Rock and Roll Book Club: 'Blues All Around Me' for the late B.B. King's 95th birthday September 17, 2020 'I didn't think of B.B. King as a crossover artist,' wrote the man himself in his 1996 autobiography. 'I'm still amazed how the public suddenly fell in love with my blues.'
Rock and Roll Book Club: In 'Utopia Avenue,' novelist David Mitchell imagines a band that never went around the bend September 10, 2020 In 'Utopia Avenue,' novelist David Mitchell - author of 'Cloud Atlas' - imagines a gentler, kinder experience for a band that emerges from the late '60s psychedelic scene in London.
Rock and Roll Book Club: Pepe Willie recounts his life as a musician and early Prince mentor September 3, 2020 Pepe Willie has been called 'the Godfather of the Minneapolis Sound.' He's best-known for enlisting a teenage Prince to play on his first professional recording session - but his history goes back to Brooklyn, when he worked with some of the greatest artists of the '50s and '60s.
Rock and Roll Book Club: 'Fangirls: Scenes from Modern Music Culture' August 26, 2020 In 'Fangirls,' author Hannah Ewens circles around different ways that communities form around beloved musicians - from Beatlemania to the BTS Army.
Rock and Roll Book Club: 'And In the End: The Last Days of the Beatles' August 19, 2020 In a fascinating narrative, Ken McNab walks readers through 1969: the last year the Beatles were a band.
Rock and Roll Book Club: Eddie Floyd's 'Knock! Knock! Knock! on Wood: My Life in Soul' August 12, 2020 Eddie Floyd hasn't become a household name like his Stax labelmates Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes, but his new autobiography reminds you why his is a name you need to know if you consider yourself a fan of soul music.
Rock and Roll Book Club: 'Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands from NKOTB to BTS' August 5, 2020 Pop historian Maria Sherman makes no apologies for her boy band fandom - in fact, 'Larger Than Life' suggests, YOU should have to apologize if you're NOT a boy band fan.
Rock and Roll Book Club: 'Elvis in Vegas: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show' July 29, 2020 Despite the title, Richard Zoglin's 'Elvis in Vegas' isn't just about the King: it's a full-fledged history of popular music in the cathedral of American pop culture.
Rock and Roll Book Club: Chris Frantz's 'Remain In Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina' July 22, 2020 In a readable, if slightly bland, memoir, the drummer who drove Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club shares his memories.
Rock and Roll Book Club: 'Simple Dreams' for Linda Ronstadt's 74th birthday July 15, 2020 As Linda Ronstadt turns 74, Jay takes a look at the singer's 2013 autobiography 'Simple Dreams.'