Entertainment Memoir

Growing up, Chris Olsen believed his family was perfect. But at thirteen, his mundane life began to unravel when his mother admitted that she was an alcoholic, revealing hidden battles that profoundly impacted their family dynamic. Now, seeking to reclaim a narrative he never felt was truly his, Olsen explores his journey from a contented childhood to an adolescence and adulthood marked by trauma, resilience, and self-discovery.

“All my life I had one dream and that was to be in the movies.” He was the Golden Boy of the Golden Age. A prince of the silver screen. Dashing and debonair, Tony Curtis arrived on the scene in a blaze of bright lights and celluloid. His good looks, smooth charm, and natural talent earned...

Joel Miller is an ex-roadie for Guns N’ Roses, Poison, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Cranberries. The book is an often-hilarious personal account of a young man in his early 20s trying to be a “good” roadie while also trying to understand life’s big picture. Through the advice of rock stars and career roadies Joel tries to find the pathway to roadie righteousness.

Want sex, drugs, and rock and roll? It’s all here. But what is so moving about Staci Layne Wilson’s unconventional coming-of-age story is that in spite of her rocky childhood, she describes her parents with deep affection, generosity, and pride. Hers is a story of triumph over a legacy of alcoholism, suicide, and Hollywood burnout, but more than that, it’s a tender, gripping tale of unconditional love (with a healthy dose of humor). Despite the downsides, her upbringing gave her the powerful determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

The heartfelt memoir of Ray Raghunath Cappo, a legendary hardcore punk musician-turned-monk—and pioneer of the straight-edge movement—told with warmth, candor, and humor, narrated by the author himself. Ray Cappo was a hardcore punk singer and pioneer of the straight-edge movement living on the Lower East Side of New York City in the ’80s, where his band Youth of Today played to packed clubs and touched thousands of people across the globe.

In less than a year, Neil Peart lost both his 19-year-old daughter, Selena, and his wife, Jackie. Faced with overwhelming sadness and isolated from the world in his home on the lake, Peart was left without direction. That lack of direction lead him on a 55,000 mile journey by motorcycle across much of North America, down through Mexico to Belize, and back again.

Through his pioneering work in the legendary country-punk band Uncle Tupelo, to his enduring legacy as the creative force behind the unclassifiable sound of Wilco, Jeff Tweedy has weaved his way between the underground and the mainstream - and back again. Funny, disarming and deeply honest, his memoir casts light on his unique creative process and the stories that shaped his life and career.

Before he was the charismatic singer of Black Veil Brides and an accomplished solo artist under the Andy Black moniker, he was Andrew Dennis Biersack, an imaginative and creative kid in Cincinnati, Ohio, struggling with anxiety, fear, loneliness, and the impossible task of fitting in. With his trademark charm, clever wit, and insightful analysis, Biersack tells the story of his childhood and adolescence and the discovery of the artistic passions that would shape his life.

Written in his own unmistakable voice and with a new afterword by the author, this is the frank and fascinating memoir by arguably the greatest bass player of his generation. Beginning with an East End childhood in a London barely recovered from the War, he takes us on a journey through the beginnings of punk and post-punk as a founding member of Public Image Limited, an illustrious forty-year solo career which has seen collaborations musical greats such as U2, Brian Eno and CAN and a Mercury Music Prize nomination through to the present day still playing to sell out audiences.

Doug Stanhope has been drunkenly stumbling down the back roads and dark alleys of stand-up comedy for over a quarter of a century, roads laden with dank bars, prostitutes, cheap drugs, farm animals, evil dwarfs, public nudity, menacing third-world police, psychotic breaks, sex offenders, and some understandable suicides. You know, just for levity. While other comedians were seeking fame, Stanhope was seeking immediate gratification, dark spectacle, or sometimes just his pants.

Peggy Seeger is one of folk music's most influential artists and songwriters. Born in New York in 1935, her childhood was steeped in music and left-wing politics; they remain her lifeblood. Always a rebel, she traveled to Russia and China against US advice before arriving in London, where she met the much older (and already married) man with whom she would raise three children and share the next 33 years: Ewan MacColl. Together, they helped lay the foundations of the British folk revival.

Dave Van Ronk was one of the founding figures of the 1960s folk revival, but he was far more than that. A pioneer of modern acoustic blues, a fine songwriter and arranger, a powerful singer, and one of the most influential guitarists of the ’60s, he was also a marvelous storyteller, a peerless musical historian, and one of the most quotable figures on the Village scene. The Mayor of MacDougal Street is a firsthand account by a major player in the social and musical history of the ’50s and ’60s.

Is any superhero cooler than Batman? He’s a crime-fighting vigilante with a tragic past, a lawless attitude, and a seemingly endless supply of high-tech gadgetry. In this memoir, author Michael E. Uslan recalls his journey from early childhood fandom through to the decades he spent on a caped crusade of his own: to bring Batman to the silver screen as the dark, serious character he was at heart.

The first in-depth cultural history of one of the most famous American contemporary musicals featuring archival research and first-hand accounts from its creators and collaborators.

These recollections cover the time from the very early 1960s until after my last significant acting role. After that I pulled a disappearing act and became a regular bloke for the most part. The transition from child/youth actor through to adult is notoriously difficult, some have succeeded, some spectacularly so. Some have stumbled along and sadly, some have fallen. I chose to take a break, which I’m still on. I’ve been the subject of many 'where are they now?' articles and musings. Well, I’m here now, writing this.

In this moving audio memoir, Michael Elliot chronicles his life from being homeless on the streets of Philadelphia to successful Hollywood screenwriter and business entrepreneur. He talks about how his cycles of success and setbacks have become moments to focus on opportunity - like how first big success eventually fell away, and Michael found himself working at the Gap. Confronted with who he really was - and truly understanding why he failed - a series of moments restored his faith and eventually taught him how keep finding success through boldness and belief.

Dana Gillespie’s 2021 memoir, Weren’t Born a Man, has been celebrated as "eye-popping" by The Spectator, "scandalous" by The Daily Mail, and "hilarious and moving" by The Times, all of them fitting descriptions that still don’t quite do it justice. It’s the tale of a true artist/adventurer’s life, told with vivid humour, no regrets, and an unflinching eye for detail. Dana’s life so far has been one from which every last drop of love, joy, and ebullience has been wrung.

Riff-Raff, Rebels & Rock Gods chronicles the rise of the most exciting generation of British music and musicians the world has ever seen - before or since. In rapid succession came Ska, New Mod, anarcho-punk, Oi, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. A firestorm of incendiary music, created and performed by geniuses and madmen. What a time to be a music journalist! At the heart of this rock tsunami was SOUNDS magazine. And at the heart of SOUNDS was your narrator, Garry Bushell.

The true story of Elton John’s meteoric rise from obscurity to worldwide celebrity in the weird, wild 1970s, based on rare one-on-one interviews with the Rocket Man himself—now the subject of a major motion picture. In August 1970, Elton John achieved overnight fame with a rousing...

From a Deadpool 2 fan favorite comes a “hilarious, raw” (Rolling Stone) memoir about love, sex, parenthood, work, substance abuse, and everything else that makes life wonderful and/or horrible. Rob Delaney is a comedy superstar. But if you’re ever watched him steal scenes as Peter in...