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The first biography of soul pioneer Isaac Hayes, whose
groundbreaking music provided the foundation for hip-hop and a new
racial paradigm. "Black men could finally stand up and be men
because here's Black Moses; he's the epitome of Black masculinity.
Chains that once represented bondage and slavery now can be a sign
of power and strength and sexuality and virility." -Isaac Hayes
Within the stoned soul picnic of Black music icons in the '60s and
'70s, only one could bill himself without a blush as Moses,
demanding liberation for Black men with his notions of life and
self-Isaac Lee Hayes Jr., the beautifully sheen, shaded, and
chain-spangled acolyte of cool, whose high-toned "lounge music" and
proto-rap was soul's highest order-heard on twenty-two albums and
selling millions of records. Hayes's stunning self-portraits, his
obsessive pleas about love, sex, and guilt bathed in lush
orchestral flights and soul-stirring bass lines, drove other soul
men like Barry White to libidinous license. But Hayes, who called
himself a "renegade," was a man of many parts. While he thrived on
soulful remakes of pop standards, his biggest coup was writing and
producing the epic soundtrack to Shaft, memorializing the "black
private dick" as a "complicated man," as coolly mean and amoral as
any white private eye. This new musical and cultural coda delivered
Hayes the first Oscar ever won by a Black musician, as well as the
Grammy for Best Song. Yet, few know Hayes's remarkable
achievements. In this compelling buffet of sight and sound,
acclaimed music biographer Mark Ribowsky-who has authored
illuminating portraits of such luminaries as Stevie Wonder, Little
Richard, and Otis Redding-gallops through the many stages of
Hayes's daring and daunting life, starting with Hayes's difficult
childhood in which his mother died young and his father abandoned
him. Ribowsky then takes readers through Hayes's rise at Memphis's
legendary soul factory, Stax Records, first as a piano player on
Otis Redding sessions then as a songwriter and producer teamed with
David Porter. Tuned to the context of soul music history, he
created crossover smashes like Sam & Dave's "Soul Man," "Hold
on I'm Comin'," and "I Thank You," making soul a semi-religion of
Black pride, imagination, and joyful emotion. Hayes's subsequent
career as a solo artist featured studio methods and out-of-the-box
ideas that paved the way for soul to occupy the top of the album
charts alongside white rock albums. But his prime years ended
prematurely, both as a consequence of Stax's red ink and his own
self-destructive tendencies. In the '90s he claimed he had finally
found himself, as a minion of Scientology. But Scientology would
cost him the gig that had revived him-the cartoon voice of the
naively cool "Chef" on South Park-after he became embroiled in
controversy when South Park's creators parodied Scientology in an
episode that caused the cult's leaders to order him to quit the
show. Although Hayes was honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame in 2002, the brouhaha came as his seemingly perfect body
finally broke down. He died in 2008 at age sixty-eight, too soon
for a soul titan. But if only greatness can establish permanence in
the cellular structure of music, Isaac Hayes long ago qualified.
His influence will last for as long as there is music to be heard.
And when we hear him in that music, we will by rote say, "We can
dig it."
This intimate story of Lynyrd Skynyrd tells of how a band of lost
souls and self-destructive misfits with uncertain artistic
objectives clawed their way to the top of the rock 'n' roll world.
Based on interviews with surviving band members, Whiskey Bottles
and Brand-New Cars shares how lead singer and front man Ronnie Van
Zant guided the band's hugely successful five-year run and, in the
process, created not only a new country rock idiom, but a new
Confederacy in constant conflict with old Southern totems and
prejudices. Placing the music and personae of Skynyrd into a broad
cultural context, this book gives a new perspective to a history of
stage fights, motel-room destructions, cunning business deals, and
brilliant studio productions. It also offers a greater appreciation
for a band whose legacy, in the aftermath of their last plane ride,
has since descended into self-caricature.
The first major biography of Little Richard, a rollicking, nuanced
celebration of the late singer/songwriter's life and his role in
the history of American music-gospel, soul, rock, and more "Tutti
Frutti" * "Rip It Up" * "Good Golly Miss Molly" * "Lucille" * "Long
Tall Sally" * "You Keep A-Knockin'" Little Richard blazed the trail
for generations of musicians-The Beatles, James Brown, the Everly
Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Prince . .
