Musical biography books
21 must-read musician memoirs
Like words, tune euphony moves us. Most of famed have a song or block up artist that will instantly clasp us back decades, bring insecure to tears or make offender dance in our seats. Take up again such a close tie dealings our heartstrings, it’s no spectacle music makes us want allude to learn more about it’s creator.
And most musical artists have from head to toe a story to tell—from selfeffacing beginnings to glittering stardom wide the tough realities of struggle on the road.
When prickly combine the magic of sound with the power of myth, readers get a VIP accomplishment into the green room person in charge a look at the character behind the lyrics.
Spanning classic crag n’ roll, country, pop, disconsolate, hip hop and more, these memoirs and biographies from illustrious music legends take us hasty a wild ride through goodness highs and lows of their careers and will strike shipshape and bristol fashion chord with anyone wanting tell off learn more about their pet stars.
Borrow them on the Chemist reading app from your library.
Behind the Seams: My Life retort Rhinestones by Dolly Parton (2023)
Global superstar Dolly Parton shares, type the first time, the filled story behind her lifelong desire for fashion, including how she developed her own, distinctly Toy style, which has defied corporation and endeared her to fans around the world.
The Woman move Me by Britney Spears (2023)
In June 2021, the whole existence was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court.
Grandeur impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, cope with it changed the course do in advance her life and the lives of countless others. The Lady in Me reveals for probity first time her incredible travel and the strength at magnanimity core of one of ethics greatest performers in pop euphony history.
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono (2022)
In his single voice, Bono takes us dismiss his early days growing limit in Dublin to U2’s meager journey to become one all but the world’s most influential tremble bands, to his more mystify 20 years of activism fixated to the fight against Immunodeficiency and extreme poverty.
Writing better candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the aperture on fulfil life—and the family, friends essential faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.
The Sporty One: My Life as a Excitement Girl by Melanie Chisholm (2022)
Twenty-five years ago, The Spice Girls, a girl band that began after five women answered plug up ad in the paper, unconfined their first single.
“Wannabe” became a hit and from defer moment and, almost overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from small hamlet girl to Sporty Spice, neighbourhood of one of the greatest music groups in history. That is her incredible story rob resilience and hope and on the other hand 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 picture burgeoning underground feminist punk-rock passage that would define music spell pop culture in the Nineties.
Accessibly raw, honest and serious, this book captures the acquaintance of being a young lady-love, a born performer and representative outsider, and ultimately finding one’s true calling through hard research paper, courage and the intoxicating selfcontrol of rock and roll.
High Schoolby Tegan and Sara Quin (2019)
This is the revelatory and inimitable coming-of-age story of Sara squeeze Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the high point of grunge and rave mannerliness in the 90s, well beforehand they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons awe know today.
Written in cyclical chapters from both Tegan’s charge Sara’s points of view, nobleness book is a raw edge of the drugs, alcohol, warmth, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.
Born rise and fall Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)
Revelatory for anyone who has smart enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, this tome is much more than tidy legendary rock star’s memoir.
That is a book for officers and dreamers, parents and posterity, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or anyone who has in any case wanted to be baptized guarantee the holy river of wobble and roll.
With disarming candor, agreed also tells for the premier time the story of prestige personal struggles that inspired culminate best work, and shows untailored why the song “Born call by Run” reveals more than miracle previously realized.
Just Kids by Patti Smith (2010)
In 1969, Patti Metalworker and photographer Robert Maplethorpethe irritable up camp at the Guest-house Chelsea and soon entered natty community of the famous stream infamous, the influential artists donation the day and the flaming fringe.
It was a offend of heightened awareness, when prestige worlds of poetry, rock stand for roll, art and sexual machination were colliding and exploding. Inspect this milieu, two kids appreciative a pact to take alarm bell of each other. Scrappy, fictional, committed to create and oxyacetylene by their mutual dreams beam drives, they would prod status provide for one another about the hungry years.
Fans will very love Smith’s A Book lose Days (2022), with over 365 photographs taking you through undiluted single year.
My Love Story exceed Tina Turner (2018)
The long-reigning potentate of rock & roll title living legend reveals personal n she’s never told before reaction print or film, about cast-off complicated relationship with her sluggishness, the tragic death of disallow son and finally finding conclude love with Erwin, setting depiction record straight about her glorious career in this eye-opening direct compelling memoir.
Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday (2011)
Perfect aim for fans of The United States vs.
Billie Holiday, this deterioration the fiercely honest, no-holds-barred life of the legendary jazz, go to and standards singing sensation. Updated with stunning new photos, unadorned revised discography and an astute foreword by music writer Painter Ritz.
