Dear sir or madam, will you read my book?
Everyone has a story to tell.
For those famous enough to get a publishing deal, writing one’s memoirs seems to be more popular than ever. In the world of popular music, especially rock music of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, writing an autobiography, it seems, has become the latest rite of passage.
Readers who know me well are aware that, when it comes to books about rock music, I inhale them. Reference books about the Billboard charts, in-depth examinations of specific genres or regions, biographies (authorized and unauthorized) of famous artists and producers — I love ’em all, soaking up interesting factoids and arcane album information for use in some future party conversation (or this blog).
But why the spike in rock ‘n roll memoirs from survivors of rock’s earlier decades? Call me cynical, but I’m guessing many of these aging performing artists figure they better commit their tales to paper ASAP before their memories fail them or they keel over (God knows that’s been happening way too often lately).
These memoirs typically include at least one “tell-all” bombshell that will help sell copies, but the best ones offer truly insightful information and thoughtful opinions from some of the major (and minor) players in the rock music kingdom. And if the reader is really lucky, the book might actually be well written.
Sadly, the bookshelves are littered with recent examples of what amount to “Dear Diary” ramblings — self-indulgent, immature, lamely crafted and in dire need of major editing or a total rewrite. But the good news is they’re outnumbered by a few dozen really captivating memoirs written in intelligent prose, with a healthy mix of humor, humility, pathos, perspective and (you can’t avoid it in this business) ego.
Let’s face it, if you’re a popular music artist, let alone a rock and roll star, it’s assumed you likely have an outsized ego, an ego big enough to tell you your life is interesting enough, and important enough, that people are going to want to read all about it, from childhood through early struggles to fame and fortune, to maybe scandal, setbacks and rehab. How literately you tell your story, it should be noted, makes all the difference between respect and ridicule in the end.
No one can say for sure if some of these “autobiographies” were helped along by seasoned journalists serving as ghost writers, but I’m going to give the stars the benefit of the doubt and trust them if they said they wrote them themselves. All I know is, if it’s an entertaining read, and I learn things I didn’t know before, and I’d recommend it to others, then it was worth my time and money.
Here are 20 recently published memoirs I found to be worthy of your attention. Full confession: I didn’t read ALL of EVERY book listed here. In some cases, I only skimmed them in preparation for this blog, and read a summary of reviews. But I WILL read them all someday, because it’s my passion. But meantime:
“Born to Run,” Bruce Springsteen, 2016
As a lyricist, Springsteen has written pungent, heartfelt lyrics both concise and wordy, capturing moments or emotions better than almost anyone. To no one’s surprise, The Boss writes lucidly and with great precision in his memoirs about his long, slow journey from the dead-end Jersey Shore to the peaks of superstardom. This one’s a no-brainer.
“My Cross to Bear,” Gregg Allman, 2012 
I’m not sure I should have expected anything else, but Allman’s book revealed him to be an incredibly selfish asshole for most of his life, and he admits as much. There’s no denying his brilliance as a blues singer and keyboardist, but holy smokes, he was horrible to every woman in his life, and self-destructive as hell. Still, he writes about all this in candid, compelling fashion.
“Boys in the Trees,” Carly Simon, 2016
Largely at arm’s length from the self-destructive lifestyle that damaged many of her contemporaries, Simon survived to tell a decidedly different story from most ’70s singer-songwriters. She writes from a calm epicenter as a mother/daughter rather than a Grammy-winning artist, and it’s not at all boring but, in fact, invigorating.
“Not Dead Yet,” Phil Collins, 2016
What a treat! The fact that Collins tells his long and winding story with such self-deprecating charm and humor lays waste to his unfair reputation as an egotistical jackass. He even uses his book’s title to debunk the “Phil is dead” rumor that plagued him in the mid-2000s. This might be the most entertaining book on this list.
“Life,” Keith Richards, 2011
Given Keef’s notoriety as rock’s drug poster boy over the years, NO ONE expected this to be even remotely as great as it turned out to be. How could he remember much of anything, given all he’s ingested? But recall he did, with considerable flair, and the result is the most praised autobiography of the past decade.
“Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words,” as told to Malka Marom, 2014
In a different twist on autobiographical literature, Mitchell teamed 
up with long-time confidante/journalist Malka Marom on three occasions (1973, 1979, 2012) to do lengthy, detailed taped interviews, which have been transcribed in Q&A format, giving readers a great deal of insight into Mitchell’s creative songwriting process and her development as a consummate musician. If you love Joni, or songwriting, this one is a must.
