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Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song
Par Judith Tick. 2024
An NPR 2023 "Books We Love" Pick A landmark biography that reclaims Ella Fitzgerald as a major American artist and…
modernist innovator. Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996) possessed one of the twentieth century’s most astonishing voices. In this first major biography since Fitzgerald’s death, historian Judith Tick offers a sublime portrait of this ambitious risk-taker whose exceptional musical spontaneity made her a transformational artist. Becoming Ella Fitzgerald clears up long-enduring mysteries. Archival research and in-depth family interviews shed new light on the singer’s difficult childhood in Yonkers, New York, the tragic death of her mother, and the year she spent in a girls’ reformatory school—where she sang in its renowned choir and dreamed of being a dancer. Rarely seen profiles from the Black press offer precious glimpses of Fitzgerald’s tense experiences of racial discrimination and her struggles with constricting models of Black and white femininity at midcentury. Tick’s compelling narrative depicts Fitzgerald’s complicated career in fresh and original detail, upending the traditional view that segregates vocal jazz from the genre’s mainstream. As she navigated the shifting tides between jazz and pop, she used her originality to pioneer modernist vocal jazz. Interpreting long-lost setlists, reviews from both white and Black newspapers, and newly released footage and recordings, the book explores how Ella’s transcendence as an improvisor produced onstage performances every bit as significant as her historic recorded oeuvre. From the singer’s first performance at the Apollo Theatre’s famous “Amateur Night” to the Savoy Ballroom, where Fitzgerald broke through with Chick Webb’s big band in the 1930s, Tick evokes the jazz world in riveting detail. She describes how Ella helped shape the bebop movement in the 1940s, as she joined Dizzy Gillespie and her then-husband, Ray Brown, in the world-touring Jazz at the Philharmonic, one of the first moments of high-culture acceptance for the disreputable art form. Breaking ground as a female bandleader, Fitzgerald refuted expectations of musical Blackness, deftly balancing artistic ambition and market expectations. Her legendary exploration of the Great American Songbook in the 1950s fused a Black vocal aesthetic and jazz improvisation to revolutionize the popular repertoire. This hybridity often confounded critics, yet throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Ella reached audiences around the world, electrifying concert halls, and sold millions of records. A masterful biography, Becoming Ella Fitzgerald describes a powerful woman who set a standard for American excellence nearly unmatched in the twentieth century.Brave New Workshop: Promiscuous Hostility and Laughs in the Land of Loons (Landmarks)
Par Rob Hubbard. 2015
In 1958, former circus aerialist Dudley Riggs opened a Minneapolis coffeehouse with a stage for performers and created an American…
comedic institution. What started as a way to draw customers on slow nights became the Brave New Workshop, a comedy theater sinking its satirical talons deep into the culture of Minneapolis-St. Paul for over half a century. This theater helped launch the careers of many talented performers, including satirist-turned-senator Al Franken and his Saturday Night Live partner in comedy, Tom Davis, as well as comedian Louie Anderson, Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead, screenwriter Pat Proft of the Naked Gun films and many others. Author Rob Hubbard tells the story of the hilarity, irreverence and imagination of the Brave New Workshop--a funhouse mirror to the world around it."If you've lived in Chicago, you know what Second City is. If you've lived in the Twin Cities, you know what the Brave New Workshop is. Founder Dudley Riggs and the Brave New Workshop played a big part in my comedy career. Read the real history of this company and the actors and writers from it who have influenced comedy on television and the big screen for over 50 years."- Louie AndersonHistoric Jacksonville Theatre Palaces, Drive-ins and Movie Houses (Landmarks)
Par Dorothy Fletcher. 2015
Jacksonville's theatre and performance history is rich with flair and drama. The theatres, drive-ins and movie houses that brought entertainment…
to its citizens have their own exciting stories. Some have passed into memory. The Dixie Theatre, originally part of Dixieland Park, began to fade in 1909. The Palace Theatre, home to vaudeville acts, was torn down in the '50s. The Alhambra has been everyone's favorite dinner theatre since 1967's debut of Come Blow Your Horn. Local author Dorothy K. Fletcher revives the history of Jacksonville's theatres. Lights, camera, action!A Theatre History of Marion, Ohio: John Eberson's Palace And Beyond (Landmarks)
Par Scott Hoffman. 2015
One of the last remaining atmospheric theatres in the nation, elegant Marion Palace Theatre holds a storied history behind its…
