In 1992, Singer, pianist and composer Tori Amos achieved fame with the intensely personal solid gold record, Little Earthquakes, the first of fifteen studio albums. Each new recording cut new ground both musically and thematically. Since then, Amos has performed world-wide, both as a soloist and also accompanied, by a rhythm section, an octet and an orchestra. Her projects have ranged from the musical A Light Princess to the classically-inspired Night of Hunters. Grammy nominations include...

In 1985, Suzanne Vega released her debut, garnering platinum status in the UK and this New York-based singer-songwriter’s self-titled album claimed the number 80 spot on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Best Albums of the Eighties. Vega began her career as an ambitious ‘second wave’ folk singer in Greenwich Village, but since the inception of that forty-year career, however, she has explored not only neo-folk music, but electronica, blues, new wave, musical theater, pop and Latin-flavored ball...

‘In the beginning,’ Billy Joel entertained Long Island locals with The Hassles and Attila before forging a solo career in 1971. One year later, the singer-songwriter-pianist captivated college students when ‘Captain Jack’ dominated the Philadelphia airwaves. ‘And so, it goes…’ Cold Spring Harbor was rife with barrelhouse piano and tear-stained balladry but with Turnstiles Joel realised his dream of forming a stellar band. The success of The Stranger led to sold-out arenas and 52nd Street h...

Former fashion model, charismatic vocalist and devoted lover of David Bowie during his 1970s golden era, Chicago-born Ava Cherry waited for just the right moment to tell her story, and that moment is now…All That Glitters begins with Ava’s musical inspirations, family allegiances, Catholic education and reaction to living on Chicago’s South Side. Donning faded denim and “lots of fringe” during her early teen years, she frequents the all-black, opulent Regal Theater, where she dream...

"Hey, yo, Jim . . . This is Sylvester Stallone. Give me a call . . ."It was these words that would set Jim Peterik on the road to rock 'n' roll immortality. After he and his Survivor bandmates recorded "Eye of the Tiger" for the Rocky III soundtrack, the song would go on to earn a Grammy, an Oscar nomination, reach triple platinum status—and become one of the most recognizable tunes in music history.But there's much more to the story of Survivor an...

"Compelling portraits. As a songwriter . . . [Zollo] . . . brings to the table the kind of easygoing empathy that allows him to ask the right question[s]." — Los Angeles Review of BooksThe sequel to Songwriters on Songwriting, often called "the songwriter's bible," More Songwriters on Songwriting goes to the heart of the creative process with in-depth interviews with many of the world's greatest songwriters.Coveri...

Drawn from NPR Music’s acclaimed, groundbreaking series Turning the Tables, the definitive book on the vital role of Women in Music—from Beyoncé to Odetta, Taylor Swift to Joan Baez, Joan Jett to Dolly Parton—featuring archival interviews, essays, photographs, and illustrations.Turning the Tables, launched in 2017, has revolutionized recognition of female artists, whether it be in best album lists or in the Rock and Roll Hall of FameHow Women M...

The definitive biography of guitar icon and Grammy Award-winning artist Bill Frisell.FEATURING EXCLUSIVE LISTENING SESSIONS WITH: Paul Simon; Justin Vernon of Bon Iver; Gus Van Sant; Rhiannon Giddens; The Bad Plus; Gavin Bryars; Van Dyke Parks; Sam Amidon; Hal Willner; Jim Woodring; Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill'A beautiful and long overdue portrait of one of America's true living cultural treasures.'JOHN ZORN'The perfect comp...

"NPR's music guru asks dozens of artists about songs that inspired them. The answers are surprising and illuminating." — Billboard MagazineFrom the beloved host and creator of NPR's All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts comes an essential oral history of modern music, told in the voices of iconic and up-and-coming musicians.Is there an unforgettable song that changed your life?NPR's renowned music authority Bob Boilen posed this question...

Internationally acclaimed, knighted and immortalised in music's pantheon, Paul McCartney nevertheless remains one of the least fully appreciated of modern icons.Throughout his career, McCartney has initiated and participated in projects that have taken him very far away from the kind of music associated with his career in The Beatles, in Wings, and as a solo artist. From as far back as the 1960s there have been experimental solo projects, both under his own name and incognito. Thes...

Lyrics sheds light on all aspects of writing lyrics for music and will make lyricists and songwriters feel more confident and creative when they tackle lyrics. It's perfect for all songwriters: those who don’t like their own lyrics and find lyrics difficult to write, experienced writers looking for a creative edge, and those offering lyrics to set to music in a partnership.The book discusses channeling personal experiences into lyrics, overcoming writer's block, the right lyrics fo...

In this memoir, iconic singer Linda Ronstadt weaves together a captivating story of her origins in Tucson, Arizona, and her rise to stardom in the Southern California music scene of the 1960s and ‘70s.Tracing the timeline of her remarkable life, Linda Ronstadt, whose forty-five year career has encompassed a wide array of musical styles, weaves together a captivating story of her origins in Tucson, Arizona, and her rise to stardom in the Southern California music sc...