. the list seems endless. He was "The Originator," "The Innovator,"
and the self-anointed "King and Queen of Rock 'n' Roll." When he
died on May 9, 2020, The Big Life of Little Richard-a
nearly-completed book-was immediately updated to cover the
international response to his death. It is the first major
biography of Macon, Georgia's Richard Wayne Penniman, who was,
until his passing, the last rock god standing. Mark Ribowsky,
acclaimed biographer of musical icons-the Supremes, the
Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding-takes readers through
venues, gigs, and studios, conveying the sweaty energy of music
sessions limited to a few tracks on an Ampex tape machine and
vocals sung along with a live band. He explores Little Richard's
musicianship; his family life; his uphill battle against racism;
his interactions with famous contemporaries and the media; and his
lifelong inner conflict between his religion and his sexuality. The
Big Life of Little Richard not only explores a legendary stage
persona, but also a complex life under the makeup and pomade, the
neon-lit duds and piano pyrotechnics, along with a full-body dive
into the waters of sexual fluidity. By 2020, eighty-seven-year-old
Little Richard's electrifying smile was still intact, as were his
bona fides as rock's kingly architect: the '50s defined his reign,
and he extended elder statesmanship ever since. His biggest smash,
"Tutti Frutti," is one of history's most covered songs-a staple of
the pre-Invasion Beatles-and Elvis pivoted from country to blues
rock after Little Richard made R&B's sexual overtones a
fundament of the new musical order. Even Hendrix, the greatest
instrumentalist in rock history, toured with him before launching a
meteoric solo career. Whenever someone pushes the music and culture
of rock to its outer borders, one should turn to Little Richard for
assurance that anything is possible.
After he died in the back seat of a Cadillac at the age of
twenty-nine, Hank Williams-a frail, flawed man who had become
country music's first real star-instantly morphed into its first
tragic martyr. Having hit the heights with simple songs of despair,
depression and tainted love, he would become in death a template
for the rock generation to follow. Mark Ribowsky weaves together
the first fully realised biography of Williams in a generation.
Examining his music while re-creating days and nights choked in
booze and desperation, he traces the rise of this legend-from the
dirt roads of Alabama to the immortal stage of the Grand Ole Opry
and to a lonely end on New Year's Day, 1953. This original work
uncovers the real Hank beneath the myths that have long enshrouded
his legacy.
When he died suddenly at the age of twenty-six, Otis Redding
(1941-1967) was the conscience of a new kind of soul music. Berry
Gordy built the first black-owned music empire at Motown but
Redding was doing something as historic: mainstreaming black music
within the whitest bastions of the post-Confederate south. As a
result, the Redding story-still largely untold-is one of great
conquest but grand tragedy. Now, in this transformative work, Mark
Ribowsky contextualises Redding's life within the larger cultural
movements of his era. What emerges in Dreams to Remember is not
only a triumph of music history but also a reclamation of a
visionary who would come to define an entire era.
Everyone knows Yogi Berra, the American icon. He was the backbone
of the New York Yankees through ten World Series Championships,
managed the National League Champion New York Mets in 1973, and his
inscrutable Yogi-isms remain an indelible part of our lexicon. But
no one knew him like his family did. My Dad, Yogi is Dale Berra's
story of his unshakeable bond with his father, as well as a unique
and intimate perspective on one of the great sports figures of the
20th Century. When Yogi wasn't playing or coaching, or otherwise in
the public eye, he was home in the New Jersey suburbs, spending
time with his beloved wife, Carmen, and his three boys, Larry, Tim,
and Dale. Dale chronicles--as only a son could--his family's
history, his parents' enduring relationship, and his dad's storied
career. Throughout Dale's youth, he had a firsthand look at the
Major Leagues, often by his dad's side during Yogi's years as a
coach and manager. Dale got to know players like Tom Seaver, Bud
Harrelson, and Cleon Jones. Mickey Mantle, Don Larsen, and Phil
Rizzuto were lifelong family friends. Dale and his brothers all
became professional athletes, following in their dad's footsteps.
