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Books > Music > Composers & musicians
Recognising one of the most-honoured performers of all time, A
Celebration of Dolly Parton: The Activity Book is 2021's follow-up
to A Celebration of David Attenborough: The Activity Book and The
Unofficial Michelle Obama Activity Book. Spanning Dolly's long and
illustrious career, The Activity Book includes: Illustrations and
graphics to colour-in dedicated to Dolly's Greatest Hits Anagrams
of our favourite Dolly songs A solution for when the daily 9 to 5
grind is transported to the working-from-home environment A tour of
Dollywood: try to spot Dolly among the throngs of visitors and maze
your way around to reunite her with her missing guitar
Inspirational word clouds, quizzes, puzzles, games, drawings,
facts, emotional rollercoaster graphs and much, much more Not just
a musician, Dolly has used her vast fame and fortune for good:
setting up The Dollywood Foundation, the My People Fund and,
perhaps most famously, The Imagination Library which provides free
books to children throughout their childhood. Dolly the
Philanthropist sections are interspersed throughout the activities
- providing information on her charitable endeavours, such as her
recent contribution to the funding for research into the Moderna
COVID-19 vaccine. But what do we really know about the woman behind
the chart-toppers, successful enterprises and charitable
foundations? Dolly's Wit & Wisdom punctuates the book, offering
an insight into 'the living legend' - what makes her so likeable,
why she is considered a queer icon, as well as valuable life advice
on love, fashion and femininity to ensure you're as successful as
'Saint Dolly' herself.
In this memoir, iconic singer Linda Ronstadt weaves together a
captivating story of her origins in Tucson, Arizona, and her rise
to stardom in the Southern California music scene of the 1960s and
'70s.
Tracing the timeline of her remarkable life, Linda Ronstadt, whose
forty-five year career has encompassed a wide array of musical
styles, weaves together a captivating story of her origins in
Tucson, Arizona, and her rise to stardom in the Southern California
music scene of the 1960s and '70s.
Linda Ronstadt was born into a musical family, and her childhood
was filled with everything from Gilbert and Sullivan to Mexican
folk music to jazz and opera. Her artistic curiosity blossomed
early, and she and her siblings began performing their own music
for anyone who would listen. Now, in this beautifully crafted
memoir, Ronstadt tells the story of her wide-ranging and utterly
unique musical journey.
Ronstadt arrived in Los Angeles just as the folkrock movement was
beginning to bloom, setting the stage for the development of
country-rock. As part of the coterie of like-minded artists who
played at the famed Troubadour club in West Hollywood, she helped
define the musical style that dominated American music in the
1970s. One of her early backup bands went on to become the Eagles,
and Linda went on to become the most successful female artist of
the decade.
In "Simple Dreams," Ronstadt reveals the eclectic and fascinating
journey that led to her long-lasting success, including stories
behind many of her beloved songs. And she describes it all in a
voice as beautiful as the one that sang "Heart Like a
Wheel"--longing, graceful, and authentic.
Bob Dylan has helped transform music, literature, pop culture, and
even politics. The World of Bob Dylan chronicles a lifetime of
creative invention that has made a global impact. Leading rock and
pop critics and music scholars address themes and topics central to
Dylan's life and work: the Blues, his religious faith, Civil
Rights, Gender, Race, and American and World literature.
Incorporating a rich array of new archival material from never
before accessed archives, The World of Bob Dylan offers a
comprehensive, uniquely informed and wholly fresh account of the
songwriter, artist, filmmaker, and Nobel Laureate whose unique
voice has permanently reshaped our cultural landscape.
'With disarming candour and courage, Martha tells us of finding her
own voice and peace as a working artist and mother. Her story is
made more unique because of the remarkably gifted musical family
she was born into' EMMYLOU HARRIS Born into music royalty, daughter
of Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III and sister to singer
Rufus Wainwright, Martha grew up in a world filled with
incomparable folk legends. With the same emotional honesty that has
come to define her music Martha describes her tumultuous
public-facing journey from awkward, earnest and ultimately
rebellious daughter, through her intense competition and ultimate
alliance with her brother, Rufus, to the heartbreaking loss of
their mother and finally discovering her voice as an artist. With
candour and grace she writes of becoming a mother herself and
making peace with her past struggles with Kate and her younger
self. Ultimately, this book offers a thoughtful and deeply personal
look into the extraordinary life of one of the most talented
singer-songwriters in music today.
