Rock & Roll Memoirs

Over the last couple of years there have been some very good memoirs written by musicians. If you are interested in reading about the people making the music in the 50's and 60's, here is a list of some to check out.







I just happened to stumble across "The Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan Leitch early this summer at the library. I was a big fan of Donovan in the 60's and found his book fascinating when I read so many parallel's with my own teenage years. Having read Sting's book, "Broken Music" in 2004 and Dylan's book, "Chronicles Volume I" shortly after, I discovered all three men discussed alot of the same events and people from their own personal perspectives.



If you want to read about being in the music business from a woman's point of view there is Tori Amos' book, "Piece by Piece." She discusses her childhood being raised by a Cherokee grandfather, who taught her the medicine ways of the native people to the Christian indoctrination of her father and paternal grandparents, who were all ordained ministers. Towards the end of the book she warns you of the do's and don'ts of the recording industry.





I am now reading simultaneously the biographies of Nick Mason, drummer for Pink Floyd, a very large almost coffee-table-like book with many colorful pictures, called "Inside Out" and Eric Burdon (of the Animals) "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." I find his book personally interesting because I met the Animals when I was 16 and became good friends with their road manager, Terry McVay, for many years.



Andy Summers (of the Police)has a new book coming out in October called "One Train Later." Hopefully I'll be done with the other two books by then so I can get started on his.

Happy Reading... Penny