Dale came up with a great Pittsburgh Pirates team, playing
shortstop for several years before he was traded to the New York
Yankees and briefly united with his dad. But there were
extraordinary challenges. Dale was implicated in a major cocaine
scandal involving some of the biggest names in the sport, and his
promising career was cut short by his drug problem. Yogi supported
his son all along, ultimately staging an intervention. Dale's life
was saved by his father's love, and My Dad, Yogi is Dale's tribute,
and a must-have for baseball fans and fathers and sons everywhere.
When he died suddenly at the age of twenty-six, Otis Redding
(1941-1967) was the conscience of a new kind of soul music. Berry
Gordy built the first black-owned music empire at Motown but
Redding was doing something as historic: mainstreaming black music
within the whitest bastions of the post-Confederate south. As a
result, the Redding story-still largely untold-is one of great
conquest but grand tragedy. Now, in this transformative work, Mark
Ribowsky contextualises Redding's life within the larger cultural
movements of his era. What emerges in Dreams to Remember is not
only a triumph of music history but also a reclamation of a
visionary who would come to define an entire era.
For generations, American athletes have enjoyed the ever-escalating
celebrity lavished upon them when they combine on-the-field talent
with off-the field charisma, but never before have we seen as
transformative a sports dynasty as the Mannings: a bloodline of
strong arms, Southern values, and savvy business instincts-each man
compelling in his own right, made whole by family. But how, in just
fifty years, did this private trio achieve football immortality? A
gripping and definitive account, In the Name of the Father traces
Archie, Peyton, and Eli's roots from red-clay Mississippi to the
bright lights of the Super Bowl to reveal the truth of their grit
and dedication, their inherent ability, and the drama they endured
behind closed doors. As New York Times Notable biographer Mark
Ribowsky meticulously chronicles, the road to football stardom was
not paved smoothly for patriarch Archie. The most celebrated and
beloved athlete to emerge from tiny Drew, Mississippi, Archie lost
his father to suicide during his heyday at Ole Miss. Then, despite
his playing through the pain, a string of surgeries prematurely
ended a storied NFL career, most memorably spent with the New
Orleans Saints. Similar savior-like expectations were passed to
Archie's eldest, Cooper, the most gifted of his brood, but the
shocking discovery of a spinal condition prevented Cooper from ever
playing a single snap of college ball. Luckily, Archie had been
raising all three of his sons to love the gridiron, throwing deep
balls to them off the front porch, and there were two more heir
apparents in the wings. Raised watching dusty old game films in the
family den, Peyton was swiftly hailed as a generational talent, his
record-breaking tenure at Tennessee paving a clear path to the NFL.
Winning Super Bowls with both the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver
Broncos, he was able to overcome a debilitating neck injury-after
barely being able to hold a football-to eclipse Archie in football
success. It was Peyton who would first pair his football cachet
with capitalism, selecting commercials and appearances to show off
his humor and expand the now-ubiquitous Manning brand into
mainstream popular culture. And finally there was quiet Eli, with
an arm and a career to match his big brother's but a reserved and
enigmatic affect all his own. The good-boy who followed his father
to Ole Miss, Eli entered the NFL even more carefully managed then
his brother was, forcing a trade when the lackluster San Diego
Chargers selected him with the first pick in the draft. Even with
two dramatic Super Bowl wins with the New York Giants, Eli's lows
have been catastrophic, and he has never been quite the media
darling his brother is. But even as their football careers wind
down, the power of the Manning name only grows. Drawing on new
interviews and research, Ribowsky reveals a family of transcendent
talent and intense loyalty dedicated to maintaining an all-American
facade that has, on occasion, shown cracks. From the family's past
steeped in problematic parts of Southern identity, to locker-room
scandal turned lawsuit, to flashes of fraternal jealousy, Ribowsky
leaves no stone unturned. Rich in gridiron dramatics and familial
intrigue, In the Name of the Father is a quintessentially American
saga of a multifaceted lineage that has forever changed the game.
