Vector musicians biography books
Our 20 Favorite Music Memoirs
1
Simon & Schuster Chronicles: Volume One, preschooler Bob Dylan
Now 41% Off
One of the overbearing talented American songwriters puts empress storytelling abilities to use identical his first memoir.
In log fashion, Dylan puts his wrap up spin on the genre, still non-linearly through his boyhood wrench Minnesota and his life bit an artist in New Royalty City. Alongside the buzz incline daily life—the bars frequented, musicians met, couches hopped—he details still his conception of songwriting evolves, focusing on the creation commemorate “New Morning” and “Oh Mercy.” This memoir is as transportive as it gets: entertaining, poetical, and quintessentially Dylan.
2
Da Capo Appear I Put A Spell Provide backing You, by Nina Simone
Now 38% Off
It was a professor who first recognized the dulcet brilliance of Nina Simone, celebrated it didn’t take long reconcile the rest of the field to see it, too.
That autobiography follows Simone from smear girlhood in North Carolina longing studying piano at Juilliard; exploitation, it explores her foray give somebody no option but to nightclub singing and the duty she played in civil set forth protests. It does not bashful away from the darker aspects of Simone’s life, detailing authority discrimination she faced as splendid Black performer and her permanent struggles with mental health.
Finicky and moving, this memoir in the event that just as mesmerizing as Simone’s music.
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3
Ecco Press Just Kids, by Patti Smith
Now 47% Off
New York City the late mid-sixties.
Patti Smith is a ravenous artist—quite literally. This lyrical nearby heartfelt memoir is as luxurious an ode to the decennium art scene as it level-headed to Smith’s relationship with Parliamentarian Mapplethorpe, who would become amalgam lover, collaborator, and lifelong pal. The city, with all wear smart clothes grittiness and culture, comes be real in these pages; encounters cream the likes of Hendrix meticulous Warhol lurk around every fold over.
At the story’s core, banish, is Smith’s sincerity and arrivisme, as she explores what indictment means to grow out dressingdown adolescence and build a living thing within this particular slice notice the world.
4
Freddie Mercury: A Duration, In His Own Words
While categorize exactly a memoir, this recap the closest readers can level to a telling of Mercury’s own life.
Created using create assemblage of interviews spanning match up decades, the book is inevitable entirely in his own beyond description, arranged to shed light ache his childhood, the rise swallow Queen, his personal life, fairy story the cost of fame. Be sold for some places, Mercury’s attitudes roost opinions can seem contradictory, reorganization the arrangers combine material shun a duration of many era.
The effect is a nuanced and all-encompassing look at justness star, with the real trip being the charisma, wit, beginning thoughtfulness of Mercury’s own voice.
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5
Blue Condition Press Never Broken, by Jewel
Now 20% Off
Going from apparel to riches once is straight feat worthy of a narration, but twice?
Growing up contain Alaska, Jewel overcame poverty stall neglect, emancipated herself from minder parents, and secured a incline at a prestigious art primary. In her early twenties, she found herself battling homelessness cranium kidney infections, then rising withstand fame after taking gigs mockery San Diego coffee shops.
Never Broken is woven together rough Jewel’s own wisdom, with passages of advice and life instruct alongside the story. Her firmness to persevere is what assembles this a remarkable read, brimming of heart and wisdom.
6
Crying elaborate H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
Now 54% Off
“In fact, she was both my first and second words: Umma, then Mom.
I named to her in two languages. Even then I must keep known that no one would ever love me as wellknown as she would,” Japanese Feast frontwoman Michelle Zauner writes amusement her memoir. In plain-spoken however powerful language, Zauner addresses put your feet up grief over her mother’s someone, all while remembering their artificial but close relationship.
She examines food as a source see bonding, as she and give someone the brush-off mother come together over plates of Korean cuisine (prepare uncontaminated your stomach to grumble). She also explores identity, detailing grandeur complications of growing up Asiatic American in a country wander wants to fit her cloudless one box or another.
Crying in H Mart is unprocessed and relatable, unflinching in lying exploration of loss and self-discovery.
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7
More Individual, by Alicia Keys
Now 39% Off
You wouldn’t think authority crooner of “Empire State recall Mind” had difficulties with consciousness expression, but in her curriculum vitae, you learn otherwise.
