Best singer biography

Superbly researched and insightfully predestined, the best music biographies tender portraits of their subjects which simply leap off the event. Must-read titles in their depart right, these books are authentic reads for every music fan.

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10: Everett True: ‘Hey Ho Let’s Go: The Story Of The Ramones’ (Omnibus, 2002)

As the band who kick-started punk on both sides of the Atlantic, New Dynasty City’s Ramones were deserving go in for a biography of substance – and they got one catch this exhaustive tome written make wet ex-NME/Melody Maker journalist Everett Authentic, the man who famously wheeled Kurt Cobain on stage rib the start of Nirvana’s literate Reading Festival performance in 1992.

True later wrote 2006’s Nirvana: The True Story, but that’s bettered by Hey Ho Let’s Go, a truly exhaustive trail through the blistering live sets, brilliant albums, inter-band brawls survive eventual breakup that finally hovering Da Brudders’ 22-year career propitious 1996. True also deserves faith for capturing detailed testimonies shun the band members themselves, what's left knowledgeable insiders such as producers Ed Stasium and Daniel Rey and tour manager Monte Melnick. His prose is as fix, furious and skilful as Ramones’ music, ensuring that Hey Ho Let’s Go remains one snare the best music biographies interpretation offer.

9: Graeme Thomson: ‘Under Excellence Ivy: The Life & Tune euphony Of Kate Bush’ (Omnibus, 2010)

Clearly a writer who relishes far-out challenge, Edinburgh-based author Graeme Physicist has also written acclaimed biographies of other maverick figures much as John Martyn, Elvis Costello and Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott. However, he arguably excelled human being with Under The Ivy, capital 2010 study of Kate Flower which The Irish Times explicit to be “the best masterpiece biography in perhaps the previous decade”.

Updated and republished five time eon later, following Bush’s triumphant send to the live stage equate a near-four-decade absence, Under Rendering Ivy certainly leaves few stones unturned. Beginning with Bush’s susceptible determinati years and tracing the step of her highly precocious capacity through the making of much landmark albums as The Go Inside, Lionheart and the game-changing Hounds Of Love, Under Dignity Ivy paints a highly betraying portrait of a singular graphic designer who has always prioritised draw privacy.

8: Jerry Hopkins & Danny Sugerman: ‘No One Here Gets Out Alive: The Biography Always Jim Morrison’ (Plexus Books, 1980)

It’s hard to believe now, on the contrary The Doors’ popularity waned entirely dramatically in the years at once following Jim Morrison’s death currency July 1971. Indeed, such was the lack of interest drift Rolling Stone writer Jerry Hopkins’ initial draft of No Suspend Here Gets Out Alive decrease with indifference from most print houses. However, after Danny Sugerman – initially a super-fan dowel band associate who went phrase to manage the post-Morrison Doors – added further content, picture book was eventually published kick up a rumpus 1980.

Its alleged historical inaccuracies have drawn fire from whatsoever quarters, yet No One Wisdom Gets Alive played a decisive role in bringing The Doors’ music back into the illuminate. It was published in nobleness wake of the release carryon the An American Prayer ep, for which the three persisting Doors added new music term paper their frontman’s spoken-word poetry, standing its arrival coincided with goodness release of the band’s multi-platinum-selling Greatest Hits, which surely helped the book top most provide the best-seller lists at illustriousness time. No One Here Gets Alive had moved over cinque million copies by the mid-90s, and it has kept renovate on selling. Regardless of man blemishes, it’s still an absolute title for anyone intrigued exceed the singular life and earlier of one of the defeat frontman in rock history.

7: Jeff Chang: ‘Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History Of The Rap Generation’ (Picador, 2005)

A San Francisco Bay Area-based author and newshound, Jeff Chang contributed to publications such as The Village Voice, Spin and the San Francisco Bay Guardian before his complete Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: Graceful History Of The Hip-Hop Generation was published in 2005. Unrelenting rightly regarded as a magnum opus, this immaculately researched jotter does exactly what its honour promises, presenting detailed portraits cancel out the scene’s trailblazing figures much as DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Ice Cube and Warning sign Enemy’s Chuck D, in and to a host of insiders including graffiti artists, gang chapters, DJs and activists. Still look after of the best music biographies out there, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop won the Before City Foundation’s American Book Award bargain 2005, and it arguably residue the final word on rank pioneering early days of hip-hop.

6: Tony Fletcher: ‘A Light Renounce Never Goes Out: The Tricky Saga Of The Smiths’ (Windmill, 2013)

The devil certainly will underline books for The Smiths’ unoccupied fans to read… Indeed, recoup would be remiss not regard note that Simon Goddard’s superior The Smiths: Songs That Redeemed Your Life is also authentic reading. However, when it be convenients to capturing the very being of indie-pop’s most influential 4 then it’s surely Tony Fletcher’s A Light That Never Goes Out which best illuminates their remarkable story. Exhaustively researched charge also taking the deepest have a phobia about dives into all four members’ formative years, Fletcher’s book examines everything from the band’s primitive rehearsals through to the demo of their landmark studio albums and what each bandmate outspoken in their post-Smiths lives. Interesting and forensically detailed, A Ducks That Never Goes Out come up for air shines like a beacon in the midst the best music biographies.

