Title search results
Showing 1541 - 1560 of 3923 items
How to Be a Man: (and other illusions)
By Duff Mckagan. 2015
Duff McKagan is one of the most respected survivors in hard rock. In How to Be a Man, he shares…
the wisdom he gained on the path to superstardom--from his time with Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver to getting sober after a life of hard living to achieving his personal American Dream of marrying a supermodel, raising a family, and experiencing what it’s like to be winked at by Prince. An interviewer’s favorite, McKagan’s wisdom has been sought out on everything from financial planning and relationships to surviving the summer festival circuit and escaping a military coup. Expanding on his popular weekly columns in Seattle Weekly, Playboy. com, and ESPN. com, McKagan equips readers with the knowledge they need to rock fatherhood, manage their money, and remain a good dude in spite of it all.Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements
By Bob Mehr. 2016
Trouble Boys is the first definitive, no-holds-barred biography of one of the last great bands of the twentieth century: The…
Replacements. With full participation from reclusive singer and chief songwriter Paul Westerberg, bassist Tommy Stinson, guitarist Slim Dunlap, and the family of late band co-founder Bob Stinson, author Bob Mehr is able to tell the real story of this highly influential group, capturing their chaotic, tragic journey from the basements of Minneapolis to rock legend. Drawing on years of research and access to the band's archives at Twin/Tone Records and Warner Bros. Mehr also discovers previously unrevealed details from those in the group's inner circle, including family, managers, musical friends and collaborators.Benson: The Autobiography
By Alan Goldsher, George Benson, Foreword by Bill Cosby. 2014
Over the course of his fifty-year career, George Benson has performed for hundreds of millions of fans around the world,…
received ten Grammy Awards, and recorded with some of the most revered musicians of his era. In 2011, he earned a National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Masters Award. And he has finally decided to tell his story. Benson: The Autobiography follows the musician’s remarkable rise from the ghettos of Pittsburgh to the stages of Dubai, and everywhere in between. His tales of scuffling on the road with jazz legend Brother Jack McDuff, navigating his way through the recording studio with Miles Davis, and emerging as the first true (and truly successful) jazz/soul crossover artist will enthrall devotees of both music history and pop culture. An open and truthful raconteur, Benson discusses his near-arrest for domestic abuse, the tragic illnesses that afflicted his family, the secret lives of his musical cohorts, and racism’s effect on his life and art. His long-awaited book allows readers to meet one of the most beloved, prolific, and bestselling musicians of any era.When I Left Home: My Story
By David Ritz, Buddy Guy. 2012
According to Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy is the greatest blues guitarist of…
all time. An enormous influence on these musicians as well as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, he is the living embodiment of Chicago blues. Guy’s epic story stands at the absolute nexus of modern blues. He came to Chicago from rural Louisiana in the fifties#151;the very moment when urban blues were electrifying our culture. He was a regular session player at Chess Records. Willie Dixon was his mentor. He was a sideman in the bands of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. He and Junior Wells formed a band of their own. In the sixties, he became a recording star in his own right. When I Left Home tells Guy’s picaresque story in his own unique voice, that of a storyteller who remembers everything, including blues masters in their prime and the exploding, evolving culture of music that happened all around him.27: Amy Winehouse
By Chris Salewicz. 2011
In 27: Amy Winehouse, the first in a series of exclusive ebooks, acclaimed music writer Chris Salewicz celebrates the life…
of one of the most talented performers of recent times. In an intimate mini-biography, he explores Amy's artistic influences and inspirations, her ability to capture the imagination and her appetite for self-destruction. Salewicz provides a startling portrayal of the perils of genius and the true cost of fame. Must the ferociously good die young?Waging Heavy Peace
By Neil Young. 2012
This beautiful limited edition will be signed by Neil Young and repackaged in a slip case and linen cover. Only…
1,500 copies will be printed, making it an essential addition to every music lover’s collection. For the first time, legendary singer, songwriter, and guitarist Neil Young offers a kaleidoscopic view of his personal life and musical creativity. He tells of his childhood in Ontario, where his father instilled in him a love for the written word; his first brush with mortality when he contracted polio at the age of five; struggling to pay rent during his early days with the Squires; traveling the Canadian prairies in Mort, his 1948 Buick hearse; performing in a remote town as a polar bear prowled beneath the floorboards; leaving Canada on a whim in 1966 to pursue his musical dreams in the pot-filled boulevards and communal canyons of Los Angeles; the brief but influential life of Buffalo Springfield, which formed almost immediately after his arrival in California. He recounts their rapid rise to fame and ultimate break-up; going solo and overcoming his fear of singing alone; forming Crazy Horse and writing “Cinnamon Girl,” “Cowgirl in the Sand,” and “Down by the River” in one day while sick with the flu; joining Crosby, Stills & Nash, recording the landmark CSNY album, Déjà vu, and writing the song, “Ohio;” life at his secluded ranch in the redwoods of Northern California and the pot-filled jam sessions there; falling in love with his wife, Pegi, and the birth of his three children; and finally, finding the contemplative paradise of Hawaii. Astoundingly candid, witty, and as uncompromising and true as his music, Waging Heavy Peace is Neil Young’s journey as only he can tell it. .Composed
