Composers Musicians category: 3267 books

Since the 1990s, New Orleans has been experiencing its greatest musical renaissance since Louis Armstrong. Brass band, funk, hip hop, Mardi Gras Indian, zydeco, and other styles are rocking the city in new neighborhood bars far from the Bourbon Street tourist scene. Even "neotraditional"...

What were Prince's politics? What did he believe about God? And did he really forsake the subject-sex-that once made him the most subversive superstar of the Reagan era? In this illuminating thematic biography, Joseph Vogel explores the issues that made Prince one of the late 20th century's most unique,...

This is the first biography of Ralph Peer, the adventurous—even revolutionary—A&R man and music publisher who changed the breadth and flavor of popular music in the United States and around the world. It is the story of the life and 50-year career of the man who was crucial in discovering...

Asbury Park is one of the few true music scenes in the world. Many people know the city as the place where Bruce Springsteen got his start, but it's also where artists like Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny, Billy Chinnock, John Eddie, Glen Burtnick, Dramarama, The Bongos and The Smithereens started out...

1967. A band called The Premiers has arrived in London, hoping for fame and fortune. They meet an older man, Paul, who decides to help them find their way in the music business. They have an encounter with a famous bandleader, Cyril Stapleton, who records them, but nothing comes of it, and the band...

One of the earliest performers on WSM in Nashville, Uncle Dave Macon became the Grand Ole Opry's first superstar. His old-time music and energetic stage shows made him a national sensation and fueled a thirty-year run as one of America's most beloved entertainers. Michael D. Doubler tells the amazing...

Rita MacNeil has long been recognized as one of the East Coast's great singer-songwriters. As a young girl with the dream of becoming a singer, she overcame a series of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and achieved success by believing in herself and refusing to give up. A trailblazer, Rita played...

A musical force across four decades, a voice for the ages, and a great songwriter, Chrissie Hynde is one of America's foremost rockers. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, she and her band The Pretenders have released ten albums since 1980. The Pretenders' debut LP has been acclaimed...

Imagine no Chieftains, no Planxty or Bothy Band, no Moving Hearts or Riverdance! This biography of Seán Ó Riada, who spearheaded the revival of Irish traditional music and moved it onto the international stage, shows it might not have happened without him. One of the few significant artists to remain...

Angelina Jolie is an Oscar-winning actress who has become popular by taking on the title role in the "Lara Croft" series of blockbuster movies. Off-screen, Jolie has become prominently involved in international charity projects, especially those involving refugees.   Angelina...

When tackling a project as audacious, slippery and fraught with diagnostic peril as “the best rock bands ever,” one can either cower in anticipation of the monsoon of disagreement sure to come and load the package with every manner of weaselly equivocation, or one can swagger ahead blissfully...

Candice Susan Swanepoel is a South African fashion model best known for her work with Victoria's Secret. In 2012, she came in 10th on the Forbes top-earning models list.   Swanepoel's resume includes covers for Australian, Brazilian, Mexican, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese...

Combining elements of punk, gypsy music, and Brecht-ian cabaret, Gogol Bordello tells the story of New York's immigrant diaspora through debauchery, humor, and surreal costumes. Leader and singer Eugene Hütz's taste in music was spun out of black-market tapes of the Birthday Party and Einstürzande...

  Miley Cyrus is a pop singer and actress. She is most famous for her role as the lead in Disney Channels' TV show Hannah Montana. She also gained fame as singer under the name Hannah Montana and, later, Miley Cyrus.   Miley's dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, is mostly famous...