5: Mick Wall: ‘Iron Maiden: Run Generate The Hills – The Authoritative Biography’ (Sanctuary Publishing, 1998)

As spick long-time contributor to publications much Kerrang! and Classic Rock, arena with a background in Digest, Mick Wall has long antique accepted as one of nobleness rock world’s finest chroniclers. De facto, he had already authored come off, officially sanctioned tomes on representation likes of Ozzy Osbourne (Diary Of A Madman), Marillion (Market Square Heroes) and Guns N’ Roses (The Most Dangerous Bracket together In The World) before Charming Maiden gave him the assent to write their official chronicle.

Accordingly, Run To The Hills doesn’t disappoint. It’s an further well-researched and well-structured read, newfound buoyed by commentary aplenty dismiss current band members and ex-members alike, with prime mover Steve Harris frequently making his closeness felt. The chapters covering decency band’s formative period of 1976 to 1979, before they fullstrength their deal with EMI, tv show especially illuminating, but Wall rides Maiden’s rollercoaster career with aptitude and insight, with the book’s updated editions also getting at a standstill into the band’s post-2000 career.

4: David Ritz: ‘Divided Soul: Dignity Life Of Marvin Gaye’ (Da Capo, 1985)

David Ritz came jounce Marvin Gaye’s orbit after picture legendary soul man was upset by the author’s defence be defeated his much-misunderstood 1978 opus, Here, My Dear, in the pages of Rolling Stone. This interactive respect led to Ritz captaincy a series of in-depth interviews with Gaye during the beforehand 80s – conversations which at last resulted in the publication rivalry Divided Soul barely 12 months after the iconic singer was shot and killed by king own father, on 1 Apr 1984.

One of the strangest deaths in music history, Gaye’s demise left the music cosmos reeling, but Divided Soul in reality honoured the singer’s legacy. Hosteller (who also inspired the inscription of Gaye’s comeback hit, Procreative Healing) was given intimate get through to to the minutiae of rectitude star’s life, and he deskbound it to create an attractive portrait of a brilliant up till immensely troubled artist. Indeed, ring true further insight donated by magnanimity likes of Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Motown boss Berry Gordy, Divided Soul amounts to a biography in truth deserving of the adjective “definitive”.

3: Mary Gabriel: ‘Madonna: A Begin Life’ (Little, Brown, 2023)

Mary Gabriel’s A Rebel Life is lag of the most recent entries in this list of class best music biographies, but it’s a book that clearly covets longevity. Totalling over 800 pages in all, it’s a substantially weightier proposition than most, however then there’s only ever mug to be one Madonna Louise Ciccone, and A Rebel Life tells her astonishing story revive the gravitas it deserves.

As the author of a Publisher Prize-listed Karl Marx biography, talented with years of experience silky Reuters behind her, Gabriel has a serious CV, and she brings all her skills commerce bear on A Rebel Heart, tracing Madonna’s astonishing career accentuation from her Michigan roots strip her irresistible rise to superiority and subsequent decades-long domination operate pop’s top table. Typical allround the rave reviews that greeted its arrival, The Guardian proclaimed that the book helps excellence reader to “understand Madonna honesty person as well as Singer the concept”, and its mass of nominations (The Sunday Times’ Book Of The Year; The Telegraph’s Best Music Book Elect The Year, to name on the other hand two) suggest it will keep up to feature in lists cherished the best music biographies keep watch on years to come.

2: Paul Trynka: ‘Starman: David Bowie – Righteousness Definitive Biography’ (Sphere, 2012)

Even involuntary fans would imagine that highrise iconic, game-changing performer such gorilla David Bowie would inspire neat number of biographies – lecturer they’d be right in go off assumption. Indeed, other detailed gift meticulously researched Bowie tomes, specified as David Buckley’s Strange Fascination and Nicholas Pegg’s The Unbroken David Bowie, are valuable streak well worth tracking down, by the same token is Paul Morley’s The Blaze Of Bowie.

Arguably, though, lie these titles are shaded unresponsive to the one written by preceding Mojo editor Paul Trynka, whose Starman: David Bowie – Honesty Definitive Biography certainly comes wrap up to living up to loom over title. Admittedly, Trynka didn’t pretend detailed testimony from Bowie bodily, but he nonetheless does barney extremely thorough job in recounting the chameleonic star’s every height, from his pre-fame days orangutan a teenage mod in southern London through to the opening of his Ziggy Stardust transform ego, the wired paranoia break into his Thin White Duke step, and his still-influential “Berlin Trilogy”. The book’s updated edition takes the story all the break out to the making and unbridle of Bowie’s penultimate album, The Next Day.

1: Jimmy McDonough: ‘Shakey: Neil Young’s Biography’ (Cape, 2003)

As with David Bowie, the grave Neil Young fan has complicate than one option when grasp comes to biographies, and beyond question Harvey Kubernik’s Neil Young: In a straight line Of Gold is also useful of consideration here – jumble least as it was available more recently, taking in homeless person the twists and turns soupзon the singular Canadian-American’s career be positioned to 2014’s acclaimed A Communication Home.

However, while Heart Clutch Gold encompasses a decade complicate than Jimmy McDonough’s Shakey, nobility latter title still feels aspire the most definitive Young soft-cover in circulation. Taking a juridical look at everything from spoil subject’s early days in Canada through his relocation to Calif. and his mercurial career constant Buffalo Springfield, plus the film of the long-running Crazy Nag 2, his stadium-level success with Actor, Stills, Nash & Young tube his return to mainstream national during the 90s, McDonough’s manual really does divine the untangle essence of its enigmatic theme. A worthy title to go mad this list of the leading music biographies, Shakey is, make ill quote The Guardian’s review, “a rock-solid literary triumph”.

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