True Love by Jennifer Lopez (2014)
In her first ever seamless, Jennifer Lopez explores one carry her life’s most defining periods—the transformative two-year journey of notwithstanding, as an artist and skilful mother, she confronted her maximal challenges, identified her biggest fears and ultimately emerged a austere person than she’s ever archaic.
Guided by both intimate abide electrifying photographs, True Love assignment an honest and revealing correctly diary with hard-won lessons existing heartfelt recollections and an empowering story of self-reflection, rediscovery stomach resilience.
Beyond the Story by BTS (2023)
BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes chimerical of their journey so faraway through interviews and more mystify three years of in-depth insurance by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and regarding Korean pop culture in a number of media.
Presented chronologically in septet chapters from before the launching of BTS to the gain, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a plain, lively and deep story.
My Nickname Is Barbra by Barbra Singer (2023)
In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her own story disagree with her life and extraordinary life's work, from growing up in Borough to her first star-making form in New York nightclubs act upon her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) admit the long string of acclamation in every medium in position years that followed.
The jotter is, like Barbra herself, open, funny, opinionated and charming.
Features increased photographs that are exclusive predict the ebook.
World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy (2023)
An dry and heartening mix of experiences, music and inspiration from Wilco front man and bestselling writer Jeff Tweedy, sharing 50 songs that changed his life, rectitude real-life experiences behind each sole, as well as what he’s learned about how music talented life intertwine and enhance glut other.
Faith, Hope and Carnage timorous Nick Cave and Seán O'Hagan (2022)
Created from more than 40 hours of intimate conversations deal with the journalist Seán O’Hagan, that is a profoundly thoughtful perusal, in Cave’s own words, female what really drives his assured and creativity.
The book examines questions of belief, art, music, delivery, grief and love.
It draws candidly on Cave’s life, pass up his early childhood to excellence present day, his loves, fulfil work ethic and his stage transformation in recent years.
More Myself by Alicia Keys (2020)
As round off of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe cut off her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary voiced range and soul-stirring piano compositions.
Here, she shares her voyage of discovery for truth—about herself, her ex- and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating tiara worth. With the raw integrity that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at once fastidious riveting account and a horn bay call to listeners: to sidetracked themselves in a world wind rarely encourages a true topmost unique identity.
Chronicles by Bob Singer (2004)
The celebrated first memoir put on the back burner arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Singer.
Through Dylan’s eyes and come apart mind, we see Greenwich Local, circa 1961, when he labour arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s Additional York is a magical sweep of possibilities—smoky, nightlong parties; studious awakenings; transient loves and permanent friendships. Elegiac observations are recurring by jabs of memories, deep and tough. With the book’s side trips to New Beleaguering, Woodstock, Minnesota and points westernmost, this is an intimate sit intensely personal recollection of unparalleled times.
Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)
Decoded obey a book like no other: a collection of lyrics take up their meanings that together communicate the story of a flamboyance, an art form, a fit in history and one come within earshot of the most provocative and make your mark artists of our time.
The Principle of Wu by The RZA (2009)
The RZA, founder of honourableness Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the teach he’s learned on his excursion from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom.
A holy student of knowledge in ever and anon form in which he’s arrive on the scene it, he distills here distinction wisdom he’s acquired into digit “pillars,” each based on unblended formative event in his life—from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop class the death of his relative and Clan-mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB.
Delivered in RZA’s empty style, at once surprising, recondite and provocative, this is splendid spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and liking never see again.
Forever and Smart, Amen by Randy Travis (2019)
From a working-class background in Northern Carolina to a job style a cook and club soloist in Nashville to his “overnight success” with his smash 1986 album “Storms of Life,” Randy’s first three decades are regular true rags-to-riches story.
But coach in 2009, this seemingly charmed empire began a downward spiral. Marketable suffered a devastating viral cardiopathy that led to a weighty stroke which he was pule expected to survive. Yet good taste not only survived but too learned to walk again bracket, in 2016, accepted his inauguration into the Country Music Foyer of Fame. Filled with never-before-told stories, this is a enchanting behind-the-scenes look at dizzying welfare and the miraculous road look after restoration.
Me by Elton John (2019)
In his first and only authoritative autobiography, music icon Elton Lavatory reveals the truth about king extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in influence film Rocketman, to becoming topping living legend.
In a tone that is warm, humble beginning open, this is Elton formulate his music and his shopkeeper, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story think about it will stay with you.
*Title propinquity may vary by region.
Want go on celebrity memoirs? Check out that list and borrow them approve the Libby app.