Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, George Michael was raised in a family of Greek Cypriot immigrants in North London, and dreamed of stardom when he was a little boy. At just twelve years old he met Andrew Ridgeley and the two of them went on to achieve stunning success in the early 1980s with Wham!, creating music that remains popular to this day. Yet despite the enormous success of Wham!, George wanted more, and so set about recreating himself as a serious solo artist, reaching heights of even greater success. Ironically, however, even from the early days he was plagued with insecurity about his sexuality, which, combined with the calamity of losing his first lover to AIDS and his mother to cancer, plunged him into a lifelong struggle with drug addiction. He died, at the tragically early age of just fifty-three, on Christmas Day 2016. George Michael's life and career brought him international fame, and his sudden and unexpected death shocked the world. His unrivalled popularity as an artist, however, and the music he made, have turned him into one of the immortal greats of pop music. As Emily Herbert shows in this new biography, his legacy is not just his music, but his many extraordinary, and often anonymous, acts of charity.

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!

With his twinkling eyes, boundless energy and unrivalled natural wit, Robin Williams was the comedian who brought laughter to a generation. Through roles in cherished films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Aladdin and Hook, he became the genial face of family comedy. His child-like enthusiasm was infectious, sweeping viewers away. Allied to his lightning-quick improvisation and ability to riff lewdly off any cue thrown at him, Robin was that rare thing - a true comic genius who appealed to adults and children equally. He could also play it straight, and empathetic depth came to him naturally. A poignant performance in Good Will Hunting won him an Academy Award whilst his masterfully chilling turn in psychological thriller Insomnia shocked audiences and hinted at a darker side. What truly caught the imagination, though, was his good-heartedness. Warmth radiated from him on-screen, but he was legendary for his off-screen acts of selfless generosity. Where most Hollywood A-listers demand outrageous pampering in their contract riders, he always insisted that the production company hire a full quota of homeless people to help make his movies. But behind the laughter lay a deeply troubled man, and tragedy would follow. At midday, on 11 August 2014, Robin Williams was pronounced dead at his California home. The verdict was suicide. He had battled depression and addiction for many years and was allegedly beset by financial difficulties. Emily Herbert's sensitive and thoughtful biography celebrates his genius and warmth, but also attempts to understand what could have driven such a gentle and gifted man to so tragic an end. This is Robin Williams, the life, the laughter, and the deep sorrow of the man who made the world smile.

Title: Ione's Dream, and other poems.Publisher: British Library, Historical Print EditionsThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all known languages and formats: books, journals, newspapers, sound recordings, patents, maps, stamps, prints and much more. Its collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial additional collections of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 300 BC.The POETRY & DRAMA collection includes books from the British Library digitised by Microsoft. The books reflect the complex and changing role of literature in society, ranging from Bardic poetry to Victorian verse. Containing many classic works from important dramatists and poets, this collection has something for every lover of the stage and verse. ++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ British Library Herbert, Jane Emily; 1853. 12 . 11646.g.16.

Lifting the lid on Lady Gaga aka Stefani Germanotta, find out all you ever wanted to know about the eccentric star. After being signed to and quickly dropped from Def Jam Records at age 19, Lady Gaga began performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side. During this time, she was also working at Interscope Records as a songwriter. While at Interscope Records, Akon, after hearing Gaga sing, convinced Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine to sign her to a joint deal with the label and Akon's Kon Live Distribution label. Her debut album The Fame was released in August 2008 and was a huge success that went to number one in four countries. The album's first two singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", have become international number-one hits, and the former was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 51st Grammy Awards. In 2009, after having opened for New Kids on the Block and the Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga embarked on her first headlining tour, The Fame Ball Tour, which has had countless rave reviews. Lady Gaga is inspired by glam rockers such as David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson. She is also inspired by fashion, which she has said is an essential component to her songwriting and performances. To date she has sold over 20 million digital singles and more than four million albums worldwide.

On 25th July, breaking news revealed that Michael Jackson, King of Pop, was dead. Fans and the media watched in shock as the story unfolded: doctors had lost the battle to save him after he had collapsed from a heart attack. In a cruel twist of fate, he had passed away before he got the chance to make his final curtain call in the form of 50 planned sell-out shows at London's O2 Arena. From a very young age, Michael's exceptional music talent was clear. He stood apart from his four brothers when they performed together as the Jackson 5 and, in 1974, he embarked upon what was to become a monumental solo career. A string of chart-busting albums and singles followed, with the Thriller album selling 47 million copies worldwide and yielding seven top-ten singles. It is belived that, in his lifetime, he sold around 750 million records, making him one of the most successful entertainers ever. This in-depth and affectionate biography traces the rise of the man, from child prodigy to tortured megastar. It is the definitive portrait of a pop legend whose strange and brilliant life will never be forgotten.