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A Ship without a Sail: The Life of Lorenz Hart
by Gary MarmorsteinAn unforgettable portrait of an exuberant yet troubled artist who so enriched the American songbook "Blue Moon, " "Where or When, " "The Lady Is a Tramp," "My Funny Valentine," "Isn't It Romantic?," "My Romance," "There's a Small Hotel," "Falling in Love with Love," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"--lyricist Lorenz Hart, together with composer Richard Rodgers, wrote some of the most memorable songs ever created. More than half a century after their collaboration ended, Rodgers & Hart songs are indispensable to the repertoire of nightclub singers everywhere. A Ship Without a Sail is the story of the complicated man who was Lorenz Hart. His lyrics spin with brilliance and sophistication, yet at their core is an unmistakable wistfulness. The sweetness of "My Romance" and "Isn't It Romantic?" is unsurpassed in American song, but Hart's lyrics could also be cynical, funny, ironic. He brought a unique wit and elegance to popular music. Larry Hart and Richard Rodgers wrote approximately thirty Broadway musicals and dozens of songs for Hollywood films. At least four of their musicals--On Your Toes, Babes in Arms, The Boys from Syracuse, and Pal Joey-- have become classics. But despite their prodigious collaboration, Rodgers and Hart were an odd couple. Rodgers was precise, punctual, heterosexual, handsome, and eager to be accepted by Society. Hart was barely five feet tall, alcoholic, homosexual, and more comfortable in a bar or restaurant than anywhere else. Terrified of solitude, he invariably threw the party and picked up the check. His lyrics are all the more remarkable considering that he never sustained a romantic relationship, living his entire life with his mother, who died only months before he died at age forty-eight. Gary Marmorstein's revelatory biography includes many of the lyrics that define Hart's legacy--those clever, touching stanzas that still move us or make us laugh.
Ruthless: A Memoir
by Gil Reavill Jerry Heller"PAYBACK'S A BITCH, JERRY." The words scrawled crudely across Jerry Heller's bedroom mirror that afternoon meant the rap wars had suddenly escalated. In the battle of his life over the ragingly successful music label he had helped found, Ruthless Records, Heller had seen death threats, strong-arming, and beatings. Now the violence had come home when his enemies burglarized his house, jacked his Corvette, and left behind this sneering piece of graffito. Heller didn't get mad; he got even. Ruthless tells the explosive story of Jerry Heller's alliance with Eric Wright, aka Eazy-E, one of the legends of rap music and a founding member of N.W.A., "the world's most dangerous band." As a longtime music industry superagent, Heller had the skill and insight necessary to guide N.W.A.'s cometlike rise to the top of the charts. Along the way there were raucous nationwide tours, out-of-control MTV pool parties, and X-rated business meetings. Heller held on through the brutal shocks and reversals of the Ruthless Records era, which saw the label being targeted by the FBI, and its principal artists locked in bitter conflict, until a final turnaround placed Ruthless at the top of the heap once more. Always in the middle of the whirlwind were Jerry and Eazy, an odd-couple pairing that represents one of the deepest and most appealing stories in American music. You don't have to be an N.W.A. fan to love Ruthless. Heller turns the music industry inside out, exposing its strange logic and larger-than-life personalities. Ruthless provides keen insight into the popular music scene, with an unforgettable portrait of its rollicking excesses, life-churning drama, and multimillion-dollar highs.
Miss Misery
by Andy GreenwaldOnce I started, I couldn't stop. It felt like falling down the stairs.... Meet David Gould: abandoned by his girlfriend, pushing the deadline for his first book, tormented by writer's block, and obsessed with the impossibly sexy, overwhelmingly alive diaries young people keep online. Outside it's a beautiful, Brooklyn summer. But inside his apartment David is sleeping in, screening calls, draining beer after beer, and dreaming of Miss Misery -- aka twenty-two-year-old provocateur Cath Kennedy -- a total stranger with impeccable music taste and an enviable nightlife. Now meet David Gould online. Here, in his fictional diary, he's a downtown DJ and an inveterate night owl, drinking and charming countless girls until the sun comes up. But when Miss Misery moves to New York City and begins canoodling with an insufferable hipster, David's diary mysteriously begins updating itself. The reason? David Gould has a doppelgänger, an obnoxious shadow set on claiming David's newly glamorous life as his own. Even worse for David, the phone calls from his editor are becoming increasingly desperate, and the voice mails from his girlfriend -- an ocean away -- are becoming more and more distant. And then there are all of the instant messages from seventeen-year-old Ashleigh Bortch, an emo kid in Salt Lake City with an inappropriate crush on David and a knack for showing up at precisely the wrong time. Forced out of his apartment, David Gould is facing the fight of his life. With humor, heart, and a vibrant, genre-jumping soundtrack, Andy Greenwald captures the essence of what it means to be young and struggling with identity in the new century. From cyberspace to nightclub bathrooms, from New York City to Utah, Miss Misery is a fast-paced, funny story about the timeless need to become the main character in your own life.
