Best Selling Books by Holly George-Warren

George-Warren offers the first serious biography in which Gene Autry the legend becomes a flesh-and-blood man--with all the passions, triumphs, and tragedies of a flawed icon.

This extraordinarily intimate and “gripping” (Vanity Fair) biography of Janis Joplin establishes the Queen of Rock & Roll as the rule-breaking musical trailblazer and complicated, gender-bending rebel she was. Janis Joplin’s first transgressive act was to be a white girl who gained an early sense of the power of the blues, music you could only find on obscure records and in roadhouses along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. But even before that, she stood out in her conservative oil town. She was a tomboy who was also intellectually curious and artistic. By the time she reached high school, she had drawn the scorn of her peers for her embrace of the Beats and her racially progressive views. Her parents doted on her in many ways, but were ultimately put off by her repeated acts of defiance. Janis Joplin has become a legend known as a brash, impassioned soul doomed by the pain that produced one of the most extraordinary voices in rock history. But in these pages, Holly George-Warren provides a revelatory and deeply satisfying portrait of a woman who wasn’t all about suffering. Janis was a perfectionist: a passionate, erudite musician who was born with talent but also worked exceptionally hard to develop it. She was a woman who pushed the boundaries of gender and sexuality long before it was socially acceptable. She was a sensitive seeker who wanted to marry and settle down—but couldn’t, or wouldn’t. She was a Texan who yearned to flee Texas but could never quite get away—even after becoming a countercultural icon in San Francisco. Written by one of the most highly regarded chroniclers of American music history, and based on unprecedented access to Janis Joplin’s family, friends, band mates, archives, and long-lost interviews, Janis is the “significance-establishing project Joplin appreciators have been waiting for” (The New York Times Book Review).

From Bill Haley and His Comets to James Brown and his Famous Flames, this fun and fact-filled introduction to the pioneers of rock they influenced a generation of teenagers and inspired many of today''s most important musicians.

In John Varvatos, the legendary designer reveals his perspective on how rock & roll music and style have influenced his own designs and fashion worldwide. Varvatos’s personally curated collection of more than 250 images are some of the most provocative ever shot by top rock photographers from the late 1960s to today, from the Rolling Stones to the Kings of Leon. The featured photographers are among the world’s finest, including Mick Rock, Bob Gruen, Elliott Landy, Danny Clinch, Lynn Goldsmith, and more. Also included are select images from Varvatos’s own advertising campaigns, featuring artists such as Slash, Iggy Pop, Scott Weiland, and Miles Kane. Varvatos’s captions and incisive commentary on the artist and his or her look accompany each image. Every chapter also contains numerous quotes from the musicians themselves, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, and Patti Smith. An extraordinary anthology of some of the finest images in rock & roll and the most influential rock looks in fashion and popular culture, this volume will delight music lovers, and fans of music photography, fashion, and fashion history.

Describes the skills, savvy and bravery needed by women in the mid-19th century when they helped trailblaze and settle the American West, and the types of jobs these cowgirls earned, such as sharpshooters, wranglers, equestriennes and more. By the author of Honky-Tonk Heroes and Hillbilly Angels.

The first biography of the artist who “essentially invented indie and alternative rock” (Spin) A brilliant and influential songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, the charismatic Alex Chilton was more than a rock star—he was a true cult icon. Awardwinning music writer Holly George-Warren’s A Man Called Destruction is the first biography of this enigmatic artist, who died in 2010. Covering Chilton’s life from his early work with the charttopping Box Tops and the seminal power-pop band Big Star to his experiments with punk and roots music and his sprawling solo career, A Man Called Destruction is the story of a musical icon and a richly detailed chronicle of pop music’s evolution, from the mid-1960s through today’s indie rock.

Discover the surprising beginnings and humble origins of the charismatic pioneers who helped shape the country-and-western scene into the influential musical empire it is today. Included among this collection of legends are Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, and more unforgettable people who changed the face of music forever!

Have you ever wondered how your favourite rock stars get inspired? How they write a song? How an album is put together? What made them choose a life devoted to music? In this exciting, original and inspiring book, 75 of the world''s most iconic musicians - including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Julian Lennon, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Don Henley, Hank Marvin, Keith Richards, Ravi Shankar, Ringo Starr, Steve Winwood, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell - reveal their thoughts on creating music, and their key to success. Psychologist Jenny Boyd has probed the minds and souls of these artists and has delved into the drive to create, the importance of nurturing creativity, the role of unconscious influences and the effects of chemicals and drugs on the creative process. This is the perfect gift for any music lover and rock ''n'' roll fan.

In How the West Was Worn, Holly George-Warren and Michelle Freedman offer a sartorial history of the American West. From the pre-20th-century origins of western style to Hollywood westerns, rodeo stars, cowboy crooners, ranchers and businessmen, good old boys from the Tetons to Dallas are presented in all their tooled, embroidered, sequined, fringed, 10-galloned, gun-toting finery.

