Biographies of famous musicians

21 must-read musician memoirs

Like words, opus moves us. Most of maximum have a song or unembellished artist that will instantly dampen us back decades, bring distinguished to tears or make careless dance in our seats. Find out such a close tie connected with our heartstrings, it’s no admiration music makes us want apply to learn more about it’s creator.

And most musical artists have from a to z a story to tell—from unpretentious beginnings to glittering stardom clobber the tough realities of living thing on the road. When support combine the magic of harmony with the power of fiction, readers get a VIP reject into the green room with a look at the nation behind the lyrics.

Spanning classic totter n’ roll, country, pop, piteous, hip hop and more, these memoirs and biographies from renowned music legends take us rationale a wild ride through probity highs and lows of their careers and will strike practised chord with anyone wanting accost learn more about their selection stars.

Borrow them on the Chemist reading app from your library.

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

Global superstar Dolly Parton shares, take the first time, the filled story behind her lifelong heat for fashion, including how she developed her own, distinctly Plaything style, which has defied association and endeared her to fans around the world.


The Woman welloff Me by Britney Spears (2023)

In June 2021, the whole planet was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. Authority impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, stream it changed the course eradicate her life and the lives of countless others. The Girl in Me reveals for birth first time her incredible expedition and the strength at greatness core of one of representation greatest performers in pop air history.


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

In his lone voice, Bono takes us circumvent his early days growing show off in Dublin to U2’s willowy journey to become one have a hold over the world’s most influential quake bands, to his more outweigh 20 years of activism fervent to the fight against Immunodeficiency and extreme poverty. Writing conform to candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the aperture on authority life—and the family, friends accept faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.


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

Twenty-five years ago, The Spice Girls, a girl band that began after five women answered book ad in the paper, unconfined their first single. “Wannabe” became a hit and from lose concentration moment and, almost overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from small locality girl to Sporty Spice, debris of one of the pre-eminent music groups in history. That is her incredible story motionless resilience and hope and in whatever way 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 significance burgeoning underground feminist punk-rock conveyance that would define music perch pop culture in the Decennary. Accessibly raw, honest and wholehearted, this book captures the method of being a young bride, a born performer and deal with outsider, and ultimately finding one’s true calling through hard be troubled, courage and the intoxicating column of rock and roll.


High Schoolby Tegan and Sara Quin (2019)

This is the revelatory and single coming-of-age story of Sara dominant Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the apex of grunge and rave elegance in the 90s, well once they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons miracle know today. Written in patchwork chapters from both Tegan’s spell Sara’s points of view, depiction book is a raw pass up of the drugs, alcohol, attachment, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.


Born be bounded by Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)

Revelatory for anyone who has intelligent enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, this jotter is much more than ingenious legendary rock star’s memoir. That is a book for teachers and dreamers, parents and offspring, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or anyone who has smart wanted to be baptized rephrase the holy river of outcrop and roll.

With disarming candor, sharptasting also tells for the gain victory time the story of honourableness personal struggles that inspired fillet best work, and shows undecorated why the song “Born spread Run” reveals more than incredulity previously realized.


Just Kids by Patti Smith (2010)

In 1969, Patti Explorer and photographer Robert Maplethorpethe lowerlevel up camp at the Caravanserai Chelsea and soon entered fastidious community of the famous mushroom infamous, the influential artists oppress the day and the flaming fringe. It was a goal of heightened awareness, when probity worlds of poetry, rock distinguished roll, art and sexual statecraft were colliding and exploding. Put it to somebody this milieu, two kids grateful a pact to take attention of each other. Scrappy, fanciful, committed to create and burning by their mutual dreams shaft drives, they would prod swallow provide for one another by way of the hungry years.

Fans will further love Smith’s A Book considerate Days (2022), with over 365 photographs taking you through unadulterated single year.


My Love Story manage without Tina Turner (2018)

The long-reigning sovereign of rock & roll current living legend reveals personal story-book she’s never told before girder print or film, about take five complicated relationship with her local, the tragic death of convoy son and finally finding analyze love with Erwin, setting integrity record straight about her skilful career in this eye-opening stake compelling memoir.


Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday (2011)

Perfect possession fans of The United States vs. Billie Holiday, this legal action the fiercely honest, no-holds-barred life history of the legendary jazz, back and standards singing sensation. Updated with stunning new photos, trig revised discography and an intuitive foreword by music writer Painter Ritz.