The Art of the Band T-shirt
by Amber Easby Henry OliverONCE, T-shirts were just unadorned undergarments. But with the evolution of screen printing and the birth of band merchandising, T-shirts became so much cooler. Now every band with an ounce of savvy knows the importance of T-shirts not only as a lucrative sideline but also as a means of self- promotion and a way for fans to show their allegiance. The Art of the Band T-shirt is a visual history of that perennial fashion statement, complete with nearly two hundred images of the most important, influential, iconic, and ironic T-shirts. It includes shirt images from artists as diverse as Led Zeppelin, the Ramones, Madonna, Morrissey, Public Enemy, and the Flaming Lips, each with a caption that includes historical background, little-known facts, or an artist's comments about the design. A fascinating, beautifully illustrated archive for hipsters, fashionistas, serious collectors, and all music fans, The Art of the Band T-shirt is as indispensable and classically cool as the perfect T-shirt.
The Pocket DJ
by Sarah LewitinnWith more than two thousand songs handpicked and organized by former Spin magazine writer and editor Sarah Lewitinn (aka Ultragrrrl), The Pocket DJ is the ultimate insider's reference guide for selecting music, downloading MP3s, and making all-purpose mixes for every occasion imaginable. Playlists include: Essential genres: with crowd-pleasing dance mixes for indie rockers, headbangers, and hip-hop lovers alike Essential artists: with the best songs by all the greats from the Beatles to Björk Celebrity playlists: featuring Duran Duran, Smahing Pumpkins, Interpol, and Good Charlotte, among others Other playlists: with tunes for working out, making out, or rocking out Plus rock trivia, new music recommendations, DJing tips, Web resources, and more!
Pocket Karaoke
by Sarah LewitinnYour nights of poring over massive karaoke binders are over! With more than two thousand songs handpicked and organized by music industry insider and DJ Sarah Lewitinn (a.k.a. Ultragrrrl), Pocket Karaoke is the definitive, portable guide to making your next karaoke performance unforgettable -- in all the right ways. This must-have reference book includes: SONG LISTS BY ARTIST: Featuring all of the best artists, along with levels of difficulty, drink minimums, performance tips, and similar artists. SONG LISTS BY GENRE: From oldies to new wave, disco to emo, funk to hip-hop, all the crowd-pleasing favorites are listed here. SONG LISTS BY CELEBRITIES: More than thirty musicians, DJs, and journalists list their top five favorite songs to perform at karaoke and why. SONG LISTS BY OCCASION: With duets, seductive little ditties, roof-raising party-starters, and more. Plus KARAOKE GEAR -- where to buy online, all-in-one systems, and computer programs to take your obsession to the next level!
Pocket Karaoke
by Sarah LewitinnYour nights of poring over massive karaoke binders are over! With more than two thousand songs handpicked and organized by music industry insider and DJ Sarah Lewitinn (a.k.a. Ultragrrrl), Pocket Karaoke is the definitive, portable guide to making your next karaoke performance unforgettable -- in all the right ways. This must-have reference book includes: SONG LISTS BY ARTIST: Featuring all of the best artists, along with levels of difficulty, drink minimums, performance tips, and similar artists. SONG LISTS BY GENRE: From oldies to new wave, disco to emo, funk to hip-hop, all the crowd-pleasing favorites are listed here. SONG LISTS BY CELEBRITIES: More than thirty musicians, DJs, and journalists list their top five favorite songs to perform at karaoke and why. SONG LISTS BY OCCASION: With duets, seductive little ditties, roof-raising party-starters, and more. Plus KARAOKE GEAR -- where to buy online, all-in-one systems, and computer programs to take your obsession to the next level!
