Most Popular Books by David Ritz

The rock musician discusses growing up in an abusive household, the formation of his original successful band, his struggles with addiction to drugs and alcohol, and his spiritual rehabilitation and recommitment to Christianity.

My friend Oprah Winfrey, on her TV show, has called me "the funniest man on the planet." That was kind of embarrassing--but if Oprah wants to think I''m funny, who am I to argue? My mother says I''m brilliant. Well, I am her son, so she might not be objective--but since she knows me better than anyone, it must be true. Don''t ask me. All I can say for sure is that I''m a 6''5" black comedian with red hair and a high butt who has walked a mile in every man''s shoes. What I mean is, I''ve lived large and fallen hard--lost every job I''ve ever had, messed up everybody I''ve ever dated, been kicked out of every institution I''ve ever been in, including marriage--and I''ve survived. That''s how I know everything. Why, you could steal five or six books and not find as much help as I will give you. Don''t act like you don''t need my help. I know your life is jacked up--hanging around the bookstore, all by yourself. It''s sad. You''re probably one of those lookey-loos too, browsing the book for free, should I buy it, should I not? Hasn''t indecision ruled your life long enough? Take a stand and buy it. But do me a favor: Until I''ve had the chance to get your life in order, please pay cash. I''d hate to have to call the repo man on you.

Albertina Merci, a talented R&B singer, toured with Ray Charles, James Brown, and Wilson Pickett—until the fateful night her voice gave out in front of a sold-out crowd. Encouraged by her fans, she offered a little speech in praise of Jesus instead of a song. Her spontaneous words became the seed of “Sanctified Blues,” a song that soon captured the hearts of millions and gave Albertina the financial security to follow her true calling as an evangelist—sharing the Gospel with those in need of spiritual comfort. Sanctified Blues is the story of Albertina’s encounter with Maggie Clay, the biracial beauty who is TV’s reigning diva. A sudden mystery surrounding Maggie has the entire country wondering: Is Maggie having a nervous breakdown, and if so, why? What caused it? And who can save the star from self-destruction? Sanctified Blues kicks off a series about a former R&B singer turned full-time minister who’s full of spice and advice. When the Lord works in mysterious ways, it’s up to Pastor Albertina Merci to find out why…

Paul Shaffer—born and bred music junkie and longtime leader of David Letterman’s Late Show band—opens up in this candid, endearing, hilarious, and star-studded memoir. From playing seedy strip joints in Toronto, to being the first musical director of Saturday Night Live and helping to form the Blues Brothers, to being onstage every night with David Letterman and playing with the greatest musicians of our time, Shaffer has lived the ultimate showbiz life. Now—dishing on everyone from John Belushi and Jerry Lewis to Mel Gibson and Britney Spears—Paul gives us the full behind-the-scenes story of his life, from banging out pop tunes on the piano at the age of twelve to leading the band every night at the Sullivan Theater.

Albertina Merci is back in this delightful second book featuring everyone’s favorite blues singer turned evangelist! After Albertina’s dear friend Mr. Mario, the owner of Mr. Mario’s Downhome Café, has a heart attack and then loses his wife to diabetes, he decides that his lifetime love of soul food is over for good. Mr. Mario vows to go healthy, both personally and professionally, and tries to get Albertina on board, but it quickly becomes clear that he may be looking for more than pastoral support. And while he is undeniably romantic, Mr. Mario believes in the power of man…not God. The only heat isn’t in the kitchen, though. Clifford Bloom, a white DJ who has been a fan of Albertina’s since her days as a blues singer, is now a member of her church and he always seems to be there just when Albertina needs him. Could this blossoming friendship be leading somewhere romantic? Caught between two very different men, Pastor Merci also has to battle to save her little church in the heart of Los Angeles as mega-church pastor Bishop Gold wants not only the land where her church sits, but her nephew Patrick’s loyalty, as well.

With an undefeated 100 boxing record, Laila Ali can definitely hold her own in the ring. She has received a firestorm of media coverage, and her recent bout with Jacqui Frazier was the most highly publicized female boxing fight ever. Now, she offers her formula for physical, emotional, and mental power in a motivational memoir that delivers 15 rounds of straight-talking, hard-hitting advice. She reveals how she overcame child abuse, weight issues, isolation, and overall bad behavior by tenaciously developing a talent that she enjoyedprofessional boxing. She demonstrates how to sidestep feelings of self-pity and defeatism and achieve success in all arenas: diet, family, personal relationships, physical training, and more. Combining spiritual inspiration with practical guidance, Laila Alis program will show readers of all ages and backgrounds how to transform the demons of self-doubt into positive, winning energy.

Atlantic Records partner and producer, Wexler presided over the evolution of the modern music business and made prodigious contributions through to our cultural history. Wexler has worked with the entire range of American genius: Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and others. 75 photographs.

Joe Perry exposes his unrepentant, unbridled life as the lead guitarist of Aerosmith. He delves deep into his volatile, profound, and enduring relationship with singer Steve Tyler and reveals the real people behind the larger-than-life rock-gods on stage. The nearly five-decade saga of Aerosmith is epic, at once a study in brotherhood and solitude that plays out on the killing fields of rock and roll. With record-making hits and colossal album sales, Aerosmith has earned their place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But theirs is ultimately a story of endurance, and it starts almost half a century ago with young Perry, the rebel whose loving parents wanted him to assimilate, but who quits school because he doesn''t want to cut his hair. He meets Tyler in a restaurant in New Hampshire, sways him from pop music to rock-and-roll, and it doesn''t take long for the "Toxic Twins" to skyrocket into a world of fame and utter excess. From the mega-successful song and music video with Run DMC, "Walk This Way," to the realization that he can''t pay his room service bill, Perry takes a personal look into the human stories behind Aerosmith, the people who enabled them, the ones who controlled them, and the ones who changed them.

From Miami Beach to Hollywood, from Las Vegas to Rome, from Wall Street to the mean streets of Detroit and Chicago, Family Blood is about the underside of the big-money music scene as three tempestuous generations of an American family struggle to control the nation''s hottest performers and their acts.

Three generations of passionate and driven women struggle to achieve show business fame, personal fortune and romantic love satisfaction.

Perhaps the finest soul singer of the rock era-but equally at home singing blues and jazz—Etta James is one of the great women of American music. In Rage to Survive she tells her mesmerizing tale in her uniquely big, bold, and unrepentant voice. Without a trace of self-pity she describes her chaotic world of early R&B, depicts legends like Sam Cooke and Little Richard, details her dependency on drugs and bad men, and unsparingly recounts the golden age of soul, when her “Tell Mama” topped the charts. Rage to Survive is a funky, ribald tale told with unparalleled sass.

Ray Charles has led one of the most extraordinary lives of any popular musician. