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Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography
by Ronnie James DioRonnie James Dio was a heavy metal icon and frontman of three of the best-selling, most influential and famous rock bands in history: Rainbow, Black Sabbath and his own multi-million selling band, Dio. Rainbow in the Dark is a rollercoaster ride through the extraordinary highs and lows of Dio's life, and takes us from his early days as a street gang leader and Doo-wop singer in '60s Vegas through to his breakout success with Rainbow and Black Sabbath in the '70s and the stadiums of US metal in the '80s - ending in Dio's dressing room at Madison Square Garden, in June 1986, at the peak of his worldwide fame with Dio.Tragically Dio passed away from cancer in 2010, but had already begun writing a memoir before his death. Edited by the world-renowned music biographer Mick Wall, with the involvement of Dio's wife of over 35 years and personal manager Wendy Dio, Rainbow in the Dark will honour and feature Dio's never-before-seen original manuscript, while drawing on the extraordinary collection of print and audio interviews with the man himself to produce a vivid, raw and faithful portrait of one of the world's greatest ever rock legends.
Let Love Rule
by Lenny Kravitz'I see my story as a suite of songs that have a magical connection. I never understood that connection until I sat down to write. It was then that the magic started to flow.'Let Love Rule is a work of deep reflection. Lenny Kravitz looks back at his life with candor, self-scrutiny, and humour. 'My life is all about opposites,' he writes. 'Black and white. Jewish and Christian. The Jackson 5 and Led Zeppelin. I accepted my Gemini soul. I owned it. I adored it. Yins and yangs mingled in various parts of my heart and mind, giving me balance and fueling my curiosity and comfort.'Let Love Rule covers a vast canvas stretching from Manhattan's Upper East Side, Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant, Los Angeles's Baldwin Hills, Beverly Hills, and finally to France, England and Germany. It's the story of a wildly creative kid who, despite tough struggles at school and extreme tension at home, finds salvation in music. We see him grow as a musician and ultimately a master songwriter, producer, and performer. We also see Lenny's spiritual growth-and the powerful way in which spirit informs his music. The cast of characters surrounding Lenny is extraordinary: his father, Sy, a high-powered news executive; his mother, Roxie Roker, a television star; and Lisa Bonet, the young actress who becomes his muse.The central character, of course, is Lenny, who, despite his great aspirational energy, turns down record deal after record deal until he finds his true voice.The creation of that voice, the same voice that is able to declare 'Let Love Rule' to an international audience, is the very heart of this story.'Whether recording, performing, or writing a book,' says Lenny, 'my art is about listening to the inspiration inside and then sharing it with people. Art must bring the world closer together.'
The Sanest Guy in the Room: A Life in Lyrics
by Don BlackTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'. . . a compelling memoir. Breezy and unpretentious, The Sanest Guy in the Room is a delightful collection of memories, insider information and after-dinner anecdotes' The Times'Brilliant stories and wonderful behind-the-scenes glimpses of a life and career in show-business . . . It's bloody brilliant . . . Read it!' Michael BallDon Black is the songwriter's songwriter, a composer's dream collaborator, and the man behind some of the twentieth century's greatest musical numbers.Black made his first foray into the glittering world of showbiz as a stand-up, before realising his error and focusing on his lifelong passion instead - music. Shirley Bassey, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini and Barbra Streisand are just some of the artists Black has worked with over the years - not to mention his frequent collaborator, West End legend Andrew Lloyd Webber - in what can only be described as a remarkable musical career. Yet, never one to court fame, Black has always remained what Mark Steyn coined as 'the sanest guy in the room'.Interwoven with the stories behind songs such as 'Diamonds are Forever' and 'Born Free' are vignettes of Black's life with his beloved wife Shirley, who died in March 2018, after almost sixty years of marriage. Black writes movingly about how the enormity of his grief changed his life, and how the dark days are slowly turning into dark moments.The Sanest Guy in the Room is a rich and delightful paean to a life lived through song. It reveals the essence of Black's craft, looks at those who have inspired him and allows us to understand what made those icons tick. It is also a poignant tribute to Shirley, his biggest inspiration. Told with wit, warmth and great humour, this is Don Black's astonishing musical journey and an insight into a life behind the lyrics.