“Play On: Now, Then and Fleetwood Mac,” Mick Fleetwood, 2014
The drummer, founder and mainstay of Fleetwood Mac throughout its multi-colored history wrote an earlier memoir in 1991, and much of it is regurgitated here, but with substantial new sections covering the years since then. If you missed the first round, by all means, check out this one. There are plenty of great stories about rock music’s most soap-opera-ish band ever.
“Wild Tales,” Graham Nash, 2013
Always the most level-headed of the raging egos in CSN&Y, Nash writes thoughtfully and with panache, and a candor that’s almost eyebrow-raising at times. As a guy who broke into the business with The Hollies back in 1963 and still active 54 years later, he has great anecdotes, and sad stories, to share. Check it out.
“Rod: The Autobiography,” Rod Stewart, 2012
I am no fan of Stewart, but he has played a huge role in rock music over his four-decade ride through rock’s headiest years, from obscure vocalist with the Jeff Beck Group in 1968 to interpreter of the Great American Songbook in the 2010s. Rod’s memoirs openly admit he was a lucky SOB, but the book also spends an inordinate amount of time on the tabloid-ish blonde-women-he-took-to-bed stuff instead of his musical contributions. Is it because the former outweighs the latter?
“Reckless: My Life as a Pretender,” Chrissie Hynde, 2015
This is one badass woman, surviving as a lady rocker at a time when it was exclusively men’s terrain. Her memoirs tell a sometimes harrowing story about growing up in hardscrabble Akron, Ohio, fleeing to London during the birth of punk and emerging as a victorious pioneer of New Wave in the early ’80s. This woman has moxie.
“Delta Lady,” Rita Coolidge, 2016
My wife met Coolidge at an industry gathering recently and was captivated by her spirit, her guile and her still-impressive artistry. Many rock fans have no clue how connected she was, professionally and personally, to so many pivotal people in the ’70s and ’80s, and consequently, her memoir makes for revealing reading.
“Who I Am,” Pete Townshend, 2012
The leader of The Who tends to take himself quite seriously, perhaps too much so, and that makes his autobiography kind of exhausting to absorb. We’ve always known Townshend is a great writer, having contributed numerous cogent commentaries to Rolling Stone over the years, so the high quality of the narrative here comes as no surprise, as he tells us all we’ll ever need to know about his life in and out of the band.
“My Life With Earth Wind and Fire,” Maurice White, 2016
White, as EW&F’s founder, guiding light and chief songwriter, had everything to do with the group’s success in the 1974-1983 period, and his autobiography, published in September of last year following his death in February, pays glorious tribute to the whole band and all its contributors. White was a very spiritual guy who seemed to be without ego, happy to give credit to everyone else. What a breath of fresh air!
“Clapton: The Autobiography,” Eric Clapton, 2007
A rock idol and guitarist extraordinaire, Clapton led a life full of difficulties, many of them self-inflicted, and his memoir spells it all out in wrenching detail, simultaneously exposing himself as a man mostly incapable of maintaining anything close to a healthy personal relationship with anyone. Too bad such a fine singer/songwriter and master interpreter of blues music suffered so much in his personal life…but they say that’s what makes the blues so authentic…
“Kicking and Screaming: A Story of Heart, Soul and Rock ‘n Roll,” Ann & Nancy Wilson, 2013
More so than Chrissie Hynde or any other female rocker, Ann Wilson and her sister Nancy had to cope with a ridiculous amount of sexism trying to be rock stars in a world totally dominated by men. This duet/memoir, which offers the views of both sisters, sheds a lot of light on what it was like to cope with life in rock music, in the 1975-1990 era especially.
“It’s a Long Story: My Life,” Willie Nelson, 2015
His first memoirs were published in 1988, and since then his persona has only grown in stature and notoriety. Consider the title of his 2012 book, “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings From the Road,” which pays perhaps too much attention to his pro-weed stance at the expense of his sizable impact on country (and pop) music over the last 40+ years. This one is well worth your time, trust me.
“Sweet Judy Blue Eyes,” by Judy Collins, 2011
Folk chanteuse Judy Collins took us all off guard when she used her memoir, “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes,” to confess a lifelong battle with alcoholism that tormented her personal relationships as well as her recording career. Her message: “You don’t have to be a rock and roller to have substance problems.” Hers is a fascinating story of a journey through the early folk years into the mid-’70s period of hedonistic pursuits that ultimately took their toll on her.
