Named one of the best music books of 2017 by The Wall Street Journal An elegy to the age of the Rock Star, featuring Chuck Berry, Elvis, Madonna, Bowie, Prince, and more, uncommon people whose lives were transformed by rock and who, in turn, shaped our culture Recklessness, thy name is rock. The age of the rock star, like the age of the cowboy, has passed. Like the cowboy, the idea of the rock star lives on in our imaginations. What did we see in them? Swagger. Recklessness. Sexual charisma. Damn-the-torpedoes self-belief. A certain way of carrying themselves. Good hair. Interesting shoes. Talent we wished we had. What did we want of them? To be larger than life but also like us. To live out their songs. To stay young forever. No wonder many didn’t stay the course. In Uncommon People, David Hepworth zeroes in on defining moments and turning points in the lives of forty rock stars from 1955 to 1995, taking us on a journey to burst a hundred myths and create a hundred more. As this tribe of uniquely motivated nobodies went about turning themselves into the ultimate somebodies, they also shaped us, our real lives and our fantasies. Uncommon People isn’t just their story. It’s ours as well.
From the host of the History channel’s Brad Meltzer’s Decoded: the laws of the universe like you’ve never experienced them before. This approachable book explains the world of physics with clarity, humor, and a dash of adventure. Physics for Rock Stars is not a weighty treatise on science, but a personal tour of physics from a quirky friend. Anyone who’s ever wondered why nature abhors a vacuum, what causes magnetic attraction, or how to jump off a moving train or do a perfect stage dive will find answers and a few laughs too. No equations, numbers, or tricky concepts—just an inspiring and comical romp through the basics of physics and the beauty of the organized universe.
Daisy Jones & the Six meets Nick Hornby in this uplit debut novel about a young musician who auditions for a band and is suddenly catapulted into the wild world of rock and roll stardom, where nothing is quite what it seems. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom on your way to the top. It’s 1974. The music world is rocking with bellbottoms, platform shoes, and lots and lots of drugs. This year’s sensation is an American band called Downtown Exit and their latest album has just gone gold. For high school dropout Levi Jaxon, things aren’t so great. After bouncing around foster homes for years, he’s living in his best friend’s basement. His dream is to someday be a rock star, but he has a problem—his own band has just broken up. In an uncanny stroke of luck, Levi lands an audition for Downtown Exit, who are now recording their second album at Abbey Road Studios. He arrives in London and aces his audition, only to learn he’s not really in the band. No, Levi’s job is to sit in the wings and cover for the band’s real guitarist when he inevitably starts tripping on stage. Levi sticks with it, hoping to step into the role he’s always dreamed of. But he must first navigate egos, jealousies, and deceptions. Frankie, the band’s front man, has it out for him. And Levi has fallen for Ariadne, the band’s photographer. All of them have their secrets, Levi included. And as the band tours through Europe and struggles to finish their new album, Levi comes face to face with unanswered questions from his past and the impossible price that fame demands. Utterly magical and transporting, Bootleg Stardust is a one-of-a-kind joyride about the power of music to bring people together—and break them apart—and the courage it takes to find your own voice.
Rock Stars on God is a collection of hard-hitting interviews about spirituality, the afterlife, and our purpose here on earth with some of rock's biggest names. Not only will you discover insights about each artist's spirituality, but you'll find a training ground for engaging others in conversations about Jesus. Book jacket.
In this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek picture book debut, one little kid who really loves to rock and roll explains everything there is to know about starting a rock band. “A joyous, raucous must-have manual for little rock stars everywhere.” —Savannah Guthrie, Today show co-anchor Becoming a rock star isn't easy—especially if you're a kid. From finding the right instrument, to mastering the best dance moves, to taking your band on the road, there's a lot to consider! And that's not to mention dealing with critics, crazed fans, and a little brother with a chocolate milk problem . . . Luckily, this book has everything you need to know to make it big. This giggle-inducing guide to aspiring rock and rollers, chock-full of laugh-out-loud illustrations, is sure to leave readers both young and young at heart shouting for an encore! “Kids who rock and parents who love them will cheer this fun, and very funny, picture book how-to guide for starting a band.” —Laurie Berkner, children’s recording artist
"Funny, tender, edgy. I wanted the love story to go on forever."—Joan Johnston, bestselling author of No Longer a Stranger Written in the wonderfully honest, edgy, and hilarious voice she perfected in God-Shaped Hole, Tiffanie DeBartolo shines in a passionate new story of music, love, and sacrifice. Eliza Caelum, a young music journalist, is finally getting her footing in New York when she meets Paul Hudson, a talented songwriter and lead singer of the band Bananafish. They soon realize they share more than a reverence for rock music and plunge headlong into love. When Bananafish is signed by a big corporate label, and Paul is on his way to becoming a major rock star, Eliza's past forces her to make a heartbreaking decision that might be the key to Paul's sudden disappearance. A layered and emotional look into the world of music, this raw summer read will resonate with readers who loved Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Praise for Tiffanie DeBartolo's God-Shaped Hole: "From highs to heartbreak, DeBartolo conjures an affair to remember."—People "Honest, raw, and engaging."—Booklist "This generation's Love Story."—Kirkus Reviews
A sex-and-tell story about the crazy lifestyle of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. A decade of rock history...and a decade of rock fan adoration for one little chiquita from Omaha who spent star-studded nights with superstars of eighties rockdom: David Lee Roth with Van Halen, Billy Squier, Ozzy Osbourne's Jake E. Lee, Paul Stanley of Kiss, Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, Bret Michaels and Poison, Vivian Campbell and Def Leppard, the J. Geils Band's Peter Wolf, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler--and plenty more. Rockin' Rita and her sexy entourage were ultra-fans who rocked the boys in the bands backstage and between the covers when the heavy metal rockers and the glam "chicks with dicks" rolled into town in their tour buses. With her own outrageously high hair and edgy original clothing designs, Rita never missed an opportunity to get the coveted backstage passes that led to dressing room parties and hotel hook-ups. This is a sex-and-tell story about her obsession for sex and drugs with rock stars. Rita reveals her flirtatious romps and hard rock tales with the bad boys of 80s heavy metal in her legend- filled story... Once Upon a Rock Star
Rock Star blows the lid off the hard-driving lifestyles of today's music superstars. Kris Phoneix - the legendary and wildly sexy guitar hero. Bobby Mondella - black soul superstar with a past. Rafaella - an exotically beautiful girl who comes between them with a vengeance. Rock Star takes you on a dangerous trip through the jungle of broken dreams and blackmail, hit records and hit men... a jungle of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Rock Star is a story that burns. Feel the heat...