From Sia to Elton John, Dusty Springfield to Little Richard, LGBT voices have changed the course of modern music. But in a world before they gained understanding and a place in the mainstream, how did the queer musicians of yesteryear fight to build foundations for those who came after? Pulling back the curtain on the colourful world that shaped our musical and cultural landscape, Darryl W. Bullock reveals the inspiring and often heartbreaking stories of internationally renowned stars, as well as lesser-known names, who have led the revolution from all corners of the globe. David Bowie Made Me Gay is a treasure trove of moving and provocative stories that emphasise the right to be heard and the need to keep up the fight for equality in the spotlight.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER "Mark Lanegan-primitive, brutal, and apocalyptic. What's not to love?" NICK CAVE "A stoned cold classic" IAN RANKIN 'Mark Lanegan writes like he sings, from the pained heart of a damaged soul with brutal honesty' BOBBY GILLESPIE "Powerfully written and brutally, frighteningly honest" LUCINDA WILLIAMS A ROUGH TRADE AND MOJO BOOK OF THE YEAR From the back of the van to the front of the bar, from the hotel room to the emergency room, Mark Lanegan takes us back to the sinister, needle-ridden streets of Seattle, to an alternative music scene that was simultaneously bursting with creativity and saturated with drugs. He tracks the tumultuous rise and fall of Screaming Trees, from a brawling, acid-rock bar band to world-famous festival favourites with an enduring legacy, and tells of his own personal struggles with addiction, culminating in homelessness, petty crime, and the tragic deaths of his closest friends. Gritty, gripping and unflinchingly raw, SING BACKWARDS AND WEEP is about a man who learned how to drag himself from the wreckage, dust off the ashes, and keep living and creating. 'The most brutally honest rock memoir imaginable' DAILY TELEGRAPH

In her intimate memoir, More Myself, Alicia Keys shares her quest for truth: about herself, her past, and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating her worth. One of the most celebrated musicians of our time, Alicia Keys has enraptured the nation with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized her early career, the loss of privacy surrounding her romantic relationships, and the oppressive expectations of female perfection. Since her rise to fame, Alicia's public persona has belied a deep personal truth: she has spent years not fully recognizing or honoring her own worth. After withholding parts of herself for so long, she is at last exploring the questions that live at the heart of her story: Who am I, really? And once I discover that truth, how can I become brave enough to embrace it? More Myself is part autobiography, part narrative documentary. Alicia's journey is revealed not only through her own candid recounting, but also through vivid recollections from those who have walked alongside her. The result is a 360-degree perspective on Alicia's path: from her girlhood in Hell's Kitchen and Harlem, to the process of self-discovery she's still navigating. With the raw honesty that epitomizes Alicia's artistry, More Myself is at once a riveting account and a clarion call to readers: to define themselves in a world that rarely encourages a true and unique identity.

A monumental oral biography filled with raucous joy, aching loss and terrible poignancy, Elvis & the Memphis Mafia is the first book to capture the King - the man and the phenomenon - in his full complexity. Through revealing interviews with three of Elvis' s closest friends, who were also his protectors and rescuers, Nash achieves the first true mapping of Elvis' s psyche. Billy Smith - Elvis' s first cousin and the person he reputedly loved most after his own mother - Marty Lacker - best man at his wedding and foreman of the ' Memphis Mafia' , the King' s handpicked group of gatekeepers and confidants - and Lamar Fike - the touring crew member who accompanied him into the Army - were with Elvis from his teens to his final days and provide unique access to the greatest of all rock and roll legends. The revelations cut through every aspect of Elvis' s life, from the childhood seeds of his drug dependency, through his fear for his mother' s life and his plan to change his identity, to his bizarre self-mutilation. No one who reads this symphonic blending of three proud, ribald, sad and ultimately wistful voices can fail to be profoundly moved.

The Show That Never Ends is the behind-the-scenes story of the extraordinary rise and fall of progressive ("prog") rock, epitomised by such classic, chart-topping bands as Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull and Emerson Lake & Palmer, and their successors Rush, Styx and Asia. With inside access to all the key figures, The Washington Post national reporter David Weigel tells the story with the gusto and insight Prog Rock's fans (and its haters) will relish. Along the way, he explains exactly what was "progressive" about Prog Rock, how it arose from psychedelia and heavy metal, why it dominated the pop charts but then became so despised that it was satirised in This Is Spinal Tap and what fuels its resurgent popularity today.

