Legends In Music

Part memoir, part tribute, and all great storytelling ... Music industry veterans Robbie Robertson, Jim Guerinot, Jared Levine, and Sebastian Robertson invite young readers to share with them in celebrating twenty-seven musical legends. Short profiles chronicle personal stories and achievements of extraordinarily talented artists whose innovations changed the landscape of music for generations to come. Carefully compiled like any great playlist, the line-up features originators, rebels, and risk-takers across diverse genres. From Ray Charles to Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry to Bob Dylan, Robertson shares anecdotes about these artists and the influence they had on his own musical journey. Always respectful of their reader, the writers never shy away from speaking about the difficult challenges these recording artists faced and the very human foibles that sometimes led to their tragic end. Most of all, it's the authors' passion and insights into these personal stories of creativity and collaboration -- and the power of music to shine a light on injustice and foster change -- that will fascinate, enlighten, and inspire music fans of all ages.

Each Top 40 Famous title introduces readers to a fascinating non-fiction subject through its 40 most famous people or groups. An illustration, short biography and pull-out boxes with statistics brings each alive in a fun, accessible way. In this inspiring title, learn about Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Madonna, Beyoncé, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and many other rock and pop legends. Key aspects are pulled out for young readers, such as genre, look and famous performances.

"Zambian Music Legends is a marathon journey into the history of Zambian music. This journey surveys the wonderful art from its traditional function in the distant past to the presenet era where 'Zam-ragga' and hip hop have taken root. The book also plays tribute to the often unsung heroes who have devoted their lives and careers to the growth of the music industry. Music is an essential mass media tool that contributes to the socio-cultural development of society. As a result of this the book further attemps to look at the role music has played in shaping the socio-cultural and economic development of the country"--Cover.

Is Minnesota a great state? You betcha! Explore Minnesota's most fascinating facts and stories in the pages of The Minnesota Series. Breath taking winters. Wild summer storms. Famous hometown faces and music that got the whole world on its feet. The crack of Kirby Puckett's bat and the gridiron prowess of football hall of famer Alan Page. The titles in the Minnesota series are the perfect way to discover the hidden facts and insider details of what makes Minnesota so extraordinary.

Graced by more than 200 illustrations, many of them seldom seen and some never before published, this sparkling volume offers vivid portraits of the men and women who created country music, the artists whose lives and songs formed the rich tradition from which so many others have drawn inspiration. Included here are not only such major figures as Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Fiddlin' John Carson, Charlie Poole, and Gene Autry, who put country music on America's cultural map, but many fascinating lesser-known figures as well, such as Carson Robison, Otto Gray, Chris Bouchillon, Emry Arthur and dozens more, many of whose stories are told here for the first time. To map some of the winding, untraveled roads that connect today's music to its ancestors, Tony Russell draws upon new research and rare source material, such as contemporary newspaper reports and magazine articles, internet genealogy sites, and his own interviews with the musicians or their families. The result is a lively mix of colorful tales and anecdotes, priceless contemporary accounts of performances, illuminating social and historical context, and well-grounded critical judgment. The illustrations include artist photographs, record labels, song sheets, newspaper clippings, cartoons, and magazine covers, recreating the look and feel of the entire culture of country music. Each essay includes as well a playlist of recommended and currently available recordings for each artist. Finally, the paperback edition now features an extensive index.

On September 29, 1967, Mr. Bonzai attended his very first recording session at the invitation of John Lennon. The location was London's EMI Studios, now Abbey Road, and the song was I Am the Walrus. In attendance were George, Paul, Ringo, producer George Martin, and engineer Ken Scott. This privileged session with the most influential rock band in history set the stage for a life exploring the world of music and recording. In 1980, Mr. Bonzai settled in Hollywood to begin this collection of photographs and words of wisdom and wit. 'Mr. Bonzai takes you through the inner sanctums of the recording industry to meet artists, producers, and engineers who have shaped modern music.' --Phil Ramone, Producer (Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra) 'In brilliant words and images, Mr. Bonzai digs deeply into the fine art of making music.' --Ray Manzarek, The Doors 'A master of modern music photojournalism, Mr. Bonzai is the future of the past.' --Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo 'Closed Session obviously means 'C'mon in!' to Mr. Bonzai.' --Chris Stone, founder of Record Plant Recording Studios 'I laughed, I cried, I evolved into a higher life form.' --Weird Al Yankovic 'We used Mr. Bonzai's photos to open the film Laurel Canyon because he has such a striking eye for musicians at work in their environments.' --Catherine Hardwicke, production designer of Laurel Canyon, director of Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown 'Part of the art of Mr. Bonzai is the ability to be invisible.... see... he's doing it now...' --Graham Nash, singer, songwriter, photographer

“A must for CSNY fans.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review The first ever biography focused on the formative and highly influential early years of “rock’s first supergroup” (Rolling Stone) Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young—when they were the most successful, influential, and politically potent band in America—in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Woodstock and the formation of the band itself. 1969 to 1974 were true golden years of rock n’ roll, bookmarking an era of arguably unparalleled musical power and innovation. But even more than any of their eminent peers, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young channeled and broadcast all the radical anger, romantic idealism, and generational angst of their time. Each of the members had already made their marks in huge bands (The Hollies, Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds), but together, their harmonies were transcendent. The vast emotional range of their music, from delicate acoustic confessionals to raucous counter-culture anthems, was mirrored in the turbulence of their personal lives. Their trademark may have been vocal harmony, but few—if any—of their contemporaries could match the recklessness of their hedonistic and often combative lifestyles, when the four tenacious, volatile, and prodigal songwriters pursued chemical and sexual pleasure to life-threatening extremes. Including full color photographs, CSNY chronicles these four iconic musicians and the movement they came to represent, concentrating on their prime as a collective unit and a cultural force: the years between 1969, when Woodstock telegraphed their arrival to the world, and 1974, when their arch-enemy Richard Nixon was driven from office, and the band (to quote Graham Nash himself) “lost it on the highway.” Even fifty years later, there are plenty of stories left to be told about Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young—and music historian Peter Doggett is here to bring them to light in the meticulously researched CSNY, a quintessential and illuminative account of rock’s first supergroup in their golden hour for die-hard fans, nostalgic flower-children, and music history aficionados alike.