This definitive biography of John Mellencamp is "a true coming-of-age story" (John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation) of an iconic American rock and roll original, featuring exclusive in-depth interviews and never-before-told details. Perfect for fans of Janis and Born to Run.

John Mellencamp is not your typical rock star.

With music inspired by the work of William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and other giants of American literature, he has experienced a colorful career unlike any other. Now, this fascinating biography fully charts the life of one of this country's most important voices in American music.

Mellencamp's story is also the story of the American heartland. His growth as an artist and evolution into legendary status directly reflected the major changes of the last fifty years. From the Summer of Love to the growing divisiveness of American politics and beyond, his music has served as the backdrop to this country for millions of fans.

Featuring exclusive interviews with friends, family, and colleagues, and exploring everything from the founding of Farm Aid to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this is a fresh, expansive, and "inspirational" (Nora Guthrie, president of The Woody Guthrie Foundation) look at a true original.

Designed for use with the Guitar Cards Chord Starter Pack, this pack of 55 cards gives you over 50 moveable chord shapes. Small enough to fit into your back pocket or guitar case, they are an easy way to learn new chords - suitable for beginners, songwriters and teachers.

Chess Record Corp A Tribute Chess Record Corp , A Tribute is the ultimate pictorial journey of one of the most iconic record labels in the history of music . Chess Records the foundation Rock n roll. See the faces that made Chess one of the most seminal record labels in the world. Virtually, every rock & pop artist in the 20 & 21th century can trace back to the influence and unique sounds of Chess Records artists. This high quality illustrated hard back features over 150 unique artist images from Blues,Gospel,Jazz, Rock & Soul as well as unique memorabilia images. Also includes complete R&B chart entry history of Chess Records and the Chess family archive contributions. A one of a kind 70th anniversary celebration of Chess Records for music fans worldwide. Foreword by Marshall Chess & Introductions by Richard Ganter.

The Who defined a generation and rocked the world. "My Generation," "Pinball Wizard," and "Baba O'Riley" are some of the most well known tracks in rock history. The rock opera Tommy, the genre-defining Live at Leeds, and the classic Quadrophenia are just some of The Who's albums.

The landmark international bestseller—The Beatles’ own story, in their own words—reissued on the 25th anniversary of its first publication.

From their years growing up in Liverpool through their ride to fame to their ultimate breakup, here’s the inside story. Interwoven with The Beatles' own memories are the recollections of such associates as road manager Neil Aspinall, producer George Martin, and spokesman Derek Taylor. The Beatles Anthology is a once-in-a-lifetime volume: warm, frank, funny, poignant, and bold—just like the music that’s been a part of so many of our lives.

The Beatles Anthology is, for the first time, the story of The Beatles by The Beatles. Created with the full cooperation of Paul, George, Ringo, and Yoko Ono Lennon, it also includes the words of John, painstakingly compiled from sources worldwide.

The Beatles Anthology is, in effect, The Beatles autobiography.

The Beatles Anthology features over 1300 images, most previously unpublished. Paul, George, Ringo, and Yoko Ono Lennon all opened their own archives just for this project, as did Apple, EMI, and others long associated with The Beatles, allowing the unprecedented release of photographs, documents, and other memorabilia from their homes and offices. The result is an extraordinary wealth of visual material brimming on each and every page.

Nu Metal: Resurgence documents the groundbreaking movement from its original inception, right up to the present day. Featuring fully detailed band biographies that includes major players such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Rammstein and Slipknot, a guide to 'The Nu Breed' of bands coming up like Cane Hill, DED, Frontstreet and Lethal Injektion, and exclusive interviews with members of classic Nu Metal bands that includes Alien Ant Farm, Coal Chamber, Kittie, Nonpoint, Orgy, Spineshank and Taproot; as well as record producer extraordinaire Ross Robinson- Nu Metal: Resurgence confirms once and for all that Nu Metal is indeed here to stay.

In time for the band's twentieth anniversary, the inside story of the Dave Matthews Band-from the early days playing small gigs in Charlottesville to their current sold-out annual summer concert tours...and more than thirty-five million records sold. Dave Matthews Band has one of the largest and most loyal followings of any band today-after twenty years of constant touring and several acclaimed, multiplatinum albums, the members enjoy a connection with their fans that few other acts can match. Ask DMB devotees and they'll happily tell you tales of amazing sold-out summer shows, the stunning venues they've seen the band play all around the world, classic live show recordings...and memories of good times with great friends, old and new. For hundreds of thousands of people, affection for DMB goes far beyond simple fan adulation-it's a way of life. Journalist (and fan) Nikki Van Noy bridges the gap between the band and their followers, looking at the DMB phenomenon from all perspectives-including interviews with the band, Charlottesville insiders who knew them in the early days, and, of course, the DMB fans who witnessed it all. This lively, insider book offers insights into: -The beginnings of the band in Charlottesville, VA-which gave rise to the culture of taping and trading live shows, and the early online networking that laid the groundwork for their later explosive success. -The heady success of their first several albums-when the small "club" of DMB fans suddenly became a lot less exclusive. -Their creative misfires in the early 2000s-including the leaked Lillywhite Sessions. -The crushing sudden loss of saxophonist LeRoi Moore-and how the band emerged stronger than ever. A chronicle of the live Dave Matthews Band experience and what it means to be a part of it, So Much to Say is a comprehensive biography of this incredible group and the fans who helped them achieve such enduring success.