'So honest and pure as to count as a true rapture' JOAN DIDION 'A poetic masterpiece' JOHNNY DEPP 'Our St John of the Cross, a mystic full of compassion' EDMUND WHITE 'A roadmap to my life', from the National Book Award-winning author of Just Kids: an unforgettable odyssey of a legendary artist, told through the prism of cafes and haunts she has worked in around the world REVISED EDITION WITH FIVE THOUSAND WORDS OF BONUS MATERIAL AND NEW PHOTOGRAPHS M Train begins in the tiny Greenwich Village cafe where Smith goes every morning for black coffee, ruminates on the world as it is and the world as it was, and writes in her notebook. Through prose that shifts fluidly between dreams and reality, past and present, and across a landscape of creative aspirations and inspirations, we travel to Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul in Mexico; to a meeting of an Arctic explorer's society in Berlin; to a ramshackle seaside bungalow in New York's Far Rockaway that Smith acquires just before Hurricane Sandy hits; and to the graves of Genet, Plath, Rimbaud and Mishima. Woven throughout are reflections on the writer's craft and on artistic creation. Here, too, are singular memories of Smith's life in Michigan and the irremediable loss of her husband, Fred Sonic Smith. Braiding despair with hope and consolation, illustrated with her signature Polaroids, M Train is a meditation on travel, detective shows, literature and coffee. It is a powerful, deeply moving book by one of the most remarkable artists at work today.

'This band has no past' was the first line of the farcical biography printed on the inner sleeve of Cheap Trick's first album, but the band, of course, did have a past--a past that straddles two very different decades: from the tumult of the sixties to the anticlimax of the seventies, from the British Invasion to the record industry renaissance, with the band's debut album arriving in 1977, the year vinyl sales peaked. This Band Has No Past tells the story of a bar band from the Midwest--the best and weirdest bar band in the Midwest-- and how they doggedly pursued a most unlikely career in rock'n'roll. It traces every gnarly limb of the family tree of bands that culminated in Cheap Trick, then details how this unlikely foursome paid their dues--with interest--night after night, slogging it out everywhere from high schools to bars to bowling alleys to fans' back yards, before signing to Epic Records and releasing two brilliant albums six months apart. Drawing on more than eighty original interviews, This Band Has No Past is packed full of new insights and information that fans of the band will devour. How was the Cheap Trick logo created? How did the checkerboard pattern come to be associated with the band? When did Rick Nielsen start wearing a ballcap 24/7? Who caught their mom and dad rolling on the couch? What kind of beer did David Bowie drink? And when might characters like Chuck Berry, Frank Zappa, Don Johnson, Otis Redding, Eddie Munster, Kim Fowley, John Belushi, Jim Belushi, Elvis Presley, Leslie West, Groucho Marx, Robert F. Kennedy, Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, The Coneheads, Tom Petty, Harvey Weinstein, Michael Mann, Linda Blair, Eddie Van Halen, Elvis Costello, Matt Dillon, and Pam Grier turn up? Read on and find out.

This retrospective brings insight into hundreds of stunning rock posters by Jim Phillips made over 40 years, from 1965 to 2005, and counting. Phillips tells his life story and how the posters record an evolution of Rock Age music. Containing iconic images that advertise concerts featuring both emerging and established musicians, this collection will delight and astound you. Jim's original, ground-breaking computer painted posters, along with his old-world style techniques are a real wonder sure to bring a smile. A bonus section presents Phillips' son Jimbo's rock posters. Rock musicians, fans, and hip audiences today all will pour over the fabulous images and lettering that set this work apart.

More than 400 books have been published on the American musical icon, Elvis Presley. This critical, annotated guide contains reviews of the varied literature on Elvis, from his career and its social and political aspects to biographies and discographies. The annotated literature not only includes works by family, friends, and musical peers but also references and guides to Elvis collectibles. Each entry details, in addition to pertinent publishing and author information, the specific perspectives and information unique to the literature. The author provides assessments made by Elvis' peers and an introductory essay discusses the surrounding contradictions and the enduring fascination with Elvis.

By covering the vast and different Elvis literature available, this guide will appeal to scholars and fans alike. Organized by type of literature, the guide is easy to reference. Informative addenda include a guide to collecting Elvis books and a chronological listing of Elvis books. In addition to a general index, the guide is indexed by author, by songs, films, and album titles, and by books, magazines, and publications. This compilation offers valuable assistance and critical information to anyone researching some aspect of Elvis and his career.