A vivid profile of the legendary jam band celebrates decades in the history of the Grateful Dead, from their 1965 birth in the heart of San Francisco''s hippie counterculture to the twenty-first century, with a compilation of intimate portraits, candid backstage shots, and iconic performance images, in a volume that includes a tribute to the late founding member, Jerry Garcia.

A companion to the groundbreaking PBS documentary series, this volume is a unique and timeless celebration of the blues, from writers and artists as esteemed and revered as the music that moved them. Included in this stunning collection are Essays by David Halberstam, Hilton Als, Suzan-Lori Parks, Elmore Leonard, Luc Sante, John Edgar Wideman, and many others Timeless archival pieces by writers such as Stanley Booth, Paul Oliver, and Mack McCormick Evocative color illustrations and rare vintage photography Illuminating and in-depth conversations and portraits of musicians, ranging from Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith to John Lee Hooker and Eric Clapton Lyrics of legendary blues compositions Personal essays by the series directors Martin Scorsese, Charles Burnett, Richard Pearce, Wim Wenders, Marc Levin, Mike Figgis, and Clint Eastwood Excerpts from literary masters James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Eudora Welty, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and William Faulkner Tracing the art form''s path from juke joints, house parties, and recording studios to musicians such as Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles, Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues proves, in the words of Willie Dixon, "The blues are the roots; every-thing else is the fruits."

Play It Loud celebrates the musical instruments that gave rock and roll its signature sound. Seven engrossing essays by veteran music journalists and scholars discuss the technical developments that fostered rock’s seductive riffs and driving rhythms; the evolution of the classic lineup of two guitars, bass, and drums; the thrilling innovations and expanded instrumentation musicians have explored to achieve unique effects; the powerful visual impact instruments have had; and the essential role they have played in the most memorable moments of rock and roll history. Abundant photographs depict rock’s most iconic instruments—including Jerry Lee Lewis’s baby grand piano, Chuck Berry’s Gibson ES-350T guitar, John Lennon’s twelve-string Rickenbacker 325, Keith Moon’s drum set, and the white Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock—both in performance and as works of art in their own right. Produced in collaboration with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this astounding book goes behind the music to offer a rare, in-depth look at the instruments that inspired the musicians and made possible the songs we know and love.

Sie war der größte Star der Rockmusik in den 60er-Jahren, bis heute sind ihre Stimme und ihre Auftritte beim Monterey Festival oder in Woodstock unvergessen: Janis Joplin. Die renommierte Musik-Historikerin Holly George-Warren zeichnet in dieser großartigen Biografie das Porträt einer Frau, die nicht nur Musik-Geschichte schrieb, sondern mit ihren Songs die Welt veränderte. Janis Joplin ist ein Rock-Idol. Sie verkörperte die Revolution der 60er-Jahre, den Stil, den Sound, den Spirit der jungen Menschen weltweit. Schnell erlangte sie einen Status, der sonst nur Männern vorbehalten war, und sollte später die weiblichen Rockstars der kommenden Generationen prägen. Schon als Studentin scherte sich Janis Joplin nicht um Konventionen, verkehrte mit Schwarzen und sang voller Leidenschaft zu ihrer Musik. Mitte der 1960er-Jahre lockte die aufblühende Hippiekultur sie nach San Francisco, wo sie in die bunte Szene von Haight-Ashbury eintauchte und sich bald der Band Big Brother and the Holding Company anschloss. Mit Hits wie "Ball and Chain", "Summertime" und "Piece of My Heart" stieg sie kometenhaft zum Weltstar auf. Der enorme Erfolg und die Rastlosigkeit des Musik-Business gingen einher mit ihrer unstillbaren Sucht nach Alkohol und Drogen. Während der Studioaufnahmen für ihre LP Pearl verstarb sie am 4. Oktober 1970 in einem Motel. Sie wurde nur 27 Jahre alt. Die renommierte Musikhistorikerin Holly George-Warren erzählt die künstlerische Entwicklung und das kompromisslose Leben des Rockstars in all seinen Facetten. Dazu erhielt sie exklusiven Zugang zu persönlichen Zeugnissen von Janis Joplin und ihrer Familie, sprach mit Freunden, Musikern und Weggefährten. Dies ist die große, autorisierte Janis-Joplin-Biografie – mit vielen bislang unbekannten Einblicken in die spektakuläre, doch viel zu kurze Karriere der größten Rock-Ikone der 1960er-Jahre.

Featuring The Real West, Camfire melodies, Matinee idols, Four legged friends, Cowgirls & Lone guns.

From an award-winning writer and producer comes the latest edition in the 365 series. The most provocative photography documents the performances, looks, and attitudes of the punk movement that exploded onto the music scene more than 30 years ago.