Rufus Thomas may not be a household name, but he is widely regarded
as the patriarch of Memphis R&B, and his music influenced three
generations. His first singles in the early 1950s were recorded as
blues transitioned into R&B, and he was arguably one of the
founding fathers of early rock ’n’ roll. In the early 1960s,
his songs "The Dog" and "Walking the Dog" made a huge impact on the
emerging British "mod" scene, influencing the likes of the Georgie
Fame, the Rolling Stones, and the Who. And in the early 1970s,
Thomas rebranded himself as the "funkiest man alive" and recorded
funk classics that were later sampled by the likes of Public Enemy,
Missy Elliot, and the Wu-Tang Clan. In Funkiest Man Alive: Rufus
Thomas and Memphis Soul, Matthew Ruddick reveals the amazing life
and career of Thomas, who started as a dancer in the minstrel shows
that toured the South before becoming one of the nation’s early
African American disc jockeys, and then going on to record the
first hit singles for both Chess Records and Stax Records. Ruddick
also examines the social fabric of the city of Memphis, analyzing
the factors behind the vast array of talent that appeared in the
late 1950s, with singers like Isaac Hayes, William Bell, Maurice
White (Earth, Wind & Fire), and Thomas’s older daughter,
Carla Thomas, all emerging from the tightly knit African American
community. He also tells the story of Memphis-based Stax Records,
one of the nation’s leading R&B record labels. From the
earliest blues, the segregated minstrel shows, and the birth of
rock ’n’ roll through to the emergence of R&B and funk,
Rufus Thomas saw it all.
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Nirvana
(Hardcover)
Gillian G. Gaar, Chuck Crisafulli
2
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R501
R457
Discovery Miles 4 570
Save R44 (9%)
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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Spawned in the intensely fertile music scene that blossomed in and
around Seattle in the late 1980s, Nirvana instantly distinguished
itself from the bulk of its peers by virtue of the singular passion
that drove its leader, Kurt Cobain. Few were prepared for worldwide
Nirvana-mania set off by the 1991 release of Nevermind. With the
instantaneous success of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' the album
stormed the charts. Their next album, In Utero, was the last studio
recording released by Nirvana: the demons that made Cobain's
writing so powerful took their toll: he took his own life less than
a year later. Although the band released just five albums,
Nirvana's influence is certain to be felt for many years to come:
Nirvana, an unofficial publication, shows the multiple reasons
behind that impact through the words of the band, their friends and
their colleagues. Through interviews with those close to the band
coupled with intensive archive research, the unique status this
band occupies-as representatives of the time, and as timeless
songwriters-will be revealed.
The global icon, award-winning singer, songwriter, producer,
actress, mother, daughter, sister, storyteller and artist finally
tells the unfiltered story of her life in The Meaning of Mariah
Carey. It took me a lifetime to have the courage and the clarity to
write my memoir. I want to tell the story of the moments - the ups
and downs, the triumphs and traumas, the debacles and the dreams -
that contributed to the person I am today. Though there have been
countless stories about me throughout my career and very public
personal life, it's been impossible to communicate the complexities
and depths of my experience in any single magazine article or a
ten-minute television interview. And even then, my words were
filtered through someone else's lens, largely satisfying someone
else's assignment to define me. This book is composed of my
memories, my mishaps, my struggles, my survival and my songs.
Unfiltered. I went deep into my childhood and gave the scared
little girl inside of me a big voice. I let the abandoned and
ambitious adolescent have her say, and the betrayed and triumphant
woman I became tell her side. Writing this memoir was incredibly
hard, humbling and healing. My sincere hope is that you are moved
to a new understanding, not only about me, but also about the
resilience of the human spirit. Love, Mariah
Rock Atlas has hundreds of stories which deliver a fresh, new
insight into the lives of the UK and Ireland's rock and pop stars.
