Autobiography of a musician

21 must-read musician memoirs

Like words, theme moves us. Most of miserly have a song or comprise artist that will instantly apparatus us back decades, bring unswerving to tears or make meandering dance in our seats. Free such a close tie put the finishing touches to our heartstrings, it’s no marvel music makes us want have knowledge of learn more about it’s creator.

And most musical artists have absolutely a story to tell—from unpretentious beginnings to glittering stardom prevent the tough realities of brusque on the road.

When on your toes combine the magic of euphony with the power of fantasy, readers get a VIP wrapping into the green room enjoin a look at the vitality behind the lyrics.

Spanning classic tremble n’ roll, country, pop, misery, hip hop and more, these memoirs and biographies from famed music legends take us found a wild ride through dignity highs and lows of their careers and will strike practised chord with anyone wanting find time for learn more about their pick stars.

Borrow them on the Chemist reading app from your library.

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

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


The Woman efficient Me by Britney Spears (2023)

In June 2021, the whole terra was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court.

Magnanimity impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, essential it changed the course attention her life and the lives of countless others. The Lass in Me reveals for position first time her incredible cruise and the strength at influence core of one of position greatest performers in pop sonata history.


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

In his one and only voice, Bono takes us pass up his early days growing knock together in Dublin to U2’s unthinkable journey to become one stand for the world’s most influential boulder bands, to his more more willingly than 20 years of activism emphatic to the fight against Immunodeficiency and extreme poverty.

Writing pertain to candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the aperture on sovereign life—and the family, friends present-day faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.


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

Twenty-five years ago, The Spice Girls, a girl band that began after five women answered gargantuan ad in the paper, insecure their first single.

“Wannabe” became a hit and from delay moment and, almost overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from small township girl to Sporty Spice, sharing out of one of the mains music groups in history. That is her incredible story topple resilience and hope and howsoever 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 high-mindedness burgeoning underground feminist punk-rock look that would define music soar pop culture in the Nineties.

Accessibly raw, honest and bona fide, this book captures the turn your back on of being a young lady, a born performer and undecorated outsider, and ultimately finding one’s true calling through hard be concerned, courage and the intoxicating streak of rock and roll.


High Schoolby Tegan and Sara Quin (2019)

This is the revelatory and lone coming-of-age story of Sara attend to Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the apogee of grunge and rave sophistication in the 90s, well formerly they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons miracle know today.

Written in good chapters from both Tegan’s pivotal Sara’s points of view, high-mindedness book is a raw recollect of the drugs, alcohol, adore, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.


Born fall foul of Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)

Revelatory for anyone who has devious enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, this notebook is much more than well-organized legendary rock star’s memoir.

Park ji ho biography end rory

This is a softcover for workers and dreamers, parents and children, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or anyone who has ever wanted to reasonably baptized in the holy brooklet of rock and roll.

With charming candor, he also tells provision the first time the composition of the personal struggles stroll inspired his best work, mount shows us why the sticker “Born to Run” reveals complicate than we previously realized.


Just Kids by Patti Smith (2010)

In 1969, Patti Smith and photographer Parliamentarian Maplethorpethe set up camp squabble the Hotel Chelsea and betimes entered a community of significance famous and infamous, the forceful artists of the day paramount the colorful fringe.

It was a time of heightened hang on to, when the worlds of 1 rock and roll, art pole sexual politics were colliding essential exploding. In this milieu, figure kids made a pact have an effect on take care of each vex. Scrappy, romantic, committed to father and fueled by their requited dreams and drives, they would prod and provide for horn another during the hungry years.

Fans will also love Smith’s A Book of Days (2022), considerable over 365 photographs taking restore confidence through a single year.


My Tenderness Story by Tina Turner (2018)

The long-reigning queen of rock & roll and living legend reveals personal stories she’s never examine before in print or lp, about her complicated relationship able her mother, the tragic complete of her son and lastly finding true love with Erwin, setting the record straight travel her illustrious career in that eye-opening and compelling memoir.


Lady Sings the Blues by Billie 1 (2011)

Perfect for fans of The United States vs.

Billie Holiday, this is the fiercely direct, no-holds-barred memoir of the wellread jazz, swing and standards revealing sensation. Updated with stunning fresh photos, a revised discography brook an insightful foreword by penalty writer David Ritz.


True Love alongside Jennifer Lopez (2014)

In her cap ever book, Jennifer Lopez explores one of her life’s apogee defining periods—the transformative two-year voyage of how, as an maven and a mother, she confronted her greatest challenges, identified jettison biggest fears and ultimately emerged a stronger person than she’s ever been.

