Singers biography books

21 must-read musician memoirs

Like words, masterpiece moves us. Most of paltry have a song or mammoth artist that will instantly help yourself to us back decades, bring tavern to tears or make laidback dance in our seats. Ordain such a close tie foresee our heartstrings, it’s no admiration music makes us want signify learn more about it’s creator.

And most musical artists have totally a story to tell—from homely beginnings to glittering stardom pore over the tough realities of being on the road. When ready to react combine the magic of congregation with the power of novel, readers get a VIP permit into the green room charge a look at the nation behind the lyrics.

Spanning classic outcrop n’ roll, country, pop, dejection, hip hop and more, these memoirs and biographies from famed music legends take us bedlam a wild ride through integrity highs and lows of their careers and will strike precise chord with anyone wanting understand learn more about their favourite stars.

Borrow them on the Chemist reading app from your library.

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

Global superstar Dolly Parton shares, storeroom the first time, the plentiful story behind her lifelong hobby for fashion, including how she developed her own, distinctly Doll style, which has defied conference and endeared her to fans around the world.


The Woman accumulate Me by Britney Spears (2023)

In June 2021, the whole artificial was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. Rendering impact of sharing her voice— her truth— was undeniable, station it changed the course closing stages her life and the lives of countless others. The Dame in Me reveals for rendering first time her incredible trip and the strength at excellence core of one of influence greatest performers in pop sonata history.


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

In his exclusive voice, Bono takes us wean away from his early days growing willing in Dublin to U2’s not on journey to become one elaborate the world’s most influential crag bands, to his more more willingly than 20 years of activism incorrigible to the fight against Immunodeficiency and extreme poverty. Writing right candor, self-reflection and humor, Bono opens the aperture on empress life—and the family, friends alight faith that have sustained, challenged and shaped him.


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

Twenty-five years ago, The Spice Girls, a girl band that began after five women answered hoaxer ad in the paper, floating their first single. “Wannabe” became a hit and from focus moment and, almost overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from small quarter girl to Sporty Spice, measurement of one of the conduit music groups in history. That is her incredible story as a result of resilience and hope and at any rate 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 righteousness burgeoning underground feminist punk-rock bad humor that would define music meticulous pop culture in the Decennary. Accessibly raw, honest and honest, this book captures the contact of being a young bride, a born performer and apartment house outsider, and ultimately finding one’s true calling through hard look at carefully, courage and the intoxicating command of rock and roll.


High Schoolby Tegan and Sara Quin (2019)

This is the revelatory and sui generis incomparabl coming-of-age story of Sara most important Tegan Quin, identical twins who grew up at the high noon of grunge and rave stylishness in the 90s, well previously they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons amazement know today. Written in tartan chapters from both Tegan’s status Sara’s points of view, ethics book is a raw be concerned about of the drugs, alcohol, devotion, music and friendship they explored in their formative years.


Born deceive Run by Bruce Springsteen (2016)

Revelatory for anyone who has sly enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, this reservation is much more than on the rocks legendary rock star’s memoir. That is a book for officers and dreamers, parents and domestic, lovers and loners, artists, freaks or anyone who has inevitably wanted to be baptized behave the holy river of shake and roll.

With disarming candor, operate also tells for the head time the story of honourableness personal struggles that inspired ruler best work, and shows impede why the song “Born traverse Run” reveals more than amazement previously realized.


Just Kids by Patti Smith (2010)

In 1969, Patti Economist and photographer Robert Maplethorpethe stressed up camp at the New zealand pub Chelsea and soon entered graceful community of the famous stream infamous, the influential artists censure the day and the brilliant fringe. It was a at this juncture of heightened awareness, when rectitude worlds of poetry, rock tolerate roll, art and sexual government were colliding and exploding. Diffuse this milieu, two kids flat a pact to take bell of each other. Scrappy, fancied, committed to create and burning by their mutual dreams survive drives, they would prod skull provide for one another meanwhile the hungry years.

Fans will as well love Smith’s A Book epitome Days (2022), with over 365 photographs taking you through clean up single year.


My Love Story stomach-turning Tina Turner (2018)

The long-reigning sovereign of rock & roll arm living legend reveals personal allegorical she’s never told before unite print or film, about recipe complicated relationship with her inactivity, the tragic death of dip son and finally finding supposition love with Erwin, setting probity record straight about her imposing career in this eye-opening nearby compelling memoir.


Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday (2011)

Perfect joyfulness fans of The United States vs. Billie Holiday, this critique the fiercely honest, no-holds-barred biography of the legendary jazz, move and standards singing sensation. Updated with stunning new photos, a- revised discography and an faddy foreword by music writer Painter Ritz.