“I Me Mine,” George Harrison, 1979, 2017
The “quiet Beatle” turned out to be among the first rock stars to publish memoirs, back in 1979, and that voluminous tome has been updated by his widow and children in a 2017 edition now in stores. It’s a bit ponderous as he explores his passion for Eastern philosophies and musical stylings, but still well worth diving into.
“Journals,” Kurt Cobain, 2002
This one is an exception to the rule. It’s pretty clear Cobain never thought, nor did he intend, that his all-over-the-map journal writings would ever see the light of day, but in light of his violent, self-inflected demise in 1994, we can gain valuable insight into his fragile psyche by reviewing the things he had to say in his private moments. It can be agonizing reading, but also amusing and thought-provoking.
“Chronicles, Volume One,” Bob Dylan, 2004
Always the mystery man, Dylan chose to jump all over the place in this memoir, skipping huge chunks of time as he focused exasperatingly on certain years while ignoring others. As recently as 2012, he said he is still working on Volume Two, but there’s no way to guess what he’ll concentrate on in that book, if it’s ever published…
A bonus selection:
“Making It: Music, Sex & Drugs in the Golden Age of Rock,” Ted Myers, 2017
Myers, as it turns out, lives on my block in Santa Monica, and he recently completed his own memoirs about almost making it big as a member of Lost, a regionally popular band in New England in 1964-1967. Myers played a role, almost Forrest Gump-like, in the lives of numerous rock legends over the years before and since. His sex tales are a bit on the “too much information” side, if you know what I mean, but the drugs and rock ‘n roll stories are compelling indeed.
Going back a few more years:
“Secrets of a Sparrow,” Diana Ross, 1993
“Cash,” Johnny Cash, 1997
“Long Time Gone: The Autobiography of David Crosby,” David Crosby, 1988
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Other autobiographies you may want to explore:
“Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles,” Don Felder, 2007
“Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir,” Linda Ronstadt, 2013
“Me, the Mob, and the Music,” Tommy James with Martin Fitzptrick, 2010
“Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff,” Mike Nesmith, 2017
“Between a Heart and a Rock Place,” Pat Benatar, 2010
“Dancing With Myself,” Billy Idol, 2014
…Today we have young artists writing their memoirs who haven’t even turned 30 yet. I mean, Justin Bieber? Adele? It’s laughable. Best wait until you’ve had a life long enough to write about.
…I can’t conclude this essay without bashing a few titles that I found pretty much unreadable. Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler appropriately titled his excruciating memoirs “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?” (Answer: Damn right it does, Steve, when it consists of incoherent babblings, brash boasts and non sequiturs.) David Lee Roth of Van Halen evidently vomited his mindless ramblings into a tape recorder, had it transcribed, and slapped a title on it: “Crazy From the Heat.” (You’ve got that right, Dave…)
But I gotta tell you, I’ve been very frustrated with the nominating and voting process the Hall of Fame uses to select and induct its honored members. And I’m certainly not alone.
This is a no-brainer. The godfathers of progressive rock have been around since their early inception as British mod rockers in early 1965 when they hit the Top Ten in the UK and the US with Denny Laine singing “Go Now.” That turned out to be an anomaly, though, because in 1967, with singer-songwriter Justin Hayward at the helm, they teamed up with the London Symphony Orchestra to break all kinds of barriers with their landmark “Days of Future Passed” LP. Using classical instruments, sweeping string passages and a structured song cycle, the Moodies practically invented the concept album, and then went on from there with a half-dozen albums in the 1968-1973 period that established the quality precedent for all prog rock bands that followed. Hayward was the de facto leader, coming up with melodic rock tunes like “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Nights in White Satin,” “Lovely to See You,” “Gypsy,” “Question,” “It’s Up to You,” “Story in Your Eyes” and “You and Me,” and bassist John Lodge contributed strong entries like “Ride My Seesaw” and “I’m Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band.”
In the midst of disco and New Wave, Dire Straits burst forth from England in 1978 with a wonderfully retro beat-music sound, highlighted by Mark Knopfler’s spare, lean guitar stylings. “Sultans of Swing” dominated radio in the UK and the US in early 1979, as did the debut LP, and they then went on to release six more Top 20 studio albums over the next dozen years, chock full of beautiful melodies (“Romeo and Juliet,” “Your Latest Trick,” “On Every Street”) and more commercial hits (“Tunnel of Love,” “Industrial Disease,” “Money for Nothing,” “Walk of Life”). In concert, they offered a shimmering, high-quality sound rarely heard in arena-sized venues, captured on two live LPs, “Alchemy” and “On the Night.” Since the band’s breakup in 1995, Knopfler, the band’s singer-songwriter, has gone on to release eight solo albums mostly as satisfying as the Dire Straits catalog (especially 2000’s “Sailing to Philadelphia” and 2007’s “Kill to Get Crimson”), including a delightful collaboration with Emmylou Harris (“All the Roadrunning”). He is a gifted songwriter and guitarist who certainly deserves a place in the Rock Hall, as a solo artist or with his former band.