Out of Sync: A Memoir
by Lance Bass Marc EliotAt sixteen, Lance Bass received a phone call from Justin Timberlake that would change his life forever. Soon after, he left his small-town home in Clinton, Mississippi, to join an emerging musical group called *NSYNC. Two years later *NSYNC was inspiring Beatles-esque mania around the world, becoming the face of the new MTV generation, and earning the all-time record for most album sales in a single day (more than one million) and in a single week for No Strings Attached. He's remained in the spotlight ever since, and here he talks in depth for the first time about his childhood, his astonishing experiences as a young man and Christian growing up in one of the biggest bands in the world, his shock and frustration at the band's eventual dissolution, and his subsequent career, including his four months in Russia, training to become a cosmonaut. He also frankly discusses life as a gay man -- his first same-sex relationship at twenty-one, his struggle to keep his sexuality hidden from *NSYNC's fans in case it jeopardized the band's success, and the true circumstances that led to his decision to publicly come out at the age of twenty-seven. Full of fascinating behind-the-scenes lore and revealing insights from a pop star who, until now, has been notoriously private, Out of Sync is the book that millions of fans have been waiting for.
Froggy Plays in the Band
by Jonathan LondonHere comes Froggy's marching band, led by the one and only Frogilina. Froggy and his pals are sure they can win the big prize in the Apple Blossom Parade, even though they haven't been playing together very long. They just need to remember the rules: Don't look left. Don't look right. And DONT STOP FOR ANYTHING! But when Froggy's around, things never go quite as planned... Limited picture descriptions added.
It's All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life
by Denise Jackson Ellen VaughnAlan and Denise Jackson's life seemed like a fairy tale: high school sweethearts marry young and leave small-town Georgia to pursue big dreams in Music City. They pay their dues, work hard, weather deep disappointments. Then their dreams come true.In fairy tales, the Jacksons' material success?plus their "perfect" marriage, their three beautiful daughters, and their supportive families?would have signaled a happily-ever-after ending.But real life is different from fairy tales.At the pinnacle of their success, the Jacksons separated. For Alan, musical renown fame, and wealth still did not make up for the marital problems the Jacksons had struggled with for years. And for Denise, building her life around Alan and riding the tide of his success had somehow left her hollow, unsure of just who she really was.You don't have to be rich and famous to go through struggles like these. Sooner or later, we all come to the point when we relize that real joy and peace isn't just around the corner of the next achievement, the next relationship, the next new thing.That's why Alan and Denise Jackson's story isn't just a great read and a dramatic, intimate look at the golden world of celebrity. It's a story of the greatest love of all, the love that will never let you go . . . and how to find it, no matter who you are, where you live, or what you've done."Denise's story is an inside perspective on the results of the ups and downs of fame. Her personal struggles with life's ordinary and extraordinary consequences, her passion to have a stronger marriage, and her desire to have a closer walk with God make for a truly inspiring life." ?Carrie Underwood, 2005 American Idol Winner, ACM & CMA Female Vocalist of the Year
Church Boy: Franklin, Kirk
by Kirk FranklinWhen he fell from a darkened stage in November 1996, Kirk Franklin could easily have been killed. That ten-foot plunge might have ended the career of one of America's most exciting young prodigies. But thanks to his dramatic recovery, the fall added not only a new dimension to his story but it brought Kirk Franklin to the attention of millions who otherwise might never have heard the name.Today Kirk Franklin is bigger than ever. His recordings have topped the charts, selling more copies in less time than any gospel musician in history. He has won every award gospel music has to offer but his own success is the last thing on his mind.This is the story of a young man from the poor side of town. He was taunted and teased as a child, but his faith and his remarkable musical talent helped him overcome the odds. In these pages Kirk Franklin reveals the real source of his strength. "What motivates me," he says, "is the knowledge that God has redeemed me from the pain and the hurts and the sin of my past and given me a new joy I can't even explain. It's not just for show," he says. "It's the truth, and that's what I want to express."
Pilgrims: Sinners, Saints, and Prophets
by Marty StuartMarty Stuart, one of the most popular country artists, portrays well-known and not-so-well-known pilgrims through spectacular photographs and well-written words. Marty portrays in the book "a life that ain't easy, but one that I understand".
100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music: The Stories Behind the Music that Changed Our Lives Forever
by Ccm100 great songs, 100 great stories. Listen to the soundtrack of your life. What do you hear? Which songs and artists have impacted your spirit and inspired your faith? This ultimate guide chronicles such songs?the top 100 songs of contemporary Christian music that have not only achieved commercial success, but have forever changed the lives of those who have listened. Selected by votes of thousands of CCM Magazine readers with the input of a top panel of Christian music insiders (including artists, executives, producers and songwriters), this list represents the best of the best. Become part of the moment where divine inspiration meets sheer musical talent. From Rich Mullins, Amy Grand, dc talk, Steven Curtis Chapman and MercyMe to pioneers like Larry Norman, Keith Green and the Gaithers, watch how the musical expression of these artists' own lives resulted in the songs that forever changed yours.
