Reading an autobiography is one of the best ways to get a deeper understanding of your favorite artists, their creative processes and the path that led them to stardom. From Johnny Cash to Michelle Zauner, here are seven incredible music biographies every fan should add to their reading lists.
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Crying in H Mart
Over the past decade, Michelle Zauner has taken the indie-pop genre by storm as the frontwoman of Japanese Breakfast. In 2018, The New York Times published a personal essay titled “Crying in H Mart,” which chronicled her many trips to the Korean supermarket following her mother’s death from pancreatic cancer. Three years later, Zauner released her debut memoir that expands on the original themes from her essays, providing a broader look at her family dynamic. A moving read from start to finish, Crying in H Mart stayed atop The New York Times Bestsellers list for an impressive total of 60 weeks following its release in April 2021.
Just Kids
Punk rock singer/songwriter Patti Smith examines her decades-long relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in her captivating 2010 book Just Kids. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member revisits their first meeting in the late 1960s and the ups and downs they endured together until his death in 1989. Smith penned Just Kids, which earned a National Book Award, in order to fulfill a promise she made to Mapplethorpe during his last days.
John Prine: In Spite of Himself
This 2017 autobiography from music writer Eddie Huffman uses first-hand stories from the late John Prine about his incredible career as a songwriter and artist. Prine’s wit, wisdom and steady sense of humor sit at the center of every chapter, beginning with his formative early years in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, his place in the 1960s Chicago folk scene up through his career renaissance in the early 2000s.
Broken Horses
This raw and honest 2021 memoir from Brandi Carlile marked one of the first times the singer-songwriter and founding member of the Highwomen opened up about her challenging childhood, struggles with understanding her sexuality, religion and the creative evolution between her mainstream hit “The Story” and her Grammy Award-winning album By the Way, I Forgive You.
I, Tina: My Life Story
In 1986, Tina Turner teamed up with MTV News correspondent and music journalist Kurt Loder to write I, Tina: My Life Story. The book transports readers to rural Tennessee, where Turner spent her childhood, and recounts her early career, along with her tumultuous relationship with then-husband and musical duo partner Ike Turner.
Cash: The Autobiography
Co-written with Patrick Carr, Johnny Cash supplies a poetic reflection on his incredible country music career in this 1997 autobiography. From his relationship with June Carter Cash, his early days in rural Arkansas, battles with addiction and more, the “Man in Black” doesn’t skim over his most difficult moments. This celebrated autobiography also served as the main source material for the popular 2005 Cash biopic Walk the Line.
Coal Miner’s Daughter
Released in 1976, Coal Miner’s Daughter finds Loretta Lynn looking back on her life in rural Butcher Holler, Kentucky, as one of seven children. Readers get a glimpse into her transition from a small-town girl to a country music superstar, along with all the challenges she faced along the way. Penned by Lynn with help from award-winning author George Vecsey, Coal Miner’s Daughter would be the first of multiple books published by the Country Music Hall of Fame member before her death in October 2022.
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