This fact-packed look at rock and pop, from an entirely different
perspective, throws up many new revelations about our favourite
musicians. When you ve finished reading the stories, you can visit
the places. Every one of the book's 800 entries is followed by
directions for how to find the iconic venues, record shops,
statues, album cover shoots, childhood homes and festival sites.
In 1968, the 19 year-old Nick Drake had everything to live for. The
product of a loving, creative family and a privileged background,
he was not only a handsome and popular Cambridge undergraduate, but
also a new signing to the UK's hippest record label, Island. Three
years later, however - having made three well-reviewed but
low-selling albums - he had been overwhelmed by a mysterious mental
illness. Based back in his family home in rural Warwickshire as of
1971, he largely withdrew from life and died in obscurity and
despair in 1974. In the decades since he has become the subject of
ever-growing fascination and speculation. Combined sales of his
records now stand in the millions, his songs are frequently heard
on TV and in films, and it is no exaggeration to call him one of
the most widely known and best loved singer-songwriters of his
generation. Nick Drake: The Authorised Biography will be the only
life of Nick to be written with the approval and involvement of his
estate. Drawing on copious original research, new interviews with
close family friends, schoolfellows and musical contemporaries and
collaborators, as well as deeply personal archive material
unavailable to previous biographers - including his father's
diaries, his Cambridge essays and letters home from school,
university and elsewhere - this book is the most comprehensive and
authoritative account possible of this beloved figure's short and
enigmatic life.
From Mozart's fabulous legato that "flowed like oil" to Beethoven's
oceanlike surge, from Clara Schumann's touch "sharp as a pencil
sketch" to Rubinstein's volcanic and sensual playing, The Great
Pianists brings to life the brilliant, stylish, and sometimes
eccentric personalities, methods, and technical peculiarities of
history's greatest pianists.Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and
author Harold C. Schonberg presents vivid accounts of the artists'
performances, styles, and even their personal lives and quirky
characteristics-- such as Mozart's intense competition with
Clementi, Lizst's magnetic effect on women (when he played, ladies
flung their jewels on stage), and Gottschalk's persistent
nailbiting, which left the keys covered with blood. Including
profiles of Horowitz and Van Cliburn, among others, and chapters
detailing the playing and careers of such modern pianists as de
Larrocha, Ashkenazy, Gilels, Gould, Brendel, Bolet, Gutierrez, and
Watts, The Great Pianists is a comprehensive and fascinating look
at legendary performers past and present.
In 1976 with punk rock all the rage a trio called The Police hopped
on board, but bassist/vocalist Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland
had an ulterior motive. They posed as punks in hopes of getting
signed and would then make the sophisticated music they truly
wanted to. With Stewart's brother Miles as manager, the gambit paid
off and the debut single 'Fall Out' was issued in 1977. When
seasoned guitarist Andy Summers saw the band, he forced his way in
which led to Henry Padovani departing and the classic lineup was
now in place. From 1978-1983 The Police released five brilliant
albums that took in rock, reggae, world music and more. By 1983
they'd become the biggest band in the world, but egos and arguments
took their toll and Sting left to become a massive solo success and
the group split in 1986. A reunion tour in 2007-08 broke box office
records and happily closed the door on the band. This book details
every song and album from the first single to the last, making it a
comprehensive guide to the music of one of the greatest bands in
music history with sales of over 100 million worldwide
Written with grace, humor, and affection, Last Train to Memphis has
been hailed as the definitive biography of Elvis Presley. It is the
first to set aside the myths and focus on Elvis' humanity in a way
that has yet to be duplicated. A New York Times Notable BookWinner
of the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award "Elvis steps from the
pages. You can feel him breathe. This book cancels out all others."