curtains. From the "Wigwam," the Grand Opera House and Germania Park Pavilion to nickelodeons, vaudeville houses and movie theatres, performance has been an essential part of Marion's history, and the Palace is the city's jewel. Designed by renowned theatre architect John Eberson, the Palace opened its doors in 1928 to packed audiences of over three thousand patrons. Author Scott L. Hoffman delves into the life and work of John Eberson and the forgotten stories of the Palace that include a police gambling raid, the construction of the theatre and the stars who performed for dazzled audiences there.America's Mom: The Life, Lessons, and Legacy of Ann Landers
Par Rick Kogan. 2003
For two generations of Americans, reading Ann Landers's daily column was as important as eating breakfast. For nearly fifty years…
an entire nation turned to this quick-witted, worldly-wise counselor for advice on everything from dinner etiquette to sex. But who was the woman behind the byline?Iowa-born Eppie Lederer was first hired by the Chicago Sun-Times to take over the daily advice column in 1955 -- and over the next half-century she helped shape the nation's social and sexual landscape. Award-winning journalist Rick Kogan was Ann Landers's last editor and close friend, and he paints a fascinating, full-bodied account of the triumphs, the wisdom, the courage, and the trials of one of the twentieth century's most enduring icons -- including her painful lifelong feud with her identical twin sister, "Dear Abby"; her stubborn refusal to shy away from even the most controversial topics; and the tragic breakup of her own thirty-six-year marriage. Filled with remarkable stories shared by people from all walks of life who were profoundly affected by the good sense and guidance of Ann Landers, America's Mom is a moving tribute to a singular woman who has earned an eternal place in our culture ... and our hearts.Memories of John Lennon
Par Yoko Ono. 1968
John Lennon . . . as much a part of our world today as he ever wasHe touched many lives…
in his brief forty years, and continues to move and inspire millions more to this day. Now, invited by Yoko Ono, friends, family, and fans from all walks of life—including some of the great artists of our day—reminisce about Lennon as a visionary and friend, musician and performer, husband and father, activist and jokester.In their own words and drawings, poems and photos, Lennon's life from his childhood through the Beatles years to the happiness and tragedy of his final days become stunningly vivid.Intimate glimpses gathered from musicians who knew John, such as Pete Townshend, Sir Elton John, Billy Preston, and Joan Baez; friends and relatives such as producer David Geffen, publicist Elliot Mintz, and cousin Mike Cadwallader; and artists who followed him such as Bono, Alicia Keys, Steve Earle, Jello Biafra, and Carlos Santana.And, for the first time, renowned photographer Annie Liebovitz presents every frame of the historic last session with John and Yoko.Memories of John Lennon is a rich and deeply felt appreciation of a truly great man.Homesick: A Memoir
Par Sela Ward. 2002
The vibrant and beloved star of Once and Again and Sisters offers a story about her journey home to recapture the magic of youth…
in the deep South for her children and to make peace with the death of her mother.“This is the story of a girl who grew up in a gentle town in the Deep South, cradled by family and friends, worshiping Bear Bryant on Saturday night and Jesus Christ on Sunday morning…”At a time when much of America is yearning to recapture the spirit and feelings of a more innocent era, comes this extraordinary memoir from one of our most beloved actresses: a story of reconnecting with the most important things in life. Millions of TV and film viewers know Sela Ward as the Emmy-winning star of the series Sisters and Once & Again. But before she became a successful actress, Sela was first and foremost a small-town girl, the daughter of a family that lived for generations in a Mississippi homestead they called “Homeward.” It was there, within a tightly knit community of neighbors and kin, that Sela learned ways that would remain with her through life-humble virtues, like generosity, selflessness, and respect, that are “forged in the hearth of a loving home.” Now she has woven together nostalgic reminiscences, stories from throughout her life and career, and lessons on drawing strength and wisdom from a simpler place and time, to give us Homesick: a very special book on the challenge of raising a family, maintaining perspective, and carving away time for happiness amid the challenges of modern life.Oh the Moon: Stories from the Tortured Mind of Charlyne Yi
Par Charlyne Yi. 2015
From actress, comedian, musician, and writer Charlyne Yi comes this collection of illustrated, interconnected short stories and anecdotes that blends…
