A biography of the author's great-aunt, jazz patroness Nica de Koenigswarter, drawing on family records to examine the traditions that shaped her youth, her marriage to Baron Jules de Koenigswarter, and her role in supporting the New York jazz world.

"From comedian, Esquire contributor, and former MTV VJ Dave Holmes, the hilarious memoir of a music geek and perpetual outsider fumbling his way toward self-acceptance, with the music of the '80s, '90s, and '00s as his soundtrack. Dave Holmes has spent his life on the periphery, nose pressed hopefully against the glass, wanting just one thing: to get inside. Growing up, he was the artsy kid in the sporty family. At his high school and Catholic college,...

"In 1966, at the ripe age of 22, Richard Goldstein approached The Village Voice with a novel idea. "I want to be a rock critic," he said. "What's that?" the editor replied. It was a logical question, since rock criticism didn't yet exist. In the weekly column he would produce for the Voice, Goldstein became the first person to write regularly in a major publication about the music that changed our lives. He believed deeply in the power of rock, and,...

Growing up poor in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, with a young, addicted mom, Bobby Estell fell in love with country music. Abandoned by his father at the age of five, Bobby saw the radio as his way out--a dream that came true in college when he went on air at the Henderson State University campus station broadcasting as Bobby Bones, while simultaneously starting The Bobby Bones Show at 105.9 KLAZ. Bobby's passions were pop, country music, and comedy, and...

"The ballad "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history, and John Henry - the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drill - is a towering figure in our culture. But for over a century, no one knew who the original John Henry was - or even if there was a real John Henry." "In Steel Drivin' Man, Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic American hero, telling the poignant...

It took me a lifetime to have the courage and the clarity to write my memoir. I want to tell the story of the moments - the ups and downs, the triumphs and traumas, the debacles and the dreams, that contributed to the person I am today. Though there have been countless stories about me throughout my career and very public personal life, it’s been impossible to communicate the complexities and depths of my experience in any single magazine article...

"The 1980s New Wave star-turned-Silicon Valley entrepreneur traces his disadvantaged early years in a London bedsit, creation of the breakout hit "She Blinded Me With Science" and role in pioneering the use of MP3s in cellphones,"--NoveList.

"An intimate, revealing look at one artist's journey from self-censorship to full expression As one of the most celebrated musicians of our time, Alicia Keys has enraptured the nation with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache-over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized...

Over the last three decades, one music producer and record man has transformed the business, discovering and producing some of the greatest acts in pop music history, including Toni Braxton, Kanye West, Rihanna, TLC, Outkast, Mariah Carey, Pink, Justin Bieber, and Usher. At the helm of four celebrated and innovative music labels--LaFace, Arista, Island Def Jam, and Epic--LA Reid set his sights on finding one star after the next, and then worked behind...