Musical Biographies

Music fans will find awesome rock-and-roll biographies at the Lititz Public Library.

U2 : The Definitive BiographyU2: The Definitive Biography by John Jobling
This unauthorized account presents a comprehensive account of the Irish rockers, investigating personal relationships, creative tensions and political crusades.

Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin
Music critic, who was able to obtain interviews with many of Bruce Springsteen’s closest friends and relatives, recounts the artist’s lower-working-class childhood, bouts of depression, numerous romantic entanglements, and tireless work as a performer.

One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band by Alan Paul
An oral history written with the band’s participation is filled with original interviews and personal correspondence tracking the band’s career from their 1969 creation to the present day.

Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own StoryJerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story by Rick Bragg
Lewis spent his childhood in trouble and energized the world with hit records like “Great Balls of Fire” but he nearly ruined his career with drugs, drinking and women.

27: A History of the 27 Club Through the Lives of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse by Howard Sounes
A history of the “27 Club”, the group of music stars who died at age 27, examines its six most iconic members and discovers a common story of excess, madness, and self-destruction.

Rod: The Autobiography by Rod Stewart
A personal portrait recounts Stewart’s life on and off the stage, from his humble British roots and riotous years on tour with the Jeff Beck Group to his three marriages and decades as a solo performer.

A Natural Woman : A MemoirA Natural Woman by Carole King
One of the most acclaimed musical talents, the singer-songwriter chronicles her childhood, marriage to artistic partner Gerry Coffin, the “Tapestry” album which remained on the charts for more than six years, experiences as a mother and performances.

Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream by Neil Young
The singer, songwriter and guitarist recounts his Canadian childhood, nearly immediate fame with Buffalo Springfield in Los Angeles, joining Crosby, Stills & Nash, starting a family and finding paradise in Hawaii.

Who I Am : A MemoirWho I Am by Pete Townshend
Lead guitarist and principal songwriter for The Who shares a candid and entertaining autobiography detailing the band’s early years, creative and commercial peaks and changes forced by the sudden death of drummer Keith Moon.

Does the Noise In My Head Bother You? By Steven Tyler
The son of a classic pianist and front man of the classic rock band Aerosmith, Tyler writes about his rise to rock stardom in the 1970s, the band’s drop in popularity and their comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Just Kids by Patti Smith
Singer-songwriter shares tales of living a hand-to-mouth artistic life in Brooklyn with late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and getting to know Janis Joplin, Sam Shepard, Johnny Winter and other icons of the times.

Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt
Singer weaves a story of her origins in Tucson, Arizona, her rise to stardom in the Southern California music scene of the 1960s and 1970s, and retirement from performing in 2009.

The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother’s Memoir by Bill Medley
Created in the thick of the musical and cultural changes sweeping the nation in the 1960s, the Righteous Brothers captured the intersection of soul, rhythm and blues and rock.

Scar TissueScar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis
The lead singer and songwriter for the Red Hot Chili Peppers presents a memoir that shares the bright and dark moments of his life and career, including his descent into drug addiction and its influence on his musical evolution.

April 17, 2015