New Rock n Roll Biographies

Two of my favourite pastimes are leisure reading and listening to music. (perhaps many of you are the same?) As such, reading musicians' biographies are a real treat for me, allowing me to combine these two pleasures.

It has been a banner couple of years for such releases, so I guess I can look forward to a lot of toe tapping reading. Here are a few of the new R&R biographies that I am eager to read:

The Ballad of Bob Dylan: a portrait
by Daniel Mark Epstein

"If you like Keith Richards' Life, then read The Ballad of Bob Dylan. Just in time for the musician's 70th birthday, Daniel Mark Epstein's biography offers a vivid portrait of the visionary artist." - US Weekly

Hey Buddy : in pursuit of Buddy Holly, my new buddy John, and my lost decade of music
by Gary W. Moore.

"Hey Buddy is a page-turning pursuit of Buddy Holly's legacy and his impact on others in and out of the music industry. It's as American as apple pie and as compelling as Don McLean's legendary hit about The Day the Music Died. Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and get two copies-one for you and another for anyone you know who listens to music."- James Riordan, New York Times bestselling author of Break on Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison

Not Dead & Not for Sale
by Scott Weiland

“Countless rockers have written memoirs, and they invariably include many of the same topics: unexpected commercial and critical success; rampant drug use/sex; band infighting. Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland's offering in the genre, "Not Dead & Not for Sale," hits on all those themes. The difference here is that Weiland explores the whys of the choices he has made. He invites readers "into the middle of my life and the middle of my head." It's a fascinating place to be.” - Associated Press

This is Gonna Hurt : music, photography, and life through the distorted lens of Nikki Sixx.
by Nikki Sixx

"This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx is part photo, part journal-but all Nikki Sixx. It is a collection of compelling photography and stories that capture the rage, love, optimism, darkness, and determination that shape his work. Combining the raw authenticity that defined his New York Times bestseller The Heroin Diaries with a photographic journey, This Is Gonna Hurt chronicles Sixx's experiences-from his early years filled with toxic waste, to his success with Motley Crue, to his death from an OD and his eventual rebirth through music, photography, and love. " - Publisher

Red : my uncensored life in rock
by Sammy Hagar

"There are tell-all books. And then there are tell-all books written by Sammy Hagar. The 63-year-old ex-Van Halen frontman holds back nothing -- and I mean absolutely nothing -- in his autobiography...the Red Rocker's life look-back doesn't skimp on the details."- Associated Press