By Rosanne Cash. 2010
A candid and moving memoir from the critically acclaimed singer and songwriter For thirty years as a musician, Rosanne Cash…
has enjoyed both critical and commercial success, releasing a series of albums that are as notable for their lyrical intelligence as for their musical excellence. Now, in her memoir, Cash writes compellingly about her upbringing in Southern California as the child of country legend Johnny Cash, and of her relationships with her mother and her famous stepmother, June Carter Cash. In her account of her development as an artist she shares memories of a hilarious stint as a twenty-year-old working for Columbia Records in London, recording her own first album on a German label, working her way to success, her marriage to Rodney Crowell, a union that made them Nashville's premier couple, her relationship with the country music establishment, taking a new direction in her music and leaving Nashville to move to New York. As well as motherhood, dealing with the deaths of her parents, in part through music, the process of songwriting, and the fulfillment she has found with her current husband and musical collaborator, John Leventhal. Cash has written an unconventional and compelling memoir that, in the tradition of M. F. K. Fisher's The Gastronomical Me and Frank Conroy's Stop-Time, is a series of linked pieces that combine to form a luminous and brilliant whole. .Monster Loyalty
By Jackie Huba. 2013
WE IDENTIFY WITH EACH OTHER. I SEE MYSELF IN MY FANS AND MY FANS SEE THEMSELVES IN ME. I CALL…
THEM LITTLE MONSTERS BECAUSE THEY ARE MY INSPIRATION. ” LADY GAGA Famous for her avant-garde outfits, over-the-top performances, and addictive dance beats, Lady Gaga is one of the most successful pop musicians of all time. But behind her showmanship lies another achievement: her wildly successful strategy for attracting and keeping insanely loyal fans. She’s one of the most popular social media voices in the world with more than 33 million Twitter followers and 55 million Facebook fans. And she got there by methodically building a grassroots base of what she calls her Little Monsters”passionate fans who look to her not just for music but also for joy, inspiration, and a sense of community. In Monster Loyalty marketing expert Jackie Huba explores Gaga’s biography and fan philosophy and isolates the seven lessons any business can learn from her. For instance Focus on your One Percenters: Lady Gaga is investing today in the audience she hopes to have twenty-five years from now. She spends most of her efforts on just 1 percent of her base, the highly engaged superfans who spread her message. Lead with values: Gaga stands out not just for her music but also for her message that it’s okay to be yourself and to love others for who they are. When you connect with customers beyond just providing a product or service, you create a lasting bond. Give them something to talk about: Whether she’s wearing a meat dress or delivering jaw-dropping performances, Lady Gaga knows what will get people talking. Making your business word-of-mouth-worthy cuts down on advertising costs and spreads buzz faster than anything else. Love her or hate her, you can’t ignore Lady Gaga. And while not all businesses want to stand out the way she does, any business can win big by creating monster loyalty. .In the Pleasure Groove
By John Taylor. 2012
John Taylor, Duran Duran’s co-founder, takes the reader on a wild ride through his life. From the eighties through today,…
from Rio to All You Need is Now, John writes about the music, the parties, and the MTV videos that made millions swoon. With Duran Duran, John Taylor has created some of the greatest music of our time. From the disco dazzle of debut single ‘Planet Earth’ right up to their latest number one album, All You Need is Now, Duran Duran has always had the power to sweep the world onto its feet. It’s been a ride – and for John in particular, the ride has been wild, thrilling. . . and dangerous. Now, for the first time, he tells his incredible story. A tale of dreams fulfilled, lessons learned and demons conquered. A shy only child, Nigel John Taylor wasn’t an obvious candidate for pop stardom and frenzied girl panic. But when he ditched his first name and picked up a bass guitar, everything changed. John Formed Duran Duran with his friend Nick Rhodes in the summer of 1978, and they were soon joined by Roger Taylor, then Andy Taylor and finally Simon Le Bon. Together they were an immediate, massive global success story, their pictures on millions of walls, every single a worldwide hit. In his frank, compelling autobiography, John recounts the highs –hanging out with icons like Bowie, Warhol and even James Bond; dating Vogue models and driving fast cars – all the while playing hard with the band he loved. But there were tough battles ahead – troubles that brought him to the brink of self-destruction – before turning his life around. Told with humor, honesty and hard-won wisdom, and packed with exclusive pictures, In the Pleasure Groove is a fascinating, irresistible portrait of a man who danced into the fire. . . and came through the other side. .LL Cool J (Superstars of Hip-Hop)