comedy, fantastic adventures, and a storm of feelings that will make you want to laugh and cry at the same time—reminiscent of the works of Demetri Martin, Shel Silverstein and John Cassavetes.Charlyne Yi takes readers from a sky filled with vengeful clouds to the depths of a frog’s stomach, and to Hell and back—literally—in this collection of short stories that showcases her unique style.Equal parts whimsical, hilarious, heartbreaking, and terrifying, these short stories—both written and illustrated by Charlyne—can be read separately, but are connected thematically following the difficulties of love at every age:• Forgive Me: What happens when the tiniest boy of all time is the only thing standing between the world’s largest baby and an angry mob? Who could ever love something so small? Or so big?• She’s All Legs: In this spicy, action-packed romance, Agatha, a woman who is literally just legs and a head, decides to hunt down and kill the Devil himself. Along the way she meets Cassady, an Elvis impersonator with his own, mysterious gripe with the Dark Lord.Short, one-page anecdotes, poems, reflections, and imagery are also included.Strange, heartfelt, and wonderful, Oh the Moon shows you love in the way that only Charlyne Yi’s brilliant, witty mind can.The Fame Game: An Insider's Playbook for Earning Your 15 Minutes
Par Ramon Hervey. 2022
Legendary Hollywood entertainment manager and publicist Ramon Hervey II shares insightful tales of his remarkable four-decade career plotting and overseeing fame,…
success, crisis and spinning for seminal talents at the top of their game, from Little Richard, Bette Midler, and the Bee Gees, to Aaliyah, Rick James, and Vanessa Williams—a juicy and addictive retrospective that also traces the origins of fame and how social media is changing the rules.Superstar manager and PR guru Ramon Hervey II has been playing the “fame game” for more than four decades, shaping, protecting, and sometimes rehabilitating the reputations of some of today’s biggest celebrities. Throughout his career, Hervey has mined, molded, and managed, mopped up messes, and mounted major celebrity comebacks.The Fame Game is his uncensored, behind-the-scenes look at rich and famous celebrities as they are rarely seen. Hervey shares the hilarious, the absurd, the disappointing, and the surprising as he recalls how he became a trusted confidant to a Who’s Who in music, comedy, film to A-listers including Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, Quincy Jones, Don Cornelius, the Bee Gees, Herb Alpert, Andrae Crouch, Vanessa Williams, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Luther Vandross, Rick James, Paul McCartney, Peter Frampton, Andrae Crouch, Nick Nolte, James Caan, and Muhammad Ali. Filled with never-before-told anecdotes, cameos, and unforgettable stories, moving from the legendary disco era of the '70s and post-civil rights era to Hollywood soundstages, and viewed through his acute and trained lens, The Fame Game is an enlightening historical view of the origins of fame, entertainment and media that examines our obsession with fame and the famous, and how social media is cultivating is own fame—an irresistible, addictive and utterly fascinating exploration of our insatiable obsession with celebrity culture.Streb: How to Become an Extreme Action Hero
Par Elizabeth Streb. 2010
An inspiring memoir and self-help guide to greatness by the dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov calls &“fearlessness and intelligence combined . . . potent and…
beautiful.&” Called &“the Evel Knievel of Dance,&” Elizabeth Streb has been pushing boundaries and testing the potential of the human body since childhood. Can she fly? Can she run up walls? Can she break through glass? How fast can she go? With clarity and humor—and with her internationally-renowned dance troupe STREB—she continues to investigate what movement truly is and has come to these conclusions: It&’s off the ground! It creates impact! And it hurts trying to stop! Here, Streb combines memoir and analysis to convey how she became an extreme action dancer and choreographer, developing a form of movement that&’s more NASCAR than modern dance, more boxing than ballet, and more than most people can handle &“in this dizzying, inspirational self-help&” books (Publishers Weekly, starred review).Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman
Par Patricia Bosworth. 2011
&“The definitive portrait of a woman conflicted, torn between ferocious ambition, family, and feminist causes&” (Gail Sheehy, author of Passages).…
Jane Fonda emerged from a heartbreaking Hollywood family drama to become a &’60s onscreen ingénue and then an Oscar-winning actress. At the top of her game she risked it all, speaking out against the Vietnam War and shocking the world with a trip to Hanoi. One of Hollywood&’s most committed feminists, she financed her husband Tom Hayden&’s political career in the &’80s with a series of exercise videos that sparked a nationwide fitness craze. Even more surprising was Fonda&’s next turn, as a Stepford Wife of the Gulfstream set, marrying Ted Turner and seemingly walking away from her ideals and her career. Patricia Bosworth goes behind the image of an American superwoman, revealing the real Jane Fonda—more powerful and vulnerable than we ever expected—whose struggles for high achievement, love, and motherhood mirror the conflicts of an entire generation of women. In the hands of this seasoned, tenacious biographer, the evolution of one of the world&’s most controversial and successful women becomes nothing less than a great, enthralling American life. &“A book that gets unusually close to its subject. It sees what Ms. Fonda cannot see about herself.&” —The New York Times &“Bosworth&’s thorough account of this wild, uniquely twentieth-century Hollywood life makes Jane Fonda the actress even more intriguing.&” —San Francisco ChronicleI'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!: Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood
Par Tom Bergeron. 2009
For readers of John O’Hurley’s It’s Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump and Chelsea Handler’s Are You…
There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea, Daytime Emmy-winner Tom Bergeron—host of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and America’s Funniest Home Videos—offers a series of humorous and inspirational stories on surviving Hollywood, including behind-the-camera stories with A-list celebrities.Ellis Amburn's magnificent biography of the Academy Award®-winning actress and legendary beauty captures the unparalleled Elizabeth in all her tragedy…
and splendor—her tumultuous loves, her doomed affections, her shocking excesses, her courage, and her inimitable style. Filled with stunning revelations about the men in her life—Burton, Clift, Hilton, Dean, Fisher—it is a glorious celebration of the turbulent life of a brilliant star that none in Hollywood or heaven could ever outshine.Just Getting Started
Par Scott Simon, Tony Bennett. 2016
“For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business, the best exponent of a song. He excites…
me when I watch him. . . . He moves me. He’s the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more.” — Frank Sinatra“As breezy and meaningful as one of his trademark songs as readers learn about the man by the company he kept and the heroes he worships. Bennett’s ethereal still lifes and landscape paintings adorn this simple yet profound and gracious homage.”— BooklistTony Bennett was one of our most vibrant musicians ever to grace the stage. In his previous book, Life Is a Gift, Tony reflected on the lessons he learned over the years. In Just Getting Started, he pays homage to the remarkable people who inspired those lessons.In his warm and inviting voice, Tony talks about who and what have enriched his own life, including Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cole Porter, Amy Winehouse, Fred Astaire, Lady Gaga, members of his family, significant places, and more. Just Getting Started chronicles the relationship Tony enjoyed with each one of these legends, entertainers, humanitarians, and loved ones, and reveals how the lessons and values they imparted have invaluably shaped his life.As enchanting and unforgettable as his music, Just Getting Started is a beautiful compilation of reflections every Bennett fan will treasure, and a perfect introduction for those just getting to know this remarkable star and humanitarian.The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines
Par Shohreh Aghdashloo. 2013
Oscar nominee and Emmy Award–winning actress Shohreh Aghdashloo shares her remarkable personal journey—from a childhood in the Shah’s Iran to…
the red carpets of Hollywood—in The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines, a dazzling memoir of family, faith, and hope. When Shohreh Aghdashloo was growing up in Teheran, stardom was a distant dream, especially since her parents had more practical plans for their daughter… When revolution swept Iran in 1978, the Ayatollah Khomeini’s religious regime brought stifling restrictions on women and art. Shohreh Aghdashloo seized the moment and boldly left her husband for Europe and eventually, America, a vastly different culture. Shohreh Aghdashloo writes poignantly about her struggles as an outsider in a new culture—as a woman, a Muslim, and a Persian—adapting to a new land and a new language, and shares behind-the-scenes stories about what it’s really like to be an actress in Hollywood.The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines includes original color photographs from the author.It Takes Two: Our Story
Par Jonathan Scott, Drew Scott. 2017
A New York Times bestseller! Jonathan and Drew Scott, known for their wildly popular HGTV shows including Property Brothers and Brother…
vs Brother, follow up their New York Times bestseller, Dream Home, with a highly anticipated memoir. It Takes Two: Our Story shares never-before-revealed tales of the brothers&’ childhood and rise to fame—from starting their first business at 7 years old, their years modeling and acting, to their first house purchase at the impressive young age of eighteen. They soon found their true passion in life, combining their natural gifts for entertaining with the skills they learned from buying, renovating, and selling homes.Complete with hilarious behind-the-scenes stories from set, Jonathan and Drew discuss how their family and upbringing have led to their success in life. Throughout, the brothers keep fans laughing with the clever—and sometimes zany—sibling banter for which they&’re known best.Open Book
Par Jessica Simpson. 2020