Rex: A Mother, Her Autistic Child, and the Music that Transformed Their Lives
by Cathleen Lewis<P>The inspiring story of Rex, a boy who is not only blind and autistic, but who also happens to be a musical savant. <P>How can an 11-year old boy hear a Mozart fantasy for the first time and play it back note-for-note perfectly-but struggle to navigate the familiar surroundings of his own home? <P>Cathleen Lewis says her son Rex's laugh of total abandon is the single most joyous sound anyone could hear, but his tortured aversion to touch and sound breaks her heart and makes her wonder what God could have had in mind. <P>In this book she shares the mystery of Rex and the highs, lows, hopes, dreams, joy, sorrows, and faith she has journeyed through with him.
Cinderella: The Love of a Daddy and His Princess
by Steven Curtis ChapmanAs the clock strikes midnight, remember . . . Each moment we have to spend with our children is a blessing from above. But as we cherish this chapter of life, we realize the pages of time will keep turning. Alternating between the voices of a father and his daughter, Cinderella celebrates the blessings of childhood, family, love and life. You will be enchanted by this modern fairytale that teaches us how to hand our own Cinderella her glass slippers and let her go.
The King and Dr. Nick: What Really Happened to Elvis and Me
by George Nichopoulos Rose Clayton PhillipsThe truth about Elvis’s death from the doctor who spent eleven years as “the King’s” personal physician, father-figure, and confidant - "Dr. Nick."Dr. Nichopoulos spent a decade with Elvis on the road and at Graceland, trying to maintain the precarious health of one of the world’s greatest entertainers. But on August 16, 1977, he found himself in the ambulance with Elvis on that fateful last trip to the ER. He signed the death certificate.From that day forward, Dr. Nick became the focus of a media witch hunt that threatened his life and all but destroyed his professional reputation. Now, for the first time, Dr. Nick reveals the true story behind Elvis’s drug use and final days—not the version formed by years of tabloid journalism and gross speculation. Put aside what you’ve learned about Elvis’s final days and get ready to understand for the first time the inner workings of “the king of rock n’ roll.”
My Country Roots: The Ultimate MP3 Guide to America's Original Outsider Music
by Alice RandallHow do you define rockabilly?Who were the original "outlaws" of Country music?Where can you go to hear great music in Austin, Texas?My Country Roots answers all these questions and hundreds more! It is a resource that will help you fill your mp3 player with the essential Country songs, while impressing your friends with your knowledge of the ultimate outsider art.Containing 100 recommended playlists for downloading, this book is the best and most unique way to explore the Country music genre in a modern easy, convenient way. Each playlist walks you through the history, culture, and relevance of Country music, revealing the authenticity and raw truth that represents Country.Whether you are a long-time lover of Country music or just discovering the genre, this book will help you not only organize your music, but explore, evaluate, and critique the music while learning about the basics of Country?what we sound like, what we believe in, where we've come from, and where we're goin'. This guide also provides a behind the scenes look at some of the cities that have spawned the greatest music of the genre and films that have contributed to the mystique which defines Country.For all you music lovers, mp3 users, or folks who are interested in discovering or rediscovering your country roots, this is a book you can't live without!
A Bundle of Ballads
by Henry MorleyHenry Morley (15 September 1822 – 1894) was a writer on English literature and one of the earliest Professors of English Literature. The son of an apothecary, he was born in Hatton Garden, London, educated at a Moravian school in Germany, and at King's College London, and after practicing medicine and keeping schools at various places, went in 1850 to London, and adopted literature as his profession. This book is a collection of his ballads.
Trombone Shorty
by Troy "Trombone Shorty" AndrewsA 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Award Winner Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest. Along with esteemed illustrator Bryan Collier, Andrews has created a lively picture book autobiography about how he followed his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds, until he reached international stardom. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music.
Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly
by Jim DeRogatisIn November 2000, Chicago journalist and music critic Jim DeRogatis received an anonymous fax that alleged R. Kelly had a problem with "young girls." Weeks later, DeRogatis broke the shocking story, publishing allegations that the R&B superstar and local hero had groomed girls, sexually abused them, and paid them off. DeRogatis thought his work would have an impact. Instead, Kelly's career flourished. <p><p> No one seemed to care: not the music industry, not the culture at large, not the parents of numerous other young girls. But for more than eighteen years, DeRogatis stayed on the story. He was the one who was given the disturbing videotape that led to Kelly's 2008 child pornography trial, the one whose window was shot out, and the one whom women trusted to tell their stories--of a meeting with the superstar at a classroom, a mall, a concert, or a McDonald's that forever warped the course of their lives. <p> Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly is DeRogatis's masterpiece, a work of tenacious journalism and powerful cultural criticism. It tells the story of Kelly's career, DeRogatis's investigations, and the world in which the two crossed paths, and brings the story up to the moment when things finally seem to have changed. Decades in the making, this is an outrageous, darkly riveting account of the life and actions of R. Kelly, and their horrible impact on dozens of girls, by the only person to tell it.
Itzhak A Boy Who Loved the Violin: A Boy Who Loved The Violin
by Tracy NewmanItzhak Perlman was infected with polio at the age of four and despite this he went on to become an acclaimed violinist.
Music is History
by QuestloveMusic Is History combines Questlove’s deep musical expertise with his curiosity about history, examining America over the past fifty years. <p><p> Focusing on the years 1971 to the present, Questlove finds the hidden connections in the American tapes- try, whether investigating how the blaxploitation era reshaped Black identity or considering the way disco took an assembly-line approach to Black genius. And these critical inquiries are complemented by his own memories as a music fan, and the way his appetite for pop culture taught him about America. <p><p> A history of the last half-century and an intimate conversation with one of music’s most influential and original voices, Music Is History is a singular look at contemporary America.
My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding
by Sajni PatelA fresh, witty rom-com romp set against the backdrop of a high-profile music competition and a riotous Indian wedding <p><p>Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri's last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment. <p><p> In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?
Beatlemania: Technology, Business, and Teen Culture in Cold War America (Johns Hopkins Introductory Studies In The History Of Science)
by André MillardThis look at how changes in the music industry made the Fab Four phenomenon possible “presents a different interpretation of a much-studied topic” (Essays in Economic and Business History).In this unique study, André Millard argues that, despite the Beatles’ indisputable skill, they would not have attained the same global recognition or been as influential without the convergence of significant developments in the way music was produced, recorded, sold, and consumed. As the Second Industrial Revolution hit full swing and baby boomers came of age, the reel-to-reel recorder and other technological advances sped the evolution of the music business. Musicians, recording studios and record labels, and music fans used and interacted with music-making and -playing technology in new ways. Higher quality machines made listening to records and the radio an experience that one could easily share with others, even if they weren’t in the same physical space. At the same time, an increase in cross-Atlantic commerce—especially of entertainment products—led to a freer exchange of ideas and styles of expression, notably among the middle and lower classes in the U.S. and the UK. At that point, Millard argues, the Beatles rode their remarkable musicianship and cultural savvy to an unprecedented bond with their fans—and spawned Beatlemania.Lively and insightful, Beatlemania offers a deeper understanding the days of the Fab Four and the band’s long-term effects on the business and culture of pop music.
Music in the Shadows: Noir Musical Films
by Sheri Chinen BiesenSome musical films use film noir style and jazz to reveal the dark side of fame and the American Dream.Smoke. Shadows. Moody strains of jazz. Welcome to the world of "noir musical" films, where tormented antiheroes and hard-boiled musicians battle obsession and struggle with their music and ill-fated love triangles. Sultry divas dance and sing the blues in shrouded nightclubs. Romantic intrigue clashes with backstage careers. In her pioneering study, Music in the Shadows, film noir expert Sheri Chinen Biesen explores musical films that use film noir style and bluesy strains of jazz to inhabit a disturbing underworld and reveal the dark side of fame and the American Dream. While noir musical films like A Star Is Born include musical performances, their bleak tone and expressionistic aesthetic more closely resemble the visual style of film noir. Their narratives unfold behind a stark noir lens: distorted, erratic angles and imbalanced hand-held shots allow the audience to experience a tortured, disillusioned perspective.While many musicals glamorize the quest for the spotlight in Hollywood's star factory, brooding noir musical films such as Blues in the Night, Gilda, The Red Shoes, West Side Story, and Round Midnight stretch the boundaries of film noir and the musical as film genres collide. Deep shadows, dim lighting, and visual composition evoke moodiness, cynicism, pessimism, and subjective psychological points of view.As in her earlier study of film noir, Blackout: World War II and the Origins of Film Noir, Biesen draws on extensive primary research in studio archives to situate her examination within a historical, industrial, and cultural context.