Composers & Musicians

Bono—artist, activist and the lead singer of Irish rock band U2—has written a memoir: honest and irreverent, intimate and profound, it is the story of the remarkable life he’s lived, the challenges he’s faced and the friends and family who have shaped and sustained him....

 An intimate peek into the life of the soldier-turned-lyricist Anand Bakshi, from his formative years in undivided Punjab to eventually moving to Bombay and landing his first film Bhala Aadmi in 1958....

Chants of a Lifetime offers an intimate collection of stories, teachings, and insights from Krishna Das, who has been called "the chant master of American yoga" by the New York Times....

It took me a lifetime to have the courage and the clarity to write my memoir. I want to tell the story of the moments - the ups and downs, the triumphs and traumas, the debacles and the dreams - that contributed to the person I am today. Love, Mariah....

John Eliot Gardiner takes us as deeply into Bach’s works and mind as perhaps words can. The result is a unique book about one of the greatest of all creative artists....

The two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter behind the groundbreaking album Exile in Guyville traces her life and career in a genre-bending memoir in stories about the pivotal moments that haunt her....

As lead singer and songwriter for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthony Kiedis has lived life on the razor's edge....

In Me Elton also writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father. In a voice that is warm, humble and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions and his mistakes....

To a nation fed on classical music, the advent of Rahul Dev Burman with his repertoire of Western beats was a godsend. RD revolutionized Hindi film music in the 1970s, and with his emphasis on rhythm and beats, this Pied Piper of Hindi film music had young India swinging to his tunes....

Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon is part memoir, part investigation, and unlike any creative portrait you’ve ever heard before....

The Art of the Straight Line captures the energy of Lou Reed's worlds of Tai Chi, music, and meditation. It was edited by his wife, the artist Laurie Anderson....

In less than a year, Neil Peart lost both his 19-year-old daughter, Selena, and his wife, Jackie.....

Created from more than forty hours of intimate conversations with the journalist Seán O’Hagan, it is a profoundly thoughtful exploration, in Cave’s own words, of what really drives his life and creativity....

When Namita is 10, her mother takes her to Dhondutai, a respected music teacher from the Jaipur gharana. Dhondutai's antecedents are rich - she is the only remaining student of the legendary Alladiya Khan....

Formed as a New York City hardcore band in 1981, Beastie Boys struck an unlikely path to global hip-hop superstardom. Here is their story, told for the first time in the words of the band.... 

The definitive biography of Ravi Shankar, one of the most influential musicians and composers of the 20th century, told with the cooperation of his estate, family, and friends....

In their first in-depth autobiography, pop sensations Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry, and Louis tell the story of their lives....

In a career that spanned decades, John Denver earned international acclaim as a singer, songwriter, actor, and environmental activist....

In clear and entertaining prose, Plotkin explores a thousand years of music, introduces listeners to more than 100 great works, and profiles in depth many significant composers....

Blue is the remarkable story of Steve Aoki, the superstar DJ/producer who started his career as a vegan straight-edge hardcore music kid hellbent on defying his millionaire father, whose unquenchable thirst to entertain led him to global success....

As the lead singer of the Doors, Jim Morrison's searing poetic vision and voracious appetite for sexual, spiritual, and psychedelic experience inflamed the spirit and psyche of a generation....

From the author of the definitive New York Times best-selling history of the Beatles comes the authoritative account of the group many call the greatest rock band of all time, arguably the most successful, and certainly one of the most notorious....

Profiles offer revealing insights into what drove each individual to create the musical masterpieces - symphonies, concertos and operatic scores - that changed the direction of classical music and are still celebrated as masterpieces today....

Brandi Carlile was born into a musically gifted, impoverished family on the outskirts of Seattle and grew up in a constant state of change, moving from house to house, trailer to trailer....

The revealing backstory of the album with no name....

Silke Aichhorn - die Frau mit der Poleposition bei Petrus und der Lizenz zum Zupfen! Wie schon in ihrem ersten Band Lebenslänglich Frohlocken nimmt eine der aktivsten europäischen Harfensolistinnen ihre Leser mit in den oft sehr unglamourösen Musikeralltag. Hören Sie, staunen Sie.

Originally published in 1978 as The Beach Boys and the California Myth, this groundbreaking study was both the first full-length book on the band and the first to recognize Brian Wilson as one of the most significant and influential artists of the twentieth century. Covering the turbulent family strife and internal conflicts as well as giving proper attention to the remarkable music, the book was an instant classic. Revised and updated, God Only Knows covers the decades since the 1985 edition.

In der Wendenacht am 09. November 1989 erreichten sie endlich ihr Ziel: Platz 1 der DDR-Charts! Schade, dass es niemand mehr mitbekam... Sven Zimmermann beschreibt in seinen Geschichten ein Leben als Musiker östlich der Elbe. Er erzählt von skurrilen Show-Outfits, toten Karpfen in Damen- WCs, Geschlechtskrankheiten, Schweißfüßen, Atompilzfrisuren, Deutsch-Russischen Autolegenden, WC-Klavieren, illegalen Musiksendern... Komische, wahre und manchmal wirklich absurde Geschichten. Ein Ratgeber, wie man sich daran gewöhnt, wenn grundsätzlich nichts läuft, wie geplant.

