Entertainment Bios

As lead singer of Happy Mondays and Black Grape, Shaun Ryder was the Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of his generation - one of the last real rock 'n' roll stars. A true rebel, who formed and led not one but two seminal bands, he's had number-one albums, headlined Glastonbury, toured the world numerous times, taken every drug under the sun, been through rehab - and come out the other side as a national treasure.

In Bogie & Bacall, William Mann offers a deep and comprehensive look at Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, and the unlikely love they shared. Mann details their early years—Bogart’s effete upbringing in New York City; Bacall’s rise as a model and actress. He paints a vivid portrait of their courtship and twelve-year marriage: the fights, the reconciliations, the children, the affairs, Bogie’s illness and Bacall’s steadfastness until his death. He offers a sympathetic yet clear-eyed portrait of Bacall’s life after Bogie.

Never before has a book like this one delved into the spiritual odyssey of cultural icon Bob Dylan. Tracking an American original - from his Jewish roots to his controversial embrace of Jesus to his enduring legacy as the composer of the Tempest album - Bob Dylan: A Spiritual Life delivers the story of a man in dogged pursuit of redemption. Based on years of research and original interviews, this book sorts through the myths and misunderstandings and reveals Dylan to be both traditional and radical in the way he expresses his spiritual quest for meaning.

A scandalously talented stage performer, a practiced seductress of both men and women, and the flamboyant author of some of the greatest works of 20th-century literature, Colette was our first true superstar. Now, in Judith Thurman's Secrets of the Flesh, Colette at last has a biography worthy of her dazzling reputation.

Samuel L. Jackson’s embodiment of cool isn’t just inspirational - it’s important. Bad Motherf--ker lays out how his attitude intersects with his identity as a Black man, why being cool matters in the modern world, and how Jackson can guide us through the current cultural moment in which everyone is losing their cool. Edwards details Jackson’s fascinating personal history, from stuttering bookworm to gunrunning revolutionary to freebasing addict to A-list movie star.

Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Tupac’s birth and 25th anniversary of his death, in Changes, Sheldon Pearce offers one of the most thoughtful and comprehensive accounts yet of the artist’s life and legacy. Pearce, an editor and writer at The New Yorker, interviews dozens who knew Tupac throughout various phases of his life. While there are plenty of bold-faced names, the book focuses on the individuals who are lesser known and offer fresh stories and rare insight.

At the dawn of the 1950s, a promising and dedicated young painter named Helen Frankenthaler, fresh out of college, moved back home to New York City to make her name. By the decade's end, she had succeeded in establishing herself as an important American artist of the postwar period. In the years in between, she made some of the most daring, head-turning paintings of her day and also came into her own as a woman: traveling the world, falling in and out of love, and engaging in an ongoing artistic education.

Lead singer of the hugely successful Irish rock band Kodaline, Steve Garrigan plays to thousands of fans worldwide - his business is being in the spotlight. But for years, Steve was privately battling his own demons. Here in this deeply personal memoir, he shares his experiences. 

Un ragazzino cicciottello e un po' tarchiato, un adolescente problematico con gli occhiali spessi, un adulto inquieto che paga a caro prezzo il successo, la fama, il denaro, ma soprattutto un grande autore con una voce stupenda. Questo e molto altro è stato George Michael, un artista spesso incompreso e altrettanto frequentemente inserito a forza in categorie che gli stavano strette come un laccio al collo.

Dal primo nucleo di quelli che diventeranno i Rolling Stones, all'arrivo di Brian Jones, che ne sarà l'anima per qualche tempo, fino alla costituzione della vera "fabbrica" Jagger/Richards. Questo audioBook è un viaggio avventuroso e a volte impietoso lungo le tappe di una delle carriere più "granitiche" del rock: quella delle Pietre per eccellenza, i Rolling Stones. Un disco dopo l'altro per raccontare l'avventura della band più longeva della musica senza dimenticare qualche aneddoto curioso e, soprattutto, dando il giusto spazio a quello che più conta.

In 1971, Newsweek heralded The Last Picture Show as "the most impressive work by a young American director since Citizen Kane." Indeed, few filmmakers rivaled Peter Bogdanovich's popularity over the next decade. Riding the success of What's Up, Doc? (1972) and Paper Moon (1973), Bogdanovich became a bona fide celebrity, making regular appearances in his own movie trailers, occasionally hosting late-night television shows, and publicly advocating for mentors John Ford and Howard Hawks.

Truly the voice of a generation, George Carlin gave the world some of the most hysterical and iconic comedy routines of the last 50 years. He perfected the art of making audiences double over with laughter while simultaneously making people wake up to the realities (and insanities) of life in the 20th century. Few people glimpsed the inner life of this beloved comedian, but his only child, Kelly, was there to see it all.

Richard Carr’s Charlie Chaplin places politics at the centre of the filmmaker’s life as it looks beyond Chaplin’s role as a comedic figure to his constant political engagement both on and off the screen. Drawing from a wealth of archival sources from across the globe, Carr provides an in-depth examination of Chaplin’s life as he made his way from Lambeth to Los Angeles. From his experiences in the workhouse to his controversial romantic relationships and his connections with some of the leading political figures of his day, this book sheds new light on Chaplin’s private life.

Gli U2 sono uno dei gruppi più importanti del mondo: su di loro sono, ovviamente usciti, decine di libri...

John Denver said, “I have a producer who looks like an accountant, and an accountant who looks like a producer”. Soberly dressed, unflashy, and a trained classical musician, in the golden age of the music business, Milt Okun stood out by not standing out. His legacy does that for him. He discovered and launched John Denver, and mentored him throughout his career. He created arrangements for Peter, Paul and Mary that the trio performed for half a century. He brought Placido Domingo a crossover career that made him an international star beyond the world of opera.

At its peak, over 8 percent of every household in America was tuned in to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Mister Rogers' wholesome message inspired millions of kids to do better. Millions knew the TV personality, but few knew the man behind the cardigan. This audiobook gives a glimpse into what inspired the man who captivated so many viewers.

Bob Dylan è un uomo che non ha mai indossato maschere per presentare sempre la parte migliore di sé stesso. Questo audioBook racconta la sua vita e la sua produzione artistica. È un viaggio attraverso la musica e le parole di uno dei mostri sacri della musica, uno dei pochi (forse il solo) che si è sempre rifiutato di cambiare pelle a seconda delle epoche, delle mode e delle tendenze.

Lucio Dalla racconta che da ragazzo sua madre lo portò a fare un test psicoattitudinale, e risultò che era un "mezzo deficiente". Da qui, da quel giovane che cantava sul palco a piedi nudi, parte la storia di uno dei cantautori più irriverenti e geniali del panorama italiano. Ai tempi in cui la canzone italiana era inamidata e ammantata nelle voci di velluto dei vari Paoli e Morandi, Dalla si ritaglia gradualmente il suo posto, che nessuno avrebbe potuto riempire.

John Lennon è stato uno dei protagonisti di una delle più grandi rivoluzioni culturali di tutti i tempi...

Nessuno come Pino Daniele ha saputo costruire un ponte tra l'Italia, l'America e l'Africa. La sua chitarra aveva dei poteri magici: sapeva flirtare con il blues senza tradire la tarantella e convivere con il Sud del mondo, senza abbandonare Napoli. Mentre un suo grande concittadino, Eduardo De Filippo, consigliava ai giovani di fuggire da Napoli per avere successo, lui no.