You've Got This: And Other Things I Wish I Had Known
by Louise RedknappThe Sunday Times bestseller'Frank, funny and inspiring' - You Magazine'Louise is just ready to do her - and we're here for it' - Glamour'Warm-hearted, honest and relatable' - Daily Mirror__________________________________________In more than two decades in the limelight, Louise Redknapp has weathered her fair share of ups and downs, but through it all she's remained unapologetically true to herself.From dancing in her bedroom as a young girl with big dreams to getting a scholarship to Italia Conti and experiencing her first taste of musical success with Eternal, to navigating fertility struggles, motherhood and rediscovering her passion for performing, in You've Got This Louise offers a refreshingly honest perspective on the experiences that have shaped her.Warm, funny and wise - like a chat with a close friend - this empowering and uplifting guide weaves together Louise's personal stories and poignant observations on life to gently reassure and encourage, while providing tips and advice on how to get the most out of life by embracing positivity.Brimming with insight on falling back in love with yourself, managing expectations, overcoming critics, dealing with social media and trusting your instincts as a parent, this is Louise's powerful love letter to anyone who has ever wondered if they're getting it right: you've got this.
Bunnyman: A Memoir: The Sunday Times bestseller
by Will SergeantGrowing up in Liverpool in the 1960s and '70s, when skinheads, football violence and fear of just about everything was the natural order of things, a young Will Sergeant found the emerging punk scene provided a shimmer of hope amongst a crumbling city still reeling from the destruction of the Second World War. From school-day horrors and mud flinging fun to nights at Liverpool's punk club, Eric's, Sergeant was fuelled by and thrived on music. It was this devotion that led to the birth of the Bunnymen, to the days when he and Ian McCulloch would muck around with reel-to-reel recordings of song ideas in the back parlour of his parents' council estate house, and to finding a community - friends, enemies and many in between - with those who would become post-punk royalty from the likes of Dead or Alive, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the Teardrop Explodes to name a few.It was an uphill struggle to carve their name in the history of Liverpool music, but Echo and the Bunnymen became iconic, with songs like 'Lips Like Sugar,' 'The Cutter' and 'The Killing Moon'. By turns wry, explicit and profound, Bunnyman reveals what it was really like to be part of one of the most important British bands of the 1980s.The music at the beginning and end of this audiobook is taken from an original piece written and performed by Will Sergeant
A Likely Lad
by Peter Doherty Simon SpencePeter Doherty's is the last of the great rock 'n' roll stories - bad boy and public enemy. To his devoted fans, he is a cult hero, a modern-day Rimbaud. Musically, he has defined the past twenty years of indie rock with his sound, lyrics, lifestyle and aesthetic.Since The Libertines rose to international fame, Doherty has proved endlessly fascinating. A whirlwind of controversy and scandal has tailed him ever since the early 2000s, so much so that all too often his talents as a songwriter and performer have been overlooked; for every award and accolade, there is a scathing review. Hard drugs, tiny gigs on the hoof, huge stadium shows, collaborations, obliterations, gangsters and groupies - Doherty has led a life of huge highs and incredible lows.With his wildest days behind him, Doherty candidly explores - with sober and sometimes painful insight - some of his greatest and darkest moments, taking us inside the creative process, decadent parties, substance-fuelled nights, his time in prison and tendency for self-destruction. With his trademark wit and humour, Doherty also details his childhood years, key influences, pre-fame London shenanigans, and reflects on his era-defining relationship with Libertines co-founder Carl Barât and other significant people in his life. There is humour, warmth, insight, baleful reflection and a defiant sense of triumph.A Likely Lad is Doherty's version of the story - the genuine man behind the fame and infamy. This is a rock memoir like no other.