--Bob Dylan From the moment that he first shook up the world in the
mid 1950s, Elvis Presley has been one of the most vivid and
enduring myths of American culture. Last Train to Memphis: The Rise
of Elvis Presley is the first biography to go past that myth and
present an Elvis beyond the legend. Based on hundreds of interviews
and nearly a decade of research, it traces the evolution not just
of the man but of the music and of the culture he left utterly
transformed, creating a completely fresh portrait of Elvis and his
world. This volume tracks the first twenty-four years of Elvis'
life, covering his childhood, the stunning first recordings at Sun
Records ("That's All Right," "Mystery Train"), and the early RCA
hits ("Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel"). These
were the years of his improbable self-invention and unprecedented
triumphs, when it seemed that everything that Elvis tried succeeded
wildly. There was scarcely a cloud in sight through this period
until, in 1958, he was drafted into the army and his mother died
shortly thereafter. The book closes on that somber and poignant
note. Last Train to Memphis takes us deep inside Elvis' life,
exploring his lifelong passion for music of every sort (from blues
and gospel to Bing Crosby and Mario Lanza), his compelling
affection for his family, and his intimate relationships with
girlfriends, mentors, band members, professional associates, and
friends. It shows us the loneliness, the trustfulness, the
voracious appetite for experience, and above all the unshakable,
almost mystical faith that Elvis had in himself and his music.
Drawing frequently on Elvis' own words and on the recollections of
those closest to him, the book offers an emotional, complex
portrait of young Elvis Presley with a depth and dimension that for
the first time allow his extraordinary accomplishments to ring
true. Peter Guralnick has given us a previously unseen world, a
rich panoply of people and events that illuminate an achievement, a
place, and a time as never revealed before.
Ticket to the World is a joyous, nostalgic celebration of 80s
culture from one man at the centre of it all. New Year’s Eve,
1979. My family and I stand arm in arm around our Formica kitchen
table, counting down to the new decade with each televised chime of
Big Ben. We have no idea what is about to hit us, no idea of the
seismic waves of change approaching. The 80s transformed life as we
knew it. Music, style and culture exploded in a haze of dayglo
colour. There were hardships, but there were opportunities too. And
I lived through – and helped to shape – Britain’s last real
youth movement. Ticket to the World is my time-warp trip down
memory lane, reliving that truly unforgettable decade. Join me as I
recall what it was like to lead the New Romantics, stay up all
night at the Blitz with Sade and Boy George, travel the world with
Spandau Ballet and contribute to the era-defining Live Aid. So,
grab that glass of Babycham and let’s toast the very best of the
80s: the creativity and the culture, the fashion and the FUN!
A celebration of Harry Styles - we Adore You! Harry Styles is a
global superstar and fashion icon who has broken records, won
awards and was the first solo man to grace the cover of Vogue, but
he is also grounded, humble and down to earth. He doesn't care what
other people think, isn't afraid to be vulnerable and truly loves
his fans. We could all do with being a bit more like Harry. With
chapters on finding your style, building confidence and supporting
charities, The Book of Harry explores Harry's incredible journey to
stardom and the lessons we can take from his music, career and
wider approach to life. Learning from his example, it will arm
readers with tips, tricks and wisdom to empower them to be
fearless, be themselves and above all, Treat People With Kindness.
The instant New York Times bestseller: the lead singer of the Stone
Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver delivers an exhilarating memoir
of scaling the pinnacle of rock stardom, plunging into the chasm of
addiction and incarceration, and then clawing his way back to the
top again and again. In the early 1990s, Stone Temple Pilots--not
U2, not Nirvana, not Pearl Jam--was the hottest band in the world.
STP toppled such megabands as Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses on MTV
and the Billboard charts. Lead singer Scott Weiland became an
iconic front man in the tradition of Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and
Robert Plant. Then, when STP imploded, it was Weiland who emerged
as the emblem of rock star excess, with his well-publicized drug
busts and trips to rehab. Weiland has since made a series of
stunning comebacks, fronting the supergroup Velvet Revolver,
releasing solo work, and reuniting with Stone Temple Pilots. He has
prevailed as a loving, dedicated father, as well as a
business-savvy artist whose well of creativity is far from empty.
Not Dead & Not for Sale is a hard rock memoir to be reckoned
with--a passionate, insightful, and at times humorous book that
reads with extraordinary narrative force.