A classically trained countertenor who sang with his high school choir, Dee remembers the day he decided he was "not gonna take it" and stopped caring what people thought about him. Following in the footsteps of his idols Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath, Dee jumped from band to band until he met Jay Jay French and Twisted Sister. But it wasn't until he met his costume-designing soul-mate Suzette that they developed his unique style. Dee's hard work finally paid off with an impressive resume that includes: a monster hit record; smash MTV videos; a long-running radio show, "The House of Hair"; appearances in film (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Howard Stern's Private Parts, StrangeLand) and television (Growing Up Twisted, Celebrity Apprentice); and a starring role in Broadway's Rock of Ages. He even authored a teenage survival guide that was required reading in Russia! Filled with entertaining anecdotes and candid confessions, Shut Up and Give Me the Miketakes you through the good times and bad with a heavy metal star who worked as hard as he played, and who did it all for his wife, four kids, and millions of "SMF " (Sick Mother F******) fans.

It was, and it remains, the greatest rock band the world has ever seen, a giant from the moment of its inception until long after its demise. Even today, more than 30 years after its final flight, Led Zeppelin offers the final word in rock innovation - the one band that so many try to emulate and so few come even close to catching. "If You Like Led Zeppelin"...is the unique story of how Led Zeppelin came together not as players, but as influences and ideas. It unearths the music that the musicians themselves were listening to, to open up an entire new world of experience and excitement for both casual and committed fans. It then travels beyond Led Zeppelin, to the bands and artists who in turn took their own lead from the Zep. Packed with exclusive comments from friends, contemporaries, and peers, "If You Like Led Zeppelin"...is a unique window into the world from which Led Zeppelin was born, and the one it created in its wake. From blues and beat bands to California, Morocco, Mali, and beyond, this is the ultimate guidebook for anyone who likes Led Zeppelin.

An essential companion to Michael Jackson's music, films, and books, this work offers 21 original, academic essays on all things Jackson-from film, music, and dance to fashion, culture, and literature. Michael Jackson is regarded as one of the most important musicians of our time. Going well beyond the average celebrity biography, this comprehensive book looks at why that is true, offering insights into every facet of Jackson's art, life, and artistic afterlife. It looks at the methods by which his work was created, presented, received, and appropriated; discusses Jackson's varied personas along with his public and private appearances, albums, conceptual art, short films, and dance; and considers his use of costume, makeup, and reinvention. To help readers understand the phenomenon that was-and is-Michael Jackson, the book focuses on Jackson's historical context through an analysis of his films, songs, and books, examining him as an artist and shedding light on the political and ideological debates that surrounded him. Not shying away from the controversial aspects of Jackson's life and legacy, it also tackles questions of sexuality and racism, gender, and class, comparing Jackson to artists ranging from J. S. Bach to Andy Warhol. Through its examination of Jackson's entire catalog, the work connects all the aspects of his art and life to exemplify-and explain-the performer's unparalleled influence in the 20th and 21st centuries. Takes a sophisticated, academic approach to understanding Jackson's art and life, providing insights into his entire body of work from a perspective never before available outside of music/culture journals Concentrates on aspects of Jackson's art that have not previously been researched, such as his use of costumes and clothing, his poetry, and his function as an auteur Includes a section focused on Jackson's posthumous work and representation Connects with the study of literature, especially early modern English writings and, perhaps surprisingly, the works of William Shakespeare

One Man's Search for the Perfect Gig You know the way the bass makes your plastic cup of watery beer throb? Who the hell (you think, as you sit there in some huge hangar, peering into the distance) are those ants on the stage? Ever bumped into a celeb and said something that made you sound like a prat? Ever found yourself stuck at a red light in a battered old car with ten of your mates, chased by four angry skinheads? Over more than thirty years of gig-going, Adam Broadway has been there, done that. The Jam, Killing Joke, DeadMau5, Glastonbury, dodgy sanitation and stitches a | The Prodigy, James, U2, Reading, ecstasy and embarrassment a | Leftfield, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Ezio, Cambridge Junction and Brixton Academy, everyday life and Goths - and much, much more. Along the way Adam - yes, now follically challenged and with tinnitus to boot - tells us something the shallow-callow cool-school of rock journalism never could. He tells it like it is. If you ever found music really said something to you about your friends, your relationships, your dreams, your life - the sheer passion and honesty of Down the Front is here to remind you. Join Adam for the best view in the house. a Go on a | get down the front.'

This is a true life story account of Len Garry's childhood memories of his childhood days spent with John Lennon and Paul McCartney and the forming of the band The Quarrymen. Also the day John Lennon met Paul McCartney for the very first time at St. Peter's Church fete on 6th July 1957, this book is a first hand account of what took place on that day plus more stories.