Selected and arranged by the author, and featuring a foreword by revered record producer Glyn Johns, The Weakness In Me presents the lyrics of Joan Armatrading for the first time in one unique volume. Since the release of her debut album Whatever's For Us in 1972, Joan Armatrading has, across a fifty-year career, traversed styles and genres to create a monumental body of work. Acknowledged as the first British female singer-songwriter to gain international success, her writing is alive with intelligence and empathy and paints the human experience with insight and emotion. Selected and arranged by the author, and featuring a foreword by revered record producer Glyn Johns, The Weakness In Me presents the lyrics of Armatrading for the first time in one unique volume. It also contains an introduction by Armatrading alongside annotations to a number of songs, giving a rare, personal glimpse into the creative process of a true pioneer. 'A genuinely groundbreaking artist.' Guardian 'Up there with the best of her generation.' Financial Times 'One of the finest singer-songwriters of her generation: a woman of fierce intelligence and self-effacing wit who never stopped reading your mind or keeping you guessing.' Pitchfork 'What distinguishes her work is the unique authenticity of each of her songs.' New York Times 'Joan Armatrading has always been a pioneer.' Rolling Stone

Perfect for fans of Jessica Redland and Helen Rolfe. Welcome to the sunshine island - where the beaches are golden, the lifestyle is perfect and anything is possible. Popstar Matteo Stanford is eager to escape to the sunshine island to catch up with his old friend Alex and secretly film his latest music video. But within moments of landing, the location for the shoot is leaked to the press, and his island escape and video might be over before they start. Not to be defeated, Alex's girlfriend Piper recruits her two best friends Casey and Tara, who run the Smoke and Mirrors stall at the The Cabbage Patch market. It doesn't take Casey more than a moment to realise the perfect setting for Matteo's video is Gorey castle, but securing the venue means Casey is soon planning a secret wedding, finding an actress and becoming a set designer! It's chaos and crazed fans, peppered with the sweetest moments she's ever experienced. But could a popstar really fall for island girl Casey Norman?

Electronic dance music was once the utopian frontier of pop culture. But three decades after the acid house 'summer of love', it has gone from subculture to the global mainstream. Does it still have the same power to inspire?

From the pleasure palaces of Ibiza and Las Vegas to 'new frontiers' like Shanghai and Dubai, raving is now a multi-million-dollar business. But there are still hardcore believers upholding its DIY ethos - the techno idealists of Berlin and Detroit and the queer subcults of New York, the post-apartheid party people of South Africa and the outlaw techno travellers of France.

In Rave On, Matthew Collin travels the world to experience these unique scenes first-hand, talk to the key players and hear the story of how dance culture went global - and find out if its maverick spirit can survive its own success.

Bono is a passionate, articulate celebrity who has transcended his role as international rock star and become an effective political activist. This book provides insights into his life story and contributions to both popular culture and politics. Bono: A Biography takes a broad look at the pop star's life from his birth until the present day while also examining in depth the major events throughout his life. It covers Bono's accomplishments as part of U2 and also provides great detail about this complex celebrity figure's achievements outside of his involvement with his band-for example, his activities as a major spokesperson on issues of debt relief and poverty. This book will be appreciated by general readers as well as high school students with an interest in pop culture and politics. Authored by a writer who has been a fan of U2 and Bono since his youth, this book cites a variety of sources to present an engaging and comprehensive portrait of this passionate musician's contributions to popular music and his ongoing commitment to issues of social justice. Contains many direct quotes from Bono's speeches and interviews that address his activism and his life with U2 Presents a chronology of Bono's life from his birth onwards Includes a bibliography of works cited and other books worth reading

(Book). Jimi Hendrix was such an extraordinary guitarist, it can be easy to forget that just as much passion, soul, and precision went into his lyrics. Inspired by Bob Dylan, Hendrix was a fearless lyrical innovator, willing to let his imagination guide him to landscapes hitherto unexplored within the realm of pop music. From the existential euphoria of "I Don't Love Today" to the elusive beauty of "Little Wing" to the psychedelic blues of "My Friend" to the otherworldly "1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)," his lyrics remain among the greatest in the pantheon of rock, infused with the same inventiveness, virtuosity, and courage that informed his guitar playing. Here are all the words to the Hendrix classics you've rocked along to for years, as well as unpublished songs from Valleys of Neptune and other hitherto undiscovered sources. Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Lyrics Book, compiled by Janie L. Hendrix, is extraordinarily personal. It includes numerous examples of Jimi's handwritten lyrics, often scribbled on hotel stationery, as well as photos of Jimi to accompany every song. Much of this material has never been seen before. Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Lyrics Book will give you a glimpse of the lyricist behind the songs, a songwriter whose words were just as searing as his solos.