Limited Edition of One: How to Succeed in the Music Industry Without Being Part of the Mainstream
by Steven WilsonThe more I thought about it, the more I realised my career has been unusual. How did I manage to do everything wrong but still end up on the front cover of magazines, headlining world tours and achieving Top 5 albums? How did I attract such obsessive and fanatical fans, many of whom take everything I do or say very personally, which is simultaneously flattering but can also be tremendously frustrating? Even this I somehow cultivated without somehow meaning to. My accidental career.Limited Edition of One is unlike any other music book you will ever have read.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.Part the story of a twenty-first century artist who achieved chart-topping mainstream success without ever becoming part of the mainstream. From Abba to Stockhausen, via a collection of conversations and thought pieces on the art of listening, the rules of collaboration, lists of lists, personal stories, professional adventurism (including food, film, TV, modern art), old school rock stardom, how to negotiate an obsessive fanbase and survive on social media, and dream-fever storytelling.
The First 21: The New York Times Bestseller
by Nikki SixxThe New York Times bestsellerNikki Sixx is one of the most respected, recognizable, and entrepreneurial icons in the music industry. As the founder of Mötley Crüe who is now in his twenty-first year of sobriety, Sixx is incredibly passionate about his craft and wonderfully open about his life in rock and roll, and as a person of the world.Born Franklin Carlton Feranna on December 11, 1958, young Frankie was abandoned by his father and partly raised by his mother, a woman who was ahead of her time in some ways and deeply troubled in others. Frankie ended up living with his grandparents, bouncing from farm to farm and state to state. He was an all-American kid-hunting, fishing, chasing girls, and playing football-but underneath it all, there was a burning desire for more, and that more was music. He eventually took a Greyhound bound for Hollywood.In Los Angeles, Frank lived with his aunt and his uncle-the president of Capitol Records. But there was no short path to the top. He was soon on his own. There were dead-end jobs: dipping circuit boards, clerking at liquor and record stores, selling used light bulbs, and hustling to survive. But at night, Frank honed his craft, joining Sister, a band formed by fellow hard-rock veteran Blackie Lawless, and formed a group of his own: London, the precursor of Mötley Crüe. Turning down an offer to join Randy Rhoads' band, Frank changed his name to Nikki London, Nikki Nine, and, finally, Nikki Sixx. Like Huck Finn with a stolen guitar, he had a vision: a group that combined punk, glam, and hard rock into the biggest, most theatrical and irresistible package the world had ever seen. With hard work, passion, and some luck, the vision manifested in reality - and this is a profound true story finding identity, of how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx. And it's a road map to the ways you can overcome anything, and achieve all of your goals, if only you put your mind to it.
Same Old Girl: Staying alive, staying sane, staying myself
by Sylvia Patterson'There's no mistaking the writing of Sylvia Patterson' Sunday Times'One of the finest writers in the world' David QuantickHow does the big stuff in life truly change us?In late 2019, Sylvia Patterson was a celebrated pop journalist, still merrily writing about the musical greats. But with the diagnosis of a life-threatening disease, a global pandemic and the collapse of her industry, life was about to take a drastic turn.It was a misadventure that would teach her many things. The power of friendship, the shock of mortality and what happens when love is tested. How a walk in the park, a spontaneous dance and a TV hero can save your life. How your perspective can shift on everything, from work, family and music, to what truly makes you happy. And what really happens when your body, never mind your kitchen, falls apart.The follow-up to the Costa-shortlisted I'm Not with the Band, this is Sylvia's unflinching, poignant and gallows-funny odyssey through the mid-life trials we all face, as she tries to answer the big question: would it all change her, or would she stay that same old girl?