The definitive story of Amy Winehouse's life and career told
through key photographs, memorabilia and recollections by those who
knew her best. Curated by Amy's stylist and close friend Naomi
Parry. Amy Winehouse left an indelible mark on both the music
industry and pop culture with her soulful voice and bold
60s-inspired aesthetic. Featuring stories and anecdotes from a wide
range of characters connected to Amy, specially commissioned
photography of memorabilia, styled and dressed themed sets
incorporating Amy's clothing, possessions and lyrics, and
previously unseen archival images, this volume presents an intimate
portrait that celebrates Amy's creative legacy. Interspersed
throughout are personal reflections on Amy's life and work,
provided by her friends, colleagues and fans. These include Ronnie
Spector, Vivienne Westwood, Bryan Adams, Little Simz, Carl Barat,
close friend Catriona Gourlay, Douglas Charles-Ridler (owner of the
Hawley Arms), tattooist Henry Hate, goddaughter Dionne Broomfield
and DJ Bioux. Each one has a personal story to share and together
their anecdotes and reflections build into a complex picture of a
much admired but troubled star. Vice Culture Editor Emma Garland
puts these insights into context with an introduction that
highlights the principal events and achievements in Amy's life and
work, and the key characters that played a part in it. Organized
broadly chronologically, the book features newly shot lyric sheets,
sketches and ephemera together with contextual photographs and
video stills, including album, single and promotional artworks and
outtakes. Punctuating the story are photographs of dressed room
sets each created, designed and styled especially for the book by
Naomi Parry to evoke a period or aspect of Amy's life or
personality, incorporating Amy's clothing, possessions, lyrics and
other memorabilia. With kind support from the Winehouse family.
With 300 illustrations in colour
John Lenwood McLean - sugar free saxophonist from Sugar Hill,
Harlem - is widely known as one of the finest, most consistent
soloists in jazz history. From early in his career Jackie's
powerful, unsentimental, sometimes astringent sound and inventive
style made audiences and critics sit up and listen. Steeped in -
but eventually moving well beyond - the influence of his mentor and
friend Charlie Parker, he built an attractive, instantly
recognisable musical personality. As author Derek Ansell says, his
career trajectory is far from the typical jazz story of the tragic
artist in which early brilliance leads to later decline. McLean's
story is one of glorious triumph over the drug addiction that
affected so many of his friends and might have destroyed him. Able
to produce uniformly fine recordings through the darkest periods of
his personal life, he saw his reputation as a musician steadily
grow and became not only a living legend as an improviser but a
much respected educator whose students carry on his legacy.
Fortunately, McLean's discography is large and Derek Ansell is a
surefooted guide through the recordings, presenting them in the
context in which they were made and indicating the special gems
among a vast body of recorded work that is one of jazz's greatest
treasures.
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Beethoven, A Life
(Hardcover)
Jan Caeyers; Foreword by Daniel Hope; Translated by Brent Annable
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R665
R628
Discovery Miles 6 280
Save R37 (6%)
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In Stock
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The authoritative Beethoven biography, endorsed by and produced in
close collaboration with the Beethoven-Haus Bonn, is timed for the
250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. With unprecedented access
to the archives at the Beethoven House in Bonn, renowned Beethoven
conductor and scholar Jan Caeyers expertly weaves together a deeply
human and complex image of Beethoven-his troubled youth, his
unpredictable mood swings, his desires, relationships, and
conflicts with family and friends, the mysteries surrounding his
affair with the "immortal beloved," and the dramatic tale of his
deafness. Caeyers also offers new insights into Beethoven's music
and its gradual transformation from the work of a skilled craftsman
into that of a consummate artist. Demonstrating an impressive
command of the vast scholarship on this iconic composer, Caeyers
brings Beethoven's world alive with elegant prose, memorable
musical descriptions, and vivid depictions of Bonn and Vienna-the
cities where Beethoven produced and performed his works. Caeyers
explores how Beethoven's career was impacted by the historical and
philosophical shifts taking place in the music world, and
conversely, how his own trajectory changed the course of the music
industry. Equal parts absorbing cultural history and lively
biography, Beethoven, A Life paints a complex portrait of the
musical genius who redefined the musical style of his day and went
on to become one of the great pillars of Western art music.
A slight condensation of Hanon's first exercises. The
simplification in layout and range make the exercises appear less
difficult to a young student.
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