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100 Must-Read Musician Memoirs and Biographies

One of the best ways to get into a new (old) band or musician is to find their memoirs and biographies. Immerse yourself in the creation of these gifted humans, stare googly-eyed at the photos printed on glossy pages in the middle of the book, and then jam out to their music. It's all a win.
At least, that's how I ended up obsessed with Guns N' Roses. And The Doors. And Motley Crue. And Aerosmith. And, in the future, many more that I'm holding on to for just the right moment.
Here are 100 musician memoirs and biographies, sorted by the music's genre (loosely defined), to get you rockin' and rollin' and movin' and groovin'.
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Not My Cross to Bear (Gregg Allman)
Not My Cross to Bear
1
Gregg Allman
Bound for Glory (Woody Guthrie)
Bound for Glory
2
Woody Guthrie
Rat Girl (Kristin Hersh)
Rat Girl
3
Kristin Hersh
Love, Janis (L Aura Joplin)
Love, Janis
4
L Aura Joplin
Coal Miner's Daughter (Loretta Lynn)
Coal Miner's Daughter
5
Loretta Lynn
Shakey: Neil Young's Biography (Jimmy Mcdonough)
Shakey: Neil Young's Biography
6
Jimmy Mcdonough
Reba: My Story (Reba McEntire)
Reba: My Story
7
Reba McEntire
It's a Long Story (Nelson)
It's a Long Story
8
Nelson
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering the Free Birds of Southern Rock (Gene Odom, Frank Dorman)
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering the Free Birds of Southern Rock
9
Gene Odom, Frank Dorman
Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir (Linda Ronstadt)
Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir
10
Linda Ronstadt
The 50th Law (50 Cent and Robert Greene)
The 50th Law
11
50 Cent and Robert Greene
Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm (Percy Carey, Ronald Wimberly)
Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm
12
Percy Carey, Ronald Wimberly
Fight the Power: Rap, Race, and Reality (Chuck D, Yusuf Jah)
Fight the Power: Rap, Race, and Reality
13
Chuck D, Yusuf Jah
The Way I Am ((Eminem))
The Way I Am
14
(Eminem)
Ice: A Memoir of the Gangster Life and Redemption- From South Central to Hollywood (Ice-T)
Ice: A Memoir of the Gangster Life and Redemption- From South Central to Hollywood
15
Ice-T
Unashamed (Lecrae)
Unashamed
16
Lecrae
The Tao of Wu (The RZA)
The Tao of Wu
17
The RZA
The Rose That Grew From Concrete (Tupac Shakur)
The Rose That Grew From Concrete
18
Tupac Shakur
How to Ruin Everything: Essays (George Watsky)
How to Ruin Everything: Essays
19
George Watsky
Gone 'Til November (Lil Wayne)
Gone 'Til November
20
Lil Wayne
The Good Life (Tony Bennett)
The Good Life
21
Tony Bennett
The Godfather of Soul: An Autobiography (James Brown)
The Godfather of Soul: An Autobiography
22
James Brown
Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker (Stanley Crouch)
Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker
23
Stanley Crouch
Miles: The Autobiography (Miles Davis With Quincy Troupe)
Miles: The Autobiography
24
Miles Davis With Quincy Troupe
Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters (Robert Gordon)
Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters
25
Robert Gordon
Blues All Around Me: The Autobiography of BB King (B.B. King)
Blues All Around Me: The Autobiography of BB King
26
B.B. King
John Coltrane (Lewis Porter)
John Coltrane
27
Lewis Porter
Jazz Cleopatra: Josephine Baker in Her Time (Phyllis Rose)
Jazz Cleopatra: Josephine Baker in Her Time
28
Phyllis Rose
Now and Then… (Gil Scott-Heron)
Now and Then…
29
Gil Scott-Heron
Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong (Terry Teachout)
Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong
30
Terry Teachout
Catch a Fire: The Autobiography (Melanie B.)
Catch a Fire: The Autobiography
31
Melanie B.
Black by Design: A 2-Tone Memoir (Pauline Black)
Black by Design: A 2-Tone Memoir
32
Pauline Black
Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of the Clash (Pat Gilbert)
Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of the Clash
33
Pat Gilbert
Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout (Laura Jane Grace)
Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout
34
Laura Jane Grace
If Only (Geri Halliwell)
If Only
35
Geri Halliwell
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities (Herbie Hancock, Lisa Dickey)
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
36
Herbie Hancock, Lisa Dickey
Reckless: My Life as a Pretender (Chrissie Hynde)
Reckless: My Life as a Pretender
37
Chrissie Hynde
Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs (John Lydon)
Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs
38
John Lydon
I'll Never Write My Memoirs (Jones)
I'll Never Write My Memoirs
39
Jones
A Natural Woman: A Memoir (Carole King)
A Natural Woman: A Memoir
40
Carole King
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