Showing results for "Classic" in Composers & Musicians

The original edition of this revered and authorized Queen biography explored every aspect of the legendary group’s career from inception to 1992. Newly revised and updated with cooperation and insight from Brian May and Roger Taylor—and drawing on exclusive interviews with the bandmembers—this book completes the story of the Mercury era and the immediate years after his death.

Limited Edition of One is unlike any other music book you will ever have hear. Part the long-awaited memoir of Steven Wilson, whose celebrated band Porcupine Tree began as teenage fiction before unintentionally evolving into a reality that encompassed Grammy-nominated records and sold-out shows around the world, before he set out for an even more successful solo career.

Tony Blackburn is one of Britain's most iconic disc jockeys, a true pioneer of pop radio who has kept the nation entertained for decades. From his rebellious early days as a pirate radio DJ to becoming the golden voice of BBC Radio 1, Tony has seen it all - chart-topping hits, industry rivalries...

Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (April 2, 1939-April 1, 1984) was an American R&B and soul singer, musician, and songwriter. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist, which earned him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul." With hits like, "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)," "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "What's Going On," "Let's Get It On" and "Sexual Healing," Gaye is often considered one of the greatest singers of all time. The following recording is from a 1983 TV interview.

Carson Wayne Newton, born April 3, 1943, in Norfolk, Virginia, also known as "Mr. Las Vegas," "The Midnight Idol," and "Mr. Entertainment," is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the United States from the mid-to-late 20th century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas and has headlined there since 1963. Newton has also appeared in many dozens of films and television shows. The following includes two television interviews, each from the 1960s and 70s.

From his early, crazy days as a founding member of Metallica, Dave Mustaine has seen and experienced everything in the world of rock n’ roll. From his young triumphs and ignominious ouster from the band for his hard-partying ways to his later rule over Megadeth, one of the most successful...

The definitive chronicle of underground music in the 1980s tells the stories of Black Flag, Sonic Youth, The Replacements, and other seminal bands whose DIY revolution changed American music forever. Our Band Could Be Your Life is the never-before-told story of the musical revolution that...

'Patterson is one of the great comic writers of the last quarter century' THE HERALD 'Unsparing but ultimately uplifting, every sentence cuts a caper' MOJO 'A thoroughly engaging, life-affirming book' MAIL ON SUNDAY How does the big stuff in life truly change us? In late 2019, Sylvia Patterson...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Buffett offers his philosophy on life and how to live it, “like sitting with Buffett at a beachside bar, listening to him spin tales” (Time). “Buffett took his family on a three-week trek around the Caribbean...

In 1969, a twenty-something screenwriter with one movie credit to his name is approached by Jimi Hendrix's management after the legendary guitarist saw the obscure indie film in London and wanted to collaborate on a project of his own. Jonathan Stathakis had no idea how thrilling the next eighteen months would be, as he and Hendrix formed not just a working partnership but a unique friendship.

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE A revelatory biography of the world-famous playwright and actor Sam Shepard, whose work was matched by his equally dramatic life, including collaborations with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan as well as tumultuous relationships with Patti Smith, Joni...

Since exploding on the scene in the late 1970s, Journey has inspired generations of fans with hit after hit. But hidden under this rock 'n' roll glory is a complex story of ambition, larger-than-life personalities, and clashes. David Hamilton Golland unearths the band's true and complete biography, based on over a decade of interviews and thousands of sources.

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR An autobiography of one of the towering figures of contemporary American music and a powerful meditation on history, race, capitalism, and art. A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times, NPR, The New Yorker Henry Threadgill has had a singular life...

Maria Callas, born Maria Anna Cecilia Sophia Kalogeropoulos (December 2, 1923 to September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. The following recordings are from 1959 and 1962 TV interviews.

Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942-June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition and mastery of recording techniques, he is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and significant songwriters of the 20th century. His best-known work is distinguished for its high production values, complex harmonies and orchestrations, vocal layering, and introspective themes. The following is from an interview recorded in the mid 1970s.

Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942-August 9, 1995), born in San Francisco, was the co-founder, lead guitarist, and a vocalist for the rock band Grateful Dead (1965-1995), which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 1960s. Garcia was renowned for his musical and technical ability, particularly his skill at playing a variety of instruments and sustaining long improvisations. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as part of the Grateful Dead. The following interview was recorded in 1976.

A compelling narrative biography of the legendary drummer John Bonham, his wild ride with iconic rock band Led Zeppelin, and the highs and lows that made up his wild (and tragically short) life. John Bonham is considered by many to be one of the greatest drummers of all time. He was recruited to...

Dismantles the Woody Guthrie we have been taught—the rough-and-ready rambling’ man—to reveal an artist who discovered how intimacy is crucial for political struggle Woody Guthrie is often mythologized as the classic American “rambling’ man,” a real-life Steinbeckian folk hero who...

A candid and eye-opening inside look at the final decades of Sinatra's life told by his longtime manager and friend, Eliot Weisman. By the time Weisman met Sinatra in 1976, he was already the Voice, a man who held sway over popular music and pop culture for forty years, who had risen to the...

In honor of Sinatra's 100th birthday, Pete Hamill's classic tribute returns with a new introduction by the author. In this unique homage to an American icon, journalist and award-winning author Pete Hamill evokes the essence of Sinatra--examining his art and his legend from the inside, as only a...