The #1 New York Times BestsellerJessica reveals for the first time her inner monologue and most intimate struggles. Guided by…
the journals she's kept since age fifteen, and brimming with her unique humor and down-to-earth humanity, Open Book is as inspiring as it is entertaining.This was supposed to be a very different book. Five years ago, Jessica Simpson was approached to write a motivational guide to living your best life. She walked away from the offer, and nobody understood why. The truth is that she didn’t want to lie.Jessica couldn’t be authentic with her readers if she wasn’t fully honest with herself first.Now America’s Sweetheart, preacher’s daughter, pop phenomenon, reality tv pioneer, and the billion-dollar fashion mogul invites readers on a remarkable journey, examining a life that blessed her with the compassion to help others, but also burdened her with an almost crippling need to please. Open Book is Jessica Simpson using her voice, heart, soul, and humor to share things she’s never shared before.First celebrated for her voice, she became one of the most talked-about women in the world, whether for music and fashion, her relationship struggles, or as a walking blonde joke. But now, instead of being talked about, Jessica is doing the talking. Her book shares the wisdom and inspirations she’s learned and shows the real woman behind all the pop-culture cliché’s — “chicken or fish,” “Daisy Duke,” "football jinx," “mom jeans,” “sexual napalm…” and more. Open Book is an opportunity to laugh and cry with a close friend, one that will inspire you to live your best, most authentic life, now that she is finally living hers.The Final Years of Marilyn Monroe: The True Story
Par Keith Badman. 2010
This “extraordinary” account of the superstar’s tragic death, and what led up to it, is “a relentless and detailed quest…
for the truth” (Lancashire Post).In his illuminating, fascinating book, Keith Badman finally uncovers the truth about the iconic actress’s last years. It was a tough time—one in which Marilyn Monroe’s increasingly erratic behavior and dependence on alcohol and medication plunged her glittering movie career into drastic decline. Meticulously researched, the book reveals precisely how Monroe died at just thirty-six years of age, and shines a light on the suspicious delays on the night of her overdose—delays that indicate a cover-up. He discovers new details about her rekindled relationship with Joe DiMaggio, and the horrendous weekend she spent at Frank Sinatra’s Cal-Neva lodge, as well as why Fox refused to let her finish her final movie, Something’s Got to Give, and her distress at being imprisoned at the Payne Whitney psychiatric hospital.Drawing on private, previously unpublished itineraries and original eyewitness accounts, Badman sheds new light on Marilyn’s involvement with John and Bobby Kennedy, and ends a six-decade-old mystery by telling the precise date of her first encounter with the president. The Final Years of Marilyn Monroe features a deluge of stories of which even die-hard fans will be unaware.“[A] nearly day-by-day account of her life from June 1961 to her death in August 1962.” —Kirkus ReviewsIncludes photosBeyoncégraphica: A Graphic Biography of Beyoncé
Par Chris Roberts. 1617
An easy-to-read biography of “the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century,” includes infographics and photos (TheNew…
Yorker).Beyoncé needs no introduction. Singer, artist, activist and icon, she is worshiped by her many fans around the word.This stunning graphic biography tells the story of how a young singer from Texas transformed into a global superstar, celebrating the highlights and successes of her career through stunning new graphics, photographs and illustrations. Representing so much more than the pop industry, through philanthropy, politics and campaigning, Beyoncé has broken the mould of what it means to be a superstar—and that star just continues to rise.From costume changes to record sales, her impressive vocal range to her work off-stage, this original bio-graphic book charts the success of the icon who came to dominate the charts, our screens and even our wardrobes. An absolute must for any “Beehive” members and Beyoncé fans.A Helluva High Note: Surviving Life, Love, and American Idol
Par Kara DioGuardi. 2011
Over the years, award-winning hitmaker, savvy record executive, successful music publisher and former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi has worked…
with the best. Her songs have been recorded by such superstars as Pink, Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Santana, Steven Tyler, Celine Dion and many others. But success wouldn’t have happened for this songwriter, artist and producer without the darker times of defeat. Now, in this daringly honest memoir, DioGuardi reveals everything she’s learned about living, creating, loving, stumbling, picking herself up again and ultimately succeeding. And, of course, she hares behind-the-scenes stories from her years on American Idol, including the real truth about her departure from the show. Passionate, wide and funny, A Helluva High Note inspires readers to find, develop and follow their own true voice.