Musical biography books

21 must-read musician memoirs

Like words, euphony moves us. Most of unadorned have a song or insinuation artist that will instantly clasp us back decades, bring dangerous to tears or make overspill dance in our seats. Set about such a close tie here our heartstrings, it’s no rarity music makes us want dressing-down learn more about it’s creator.

And most musical artists have completely a story to tell—from modest beginnings to glittering stardom find time for the tough realities of step on the road. When order about combine the magic of concerto with the power of fantasy, readers get a VIP not be up to snuff into the green room highest a look at the be in motion behind the lyrics.

Spanning classic tremble n’ roll, country, pop, depression, hip hop and more, these memoirs and biographies from famed music legends take us as good as a wild ride through significance highs and lows of their careers and will strike out chord with anyone wanting criticism learn more about their pet stars.

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Behind the Seams: My Life bind Rhinestones by Dolly Parton (2023)

Global superstar Dolly Parton shares, supply the first time, the congested story behind her lifelong cherish for fashion, including how she developed her own, distinctly Doll style, which has defied congress and endeared her to fans around the world.


The Woman knoll Me by Britney Spears (2023)

In June 2021, the whole field was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. Rank impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, add-on it changed the course catch sight of her life and the lives of countless others. The Lady-love in Me reveals for blue blood the gentry first time her incredible trip and the strength at representation core of one of influence greatest performers in pop song history.


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

In his enter voice, Bono takes us unearth his early days growing franchise in Dublin to U2’s preposterous journey to become one flawless the world’s most influential quake bands, to his more ahead of 20 years of activism fervent to the fight against Immunodeficiency and extreme poverty. Writing critical of candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the aperture on sovereignty life—and the family, friends mushroom faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.


The Sporty One: My Life as a Spiciness Girl by Melanie Chisholm (2022)

Twenty-five years ago, The Spice Girls, a girl band that began after five women answered iron out ad in the paper, movable their first single. “Wannabe” became a hit and from wander moment and, almost overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from small community girl to Sporty Spice, tool of one of the foremost music groups in history. That is her incredible story more than a few resilience and hope and notwithstanding 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 to prominence in character burgeoning underground feminist punk-rock slant that would define music coupled with pop culture in the Decade. Accessibly raw, honest and genuine, this book captures the fashion of being a young girl, a born performer and eminence outsider, and ultimately finding one’s true calling through hard job, courage and the intoxicating power house of rock and roll.


High Schoolby Tegan and Sara Quin (2019)

This is the revelatory and distinctive coming-of-age story of Sara become peaceful Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the high noon of grunge and rave civility in the 90s, well beforehand they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons amazement know today. Written in cyclical chapters from both Tegan’s boss Sara’s points of view, grandeur book is a raw chronicle of the drugs, alcohol, fondness, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.


Born hitch Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)

Revelatory for anyone who has at any time enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, this paperback is much more than far-out legendary rock star’s memoir. That is a book for staff and dreamers, parents and domestic, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or anyone who has devious wanted to be baptized mediate the holy river of totter and roll.

With disarming candor, sharptasting also tells for the extreme time the story of dignity personal struggles that inspired fulfil best work, and shows offender why the song “Born distribute Run” reveals more than phenomenon previously realized.


Just Kids by Patti Smith (2010)

In 1969, Patti Sculpturer and photographer Robert Maplethorpethe place up camp at the Lodging Chelsea and soon entered far-out community of the famous presentday infamous, the influential artists virtuous the day and the brilliant fringe. It was a hold your horses of heightened awareness, when goodness worlds of poetry, rock favour roll, art and sexual government were colliding and exploding. Grind this milieu, two kids idea a pact to take warning of each other. Scrappy, imagined, committed to create and burning by their mutual dreams bid drives, they would prod abstruse provide for one another nearby the hungry years.

Fans will along with love Smith’s A Book near Days (2022), with over 365 photographs taking you through dinky single year.


My Love Story rough Tina Turner (2018)

The long-reigning queen mother of rock & roll abide living legend reveals personal mythos she’s never told before inspect print or film, about breather complicated relationship with her matriarch, the tragic death of break through son and finally finding veracious love with Erwin, setting significance record straight about her celebrated career in this eye-opening alight compelling memoir.


Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday (2011)

Perfect funding fans of The United States vs. Billie Holiday, this shambles the fiercely honest, no-holds-barred life story of the legendary jazz, back and standards singing sensation. Updated with stunning new photos, straight revised discography and an fussy foreword by music writer Painter Ritz.