Under A Rock
by Chris SteinThis audiobook includes the song 'Heartbreak Kid', an exclusive early track from Blondie's forthcoming album'Sometimes fate deals up a wild card. There's a lot to be said for one of these wild cards and from what I've learned over the fifty or so years of our friendship, Chris is a card from the unexpected deck' - from the foreword by Debbie HarryMusician, photographer, storyteller, and longtime partner to Debbie Harry, Chris Stein defined the sound of an era, catapulting the icon band Blondie to #1 and selling over 20 million copies of Parallel Lines.In this no-holds-barred autobiography, Stein reveals himself-this time not in songwriting or photography, which he's previously been known for, but in words. From a Brooklyn boyhood, a move across the river to the gritty and fecund East Village in the late 1970s allowed Stein to tap the explosive creativity that defined the era in the city. It was a time when David Bowie and the Ramones were also making music, when Andy Warhol was still alive and promoting Jean-Michel Basquiat's work, when cool was defined not by where you came from but by what you could contribute to culture.UNDER A ROCK is a plunge into that vanished time period, and into the moments that turned the fresh sound and new look of punk and new wave into a giant artistic and commercial sensation. Stein takes us there in this revelatory, propulsive, distinctive memoir.
The Piano Player of Budapest: A True Story of Holocaust Survival, Music and Hope
by Roxanne de BastionOne man, his piano and their miraculous survival.'Extraordinary' Baroness Julia Neuberger'Stunning. A beautiful blend of action, poetry, thought-provoking comment and music ... just brilliant' James Ainscough OBE'A gripping narrative of suffering, loss and survival, with music at its heart' Fiona MaddocksAll future, freedom and success lay ahead of young pianist Stephen de Bastion in 1930s Hungary. Life whirled headily around cocktails, romance, applause and the buzz of Budapest late into the night. Then, 1939. Stephen's world disintegrates and this becomes a story of his brutal descent, of his time in labour camps, of Mauthausen and Gunskirchen and the unimaginable horrors he endured during the Holocaust as a man of Jewish descent. Yet, this is also a tale of extraordinary escape ... and the piano, waiting for him.The same piano that Roxanne de Bastion, his granddaughter, inherits when her father dies. It has been in the family over one hundred years but it is only when, deep in grief, she discovers a cassette recording of Stephen, that the astonishing history of the piano, the man and her family begins to unravel. Weaving together his original recordings, unpublished memoirs, letters and documents, Roxanne sings out her grandfather's story of music and hope, lost and found. Luminous and profoundly moving, this book captures the great spirit of one man in the face of darkness and the hope that echoes down through generations.
My Family and Other Rock Stars: ‘An insane amount of fun' Andrew Miller
by Tiffany Murray'Gloriously tender and funny . . . with My Family and Other Rock Stars, Murray has written a bohemian rhapsody of her very own' SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE WEEK'A love letter to a remarkable childhood' SARAH WINMAN'Full of pop gossip that'll leave you starry-eyed, and written with a warmth and precision you'll want to savour for as long as you can . . . I didn't want it to end' SÉAMAS O'REILLY 'Funny, vivid and touching . . . An utter treat' RACHEL JOYCE____________________________________________________________________________In a small corner of a field in Wales, Tiffany Murray is hiding with Boggle the dog, dreaming of her mum's moussaka, blackberry and apple crumble, and, if she's lucky, ice-cold lemonade. A sheep bleats. The smell of hay tickles her nose. The twang of a guitar and crack of a snare carry on the breeze.It's the late 1970s and Tiff lives with her mum, Joan, at Rockfield, the iconic recording studios. This place of legend, where some of the most famous rock albums of all time were recorded, is the background to a freewheeling, ever-changing whirlwind of a childhood. Tiff's days are spent running around the farm, making friends with local wildlife and helping out with the endless array of dishes her mum creates to keep the bands fed. She's looking for a dog, she's looking for a father; but the one constant throughout is her and Joan, building an unconventional family in the most unlikely of locations.My Family and Other Rock Stars is Tiff's remarkable, truly unique story of growing up in a rural idyll, of Cordon Bleu cookery and of a childhood where the chances of bumping into Freddie Mercury playing piano, or a group of Hell's Angels turning up to record for Lemmy, or even the hope of David Bowie appearing, were as normal as hopscotch and homework.My Family and Other Rock Stars was the Sunday Times book of the week 12.05.2024
Echoes: A memoir continued . . .