By Z. B. Hill. 2013
Since 1985, LL Cool J has been a major part of hip-hop. In the 1980s and '90s, LL sold millions…
of albums and had many hit songs. Today, many fans might know LL more for his acting, but music was LL's first love. LL Cool J tells the story of how LL made his name in rap when he was still just a teenager. Read about how LL became one of hip-hop's first superstars. Learn about how LL moved to making movies without giving up the music career he loved.Hip Hop: A Short History (Superstars of Hip-Hop)
By C. F. Earl. 2013
Today, hip-hop is everywhere. In music, fashion, art, and entertainment, hip-hop has become a language that we all understand. But…
it hasn't been that way for very long. Hip-hop grew from the neighborhoods of New York City to become a major part of life around the world. Learn about how slavery and the civil rights movement helped lead to the birth of hip-hop. Read about how break dancing, graffiti, and DJs all added to hip-hop. Find out how hip-hop has changed over the years. Hip-Hop: A Short History tells the story of how hip-hop started and how it became popular all over the world.Ministry
By Al Jourgensen. 2013
Ministry is a memoir both ugly and captivating, revealing Al Jourgensen as a man who lived a hard life his…
own way without making compromises. He survived prolonged drug addiction--twenty-two years of chronic heroin, cocaine, and alcohol abuse, to be more precise--before cleaning up, straightening out, and finding new reasons to live.During his career, Jourgensen has engaged in all of the rock 'n' roll clichés regarding decadence and debauchery and invented new forms of previously unachieved nihilism. Despite this and his addictions, he created seven seminal albums, including the bonafide, hugely influential classic The Land of Rape and Honey, 1989's The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, and 1992's blockbuster Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed.Ministry imparts the epic life of Al Jourgensen, a survivor who tempted fate, beat the odds, persevered, and put the pieces back together after unraveling completely.The Lure and Legacy of Music at Versailles
By John Hajdu Heyer. 2014
Louis XIV and his court at Versailles had a profound influence on music in France and throughout Europe. In 1660…
Louis visited Aix-en-Provence, a trip that resulted in political and cultural transformations throughout the region. Soon thereafter Aix became an important center of sacred music composition, eventually rivaling Paris for the quality of the composers it produced. John Hajdu Heyer documents the young king's visit and examines how he and his court deployed sacred music to enhance the royal image and secure the loyalty of the populace. Exploring the circle of composers at Aix, Heyer provides the most up-to-date and complete biographies in English of nine key figures, including Guillaume Poitevin, André Campra, Jean Gilles, François Estienne, and Antoine Blanchard. The book goes on to reveal how the history of political power in the region was reflected through church music, and how musicians were affected by contemporary events.Thirty Years' Musical Recollections
By E Newman. 1926
Bach
By Peter Williams. 2016
Bach, like Shakespeare, is known largely by his works, exceptional in quantity as well as quality, and only a few…
original documents convey any idea of his life and character. Peter Williams's 2003 look at Bach's biography asks many questions about the so-called evidence. What was he like as a young man, as a father, as an ageing church servant? What were his preoccupations? What music did he know and how did he compose and perform such an amazing amount of music? Was he a disappointed man? Reading the available documentation critically, especially from the viewpoint of a performer, and going back to the first substantial 'biography' of Bach, namely his Obituary, Williams suggests new interpretations of the composer's life and his work. In addition, he asks if our understanding of Bach has been hindered by the unremitting deference displayed towards him since his death.Unruly
By Ja Rule. 2014
Ja RuleInternational Platinum Recording StarJa Rule has sold 30 million records worldwide. His unwavering talent has relentlessly captured our attention…
with his addictive beats, clever lyrics and his undeniable presence. Ja Rule has been performing for over a decade to audiences that can't get enough of his distinctively raw sound. His triumphs have brought him undreamed-of success and celebrity; his tribulations have visited upon him notoriety and unforgiving media attention. But who is Ja Rule?Multiple-Award-Winning ArtistUnruly reveals the real man behind the persona that dominates the stage and emerges from his music. In this emotive page-turner, we get to know who lives behind the performer. Ja Rule, honestly and unapologetically, delves into the pain of being a fatherless child, raised by a single mother, and eventually growing to fulfill his dreams of becoming an iconic figure in hip-hop and beyond. He shares his humble and bold reflections, which are meant to be proof for young people everywhere that if you can see it, you can be it. And he speaks with brutal candor of his own staggering mistakes, including gun possession, senseless violence, drug dealing, petty theft, substances and alcohol, and, ultimately, landing behind bars. Hip-Hop ImpresarioUnruly is riveting and humorous--as Ja Rule shares stories close to his heart: losing his virginity in a stairwell landing, falling head over heels in love with his junior high school sweetheart and going on to make her his wife and the mother of his children--and refreshing and surprising, with rich stories ranging from renting $30,000-a-month mansions, to scrubbing his own prison cell, to traveling the world, becoming enriched by foreign cultures and sounds. Husband, Father, SonThis intimate book is a collection of powerful memories and lessons, reflecting a certain vulnerability that can only be interpreted as inner strength. Here we see Ja Rule for the sensitive, loving person that he has become. Unruly shows that the souls of young urban men are often unseen. Here is a truly revolutionary effort from a gifted, passionate artist.There's No Traffic on the Extra Mile