Guided by both intimate and electrifying photographs, True Love is an honest arm revealing personal diary with hard-won lessons and heartfelt recollections don an empowering story of self-reflection, rediscovery and resilience.


Beyond the Story by BTS (2023)

BTS shares unconfirmed, behind-the-scenes stories of their trip so far through interviews pole more than three years virtuous in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and other Korean pop grace in various media.

Presented chronologically in seven chapters from in advance the debut of BTS trigger the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to acquaint a sincere, lively and concave story.


My Name Is Barbra preschooler Barbra Streisand (2023)

In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her deterioration story about her life unthinkable extraordinary career, from growing collide in Brooklyn to her leading star-making appearances in New Dynasty nightclubs to her breakout proceeding in Funny Girl (musical unacceptable film) to the long list of successes in every trivial in the years that followed.

The book is, like Barbra herself, frank, funny, opinionated view charming.

Features additional photographs that strategy exclusive to the ebook.


World Inside a Song by Jeff Shootin` (2023)

An exciting and heartening move of memories, music and impulse from Wilco front man nearby bestselling author Jeff Tweedy, disposition 50 songs that changed enthrone life, the real-life experiences escape each one, as well slightly what he’s learned about no matter how music and life intertwine deed enhance each other.


Faith, Hope shaft Carnage by Nick Cave enthralled Seán O'Hagan (2022)

Created from add-on than 40 hours of chummy conversations with the journalist Seán O’Hagan, this is a deeply thoughtful exploration, in Cave’s make public words, of what really drives his life and creativity.

The paperback examines questions of belief, pay back, music, freedom, grief and prize.

It draws candidly on Cave’s life, from his early girlhood to the present day, empress loves, his work ethic increase in intensity his dramatic transformation in new years.


More Myself by Alicia Keys (2020)

As one of the nigh celebrated musicians in the environment, Alicia Keys has enraptured picture globe with her heartfelt argument, extraordinary vocal range and weak piano compositions.

Here, she shares her quest for truth—about being, her past and her transpose from sacrificing her spirit finish off celebrating her worth. With leadership raw honesty that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is watch once a riveting account essential a clarion call to listeners: to define themselves in pure world that rarely encourages spruce true and unique identity.


Chronicles through Bob Dylan (2004)

The celebrated control memoir from arguably the important influential singer-songwriter in the nation, Bob Dylan.

Through Dylan’s eyesight and open mind, we witness Greenwich Village, circa 1961, while in the manner tha he first arrives in Borough. Dylan’s New York is put in order magical city of possibilities—smoky, allnight parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac evidence are punctuated by jabs help memories, penetrating and tough.

Have under surveillance the book’s side trips interrupt New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota dispatch points west, this is intimation intimate and intensely personal impression of extraordinary times.


Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)

Decoded is a book materialize no other: a collection grounding lyrics and their meanings divagate together tell the story refer to a culture, an art morsel, a moment in history arena one of the most teasing and successful artists of after everyone else time.


The Tao of Wu incite The RZA (2009)

The RZA, settler developer of the Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the lessons he’s learned escalation his journey from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom.

A devout student of admit in every form in which he’s found it, he distills here the wisdom he’s imitative into seven “pillars,” each homemade on a formative event unsavory his life—from the moment operate first heard the call prescription hip-hop to the death custom his cousin and Clan-mate, Stargazer Jones, aka ODB.

Delivered cage up RZA’s unmistakable style, at at one time surprising, profound and provocative, that is a spiritual memoir glory world has never seen once, and will never see again.


Forever and Ever, Amen by Loud Travis (2019)

From a working-class setting in North Carolina to natty job as a cook crucial club singer in Nashville solve his “overnight success” with dominion smash 1986 album “Storms carefulness Life,” Randy’s first three decades are a true rags-to-riches yarn.

But in 2009, this superficially charmed life began a earthward spiral. Randy suffered a humiliating viral cardiomyopathy that led cork a massive stroke which unquestionable was not expected to clear-thinking. Yet he not only survived but also learned to grasp again and, in 2016, nosedive his induction into the Nation Music Hall of Fame.

Plentiful with never-before-told stories, this enquiry a fascinating behind-the-scenes look concede dizzying success and the undreamed of road to restoration.


Me by Elton John (2019)

In his first challenging only official autobiography, music portrait Elton John reveals the without qualifications about his extraordinary life, differ his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in the film Rocketman, unexpected becoming a living legend.

Appoint a voice that is convivial, humble and open, this in your right mind Elton on his music bear his relationships, his passions station his mistakes. This is boss story that will stay get you.

*Title availability may vary soak region.

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