He was only 19 when he debuted with the garage rock band Nazz, then went solo at 22, knocking the industry on its ear with his third effort, the astounding double LP “Something/Anything?” and its two hits, “Hello It’s Me” and “I Saw the Light.” But Rundgren was just getting started. The multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter has released nearly two dozen solo albums over the past 40 years, plus another nine LPs as a member of Utopia during the ’70s and ’80s. He has offered up a wildly eclectic palette of styles, from baroque pop with intricate vocal harmonies to dense hard rock and experimental projects. On top of that, he has been a pioneer in exploring new recording technologies, and has produced hugely successful albums for other major artists (Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell,” The Band’s “Stage Fright,” Hall and Oates’ “War Babies” and Grand Funk’s “We’re an American Band”). Todd is praised by all kinds of musical heroes, from Brian Wilson to Lenny Kravitz, and his omission from the Rock Hall is puzzling, to say the least.
Classic rock radio playlists would have a huge void if not for the work of this venerable band out of San Jose, California. The Doobies turned heads immediately upon the release of their amazing second LP, “Toulouse Street,” in 1972, with durable heartland rock tracks like “Listen to the Music,” “Rockin’ Down the Highway” and “Jesus is Just Alright.” Lead singer-songwriter Tom Johnston spearheaded their rise on the next three LPs before succumbing to ulcer problems, but the band regrouped with soulful singer-songwriter Michael McDonald, who launched their reimagining as a more R&B-flavored outfit with lush tracks like “What a Fool Believes,” “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “Minute by Minute” and “Real Love.” Through both phases of the group, second guitarist/singer Patrick Simmons contributed some of the band’s best songs, including “Toulouse Street,” “South City Midnight Lady,” “Black Water” and “Echoes of Love.” Against all odds, The Doobies are still a mainstay on the concert circuit today — without McDonald but with Johnston back in the groove — delighting audiences from coast to coast. Surely they belong in the Rock Hall.
There are plenty of people (my sister, for instance) who don’t care for this impressive British band of prog-rock practitioners, with its revolving-door membership and musical approach that swings like a pendulum from densely hard rock to gentle madrigals. But Ian Anderson, the group’s feisty singer/songwriter/flautist/leader throughout its 40+ years, is an indisputable musical genius whose work on Jethro Tull’s 20 albums (plus a half-dozen solo projects) has sold nearly 100 million units worldwide. Consider the mind-boggling “Thick as a Brick” — one 45-minute song covering both sides of an album — the most unusual LP ever to reach #1 on the US charts. Anderson and Tull are best known for classic rock tracks like “Aqualung,” “Locomotive Breath,” “Living in the Past” and their treatment of Bach’s “Bouree,” but the band’s catalog offers far more, an extraordinary range of sophisticated rock, jazz, folk and even R&B genres that simply can’t be denied. In my view, Jethro Tull clearly belongs in the Rock Hall.
Northeast Ohio’s biggest rock hero was only 22 when his sweetly powerful electric guitar, irresistible rock songs (“Funk #49,” “Walk Away,” “Take a Look Around”) and unique vocals took The James Gang up the charts in 1969-1971. He made his mark as a solo artist with 1973’s brilliant game-changing LP “The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get” and his signature song, “Rocky Mountain Way,” which featured a talking box well before Peter Frampton turned it into a cliche. His professional stature and financial success were forever secured when he was invited to join The Eagles in 1976, with whom he contributed rock mainstays like “Life in the Fast Lane,” “In the City” and “Pretty Maids All in a Row.” Somehow he simultaneously maintained his solo career well into the 1980s, even after The Eagles’ stormy breakup, with solid albums and whimsical hit singles like “Life’s Been Good,” “A Life of Illusion” and “Ordinary Average Guy.” He earned a reputation as one of rock’s most outrageous bad boys, destroying hotel rooms and behaving badly well into the 1990s. He’s a sober elder statesman these days, an Eagle once again since their reunion. Although he’s already been inducted as a member of that hugely successful group, Walsh deserves to be included as a solo artist as well.
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