The Tastemaker charts the singular life of a man who has been at the beating heart of music's most iconic moments for over sixty years. 'This is a brilliant book by a brilliant man. A magician with perfect taste. Thank God I met him. He is gold dust!' ELTON JOHN Leaving school at the age of sixteen to start his career in the music industry at Decca Records, Tony King would soon find himself becoming a close friend and confidante to some of the world's biggest artists - a far cry from his childhood days in Eastbourne. He has worked with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, Elton John and many more, including Freddie Mercury, whom he spent time with in the Queen frontman's final days. Living in an era of seismic social, technological and cultural transformation, King experienced these defining moments as an influential figure in London and New York's gay scenes. Despite his heady life in showbusiness, however, he would soon learn that a glittering career couldn't shield him from heartbreak - witness to the AIDS crisis and the devastating consequences, his personal life was intermittently marked by tumult and turmoil. Suffused with Tony King's disarming warmth and unparalleled charisma - and at times profoundly moving - The Tastemaker paints an intimate portrait of a music legend and captures the unpredictable world he stamped his indelible mark upon.

This biography details Lady Gaga's life from all angles, documenting her family background; the events before and during her meteoric rise to success as a songwriter, singer, and performance artist; her deft use of social media; and her political commentary. Lady Gaga: A Biography details Lady Gaga's life from birth to 2011. Readers will learn about her personal background-where she was born, who her parents were, what her early school years as a "weird girl" with "rabbit teeth" were like-as well as her pre-fame years where she gained an education in music and "paid her dues" as a small-time professional in small performance venues. The many milestones of her wildly successful career so far are documented in detail, as are Haus of Gaga, the artistic collective that supports her performances; her ongoing activities as a performer; her presentation in couture and accessories; and her stated intentions for the future. This book will be an engrossing read for fans of Lady Gaga as well as anyone interested in popular culture or the entertainment industry. Its inclusion of chapter endnotes containing quotations and controversial points along with a bibliography of print and electronic resources make it an authoritative research tool for students as well. A timeline of major events in Lady Gaga's life, including two world tours and several awards ceremonies Various photographs of Lady Gaga performing and at public appearances A bibliography provides choices for further reading

Bruno Mars has sold over 115 million records worldwide as a singer, producer and songwriter. This book documents his childhood in Honolulu and how he found fame from the age of four. Here is the incredible story of Bruno Mars, the obscure Hawaiian singer /songwriter who rocketed to global fame in just three years. After failure and near poverty in LA where the Motown record label signed and then dropped him, Bruno Mars had a surprise worldwide smash with his fi rst single for Atlantic, 'Just The Way You Are'. With sales of over 115 million, including two record-breaking digital single releases, Bruno Mars became a major star almost overnight. Even so, his exotic origins make for a story of rare fascination - raised by a family of musicians, learning his craft in Honolulu, playing, writing and performing on other people's records in LA and surviving a career-threatening drug bust. This is the amazing biography of Bruno Mars so far. The future promises even more success!

It is widely considered in music, there are two eras-before Hendrix and after Hendrix. Regarded as the greatest guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix is the embodiment of rock 'n' roll. His career only spanned four years but in that time he managed to influence generations of musicians from Freddie Mercury to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Slash. Born Johnny Allan Hendrix in Seattle in 1942, Jimi had a difficult childhood living in the care of relatives with only sporadic visits to his mother. Music became his sanctuary and in the mid-60s he had his career breakthrough creating The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Renowned for his incredible performances, Jimi played the guitar like never before. Famous for playing the guitar with his teeth and lighting his instrument on fire, Hendrix's innovative and experimental sound won over UK rock royalty and legions of US fans. But there was a dark side to Hendrix, he would become angry and violent after days of mixing alcohol and illicit drugs. Tragically in 1970 he was found dead in a London flat. The real reason behind his death is still disputed. Hendrix managed to change music forever in just four years. With access to key members of Jimi's circle, critically acclaimed writer Mick Wall will deliver an explosive and celebratory biography offering fans a chance to see the real Hendrix and learn the truth behind his untimely death.

From a skinny beach bum to a brawny headband-wearing blue-collar hero, through to an elder statesman of rock, Springsteen has been one of the most revered songwriters of his and succeeding generations for half a century. Throughout the decades, his anthemic tracks of personal and political strife have chronicled life in America, providing listeners with character-driven narratives that can be read as short stories of lives they live, lived, or have seen first-hand. After getting a recording contract with Columbia Records aged twenty-two, Springsteen wrote and recorded a string of critically acclaimed albums, including Born to Run, which brought him a wider audience, before becoming a superstar with the release of 1984's Born in the U.S.A. In the twenty-first century, Springsteen continues to release landmark albums such as The Rising and Wrecking Ball and, with the stalwart support of the E Street Band, still performs in sold-out stadiums worldwide, with concerts routinely lasting for over three hours. This volume explores Springsteen's discography in detail, examining his worldwide hits alongside his lesser-known but equally moving tracks.

