6 Musical Memoirs for Fans of All Stripes

Hindsight: & All the Things I Can’t See in Front of Me (B&N Exclusive Edition), by Justin Timberlake
JT is practically pop royalty at this point, with legions of fans who grew up with the idol. In his first book, he’s assembled anecdotes and candid observations about his life and work, and paired them with hundreds of photographs from his own personal archives, spanning the years from his very early days to the present, onstage and off. The Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition includes an additional 16 pages of photographs.

Beastie Boys Book, by Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz
Mike D and ADROCK are joined by Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and many more friends and fans to tell the story of a deeply unlikely hip hop superstars. Over the course of three decades, the band members evolved from teenage punks to world class rappers under the tutelage of Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, producing the first #1 hip hop record before evolving their style and breaking genre rules in later years. This isn’t just a band biography, though: alongside photos and illustrations, it also includes recipes, a graphic novel, maps, playlists, and much more.  It’s as wildly eclectic as the band itself, and the perfect gift for fans.

Tony Bennett Onstage and in the Studio, by Tony Bennett, Dick Golden, Danny Bennett, and Michael Bublé
The greatest of all time? Maybe. With a career spanning almost seven decades, Bennett somehow seems to keep getting cooler. He celebrates the entirety of his life in music in this lavish book, going into detail about his influences and experiences from his own point of view, as well as through the eyes of celebrated friends and colleagues. More than 140 images illustrate the book, including memorabilia, personal notes, album covers and artwork, and photographs of Tony at work. It’s the ultimate gift for a Bennett fan. (And who isn’t one?)

My Love Story, by Tina Turner
Suffering a health crisis after her 2013 wedding, Turner found herself with the time and inclination to reflect on her life so far. And it’s been some life: from a Tennessee childhood, to tours of St. Louis nightclubs as she got her feet wet as a performer, to her experiences during the turbulent ’60s, years during which she found mainstream success—and also found herself in a famously abusive relationship. Of course, that was only the beginning. Here, the rock icon tells, in her own words, the fascinating story of the tragedies and triumphs of her life and music career.

Just Kids Illustrated Edition (Signed Book), by Patti Smith
A chance encounter in 1967 set poet and singer Patti Smith and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe on a path that made them legends. At a critical time and place, the two developed their individual styles of art from the legendary, infamous Chelsea Hotel. This new edition of her already classic memoir includes new images from iconic photographer’s collection alongside a new introduction from Smith herself. Signed copies make for the ultimate gift.

Thanks a Lot Mr Kibblewhite: My Story, by Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey’s memoir is everything a Who fan could hope for. It’s the life story of Daltrey, sure, and it’s full of music, and mayhem, and more than a few trashed hotel rooms. As the founder and lead singer of one of the bands that defined rock ‘n’ roll in the ’60s, his stories are, like the era, nothing if not over the top. Fortunately, Daltrey is also a wry, witty, and patient observer of his own life and orbit, and as he takes us from an impoverished childhood during the Blitz to the Who’s inception and beyond, the singer proves as great at storytelling as he was at living through great stories.
What’s on the gift list for your favorite music fan?