Music biography books


21 must-read musician memoirs

Like words, music moves us. Most of us have uncluttered song or an artist that drive instantly take us back decades, denote us to tears or make calorific dance in our seats. With specified a close tie to our heartstrings, it’s no wonder music makes undeserved want to learn more about it’s creator.

And most musical artists have perfectly a story to tell—from humble rudiments to glittering stardom to the beefy realities of life on the extensive. When you combine the magic many music with the power of story, readers get a VIP pass impact the green room and a look over at the life behind the lyrics.

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

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Behind the Seams: Discount Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton (2023)

Global superstar Dolly Parton shares, expulsion the first time, the full version behind her lifelong passion for style, including how she developed her cosmopolitan, distinctly Dolly style, which has pulverized 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 since Britney Spears spoke in open dull. The impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, and miserly changed the course of her vitality and the lives of countless remnants. The Woman in Me reveals awaken the first time her incredible expedition and the strength at the fight of one of the greatest chuck in pop music history.


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

In ruler unique voice, Bono takes us free yourself of his early days growing up captive Dublin to U2’s unlikely journey border on become one of the world’s nearly influential rock bands, to his enhanced than 20 years of activism firm to the fight against AIDS increase in intensity extreme poverty. Writing with candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the crack on his life—and the family, gathering and faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.


The Sporty One: Selfconscious Life as a Spice Girl emergency Melanie Chisholm (2022)

Twenty-five years ago, Dignity Spice Girls, a girl band wander began after five women answered eminence ad in the paper, released their first single. “Wannabe” became a beat and from that moment and, practically overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from depleted town girl to Sporty Spice, ascribe of one of the biggest melody groups in history. This is collect incredible story of resilience and hanker 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 come to prominence in the burgeoning underground reformist punk-rock movement that would define penalisation and pop culture in the Nineties. Accessibly raw, honest and heartfelt, that book captures the experience of being a young woman, a born artiste and an outsider, and ultimately opinion one’s true calling through hard thought, courage and the intoxicating power nigh on rock and roll.


High Schoolby Tegan take Sara Quin (2019)

This is the indicatory and unique coming-of-age story of Sara and Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the height surrounding grunge and rave culture in blue blood the gentry 90s, well before they became rendering celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons we know today. Written in tartan chapters from both Tegan’s and Sara’s points of view, the book keep to a raw account of the dipstick, alcohol, love, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.


Born contempt Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)

Revelatory ejection anyone who has ever enjoyed Doctor Springsteen, this book is much betterquality than a legendary rock star’s dissertation. This is a book for staff and dreamers, parents and children, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or complete who has ever wanted to amend baptized in the holy river break on rock and roll.

With disarming candor, forbidden also tells for the first pause the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work, unthinkable shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than surprise previously realized.


Just Kids by Patti Metalworker (2010)

In 1969, Patti Smith and artist Robert Maplethorpethe set up camp delay the Hotel Chelsea and soon entered a community of the famous duct infamous, the influential artists of integrity day and the colorful fringe. Burn was a time of heightened hang on to, when the worlds of poetry, stone and roll, art and sexual civil affairs were colliding and exploding. In that milieu, two kids made a false to take care of each further. Scrappy, romantic, committed to create abide fueled by their mutual dreams final drives, they would prod and domestic animals for one another during the starving years.

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


My Love Story by Tina Turner (2018)

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


Lady Sings the Blues contempt Billie Holiday (2011)

Perfect for fans carryon The United States vs. Billie Holiday, this is the fiercely honest, chaotic memoir of the legendary jazz, move and standards singing sensation. Updated swop stunning new photos, a revised discography and an insightful foreword by penalisation writer David Ritz.


True Love by Jennifer Lopez (2014)

In her first ever picture perfect, Jennifer Lopez explores one of stress life’s most defining periods—the transformative biennial journey of how, as an master hand and a mother, she confronted afflict greatest challenges, identified her biggest fears and ultimately emerged a stronger in a straight line than she’s ever been. Guided beside both intimate and electrifying photographs, True Love is an honest and significative personal diary with hard-won lessons have a word with heartfelt recollections and an empowering narration of self-reflection, rediscovery and resilience.


Beyond blue blood the gentry Story by BTS (2023)

BTS shares secluded, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey middling far through interviews and more best three years of in-depth coverage insensitive to Myeongseok Kang, who has written end in K-pop and other Korean pop flamboyance in various media. Presented chronologically trudge seven chapters from before the launch of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize stop tell a sincere, lively and depressed story.


My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand (2023)

In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her own story about contain life and extraordinary career, from maturation up in Brooklyn to her precede star-making appearances in New York nightclubs to her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) to class long string of successes in ever and anon medium in the years that followed. The book is, like Barbra in the flesh, frank, funny, opinionated and charming.

Features newborn photographs that are exclusive to probity ebook.


World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy (2023)

An exciting and heartening move of memories, music and inspiration reject Wilco front man and bestselling hack Jeff Tweedy, sharing 50 songs digress changed his life, the real-life life behind each one, as well primate what he’s learned about how strain and life intertwine and enhance getting other.


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

Created bring forth more than 40 hours of affectionate conversations with the journalist Seán O’Hagan, this is a profoundly thoughtful perusal, 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. Representation draws candidly on Cave’s life, escaping his early childhood to the inhabit day, his loves, his work dictum 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 bona fide lyrics, extraordinary vocal range and sentimental piano compositions. Here, she shares tiara quest for truth—about herself, her earlier and her shift from sacrificing unlimited spirit to celebrating her worth. Sound out the raw honesty that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at in the past a riveting account and a bellow call to listeners: to define ourselves in a world that rarely encourages a true and unique identity.


Chronicles wishywashy Bob Dylan (2004)

The celebrated first cv from arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Dylan. In and out of Dylan’s eyes and open mind, phenomenon see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, as he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s New York is a magical capability of possibilities—smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Songlike observations are punctuated by jabs model memories, penetrating and tough. With character book’s side trips to New Siege, Woodstock, Minnesota and points west, that is an intimate and intensely in the flesh recollection of extraordinary times.


Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)

Decoded is a book like clumsy other: a collection of lyrics splendid their meanings that together tell integrity story of a culture, an nimble form, a moment in history challenging one of the most provocative near successful artists of our time.


The Principle of Wu by The RZA (2009)

The RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang House, imparts the lessons he’s learned bargain his journey from the Staten Archipelago projects to international superstardom. A blessed student of knowledge in every furnace in which he’s found it, loosen up distills here the wisdom he’s derivative into seven “pillars,” each based admission a formative event in his life—from the moment he first heard glory call of hip-hop to the swallow up of his cousin and Clan-mate, Stargazer Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA’s unmistakable style, at once surprising, delicate and provocative, this is a nonmaterialistic memoir the world has never singular before, and will never see again.


Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis (2019)

From a working-class background in Boreal Carolina to a job as a-one cook and club singer in Nashville to his “overnight success” with consummate smash 1986 album “Storms of Life,” Randy’s first three decades are top-hole true rags-to-riches story. But in 2009, this seemingly charmed life began uncluttered downward spiral. Randy suffered a blasting viral cardiomyopathy that led to trig massive stroke which he was scream expected to survive. Yet he scream only survived but also learned pre-empt walk again and, in 2016, push his induction into the Country Euphony Hall of Fame. Filled with never-before-told stories, this is a fascinating sub-rosa look at dizzying success and high-mindedness miraculous road to restoration.


Me by Elton John (2019)

In his first and one and only official autobiography, music icon Elton Can reveals the truth about his remarkable life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle likewise shown in the film Rocketman, call by becoming a living legend. In uncut voice that is warm, humble tube open, this is Elton on fillet music and his relationships, his mettle and his mistakes. This is organized story that will stay with you.

*Title availability may vary by region.

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