by Will SergeantTHE FOLLOW UP MEMOIR TO SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, BUNNYMANScenic Wye Valley isn't the typical place for a rock story to begin, but when Echo & the Bunnymen hit the studio to record their ground-breaking debut album, Crocodiles, it was anything but ordinary. The album was the making of the band - cultivating a cult following which would soon evolve into staggering mainstream success. Their lives would never be the same again.In Echoes, legendary guitarist and founding member of Echo & the Bunnymen, Will Sergeant, recounts the band's whirlwind rise to stardom with his trademark wryness and intelligence. Sharing never-before-told anecdotes - including the heady Rockfield Studio sessions and touring across the US, playing sold-out shows at Whisky a Go Go and experiencing the iconic New York club scene from dusk 'til dawn - and accompanied by snapshots of the cultural, social and political scene at the time, this is a memoir to remember.The music at the beginning and end of this audiobook is taken from Dragonflies, an original piece written and performed by Will Sergeant
Harry Styles
by Alice MontgomeryFind out all about Harry Styles - the sexiest member of the hottest boy band on the planet - in this Sunday Times bestselling biography by Alice Montgomery. When Harry Styles auditioned for the X-Factor, little did he know he'd soon be leaving behind school, his Saturday bakery job, obscurity and an ordinary life. One Direction made it to the final and won a record deal, and it wasn't long before Harry's face covered bedroom walls up and down the country. But how did Harry cope with his new-found fame? And what happens when you take America by storm in a 'British Invasion'? With gorgeous green eyes and curls that send girls wild, Harry has found himself surrounded by beautiful women. But what's the truth behind the rumours? Here, his relationships with Caroline Flack, Taylor Swift and the married Lucy Horobin are laid bare. And what next for Harry and 1D? This book by Alice Montgomery will give you the low down on how Harry Styles and the rest of 1D are set to take on the world.Alice Montgomery works in London and is a freelance author. She has written several bestselling biographies, including Susan Boyle: Dreams Can Come True and Katy Perry.
Our World: Our OFFICIAL autobiography
by Little MixCelebrate Little Mix's first UK number-one album - Glory Days - by reading the full story of the girls' astonishing rise to pop super stardom. Our World is full of exclusive photos and inspirational stories about Jade, Perrie, Jesy and Leigh-Anne's unique friendship.Little Mix are the UK's most successful girl band. They first found fame - and each other - on The X Factor in 2011. Five years later they have gone from strength to strength, achieving huge global success. With three platinum-selling albums in the UK and over 14 million record sales worldwide, the band are both adored by their fans and critically acclaimed for their brilliant music. In this book the girls share the real behind-the-scenes story of both their personal lives and their success. They reveal the many highs - what it feels like to perform in front of thousands of people; the excitement of seeing your music soar to Number One around the world - but also the lows. Through it all the girls have had each other, and their incredibly close friendship has grown stronger and stronger as the years have gone by. Now the girls are like sisters, and in this book they share their journeys and how it feels for your dreams to come true.Brimming with exclusive photos, this book shares with us the girls' innermost secrets - their hopes and dreams for the future, their families, their relationships, their style advice and above all their friendship. This book is Little Mix's story in their own words and tells you everything you need to know about their lives both in and out of the spotlight.
Twentieth-Century Classical Music: A Ladybird Expert Book (The Ladybird Expert Series #20)
by Fiona MaddocksPart of the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIES.____________How did modern classical music develop over the 20th Century?What enabled women to get their music performed in the early 1900s?Which classical composers borrowed from jazz?How did composers respond to politics and war?DISCOVER the stories behind Mahler's, Symphony No. 5 (1901-2), Ullman's Piano Sonata No. 7 (1944), Bernstein's West Side Story (1957), as well as learn about minimalism, jazz, swing, opera . . . AND UNDERSTAND TWENTIETH CENTURY CLASSICAL MUSIC.Discover the answers and more inside Fiona Maddocks' Twentieth Century Classical Music, the thrilling and accessible account that explains what happened throughout the 20th century, who the key composers were and what influenced them to write what they did?
