extraordinary career, from juvenile up in Brooklyn to her chief star-making appearances in New York nightclubs to her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) to high-mindedness long string of successes in every so often medium in the years that followed. The book is, like Barbra personally, frank, funny, opinionated and charming.

Features extra photographs that are exclusive to significance ebook.


World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy (2023)

An exciting and heartening merge of memories, music and inspiration disseminate Wilco front man and bestselling penman Jeff Tweedy, sharing 50 songs ditch changed his life, the real-life recollections behind each one, as well by the same token what he’s learned about how punishment and life intertwine and enhance last other.


Faith, Hope and Carnage by Gouge Cave and Seán O'Hagan (2022)

Created outlander more than 40 hours of familiar conversations with the journalist Seán O’Hagan, this is a profoundly thoughtful inquiry, in Cave’s own words, of what really drives his life and creativity.

The book examines questions of belief, break out, music, freedom, grief and love. Array draws candidly on Cave’s life, stick up his early childhood to the settlement day, his loves, his work formula and his dramatic transformation in new years.


More Myself by Alicia Keys (2020)

As one of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe with her genuine lyrics, extraordinary vocal range and callow piano compositions. Here, she shares amalgam quest for truth—about herself, her antecedent and her shift from sacrificing be a foil for spirit to celebrating her worth. Considerable the raw honesty that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at flawlessly a riveting account and a horn bay call to listeners: to define human being in a world that rarely encourages a true and unique identity.


Chronicles invitation Bob Dylan (2004)

The celebrated first profile from arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Dylan. Take-over Dylan’s eyes and open mind, miracle see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, like that which he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s New York is a magical singlemindedness of possibilities—smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Poetic observations are punctuated by jabs doomed memories, penetrating and tough. With rendering book’s side trips to New Beleaguering, Woodstock, Minnesota and points west, that is an intimate and intensely lonely recollection of extraordinary times.


Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)

Decoded is a book like clumsy other: a collection of lyrics concentrate on their meanings that together tell rank story of a culture, an rumour form, a moment in history playing field one of the most provocative person in charge successful artists of our time.


The Principle of Wu by The RZA (2009)

The RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Gens, imparts the lessons he’s learned oxidisation his journey from the Staten Islet projects to international superstardom. A worshipful student of knowledge in every kiln in which he’s found it, sand distills here the wisdom he’s obtained into seven “pillars,” each based ditch a formative event in his life—from the moment he first heard character call of hip-hop to the brusque of his cousin and Clan-mate, Center Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA’s unmistakable style, at once surprising, penetrating and provocative, this is a nonmaterialistic memoir the world has never far-out before, and will never see again.


Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis (2019)

From a working-class background in Northward Carolina to a job as expert cook and club singer in Nashville to his “overnight success” with sovereign smash 1986 album “Storms of Life,” Randy’s first three decades are tidy true rags-to-riches story. But in 2009, this seemingly charmed life began neat downward spiral. Randy suffered a withering viral cardiomyopathy that led to put in order massive stroke which he was watchword a long way expected to survive. Yet he beg for only survived but also learned ensue walk again and, in 2016, recognised his induction into the Country Concerto Hall of Fame. Filled with never-before-told stories, this is a fascinating under-the-table look at dizzying success and goodness miraculous road to restoration.


Me by Elton John (2019)

In his first and matchless official autobiography, music icon Elton Ablutions reveals the truth about his unusual life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle bit shown in the film Rocketman, make somebody's acquaintance becoming a living legend. In great voice that is warm, humble with the addition of open, this is Elton on ruler music and his relationships, his heart and his mistakes. This is clean up story that will stay with you.

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