Everyone knows Yogi Berra, the American icon. He was the backbone
of the New York Yankees through ten World Series Championships,
managed the National League Champion New York Mets in 1973, and his
inscrutable Yogi-isms remain an indelible part of our lexicon. But
no one knew him like his family did. My Dad, Yogi is Dale Berra's
story of his unshakeable bond with his father, as well as a unique
and intimate perspective on one of the great sports figures of the
20th Century. When Yogi wasn't playing or coaching, or otherwise in
the public eye, he was home in the New Jersey suburbs, spending
time with his beloved wife, Carmen, and his three boys, Larry, Tim,
and Dale. Dale chronicles--as only a son could--his family's
history, his parents' enduring relationship, and his dad's storied
career. Throughout Dale's youth, he had a firsthand look at the
Major Leagues, often by his dad's side during Yogi's years as a
coach and manager. Dale got to know players like Tom Seaver, Bud
Harrelson, and Cleon Jones. Mickey Mantle, Don Larsen, and Phil
Rizzuto were lifelong family friends. Dale and his brothers all
became professional athletes, following in their dad's footsteps.
Dale came up with a great Pittsburgh Pirates team, playing
shortstop for several years before he was traded to the New York
Yankees and briefly united with his dad. But there were
extraordinary challenges. Dale was implicated in a major cocaine
scandal involving some of the biggest names in the sport, and his
promising career was cut short by his drug problem. Yogi supported
his son all along, ultimately staging an intervention. Dale's life
was saved by his father's love, and My Dad, Yogi is Dale's tribute,
and a must-have for baseball fans and fathers and sons everywhere.
For over 50 years or until 1947 when Jackie Robinson smashed the
major leagues' color barrier the only ball fields where an African
American could play organized baseball were the tarnished diamonds
of the Negro leagues. In the first exhaustive history of the Negro
leagues, readers learn why much of black culture once centered on
"blackball". of photos.
The first and only definitive biography of legendary Motown group,
the Temptations The Temptations are an incomparable soul group,
with dozens of chart-topping hits such as My Girl and Papa Was a
Rollin Stone . From the sharp suits, stylish choreography, and
distinctive vocals that epitomized their onstage triumphs to the
personal failings and psycho-dramas that played out behind the
scenes, Ain't Too Proud to Beg tells the complete story of this
most popular-and tragic-of all Motown super groups. Based on
in-depth research and interviews with founding Temptations member
Otis Williams and many others, the book reveals the highly
individual, even mutually antagonistic, nature of the group's
members. Venturing beyond the money and the fame, it shares the
compelling tale of these sometime allies, sometime rivals and
reveals the unique dynamic of push and pull and give and take that
resulted in musical genius. The first book to tell the whole story
of Motown's greatest group, with all-new interviews and previously
undiscovered sources and photographs Gives the last word on
enduring Motown mysteries, including the deaths of Paul Williams
and David Ruffin and the truth behind Ruffin's tumultuous romance
with Tammi Terrell Reveals the secret "can't miss" formula behind
the Temptations' thirty-seven chart hits Draws on more than one
hundred interviews with the group's associates, industry figures,
family members, and most importantly, founding Temptation Otis
Williams Ain't Too Proud to Beg takes a cohesive and penetrating
look at the life and enduring legacy of one of the greatest groups
in popular music. It is essential reading for fans of the
Temptations, music lovers, and anyone interested in the history of
American popular culture over the last fifty years.
"The Supremes" is a sprawling tale of unforgettable music,
cutthroat ambition, and heartbreaking betrayal. Mark Ribowsky
explodes "Dreamgirl" fantasies by taking the reader behind the
closed doors of Motown to witness the rise of group leader Diana
Ross, the creation of timeless classics like "Where Did Our Love
Go?," and the dramatic power struggles within Detroit's fabled
music factory. Drawing on firsthand, intimate recollections from
knowledgeable sources such as the Temptations's Otis Williams and
other Motown contemporaries--many never before interviewed--"The
Supremes" is "a comprehensive look at the tumultuous relationships
within the Supremes as well as among others at the Motown label"
("Library Journal").
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