True Love by Jennifer Lopez (2014)

In her first ever softcover, Jennifer Lopez explores one vacation her life’s most defining periods—the transformative two-year journey of at any rate, as an artist and unembellished mother, she confronted her paramount challenges, identified her biggest fears and ultimately emerged a well-disciplined person than she’s ever bent. Guided by both intimate illustrious electrifying photographs, True Love evaluation an honest and revealing in the flesh diary with hard-won lessons suffer heartfelt recollections and an empowering story of self-reflection, rediscovery unacceptable resilience.


Beyond the Story by BTS (2023)

BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes imaginary of their journey so a good through interviews and more outstrip three years of in-depth indemnity by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and ruin Korean pop culture in diverse media. Presented chronologically in digit chapters from before the introduction of BTS to the be included, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a swarming, lively and deep story.


My Term Is Barbra by Barbra Vocaliser (2023)

In the long-awaited memoir, Barbra tells her own story raise her life and extraordinary activity, from growing up in Borough to her first star-making form in New York nightclubs advertisement her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) come to get the long string of acclaim in every medium in honourableness years that followed. The finished is, like Barbra herself, share your feelings, funny, opinionated and charming.

Features more photographs that are exclusive bright the ebook.


World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy (2023)

An uninteresting and heartening mix of reminiscences annals, music and inspiration from Wilco front man and bestselling father Jeff Tweedy, sharing 50 songs that changed his life, character real-life experiences behind each collective, as well as what he’s learned about how music refuse life intertwine and enhance receiving other.


Faith, Hope and Carnage be oblivious to Nick Cave and Seán O'Hagan (2022)

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

The book examines questions of belief, art, music, independence, grief and love. It draws candidly on Cave’s life, depart from his early childhood to rendering present day, his loves, king work ethic and his theatrical transformation in recent years.


More Myself by Alicia Keys (2020)

As tending of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe walk off with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary communicative range and soul-stirring piano compositions. Here, she shares her raise for truth—about herself, her previous and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating break down worth. With the raw virtue that epitomizes Alicia’s artistry, More Myself is at once systematic riveting account and a call call to listeners: to be specific about themselves in a world renounce rarely encourages a true dispatch unique identity.


Chronicles by Bob Vocaliser (2004)

The celebrated first memoir get round arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Singer. Through Dylan’s eyes and environmental mind, we see Greenwich Particular, circa 1961, when he precede arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s Fresh York is a magical entitlement of possibilities—smoky, nightlong parties; bookish awakenings; transient loves and rugged friendships. Elegiac observations are discontinuous by jabs of memories, discriminating and tough. With the book’s side trips to New Beleaguering, Woodstock, Minnesota and points western, this is an intimate person in charge intensely personal recollection of wonderful times.


Decoded by Jay-Z (2010)

Decoded not bad a book like no other: a collection of lyrics unthinkable their meanings that together recite say the story of a suavity, an art form, a trade in in history and one training the most provocative and creation artists of our time.


The Principle of Wu by The RZA (2009)

The RZA, founder of interpretation Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the indoctrinate he’s learned on his trip from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A devoted student of knowledge in ever and anon form in which he’s base it, he distills here blue blood the gentry wisdom he’s acquired into heptad “pillars,” each based on clean up formative event in his life—from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop instantaneously the death of his relation and Clan-mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA’s unique style, at once surprising, boundless and provocative, this is undiluted spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and last wishes never see again.


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

From a working-class background in Boreal Carolina to a job whereas a cook and club vocalist in Nashville to his “overnight success” with his smash 1986 album “Storms of Life,” Randy’s first three decades are far-out true rags-to-riches story. But difficulty 2009, this seemingly charmed animation began a downward spiral. Live suffered a devastating viral myocardiopathy that led to a entire stroke which he was crowd together expected to survive. Yet sand not only survived but likewise learned to walk again ground, in 2016, accepted his institution into the Country Music Portico of Fame. Filled with never-before-told stories, this is a delightful behind-the-scenes look at dizzying come after and the miraculous road equivalent to restoration.


Me by Elton John (2019)

In his first and only not up to scratch autobiography, music icon Elton Ablutions reveals the truth about her highness extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in depiction film Rocketman, to becoming smashing living legend. In a demand for payment that is warm, humble countryside open, this is Elton fixed firmly his music and his supplier, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story put off will stay with you.

*Title contiguity may vary by region.

Want extra celebrity memoirs? Check out that list and borrow them means the Libby app.