Music In Books: Gil Scott-Heron, Elton John, Lil Wayne, Johnny Ramone, Carly Simon, Megadeth, MTV VJs
News that Lil Wayne and some MTV VJs from the 80s all have book deals inspired me to check out what else was on the way. Quite a number of interesting books by and about famous musicians are coming out in the first half of 2012. For me, Gil Scott-Heron's memoirs are a must read and I look forward to Lil Wayne's prison tales. I'm also curious about Johnny Ramone's autobiography, written while he knew was dying. What are you looking forward to reading and what have I missed? Let us know in the comments.
Gone Till November – Lil Wayne (November)
"Hip hop star Lil Wayne scored a book deal with Grand Central Publishing for his prison memoir, Gone Till November. The book will include Wayne's 'revealing' diaries kept during an eight month trip to Rikers Island."
Currently Untitled Oral History of MTV in the 80s – (No Release Date)
"Four MTV VJs inked a book deal with Atria Books…contributing to an as-yet-untitled oral history providing 'uncensored accounts' about the cable network in the 1980s."
The Last Holiday: A Memoir – Gil Scott-Heron (Released)
"Leave it to Scott-Heron to save some of his best for last. This posthumously published memoir…is an elegiac culmination to his musical and literary career…For a relatively slim book, this one gets a lot of things said, not just about Scott-Heron's own life but also about America in the second half of the 20th century."
More Room in a Broken Heart: The True Adventures of Carly Simon – Stephen Davis (Released)
"The buzz on…Stephen Davis' unauthorized biography of pop-music staple of the '70s and '80s, Carly Simon, was pretty bleak, but as a longtime fan of Simon and first husband James Taylor, I felt compelled to take a look at this first attempt to explore her life in book-length form. Alas, I should have heeded before jumping."
Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone – Johnny Ramone
(April 1)
"Eight years after he died of prostate cancer, Johnny Ramone's autobiography is finally being published…his widow, Linda, described the book as 'kind of his last word that he knew would be out. It is a really powerful book because his whole life has gone before him and he knows it's going to come to an end, and he really needs to tell everybody what he's feeling inside.'"
Love Is the Cure: Ending the Global AIDS Epidemic – Elton John (July 17)
"Elton John is writing his first book, a collection of memories and meditations on the fight against Aids. Love Is the Cure…will be accompanied by an audiobook read by the singer."
Megadeth: Another Time, A Different Place – Bill Hale (March 13)
"A front-row seat into the early days and meteoric rise of this young band who would become one of the most influential groups of all time…This is the first Megadeth photography book and only the second book documenting their rise to rock glory, including rare, never-before-seen photographs representing a small but crucial period of time in their career."
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Hypebot Features Writer Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and music industry resources at Music Biz Blogs. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