By Rickey Minor. 2009
The ultimate American Idol insider reveals what it takes to achieve your dreams, recalling his journey from South Central to…
center stage. As a highly successful musician and producer, Rickey Minor has worked with some of the world's most celebrated performers. He knows firsthand that there are reasons why some people succeed, while others fail despite their talent. As American Idol's music director, Rickey Minor helps contestants reach for their dreams week after week. He's seen it all behind the scenes at the wildly popular show. In There's No Traffic on the Extra Mile, Minor spins stories from his life in the music business into inspirational gold, imparting the lessons he has learned the hard way, including:* Always give people more than they were expecting. But remember that you can't please everyone all the time. * Look for mentors. Minor recounts how Quincy Jones became his. * Why every action moves you closer or farther away from your aspiration-and how to tell the difference. * If you can't get what you want, it may be because you're not ready yet. When the time comes, you'll know. He also provides juicy behind-the-scenes anecdotes about Idol contestants, and the keys to their success. He sees the show as a condensed version of life itself. The setbacks the performers face, and their triumphs, mirror our own. But his bottom line, no matter what your field of endeavor, is this: If you drive hard enough, sooner or later you will be the only one left on the road.Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--And the Journey of a Generation
By Sheila Weller. 2008
A groundbreaking and irresistible biography of three of America's most important musical artists -- Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly…
Simon -- charts their lives as women at a magical moment in time. Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon remain among the most enduring and important women in popular music. Each woman is distinct. Carole King is the product of outer-borough, middle-class New York City; Joni Mitchell is a granddaughter of Canadian farmers; and Carly Simon is a child of the Manhattan intellectual upper crust. They collectively represent, in their lives and their songs, a great swath of American girls who came of age in the late 1960s. Their stories trace the arc of the now mythic sixties generation -- female version -- but in a bracingly specific and deeply recalled way, far from cliché. The history of the women of that generation has never been written -- until now, through their resonant lives and emblematic songs. Filled with the voices of many dozens of these women's intimates, who are speaking in these pages for the first time, this alternating biography reads like a novel -- except it's all true, and the heroines are famous and beloved. Sheila Weller captures the character of each woman and gives a balanced portrayal enriched by a wealth of new information. Girls Like Us is an epic treatment of midcentury women who dared to break tradition and become what none had been before them -- confessors in song, rock superstars, and adventurers of heart and soul.The Hardest Working Man
By James Sullivan. 2008
The untold story of the night a divide nation turned to James Brownand he delivered hope and calm in the…
form of an immortal concert Since James Brown's death in December 2006, the Godfather of Soul has received many stirring tributes. Yet few have addressed his contribution in the darkest hour of the Civil Rights movement. Telling for the first time the story of his historic Boston Garden concert the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. 's assassination, The Hardest Working Man captures the magnificent achievements that made Brown an icon of American popular culture. Sullivan details the charged atmosphere in Boston, Brown's fight against city officials to take the stage, and the electric performance he delivered. Through the prism of this one concert, Sullivan also charts Brown's incredible rise from poverty to self-made millionaire, his enormous influence on popular music, and his complex relationship with the Civil Rights movement, making The Hardest Working Man both a tribute to an unforgettable concert and a rousing biography of a revolutionary musician. .Up Close: Elvis Presley
By Wilborn Hampton. 2007
For fans of the king, the newest installment to the Up Close biography series! Elvis Presley made a sound so…
different it ushered in a new kind of music: rock and roll. He was able to combine gospel, honky-tonk, country and rhythm and blues to create a unique sound that crossed racial and cultural divides. Though he was incredibly popular, at heart, Elvis was a shy and polite man, and the demands of fame began to take a toll. While his dependence on prescription drugs cut short his life, Elvis's influence on music and popular culture endures to this day.