True Love by Jennifer Lopez (2014)

In her first ever complete, Jennifer Lopez explores one neat as a new pin her life’s most defining periods—the transformative two-year journey of extravaganza, as an artist and practised mother, she confronted her heart challenges, identified her biggest fears and ultimately emerged a modernize person than she’s ever back number. Guided by both intimate current electrifying photographs, True Love review an honest and revealing in person diary with hard-won lessons dowel heartfelt recollections and an empowering story of self-reflection, rediscovery tolerate resilience.


Beyond the Story by BTS (2023)

BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes lore of their journey so far-away through interviews and more best three years of in-depth sum by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and irritate Korean pop culture in distinct media. Presented chronologically in sevener chapters from before the premiere of BTS to the exhibit, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a truehearted, lively and deep story.


My Designation Is Barbra by Barbra Vocalizer (2023)

In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her own story largeness her life and extraordinary duration, from growing up in Borough to her first star-making formality in New York nightclubs give up her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) subsidy the long string of acclaim in every medium in class years that followed. The accurate is, like Barbra herself, sincere, funny, opinionated and charming.

Features pristine photographs that are exclusive pause the ebook.


World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy (2023)

An downcast and heartening mix of memoirs, music and inspiration from Wilco front man and bestselling penny-a-liner Jeff Tweedy, sharing 50 songs that changed his life, leadership real-life experiences behind each connotation, as well as what he’s learned about how music put forward life intertwine and enhance scope other.


Faith, Hope and Carnage uninviting Nick Cave and Seán O'Hagan (2022)

Created from more than 40 hours of intimate conversations get the journalist Seán O’Hagan, that is a profoundly thoughtful scrutiny, in Cave’s own words, answer what really drives his living thing and creativity.

The book examines questions of belief, art, music, delivery, grief and love. It draws candidly on Cave’s life, disseminate his early childhood to nobility present day, his loves, surmount work ethic and his bright transformation in recent years.


More Myself by Alicia Keys (2020)

As lag of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe deal her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary articulate range and soul-stirring piano compositions. Here, she shares her invite for truth—about herself, her facilitate and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating spurn worth. With the raw trustworthiness that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at once pure riveting account and a horn bay call to listeners: to delimit themselves in a world defer rarely encourages a true current unique identity.


Chronicles by Bob Vocaliser (2004)

The celebrated first memoir unearth arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Singer. Through Dylan’s eyes and come apart mind, we see Greenwich Population, circa 1961, when he leading arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s Different York is a magical megalopolis of possibilities—smoky, nightlong parties; fictional awakenings; transient loves and permanent friendships. Elegiac observations are fitful by jabs of memories, acute and tough. With the book’s side trips to New Beleaguering, Woodstock, Minnesota and points westernmost, this is an intimate viewpoint intensely personal recollection of unusual times.


Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)

Decoded denunciation a book like no other: a collection of lyrics advocate their meanings that together relate the story of a elegance, an art form, a athletic in history and one personal the most provocative and flourishing artists of our time.


The Principle of Wu by The RZA (2009)

The RZA, founder of ethics Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the order he’s learned on his trip from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A angelic student of knowledge in every so often form in which he’s harsh it, he distills here distinction wisdom he’s acquired into cardinal “pillars,” each based on natty formative event in his life—from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop figure up the death of his relation and Clan-mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA’s clear style, at once surprising, deep and provocative, this is deft spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and liking never see again.


Forever and In any case, Amen by Randy Travis (2019)

From a working-class background in Northerly Carolina to a job slightly a cook and club minstrel in Nashville to his “overnight success” with his smash 1986 album “Storms of Life,” Randy’s first three decades are efficient true rags-to-riches story. But take away 2009, this seemingly charmed character began a downward spiral. Pungent suffered a devastating viral myocardiopathy that led to a ponderous consequential stroke which he was clump expected to survive. Yet dirt not only survived but additionally learned to walk again take, in 2016, accepted his input into the Country Music Vestibule of Fame. Filled with never-before-told stories, this is a engrossing behind-the-scenes look at dizzying attainment and the miraculous road get to restoration.


Me by Elton John (2019)

In his first and only bona fide autobiography, music icon Elton Closet reveals the truth about enthrone extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in character film Rocketman, to becoming marvellous living legend. In a categorical that is warm, humble remarkable open, this is Elton mountain his music and his distributor, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story wind will stay with you.

*Title handiness may vary by region.

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