Stories To Tell

By Richard Marx

Legendary musician Richard Marx offers an enlightening, entertaining look at his life and career.

Richard Marx is one of the most accomplished singer-songwriters in the history of popular music. His self-titled 1987 album went triple platinum and made him the first male solo artist (and second solo artist overall after Whitney Houston) to have four singles from their debut crack the top three on the Billboard Hot 100. His follow-up, 1989’s Repeat Offender, was an even bigger smash, going quadruple platinum and landing two singles at number one. He has written fourteen number one songs in total, shared a Song of the Year Grammy with Luther Vandross, and collaborated with a variety of artists including NSYNC, Josh Groban, Natalie Cole, and Keith Urban. Lately, he’s also become a Twitter celebrity thanks to his outspokenness on social issues and his ability to out-troll his trolls.

In Stories to Tell, Marx uses this same engaging, straight-talking style to look back on his life and career. He writes of how Kenny Rogers changed a single line of a song he’d written for him then asked for a 50% cut—which inspired Marx to write one of his biggest hits. He tells the uncanny story of how he wound up curled up on the couch of Olivia Newton-John, his childhood crush, watching Xanadu. He shares the tribulations of working with the all-female hair metal band Vixen and appearing in their video. Yet amid these entertaining celebrity encounters, Marx offers a more sobering assessment of the music business as he’s experienced it over four decades—the challenges of navigating greedy executives and grueling tour schedules, and the rewards of connecting with thousands of fans at sold-out shows that make all the drama worthwhile. He also provides an illuminating look at his songwriting process and talks honestly about how his personal life has inspired his work, including finding love with wife Daisy Fuentes and the mystery illness that recently struck him—and that doctors haven’t been able to solve.

Stories to Tell is a remarkably candid, wildly entertaining memoir about the art and business of music.

Reviews:

“[Marx] takes readers on a roller­coaster ride of a rock and roll story…Marx has led a fascinating life; fans of his music and those less familiar with him will be absorbed.” ― Traci Glass, Library Journal

Richard Marx. Simon & Schuster, $27 (320p) ISBN 9781982169428

By Quincy Jones

Wisdom and musings on creativity and life from one of the world’s most beloved musicians, producers, and mentors, Quincy Jones.

12 Notes is a self-development guide that will affirm that creativity is a calling that can and should be answered, no matter your age or experience. Drawing from his own life, and those of his many creative collaborators past and present, Quincy Jones presents readers with lessons that are hardworking and accessible, yet speak to the passion of self-expression. He includes sections as deep as how to transform grief into power, and as practical as how to set goals and articulate intentions through daily affirmations. 

Weaving his story throughout, Jones lets readers in on his own creative process, as well as the importance of letting honesty, hard work, and good relationships drive your career.

Quincy Jones. Abrams, $26 (192p) ISBN 978-1419752568

By Billie Eilish

Legendary recording artist Billie Eilish shares an intimate inside look at her life—both on and off the stage—in this stunning, photo-filled book.

Billie Eilish is a phenomenon. With distinctive visual flare and darkly poignant lyrics that are unparalleled among music icons of the 21st century, Billie is a musician who stands out from the crowd. Between her record-shattering award-winning music and her uncompromising and unapologetic attitude, it's no surprise that her fanbase continues to grow by millions month after month. She is that rare combination of wildly popular and highly respected for her prodigious talent, a once in a generation superstar.

Now in this stunning visual narrative journey through her life, she is ready to share more with her devoted audience for the first time, including hundreds of never-before-seen photos. This gorgeous book will capture the essence of Billie inside and out, offering readers personal glimpses into her childhood, her life on tour, and more. A must-have for any fan.

Reviews:

"Fans her own age will especially love Billie Eilish, a sumptuous book of photographs chronicling her life and career from infancy to the present." ― The Washington Post

"In her eponymous first book, Eilish lets fans into her life like never before." ― USA Today

"Eilish’s narration is unpretentious...Part of what makes Eilish so charming is her apparent nonchalance." ― Los Angeles Times

"The singer dug deep into her family’s photo archive for Billie Eilish...She’s a visually-driven person, so it makes sense that having a large archive of pictures and home movies documenting her life is very dear to her." ― Rolling Stone

"Even Eilish skeptics will find her massive collection of old photos worth flipping through—if only to challenge their mindsets...Flipping through the pages is like watching a beloved teen pop star grow up before your eyes, an evolution that is particularly fascinating when it’s that of Billie Eilish." ― Slate

Billie Eilish. Grand Central, $35 (336p) ISBN 9781538720479

By Dave Grohl

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • Named one of Variety's Best Music Books of 2021 • Included in Audible's Best of The Year list • A Business Insider Best Memoirs of 2021 • One of NME's Best Music Books of 2021

So, I've written a book.

Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities ("It's a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!") I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I've recorded and can't wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child. 

This certainly doesn't mean that I'm quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it's like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as a young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement. 

Reviews:

"Candid, humble and full of stories about big-time stars…music lovers will want to put this one in heavy rotation." ― CNN

“As Grohl himself sees it, he’s a McCartney, not a Lennon, and if he’s filling the world with silly love songs, the object of his affection tends to be existence itself.” ― Rolling Stone

“The message that burns through The Storyteller is to those who watch him onstage now: Deep down, I’m just like you. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but I am obsessed over the same music you do. I’m a fan.”  ― Billboard

“Grohl, of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame, demonstrates the good-naturedness he's known for in this heartfelt standout that explores everything from the loss of Kurt Cobain to the road to fatherhood.”  ― Audible (Best of the Year list)

“… the world benefits just as much from hearing his inspiring stories told as only one of rock's great stadium rockers turned storyteller can tell them.”  ― Forbes

“Both a timestamp of the past and a living example of what can be accomplished through creation. Lovers of chronicled melodic adventures and those seeking artistic inspiration will want to check it out.”  ― Parade

“He may be a slight musical genius, but Grohl’s journey from modest, punk-obsessed troublemaker, to drumming in the most popular band of the decade, to launching an enduring solo career that puts his rock and roll ethos at its center, is a truly inspiring tale.”  ― Consequence of Sound

Grohl candidly shares his reverence for the enduring power of music. . . Reflecting on his fame, Grohl writes, “I have never taken a single moment of it for granted.” Paired with his sparkling wit, this humility is what makes Grohl’s soulful story a cut above typical rock memoirs. There isn’t a dull moment here. ― Publishers Weekly

Dave Grohl. Dey Street, $29.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-307609-9