Usher is a talented singer and actor. This book introduces his childhood, family background, rise to fame, and future plans. Readers will learn about Usher's noticeable early talent while singing in a church choir, his success on Star Search, and his record-breaking and Grammy-winning albums. Also covered are Usher's progression into acting on television and in movies, his Broadway performance in Chicago, his life as a husband and a father, and his societal contributions as founder of a charity. Colorful graphics, oversized photographs, and short, engaging sentences draw reluctant readers in to the fascinating life of Usher! Buddy Books is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.
From signing with LaFace Records to his whopping eight Grammy nominations, Usher hasn't stopped surprising the world with his musical talent. With millions of albums sold and countless number one hits, Usher is a true star of the R&B and hip hop music world. In the book, Usher, fans can find out everything they want and need to know about the hottest, most popular singer currently in the charts.
Usher is a talented singer and actor. This book introduces his childhood, family background, rise to fame, and future plans. Readers will learn about Usher's noticeable early talent while singing in a church choir, his success on Star Search, and his record-breaking and Grammy-winning albums. Also covered are Usher's progression into acting on television and in movies, his Broadway performance in Chicago, his life as a husband and a father, and his societal contributions as founder of a charity. Colorful graphics, oversized photographs, and short, engaging sentences draw reluctant readers in to the fascinating life of Usher! Buddy Books is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.
A national bestseller, Let the Elephants Run is the essential guidebook for anyone looking to reignite their creativity. Creativity is in everyone’s DNA, not a select few. Award-winning musician and founder of CloudID Creativity Lab David Usher believes we just need the right tools to help us reconnect with our imaginations in our day-to-day lives, whether in the head office, the home office, or the artist’s studio. Using a mix of personal anecdotes and professional examples from the worlds of industry, technology, science, music, and art, he shows us that creativity is not magic; it is a learnable skill that any person or business can master. The dynamic full-colour design includes photographs, artwork, and illustrations, as well as action pages to help readers start cultivating the habit of documenting their ideas for future execution. Based on his wildly popular speaking engagements, Let the Elephants Run is the essential guidebook to reigniting and nurturing our creativity in accessible and productive ways.
In Letters of Note: Music, Shaun Usher brings together a riveting collection of letters by and about some of the musicians and music that enrich our lives. It is a wonderfully wide-ranging and illuminating book that will delight music lovers of all stripes. Includes letters by: Ludgwig van Beethoven, Nick Cave, Helen Keller, Keith Richards, Yo-Yo Ma, Tom Waits, Erik Satie, Angélique Kidjo, Leonard Cohen John Coltrane, Kim Gordon & many more
In this long-awaited memoir, illustrated with over 100 never-before-seen photos from his personal collection, the groundbreaking record producer chronicles his struggles, his success, and the celebrated artists that made him a legend. Over the last twenty-five years, legendary music producer and record man LA Reid—the man behind artists such as Toni Braxton, Kanye West, Rihanna, TLC, Outkast, Mariah Carey, Pink, Justin Bieber, and Usher—has changed the music business forever. In addition to discovering some of the biggest pop stars on the planet, he has shaped some of the most memorable and unforgettable hits of the last two generations, creating an impressive legacy of talent discovery and hit records. Now, for the first time, he tells his story, taking fans on an intimate tour of his life, as he chronicles the fascinating journey from his small-town R&B roots in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his work as a drummer to his fame as a Grammy Award-winning music producer and his gig as a judge on the hit reality show, The X Factor. In Sing to Me, Reid goes behind the scenes of the music industry, charting his rise to fame and sharing stories of the countless artists he’s met, nurtured, and molded into stars. With fascinating insight into the early days of artists as diverse as TLC, Usher, Pink, Kanye West, and Justin Bieber, his story offers a detailed look at what life was like for stars at the start of their meteoric rise and how he always seemed to know who would be the next big thing. What emerges is a captivating portrait from the inside of popular music evolution over the last three decades. Part music memoir, part business story of climbing to the top, this beautifully designed book, jam packed with photos, showcases Reid's trademark passion and ingenuity and introduces a multifaceted genius who continues to shape pop culture today.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the genre-defying icon Ben Folds comes a memoir that is as nuanced, witty, and relatable as his cult-classic songs. “A Dream About Lightning Bugs reads like its author: intelligent, curious, unapologetically punk, and funny as hell.”—Sara Bareilles NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR AND PASTE Ben Folds is a celebrated American singer-songwriter, beloved for songs such as “Brick,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” and “The Luckiest,” and is the former frontman of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. But Folds will be the first to tell you he’s an unconventional icon, more normcore than hardcore. Now, in his first book, Folds looks back at his life so far in a charming and wise chronicle of his artistic coming of age, infused with the wry observations of a natural storyteller. In the title chapter, “A Dream About Lightning Bugs,” Folds recalls his earliest childhood dream—and realizes how much it influenced his understanding of what it means to be an artist. In “Measure Twice, Cut Once” he learns to resist the urge to skip steps during the creative process. In “Hall Pass” he recounts his 1970s North Carolina working-class childhood, and in “Cheap Lessons” he returns to the painful life lessons he learned the hard way—but that luckily didn’t kill him. In his inimitable voice, both relatable and thought-provoking, Folds digs deep into the life experiences that shaped him, imparting hard-earned wisdom about both art and life. Collectively, these stories embody the message Folds has been singing about for years: Smile like you’ve got nothing to prove, because it hurts to grow up, and life flies by in seconds. Praise for A Dream About Lightning Bugs “Besides being super talented, and an incredibly poignant and multifaceted musician, Ben Folds is a fantastic author. I couldn’t put this book down—and not just because I taped it to my hand. Ben takes us into his mind and into his process from the very beginnings of his childhood to where he is today—one of the greatest musicians and writers that has ever graced the art.”—Bob Saget
Includes profiles of African-American performing artists. Provides brief biographies, subject indexes, further reading suggestions and general index. Part of a 10-volume set--each volume devoted to the contributions of African Americans in a particular cultural field. This text contains profiles of some 190 performing artists from choreographer Alvin Ailey to hip hop producer Dr. Dre (nee Andre Young). Each entry provides a biographical sketch of the artist's career and lists readings and other materials of interest. The contributions of musicians receive comparatively greater coverage than other artistic endeavors.
Colorful graphics, oversized photographs, and short, engaging sentences draw reluctant readers in to the fascinating life of popular singer Justin Bieber! This book introduces readers to Bieber's childhood, family, educational background, rise to fame, and future plans. From his start on YouTube to signing a record deal, readers will learn about Bieber's passion for music and his drive to succeed as a pop star. Bieber's many hours spent practicing and performing, as well as his work with famous singers, such as Usher, is covered. Also covered are his albums My World and My World 2.0, his concert tours, and his hobbies off the stage. Features include table of contents, maps, "Did You Know" facts, a "Snapshot" page with vital information, a glossary with phonetics, and an index. Big Buddy Books is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.