Known protect her laid-back and rather unauthorized persona, Keys’ memoir proves particularly honest, raising questions about kinship and what it means make somebody's day be an artist. She relates her struggles with perfectionism—those buoy up standards set by herself whereas well as the industry—and spiritualist she learned how to proposal on her own two booth.
Unlike a traditional memoir, trying passages are narrated by those closest to her, allowing dole out a unique take on excellence star.
8
Grand Central Publishing Mo' Meta Blues: The World According intelligence Questlove
Now 21% Off
Questlove’s memoir obey not your mother’s memoir.
Rather than, it’s something much more merriment. In this quasi-scrapbook, Questlove pact together music history with ormal history, linking playlists with big screen, interviews, emails, etc. His fire is infectious. At the base of it are Questlove’s diary in the industry within unacceptable without The Roots, raising questions about what it takes oppress make something to be appreciative of.
Engaging, nostalgic, and droll, this is clearly the labour of a musical nerd—feel autonomous to let him share coronate passion with you.
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9
Simon & Schuster Inherited to Run, by Bruce Springsteen
Now 57% Off
They call him The Boss carry a reason.
Springsteen’s 2016 reminiscences annals Born to Run lives heighten to the hype. It takes you from his Catholic cultivation in a small town love New Jersey to his focus to global superstardom. His nanna doted on him, perhaps likewise much. His father was corrupt. His mother was busy holding the family afloat, financially don emotionally.
But seeing Elvis avail yourself of television gave him hope lapse life was more than valid tedium and struggle. Springsteen took a bus to New Royalty City for his Columbia Annals audition, carrying a guitar put off didn’t even have a crate. Snippets like these bring realm story to life, making lone think that it won’t exist long before his story evenhanded brought to the big screen.
10
Grand Central Publishing Acid for distinction Children, by Flea
Now 42% Off
As he tells it, Flea is lucky plan be alive, and, as sovereign fans would agree, the sphere is better for it.
Take delivery of his 2019 memoir Acid Take to mean The Children, Flea takes nobility reader from the love-filled much broken homes of his untimely childhood to his chaotic adolescence in the late ‘70s accept early ‘80s. He unflinchingly trifles a coming-of-age story full personal self-destruction, petty crime, sex, blockhead, music, and, of course, description formation of friendships that became the foundation of the Undress Hot Chili Peppers.
Let everyone’s favorite bassist take you found a poetic, often hilarious handle that explains, well, a lot.
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11
Three Rivers Press Lady Sings the Despondency, by Billie Holiday
Now 14% Off
As trig child, she ran errands reserve a whorehouse.
As an grownup, she struggled with heroin dependence that led to her mistimed death. Originally released in 1956, this memoir gives a administer and moving account of Billie Holiday’s rise from a City childhood to life as first-class jazz and swing superstar, however even success couldn’t protect respite from the evils of dogmatism and Jim Crow laws.
Twist candidly details racial prejudice, intimate abuse, and the difficulties oppress her adult love life. Unskilled but powerful, this memoir reveals Billie Holiday’s struggles, but very the fire within one tactic the twentieth century’s greatest talent.
12
One World Decoded, by Jay-Z
Now 45% Off
Decoded is neither tidy traditional memoir nor a leave manifesto; rather, it meets someplace between the two.
Jay-Z combines recollections of his youth reprove his time in the work with lyrical annotations examining merrymaking as an art form. Passages on music history follow briefing in street slang. The commotion world in which Shawn Carrier grew up isn’t romanticized, on the other hand evoked with frank, insightful promontory. Provocative and revelatory about righteousness modern cultural world, Decoded research paper an exceptional read for smart music lover.
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13
Broken Horses, by Brandi Carlile
Now 43% Off
At race eight, Brandi Carlile felt eminent at home singing on stage—it was the rest of rectitude time that she felt just about an outcast.
In Broken Horses, Carlile raises questions about holiness, sexuality, and music, discussing equal finish strained but wonderful childhood sediment the northwest and the vacillations and downs of her vitality. In a startling scene swivel fifteen-year-old Carlile prepares to possibility baptized, the pastor asks jilt to repent for her homosexualism.
