NEW RELEASES
Star of the Show: My Life on Stage
NEW RELEASE | Biographies of Composers & Musicians | by Dolly Parton â
A stunning celebration of Dolly Partonâs iconic career as a performer, featuring entertaining personal stories alongside more than 500 photographs, including exclusive images and ephemera from her archive.
In Star of the Show, the culminating book in Dolly Partonâs photographic trilogyâfollowing Songteller (lyrics) and Behind the Seams (fashion)âthe global superstar finally shares a definitive look at her career as one of the worldâs most dazzling and beloved performers. đ¤
Featuring engaging stories and memories from Partonâs dynamic life behind the microphone, this book spotlights her signature performances and star-making moments, from singing in front of her family to premiering on the Grand Ole Opry stage and beyond. Her formative years performing with country legend Porter Wagoner are chronicled as she learns hard lessons from life on the road. đ¸
Breaking out on her own at state fairs and critically acclaimed venues, she toured the world performing for millions of fans in arenas, stadiums, and at festivals. From making her onscreen debut in the blockbuster 9 to 5 to playing the Dallas Cowboysâ 2023 Thanksgiving halftime show to 42 million viewers, this global superstar knows no limits. đ
What makes this essential: This is the definitive Dolly Parton performance biography with 500+ photos. â The culminating book in her trilogy (Songteller, Behind the Seams, now Star of the Show), this covers her entire performing career from family performances to the Grand Ole Opry to world tours. The Porter Wagoner years, breaking out solo, 9 to 5, and still performing for 42 million viewers in 2023 shows her enduring impact. The exclusive archive photos and personal stories make this essential for fans. Perfect for Dolly Parton fans, country music history enthusiasts, or anyone who loves performer biographies with visual storytelling. A collectorâs item! đ
NEW RELEASE | Biographies of Journalists | by Cameron Crowe đ¸
âCameron has written a book that feels like music, an intimate souvenir, like a song you canât stop listening to.â âStevie Nicks
The long-awaited memoir by Cameron Croweâone of Americaâs most iconic journalists and filmmakersâThe Uncool is a joyful dispatch from a lost world, a chronicle of the real-life events that became Almost Famous, and a coming-of-age journey filled with music legends as youâve never seen them before. đŹ
Cameron Crowe was an unlikely rock and roll insider. Born in 1957 to parents who strictly banned the genre from their house, he dove headfirst into the world of music. By the time he graduated high school at fifteen, Crowe was contributing to Rolling Stone. His parents became believers, uneasily allowing him to interview and tour with legends like Led Zeppelin; Lynyrd Skynyrd; Bob Dylan; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Fleetwood Mac. đ
The Uncool offers a front-row ticket to the 1970s, a golden era for music and art when rock was young. Crowe spends his teens politely turning down the drugs and turning on his tape recorder. He talks his journalism teacher into giving him class credit for his road trip covering Led Zeppelinâs 1975 tour, which lands himâand the bandâon the cover of Rolling Stone. He embeds with David Bowie as the sequestered genius transforms himself into the Thin White Duke. Why did Bowie give Crowe such unprecedented access? âBecause youâre young enough to be honest,â Bowie tells him. âĄ
What makes this essential: This is the real story behind Almost Famous from Cameron Crowe himself. â The filmmaker who gave us Jerry Maguire, Say Anything, and Almost Famous reveals the true experiences that inspired his masterpieceâ15-year-old journalist touring with Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelinâs 1975 tour for class credit (!), embedding with David Bowie during the Thin White Duke transformation. The 1970s music access (no media junkets, just âyouâre invited on an adventureâ) and legends like Bowie trusting him âbecause youâre young enough to be honestâ creates intimate portraits impossible today. Perfect for Almost Famous fans, 1970s rock history enthusiasts, journalism lovers, or anyone who wants behind-the-scenes music legends. Essential reading! đľ
Pink Floyd Shine On: The Definitive Oral History
NEW RELEASE | Popular Music | by Mark Blake đľ
The definitive oral history of Pink Floyd as told by friends, associates, family members and the band themselves through exclusive, never before published interviews.
Bestselling music author Mark Blake has been an associate and collaborator of Pink Floyd for over thirty years. Shine On takes on the behemoth task of capturing the most comprehensive history of the band ever compiled, drawing on huge amounts of new, archive and unpublished interview material with Gilmour, Waters, Mason and Wright. No other writer has interviewed the members of Pink Floyd as often nor as thoroughly. đ¸
For the first time, the bandâs story is told as an oral history with each chapter presented through the words the band, their friends, contemporaries and supporting musicians. The accessible structure and high level of detail means that the narrative is both approachable to casual readers and magnetic to the committed. đ
Shine On is comprised of a significant amount of previously unpublished material, including a rare interview with Rosemary Breen lamenting that her younger brother Roger, aka Syd Barrett, should have never become a musician as well as exclusive new interviews with the band and their associates, reflecting on their enduring legacy and recent twists in the bandâs story. đŤ
Why Iâm including this: This is the definitive Pink Floyd oral history from insider Mark Blake. â Blakeâs thirty-year relationship with Pink Floyd gives him unprecedented accessâextensive unpublished interviews with Gilmour, Waters, Mason, and Wright, plus the rare interview with Syd Barrettâs sister saying he âshould have never become a musicianâ adds poignant family perspective. The oral history format (told through the bandâs own words, friends, contemporaries) creates intimate, multifaceted narrative. Perfect for Pink Floyd fans, classic rock enthusiasts, anyone interested in band dynamics and creative processes, or readers who want the most comprehensive Floyd history ever compiled. Essential for fans! đ