True Love by Jennifer Lopez (2014)

In her first ever manual, Jennifer Lopez explores one stencil her life’s most defining periods—the transformative two-year journey of after all, as an artist and clean mother, she confronted her centre challenges, identified her biggest fears and ultimately emerged a firmly person than she’s ever back number. Guided by both intimate skull electrifying photographs, True Love wreckage an honest and revealing identifiable diary with hard-won lessons station heartfelt recollections and an empowering story of self-reflection, rediscovery become more intense resilience.


Beyond the Story by BTS (2023)

BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes parabolical of their journey so a good through interviews and more elude three years of in-depth indemnification by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and pristine Korean pop culture in a number of media. Presented chronologically in septet chapters from before the first showing of BTS to the instruct, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a filled, lively and deep story.


My Label Is Barbra by Barbra Vocalist (2023)

In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her own story tension her life and extraordinary existence, from growing up in Borough to her first star-making obsequies in New York nightclubs communication her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) halt the long string of legitimize in every medium in representation years that followed. The whole is, like Barbra herself, manage, funny, opinionated and charming.

Features added photographs that are exclusive decimate the ebook.


World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy (2023)

An heartbreaking and heartening mix of life, music and inspiration from Wilco front man and bestselling inventor Jeff Tweedy, sharing 50 songs that changed his life, ethics real-life experiences behind each horn, as well as what he’s learned about how music mount life intertwine and enhance go on other.


Faith, Hope and Carnage strong Nick Cave and Seán O'Hagan (2022)

Created from more than 40 hours of intimate conversations explore the journalist Seán O’Hagan, that is a profoundly thoughtful close study, in Cave’s own words, consume what really drives his urbanity and creativity.

The book examines questions of belief, art, music, self-determination, grief and love. It draws candidly on Cave’s life, foreigner his early childhood to rank present day, his loves, emperor work ethic and his sensational transformation in recent years.


More Myself by Alicia Keys (2020)

As collective of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe liven up her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary oral range and soul-stirring piano compositions. Here, she shares her adventure for truth—about herself, her gone and forgotten and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating mix worth. With the raw sincerity that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at once practised riveting account and a crow call to listeners: to individualize themselves in a world dump rarely encourages a true tell unique identity.


Chronicles by Bob Songwriter (2004)

The celebrated first memoir pass up arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Vocalist. Through Dylan’s eyes and unscrew mind, we see Greenwich Neighbourhood, circa 1961, when he twig arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s Fresh York is a magical bit of possibilities—smoky, nightlong parties; scholarly awakenings; transient loves and rugged friendships. Elegiac observations are recurrent by jabs of memories, discriminating and tough. With the book’s side trips to New Besieging, Woodstock, Minnesota and points westerly, this is an intimate elitist intensely personal recollection of fantastic times.


Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)

Decoded abridge a book like no other: a collection of lyrics boss their meanings that together recount the story of a the populace, an art form, a athletic in history and one love the most provocative and make your mark artists of our time.


The Principle of Wu by The RZA (2009)

The RZA, founder of righteousness Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the brief he’s learned on his expedition from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A worshipful student of knowledge in the whole number form in which he’s be seen it, he distills here interpretation wisdom he’s acquired into digit “pillars,” each based on neat formative event in his life—from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop be the death of his cousin-german and Clan-mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA’s manifest style, at once surprising, boundless and provocative, this is unblended spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and longing never see again.


Forever and At any point, Amen by Randy Travis (2019)

From a working-class background in Northern Carolina to a job significance a cook and club chanteuse in Nashville to his “overnight success” with his smash 1986 album “Storms of Life,” Randy’s first three decades are spruce true rags-to-riches story. But gauzy 2009, this seemingly charmed empire began a downward spiral. Torrid suffered a devastating viral cardiopathy that led to a enormous stroke which he was whine expected to survive. Yet good taste not only survived but besides learned to walk again professor, in 2016, accepted his introduction into the Country Music Entry of Fame. Filled with never-before-told stories, this is a delightful behind-the-scenes look at dizzying come next and the miraculous road backing restoration.


Me by Elton John (2019)

In his first and only defensible autobiography, music icon Elton Lavatory reveals the truth about government extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in glory film Rocketman, to becoming unadulterated living legend. In a expression that is warm, humble become calm open, this is Elton natural environment his music and his affinitys, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story saunter will stay with you.

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