Your Guide to a Star-Studded Season of Music Memoir and Biography

Me, by Elton John
It’s  hard to believe Sir Elton has never produced an autobiography until now. With a career that spans more than a half century, the one-time Reginald Dwight has plenty of stories to tell—some relating to the excesses and pitfalls that have plagued so many rockers, many others having to do with his run-ins with some of the most significant figures of our time, including Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth. The suburban kid from Pinner grew up to be one of the most shocking and outrageous figures in glam rock, and soared to the heights of respectability as an icon, and also a father. This is the story of a living legend, told in his own words.

The Beautiful Ones, by Prince
Another equally significant, but very different musical visionary has a new memoir out this month, this one a bit more poignant. The autobiography begun prior to Prince’s death in 2016 is the first-person account of a Minnesota kid who created some of the most visionary pop and funk ever recorded, cultivating a mystique very different from what his upbringing would have suggested. Prince’s own recollections of his childhood and early growth as an artist make up the first part of the book, while writing and candid photographs fill in the major events from the rest of his storied career. Finally, the Artist’s own handwritten treatment for “Purple Rain” is included in its entirety. Though sadly truncated, this is an essential portrait of The Artist: Prince sought to retell his own story as a mythic and funky adventure, and succeeded.

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, by Julie Andrews with Emma Walton Hamilton
Her first memoir, Home, chronicled Julie Andrews’ difficult childhood and emergence as a singer and stage performer, while this follow-up discusses her Hollywood career from its earliest days and offers insights into her biggest successes in her own words. Co-writing with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, Andrews not only dives into the stories behind roles in films like Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Victor/Victoria, but deals with her own transition into worldwide superstardom, and the effect it had on her marriages and children. For an accounting of Andrews’ earlier years, you’ll want to read Home Work alongside her previous book Home: A Memoir of my Early Years.

Horror Stories, by Liz Phair
The title alone reveals that this book to be a musical memoir of a different order: like Liz Phair’s emotionally candid music, her book traces some of the most difficult moments of her life and career, stretching back to the release of her groundbreaking debut album Exile in Guyville, analyzing critical junctures, reconsidering poor choices, and poring over the seemingly mundane moments she’s been unable to leave behind. Her point isn’t to wallow in the dark times; Phair is aiming for something more universal—a confessional work revealing that even a rock star experiences moments of self-delusion and shame. In exploring her own horror stories, Liz Phair explores the ways in which we all cope with regret, and how we might reclaim our power over our darkest moments.

Rihanna, by Rihanna
Considering she is one of the biggest musical mega-stars of our time, there’s really no better title for this book than simply Rihanna; the name says it all. This impressive and hefty art book serves as a visual autobiography of the singer, designer, actress, and businesswoman. Taken together, the collection of photos showcase every facet of her extraordinary life and career—1,050 full-color images spread across over 500 pages, many of them never published before, and representing her experiences in stagecraft, design sketches, fashion, and music. The book also includes several fold-out images, as well as a removable poster, making it not only a unique look at Rihanna’s life from her own perspective, but a very impressive package, highly giftable item for fans (and who isn’t?).

Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie, by Carly Simon
Another book from a musical legend, this one less about Carly Simon’s music than about her relationship with another American icon: following a chance encounter at a party in Martha’s Vineyard,  Simon and Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis developed a relationship somewhere between that of best pals and a mother and daughter. When Simon write children’s books in the 1980s and ’90s, it dovetailed with Jackie’s late-career move into the publishing world, and she became Simon’s editor. The friendship lasted right up until Jackie’s death in 1994. Here, Simon shares the intimate story of their unique bond.

Janis: Her Life and Music, by Holly George-Warren
Each generation seems fated to rediscover Janis Joplin for itself, with this new (and already acclaimed) biography from George-Warren representing a new opportunity to take a fresh look at the singer-songwriter/queen of rock and roll. Growing up in the 1940s and ’50s in a conservative oil town, Joplin refused to play by the rules of gender and sexuality, and developed the racially progressive views that lead her to approach and appreciate the blues music of black Americans. Though the tragedy of her struggle with addiction and her eventual death color our view of her life and career, the author makes clear that Joplin was a complex person, and worth much more than the sum of her demons: she was sensitive, a perfectionist, and a true romantic, and she changed music forever. Writing with unprecedented access to archives and interview subjects, George-Warren has created a definitive portrait of a legendary figure.

Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius, by Rakim
During rap’s golden age in the 1980s, when the form was just coming into its own in the mainstream, Rakim was at the forefront among MCs proving that there was art to be found in hip hop. His complex lyrics and layered rhymes changed the way things were done—are still being done—earning him a reputation as the Thelonious Monk of rap. Even in this new memoir he breaks with convention: yes, he offers a rare glimpse into his private life, from his childhood on Long Island to his rise to the top of the music scene, but first and foremost it is an exploration of his process—a guide, perhaps, for those looking to be better writers, and an exploration of the craft for everyone else. Rakim’s masterful mingling of words, music, and rhyme to create and tell stories can impart lessons useful for any artist, or anyone who’s ever tried to tell a great story.

Face It: A Memoir, by Debbie Harry
It’s obviously a huge season for musical memoirs, and it’s impossible to overstate the importance of each of the talents with books out this fall, but none of them rocks harder than punk icon Debbie Harry, who led the band Blondie, a fusion of rock, punk, disco, and hip-hop incarnate. The deeply private artist’s new memoir revisits the gritty music scene in 1970s New York, an era when some of the greatest bands of all time were on the verge of becoming legends. Through drug addiction, heartbreaks, and breakups, Harry evolved from rock star to activist to icon, busting down barriers and making great music all the while.
What’s your favorite musical memoir or biography ever?