From 1940 to 1990, new machines and devices radically changed listening to music. Small and large single records, new kinds of jukeboxes and loudspeaker systems not only made it possible to playback music in a different way, they also evidence a fundamental transformation of music and listening itself. Taking the media and machines through which listening took place during this period, Listening Devices develops a new history of listening.Although these devices were (and often still are) easily accessible, up to now we have no concept of them. To address this gap, this volume proposes the term "listening device." In conjunction with this concept, the book develops an original and fruitful method for exploring listening as a historical subject that has been increasingly organized in relation to technology. Case studies of four listening devices are the points of departure for the analysis, which leads the reader down unfamiliar paths, traversing the popular sound worlds of 1950s rock 'n' roll culture and the disco and club culture of the 1970s and 1980s. Despite all the characteristics specific to the different listening devices, they can nevertheless be compared because of the fundamental similarities they share: they model and manage listening, they actively mediate between the listener and the music heard, and it is this mediation that brings both listener and the music listened to into being. Ultimately, however, the intention is that the listening devices themselves should not be heard so that the music they playback can be heard. Thus, they take the history of listening to its very limits and confront it with its "other"-a history of non-listening. The book proposes "listening device" as a key concept for sound studies, popular music studies, musicology, and media studies. With this conceptual key, a new, productive understanding of past music and sound cultures of the pre-digital era can be unlocked, and, not least, of the listening culture of the digital present.

For the first time ever, Melanie C, aka Sporty Spice, tells her amazing life story in her own words and gives a full and honest account of what life was really like in The Spice Girls. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ___________ 'What a woman and what a book!' Elizabeth Day 'Fabulous ... There is so much I really relate to, growing up as a young girl, the 90s, all the stuff you went through.' Zoe Ball 'Amazing ... Absolutely brilliant.' Chris Evans 'Sporty Spice telling it like it is.' Independent 'An amazing story ... An incredibly profound, vulnerable and honest look into the highs and lows of the Spice Girls.' Steven Bartlett 'Really lovely.' Chris Moyles ___________ For the first time ever, Melanie C, aka Sporty Spice, tells her amazing life story in her own words and gives a full and honest account of what life was really like in The Spice Girls. I never told my story before because I wasn't ready. Now, finally, I am. 25 years ago, The Spice Girls, a girlband that began after answering an advert in the paper, released our first single. 'Wannabe' became a hit and from that moment, my life changed for ever. I was suddenly part of one of the biggest music groups in history, releasing hit after hit, performing to our wonderful fans and spreading the message of Girl Power to the world. It was everything I'd dreamed of growing up, and I've had some incredible times... The BRITs! The movie! Travelling the world playing iconic venues like Madison Square Garden, The O2, Wembley Stadium and The London 2012 Olympics!!! When you're a woman, though, that power can be easily taken away by those around you, whether by pressure, exhaustion, shaming, bullying or a constant feeling like you aren't enough. I have been known as Sporty Spice, Mel C, Melanie C or just plain old Melanie Chisholm, but what you will read within the pages of this book is who I truly am, and how I found peace with that after all these years. I have really enjoyed reminiscing and getting everything down on the page, and, though revisiting some of my darkest times was hard, I hope this book can be inspiring and empowering as well as entertaining and give you a bit of a laugh.

213 performances, 58 countries, 15 months. James Blunt's 'All the Lost Souls' international tour was one of the greatest pop marathons of all time. Journalist and family friend Peter Hardy joined James and his band on their exhilarating and exhausting journey around the world, hoping to discover the man behind the music. From the tour bus to the dressing rooms, from the stage to the after-show parties, travelling with James gave 'Weird Uncle Peter' an access-all-areas pass to his life on tour. A warts-and-all account of lost guitars, adoring fans, ludicrous bar bills and very, very late nights, this is an honest, amusing and insightful look at the mad world of celebrity and the inside story of James himself, both in front of the crowds and behind closed doors. DIFFERENT COUNTRY, SAME STATE is a frank exploration of one man's journey, his passion for music and his passion for life.

- Filled with contributions from world-leading academics and practitioners, from a variety of backgrounds and countries. - Highly interdisciplinary overview of live music, which will be relevant to professionals and students interested in music business, music technology, music production and performance. - Includes papers on cutting-edge issues, such as augmented reality and virtual reality.