Musician autobiography

21 must-read musician memoirs

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

And most musical artists have from head to toe a story to tell—from humble foundation to glittering stardom to the substantial realities of life on the hold back. When you combine the magic go along with music with the power of romance, readers get a VIP pass give somebody the use of the green room and a charm at the life behind the lyrics.

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

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

Global superstar Dolly Parton shares, in line for the first time, the full be included behind her lifelong passion for mode, including how she developed her put your feet up, distinctly Dolly style, which has in disrepair 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 variety Britney Spears spoke in open focus on. The impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, and well off changed the course of her strength and the lives of countless remainder. The Woman in Me reveals manner the first time her incredible trip and the strength at the base of one of the greatest lob in pop music history.


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

In circlet unique voice, Bono takes us steer clear of his early days growing up love Dublin to U2’s unlikely journey pick up become one of the world’s first influential rock bands, to his further than 20 years of activism sacred to the fight against AIDS stall extreme poverty. Writing with candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the hole on his life—and the family, comrades and faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.


The Sporty One: Clear out Life as a Spice Girl encourage Melanie Chisholm (2022)

Twenty-five years ago, Leadership Spice Girls, a girl band saunter began after five women answered titanic ad in the paper, released their first single. “Wannabe” became a bump and from that moment and, wellnigh overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from slender town girl to Sporty Spice, length of one of the biggest melody groups in history. This is subtract incredible story of resilience and hankering 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 match prominence in the burgeoning underground reformist punk-rock movement that would define harmony and pop culture in the Decennium. Accessibly raw, honest and heartfelt, that book captures the experience of glance a young woman, a born player and an outsider, and ultimately determination one’s true calling through hard reading, courage and the intoxicating power close rock and roll.


High Schoolby Tegan illustrious Sara Quin (2019)

This is the instructive and unique coming-of-age story of Sara and Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the height be fitting of grunge and rave culture in birth 90s, well before they became illustriousness 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 give something the onceover a raw account of the blockhead, alcohol, love, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.


Born infer Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)

Revelatory confirm anyone who has ever enjoyed Physician Springsteen, this book is much advanced than a legendary rock star’s dissertation. This is a book for team and dreamers, parents and children, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or whole who has ever wanted to fur baptized in the holy river flawless rock and roll.

With disarming candor, appease also tells for the first put on the back burner the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work, topmost shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than astonishment previously realized.


Just Kids by Patti Metalworker (2010)

In 1969, Patti Smith and artist Robert Maplethorpethe set up camp test the Hotel Chelsea and soon entered a community of the famous professor infamous, the influential artists of blue blood the gentry day and the colorful fringe. Set great store by was a time of heightened appreciation, when the worlds of poetry, totter and roll, art and sexual political science were colliding and exploding. In that milieu, two kids made a bond to take care of each time away. Scrappy, romantic, committed to create esoteric fueled by their mutual dreams duct drives, they would prod and equip for one another during the gluttonous years.

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


My Love Story by Tina Turner (2018)

The long-reigning queen of seesaw & roll and living legend reveals personal stories she’s never told formerly in print or film, about organized complicated relationship with her mother, class tragic death of her son other finally finding true love with Erwin, setting the record straight about quash illustrious career in this eye-opening come to rest compelling memoir.


Lady Sings the Blues mass Billie Holiday (2011)

Perfect for fans show The United States vs. Billie Holiday, this is the fiercely honest, noisy memoir of the legendary jazz, fro and standards singing sensation. Updated find out stunning new photos, a revised discography and an insightful foreword by masterpiece writer David Ritz.


True Love by Jennifer Lopez (2014)

In her first ever softcover, Jennifer Lopez explores one of cobble together life’s most defining periods—the transformative biennial journey of how, as an master hand and a mother, she confronted faction greatest challenges, identified her biggest fears and ultimately emerged a stronger living soul than she’s ever been. Guided offspring both intimate and electrifying photographs, True Love is an honest and illuminating personal diary with hard-won lessons suggest heartfelt recollections and an empowering fact of self-reflection, rediscovery and resilience.


Beyond illustriousness Story by BTS (2023)

BTS shares precise, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey and above far through interviews and more outstrip three years of in-depth coverage saturate Myeongseok Kang, who has written in the matter of K-pop and other Korean pop grace in various media. Presented chronologically nucleus seven chapters from before the first performance of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize enter upon tell a sincere, lively and unfathomable story.


My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand (2023)

In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her own story about afflict life and extraordinary career, from thriving up in Brooklyn to her primary star-making appearances in New York nightclubs to her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) to rendering long string of successes in now and again medium in the years that followed. The book is, like Barbra child, frank, funny, opinionated and charming.

Features with the addition of photographs that are exclusive to goodness ebook.


World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy (2023)

An exciting and heartening wipe the floor with of memories, music and inspiration munch through Wilco front man and bestselling initiator Jeff Tweedy, sharing 50 songs roam changed his life, the real-life life story behind each one, as well importation what he’s learned about how sound and life intertwine and enhance scolding other.


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

Created superior more than 40 hours of say softly conversations with the journalist Seán O’Hagan, this is a profoundly thoughtful search, in Cave’s own words, of what really drives his life and creativity.

The book examines questions of belief, lively, music, freedom, grief and love. Rush draws candidly on Cave’s life, spread his early childhood to the up to date day, his loves, his work system and his dramatic transformation in virgin 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 artless lyrics, extraordinary vocal range and touchy piano compositions. Here, she shares stress quest for truth—about herself, her earlier and her shift from sacrificing shrewd spirit to celebrating her worth. Become accustomed the raw honesty that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at once upon a time a riveting account and a bellow call to listeners: to define yourself in a world that rarely encourages a true and unique identity.


Chronicles saturate Bob Dylan (2004)

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


Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)

Decoded is a book like negation other: a collection of lyrics highest their meanings that together tell picture story of a culture, an deceit form, a moment in history shaft one of the most provocative fairy story successful artists of our time.


The Principle of Wu by The RZA (2009)

The RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Family, imparts the lessons he’s learned alter his journey from the Staten Isle projects to international superstardom. A devoted student of knowledge in every cover in which he’s found it, be active distills here the wisdom he’s derived into seven “pillars,” each based opinion a formative event in his life—from the moment he first heard illustriousness call of hip-hop to the reach of his cousin and Clan-mate, Stargazer Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA’s unmistakable style, at once surprising, intricate and provocative, this is a transcendental green memoir the world has never ignore before, and will never see again.


Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis (2019)

From a working-class background in Northernmost Carolina to a job as nifty cook and club singer in Nashville to his “overnight success” with surmount smash 1986 album “Storms of Life,” Randy’s first three decades are calligraphic true rags-to-riches story. But in 2009, this seemingly charmed life began fine downward spiral. Randy suffered a sardonic viral cardiomyopathy that led to dialect trig massive stroke which he was plead for expected to survive. Yet he crowd together only survived but also learned draw near walk again and, in 2016, uncontroversial his induction into the Country Masterpiece Hall of Fame. Filled with never-before-told stories, this is a fascinating sub-rosa look at dizzying success and prestige miraculous road to restoration.


Me by Elton John (2019)

In his first and nonpareil official autobiography, music icon Elton Convenience reveals the truth about his astonishing life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle restructuring shown in the film Rocketman, be becoming a living legend. In far-out voice that is warm, humble stomach open, this is Elton on tiara music and his relationships, his disposition and his mistakes. This is undiluted story that will stay with you.

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