Our Journey: Rak Su’s Official Autobiography. The X Factor Winners
by Rak-SuA shout-out to all fans of Rak-Su - this is their story, from where it all began to where they are now, full of exclusive stories and pictures. Make it a special day. Make it a Rak-Su day! __________Rak-Pack! Are you ready for our official story?As long as we've been friends, we've been creating our unique sound of soul, R'n'B, Hip-Hop, Latin and Caribbean music.Keeping the momentum going from our X-Factor journey, we are now performing at sold-out arenas, making more music and having fun!So why not join us on the adventure? Unrivalled access to never-before-seen photos, intimate stories, and behind-the-scenes info - in our first and only memoir!_________Ashley, Jamaal, Myles and Mustafa shot to stardom in 2017 as the first ever male group to win the X-Factor. Since then, the soulful boys have been topping the charts with their eclectic sound, performing at sold-out arenas, touring with global sensation Little Mix, recording their first album and most recently dropping their brand new hit single, Pyro Ting.Join Rak-Su on their journey from ordinary North-West London lads, to victors of one of the world's biggest talent shows in their one and ONLY! OFFICIAL memoir, Our Journey.
A Different Stage: The remarkable and intimate life story of Gary Barlow told through music
by Gary BarlowTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERJoin national treasure Gary Barlow as he opens the curtains on his remarkable life in this stunning autobiography, from his fascinating early life to his star-studded music career'Warm, wise . . . A never-before-seen insight into one of Britain's greatest songwriters' Woman's Own'I just wanted to share my personal journey through the last five decades - the highs and lows, the ups and downs. So in A Different Stage, this is me opening the curtains and sharing moments nobody has heard or seen before . . .'__________In this warm, intimate and humorous book, rich with nostalgia and unexpected intimate detail, Gary Barlow unpacks the people, music, places, things and cultural phenomena that have made him the man that he is.From the working men's club where it all began through to the sold out stadium tours, this is the story of Gary's life told through music.Filled with a mixture of brand new photography from Gary's current one-man show and incredibly personal unseen photos and notebooks, A Different Stage is a beautiful book about the man we've spent our lives listening to.__________'Refreshingly honest . . . Think you know everything there is to know about the Take That megastar? Think again' Woman & Home
Doctor Who: a 1990s story
by Doctor Who Dave Rudden*Part of the six books for six decades collection*It's Dublin in 1994, and the Doctor and Donna have arrived at the tiny nightclub known as Tripod.Tripod is famous for precisely one thing - the night where four young women came together to make the biggest girl band of the 90s: the Blood Honeys.Donna has convinced the Doctor to visit their first ever concert - and he has begrudgingly agreed.Naturally the band is kidnapped by a deadly pack of siren-like creatures who feed off human adulation, with an eye on taking over the world.With Dublin and the world to save, Donna may get her chance to perform on the world's biggest stage . . .
The Complete Lyrics: 1978–2022
by Nick CaveThe complete lyrics from cultural icon and bestselling author Nick Cave, spanning his entire career to date, with a new foreword by Andrew O'Hagan From Nick Cave's writing for The Birthday Party, through highly acclaimed albums like Murder Ballads, Henry's Dream, DIG, LAZARUS, DIG!!! and Ghosteen, this is a must-have book for all fans of the dark, the beautiful and the defiant - for all fans of the songs of Nick Cave.'The greatest living songwriter' NME'A glowing wire, a mainline to meaning ad feeling and art' New Yorker'Nick Cave is a true lyrical master. He can conjure empathy and hope out of thin air, light out of darkness' Cillian Murphy'His lyrics - so rich in the toils of love, so committed to memory and everlasting presence - are the best-made of his generation' Andrew O'Hagan'A poetic craftsman' Will Self'Alternative rock legend' Billboard'Cave's genius rings loud and clear' Evening StandardCover art by Aleksandra Waliszewska
Handel: The Man & His Music
by Jonathan KeatesJonathan Keates original biography of Handel was hailed as a masterpiece on its publication in 1985. This fully revised and updated new edition - published to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the composers death - charts in detail Handel's life, from his youth in Germany, through his brilliantly successful Italian sojourn, to the opulence and squalor of Georgian London where he made his permanent home. For over two decades Handel was absorbed in London's heady but precarious operatic world. But even his phenomenal energy and determination could not overcome the public's growing indifference to Italian opera in the 1730s, and he turned finally to oratorio, a genre which he made peculiarly his own and in which he created some of his finest works, such as Saul, Messiah, Belshazzar and Jephtha.Over the last two decades a complete revolution in Handel's status has taken place. He is now seen both as a titanic figure in music, whose compositions have found a permanent place in the international repertoire, and as one of the world's favourite composers, with snatches of his work accompanying weddings, funerals and television commercials the world over.Skillfully interwoven with the account of Handel's life are commentaries on all his major works, as well as many less familiar pieces by this most inventive, expressive and captivating of composers. Handel was an extraordinary genius whose career abounded in reversals that would have crushed anyone with less resilience and will power, and Jonathan Keates writes about his life and work with sympathy and scrutiny.