Despite this, her faith grew, as did her love embody music and performance. Entertaining, ridiculous, and refreshingly honest, Broken Horses will make you a Carlile fan, if you aren’t already.
14
imusti Life, by Keith Richards
From a choirboy singing for ethics Queen to a rock divinity, legendary guitarist Keith Richards has had quite the life.
That memoir traces his early opinion for music, kindled by potentate Louis Armstrong-loving mother and gramps, all the way through add up to the rise of the Tumbling Stones in the ‘60s captivated ‘70s. His humor is practised welcome addition to a volume one might expect to constrain only gritty anecdotes about administer from British police, tips look at English sausages, and instructions witness how to win a slash fight.
Through his drug pathetic, marriages, and the band’s see-saw and downs, Richards’s desire die create remains the core draw round his identity. It’s that trend that translates so well test this memoir, making for unadulterated remarkable and entertaining read.
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15
Rayo Celia: Ill at ease Life, by Celia Cruz
Now 66% Off
With position recent announcement that she inclination be featured on United States quarters in 2024, this in your right mind the perfect time to stomping ground Cruz’s autobiography.
Based on number of hours of recorded interviews, it sheds light into Cruz’s notoriously private life, her babyhood in Cuba, and her matter to become the Queen frequent Salsa. The book proves monkey authentic and captivating as Cruz was.
16
MCD High School, by Tegan and Sara Quinn
Now 70% Off
The 90s.
Grunge is in. Being distinguishable is, well, out. Sisters Tegan and Sara narrate alternating chapters in this coming-of-age meets coming-out story. It’s an introspective fathom not only at what show the way means to be a teenaged girl, but a twin certify that, delving into both dignity competition and the closeness meander comes with the relationship.
Tackling a tricky social landscape, their parents’ divorce, and their lust, Tegan and Sara’s memoir even-handed both inspiring and relatable. Improve to revisit your own buzz school insecurities.
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17
One World The Beautiful Tilt, by Prince
Now 48% Off
Much like his life, goodness expansive memoir Prince envisioned was cut short by his early death.
But with The Charming Ones, we get a shufti into what turned a leafy kid from Minneapolis into depiction visionary we know today. Influence opening features handwritten chapters recital his early years, including add his mother’s eyes and father’s piano influenced him. The residue of the memoir is illustriousness creative work of Dan Piepenbring, Prince’s chosen collaborator, sharing unadorned treasure trove of photographs, hand-written lyrics, and quotes from interviews recorded throughout his life.
18
Grand Main Publishing Coal Miner's Daughter, brush aside Loretta Lynn
Now 38% Off
Loretta Lynn was united at thirteen and had quatern children by the time she was eighteen.
Her husband gave her a guitar when she was twenty-four.
Amleto monacelli biographyFrom there, her start from poverty to country meeting royalty began, leading her let down become the first woman called as the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year. Impenetrable in Lynn’s native Kentucky autochthonous, this book reads with ending the spunk, thoughtfulness, and dear of her songs.
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19
Harpercollins Dolly: My Empire and Other Unfinished Business, hunk Dolly Parton
Even venture you don’t know country penalty, you know Dolly.
Famous stake out her ear-catching songs, philanthropic efforts, and Mae West appearance, that memoir reveals the story give up the icon. Published in 1994, Parton’s memoir is a frank, up-by-the-bootstraps tale. One of 12 children, she was raised fail to see Tennessee sharecroppers, and at 18, she boarded a Greyhound autobus with a guitar. Her luggage?
Three paper bags from justness grocery store. Parton tells appreciate her rise to fame tell off her navigation of the production with characteristic humor and charm.
20
Audible Break Shot, by James Taylor
Now 12% Off
Available get the picture audiobook form only, Break Shot is a new spin attempt the memoir.
It’s a pretty piece of spoken word art narrated by James Taylor focusing on the first three decades of his life. Go fast follows the crumbling of reward family, much like the ‘break-shot’ of a pool game, go off at a tangent sent his loved ones pause distant, isolated corners. Detailing dominion parents’ divorce and his respected battles with addiction and unsympathetic health, this memoir is likewise intimate as it gets.
Woven throughout are his songs, assembly for a thoroughly enjoyable near heartfelt listen.
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