The Art of the Straight Line captures the energy of Lou Reed's worlds of Tai Chi, music, and meditation. It was edited by his wife, the artist Laurie Anderson. Lou Reed was a musician, singer, songwriter, poet, and founding member of the legendary rock band the Velvet Underground. He collaborated with many artists, from Andy Warhol and John Cale to Robert Wilson and Metallica. Reed had a groundbreaking solo career that spanned five decades until his death in 2013. Reed was also an accomplished martial artist whose practice began in the 1980s.

In this revealing autobiography, Canada’s first lady of song, for the first time, tells the whole story of her astonishing 40-year career in show biz. It is a candid retrospective of the extraordinary success achieved, and the prices that had to be paid.

The story of one of the most controversial figures in all of hip-hop history, Dummy Boy tells the tale of Tekashi 6ix9ine and his meteoric rise to fame. In tracing Danny "Tekashi 6ix9ine" Hernandez's life from Bushwick to the heights of the rap scene, Complex reporter Shawn Setaro illuminates the story of the young rapper who forged an alliance with a notorious street gang to bolster his image and boost his internet clout.

Nach seinem gefeierten Debüt "Aus dem Dachsbau", das mit dem Literaturpreis der Landeshauptstadt Wiesbaden ausgezeichnet wurde, erzählt TOCOTRONIC-Sänger Dirk von Lowtzow von einem Jahr des äußeren Stillstands und der inneren Aufruhr. Musiker:innen treten nicht mehr auf, Alben werden verschoben, Galerien, Kinos und Museen geschlossen, die Menschen sind auf die eigenen vier Wände und sich selbst zurückgeworfen. Dirk von Lowtzow inspiziert die Kunst- und Kulturszene im Stillstand, ein Leben ohne Publikum.

Leah Broad's magnificent group biography resurrects these four forgotten voices, recounting lives of rebellion, heartbreak and ambition, and celebrating their musical masterpieces. Lighting up a panoramic sweep of British history over two World Wars, Quartet revolutionises the canon forever.

Jenny Boyd's extraordinary life is the stuff of movies and novels, a story of incredible people and places experienced at a pivotal time in the 20th century. As an up-and-coming young model, Jenny found herself at the heart of Carnaby Street in London, immersed in the fashion and pop culture of the Swinging 60s. With boyfriend Mick Fleetwood, sister Pattie, George Harrison and the rest of the Beatles, she lived the London scene. But as a natural Flower Child, Jenny soon became part of the counter-culture in San Francisco during the Flower Power era.

Che cos'è questo libro? Un romanzo? Una storia d'amore? La favola dell'amicizia? Un sogno? Senza dubbio una delle opere più creative che siano mai state scritte in Italia. Seguendo i suoi idoli Calvino e Céline, il grande Don Backy, tra i più noti cantautori della musica italiana, mandò nel 1967 il suo scritto a Feltrinelli e lo stesso Giacomo dopo aver valutato il manoscritto dichiarò "Fantastico. Lo pubblichiamo così com'è... senza cambiare una virgola...".

Willy Sommers, ooit de kroonprins van het Vlaamse lied, bestijgt inmiddels de troon. Een halve eeuw, 50 jaar geleden al, maakt Zeven anjers, zeven rozen een idool van Willy De Gieter. Met het podium als thuisbasis bouwt de zanger een indrukwekkende carrière uit. Hij wordt een alom geprezen entertainer en presentator en groeit uit tot een icoon. In deze officiële biografie blikt Willy Sommers zelf terug op alle memorabele momenten uit zijn leven. Nu pas vertelt hij verhalen voor het eerst.

Einmal im Jahr bricht Vaile Fuchs auf. Sie lässt den Alltag hinter sich und verbringt einige Wochen in der unberührten Natur. Zusammen mit ihren beiden Pferden durchstreift sie die Wälder Schwedens, sie schläft im Zelt und ernährt sich von Beeren und Pilzen. In dieser zeit lebt sie ein ursprüngliches und einsames Leben - voller Abenteuer und Herausforderungen. Und Vaile möchte nie mehr darauf verzichten, denn die Stärke und Ruhe, die sie in der Natur aufsaugt, geben ihr Kraft für ihren Alltag als Sängerin und Schauspielerin.

This original hour-long audio documentary will take you in the footsteps of the 19th century’s most beloved and most played piano composer in the world: Frederic Chopin. So here we are going to discuss a relatively undocumented musical event (rich in anecdotes): Frederic Chopin's concert at the Hotel de Ville in Rouen on the evening of March 12, 1838. Whether you are a music lover, passionate about history or simply of a curious temperament, I invite you to immerse yourself in this fascinating story, alone or with your family.

La facoltà dello stupore: è questo il nucleo attorno al quale orbita l'intera esperienza artistica di Franco Battiato, la matrice che accomuna tutti i brani della sua vastissima produzione. La sua musica è un dono, un invito a smarrirsi per poi ritrovarsi; è un'esortazione a sperimentare continue incursioni in un altrove sconosciuto, negli infiniti "mondi lontanissimi" che possono aprirsi lungo il cammino delle nostre vite.

Vicky Hamilton became the top female record company executive and personal band manager. Appetite For Dysfunction is the first time Vicky candidly speaks out about the life she lived on the front lines, deep in the heartless world of the music business. Hamilton brings to this book her unbiased observations and shrewd glimpses about who these rock stars and executives are at the core of their beings, and about herself as well.