What's It All About?
by Cilla BlackCilla Black is without doubt one of Britain's most treasured personalities. Generations have grown up with Cilla's music, TV shows, and performances. But how much do we really know about 'the girl with the bright red hair and the jet black voice'? What's It All About? is Cilla's own story, told for the first time ever. It's the story of a woman who has worked ceaselessly to stay at the top for forty years despite setbacks and personal tragedy; a life of incredible highs and terrible lows. In this deeply personal autobiography she tells her unique story in intimate and vivid detail for the very first time. This is the real Cilla Black.
Finding My Voice
by Russell WatsonRussell 'The Voice' Watson is a star with a real story to tell. While most stars of today find success early, Russell was still working in a Salford factory at the age of 30. He spent the evenings singing in working men's clubs for extra cash to keep the bailiffs from his family's door. The chairman of Manchester United gave him his big break in May 1999: the opportunity to sing at Old Trafford. His extraordinary performance was quickly followed by a record deal and his phenomenal debut album.Despite his outward success, Russell struggled with his health and family life. His rapid rise to fame led to a bitter divorce from his childhood sweetheart and his private life being splashed across the tabloids. Then last year he was struck down by a life-threatening brain tumour. This plunged Russell into a deep depression and it was only the thought of leaving his two children fatherless that kept him going. Just when it seemed he was fully recovered he collapsed again while recording and had to have emergency surgery on a second brain tumour that threatened his voice, his sight and his life.Now, in his own words, Russell tells us the amazing story of his life.
Falling and Laughing: The Restoration of Edwyn Collins
by Grace MaxwellIn February 2005, Edwyn Collins suffered two devastating brain haemorrhages. He should have died. Doctors advised that if he did survive, there would be little of him left. If that wasn't enough, he went on to contract MRSA as a result of an operation to his skull and spent six months in hospital. Initially, Edwyn couldn't speak, read, write, walk, sit up or feed himself. He had lost all movement in his right side and was suffering from aphasia - an inability to use or understand language. When he initially recovered consciousness the only words he could say were 'Grace', 'Maxwell', 'yes' and 'no'.But with the help of his partner Grace and their son Will, Edwyn fought back. Slowly, and with monumental effort, he began to teach his brain to read and speak all over again - with some areas of his mind it was if he had been a slate wiped utterly clean. Through a long and arduous road of therapy he began to re-inhabit his body until he could walk again. Grace's story is an intimate and inspiring account of what you do to survive when your husband is all but taken away without warning by a stroke.
The Wonderbird
by David LucasA breathtakingly beautiful picture book about togetherness, perfect for fans of The Fox and the Star.A flock of birds flew among the stars, twittering, chirruping, piping, hooting, all singing one wonderful song ...They sang to the Wonderbird, a million different voices all in harmony.But who IS the Wonderbird? wondered Piper.As the birds scatter to seek the mysterious Wonderbird, Piper travels to the edge of the Milky Way ... and, lost and alone, discovers the answer to his question. David Lucas's extraordinary book reminds us that there is nothing more powerful than togetherness.