David Ritz

In this intimate biography of the Prince of Soul, David Ritz provides a candid look at a star and a friend. Ritz had been collaborating with Marvin Gaye on his story for several years before the singer's tragic death and had conducted a series of extraordinary interviews in which Gaye discussed his deepest secrets. What emerges here is a full-scale portrait of a charming but tortured artist, a brilliant singer with a divided soul.

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"Aretha Franklin began life as the golden daughter of a progressive and promiscuous Baptist preacher. Raised without her mother, she was a gospel prodigy who gave birth to two sons in her teens and left them and her native Detroit for New York, where she struggled to find her true voice. She found fame, fortune, and that remarkable voice in 1967 with "Respect" and a rapid-fire string of hits. Aretha turned the industry on its head by refueling pop...

For the first time ever, and to help celebrate his 90th birthday in 2023, American icon Willie Nelson provides the stories behind the lyrics of 160 of his favorite songs, along with a dynamic assortment of never-before-seen photos and ephemera. From his earliest work in the 1950s to today, Willie looks back at the songs that have defined his career, from his days of earning $50 each to his biggest hits, from his less well-known songs (but incredibly...

David Crossman, a young New York City lawyer who enjoys 1930's blues music, is lured into the corruption of the music business, and simultaneously uncovers some family secrets.

"Immortalized in Willie Nelson's road song "Me and Paul," Paul English was the towering figure who for 70 years acted as Willie's drummer, bodyguard, accountant, partner in crime, and right-hand man. Together, the two men roamed the country, putting on shows, getting into a few scrapes, raising money for good causes, and bringing the joy of their music to fans worldwide. Stories of Willie and Paul's misadventures became legendary, but many have gone...

Joe Perry exposes his unrepentant, unbridled life as the lead guitarist of Aerosmith. He delves deep into his volatile, profound, and enduring relationship with singer Steve Tyler and reveals the real people behind the larger-than-life rock-gods on stage. The nearly five-decade saga of Aerosmith is epic, at once a study in brotherhood and solitude that plays out on the killing fields of rock and roll. With record-making hits and colossal album sales,...

"A powerful chronicle of the sixteen weeks leading up to King of Pop Michael Jackson's death. Michael Jackson's final months were like the rest of his short and legendary life: filled with deep lows and soaring highs, a constant hunt for privacy, and the pressure and fame that made him socially fragile and almost--ultimately--unable to live,"--NoveList.

"Abandoned by their parents as toddlers, Willie and Bobbie Nelson found their love of music almost immediately through their grandparents, who raised them in a dusty small town in east Texas. Their close relationship--which persists today--is the longest-lasting bond in either of their lives. In alternating chapters, this heartfelt dual memoir weaves together their lives as they experienced them both side-by-side and apart with powerful, emotional...

A biography from a seventh-generation member of the legendary Wallenda aerialist family in which he explores his life, career, and Christian faith.

A memoir by Morris Day of The Time centering around his lifelong relationship and association with Prince. Composer, soul singer, drummer, and band leader, Day has been a force in American music for the past four decades. Here he chronicles his creative process with an explosive prose that mirrors his intoxicating music. A major theme is his lifelong friendship and years of musical partnership with Prince, from their early days on the Minneapolis...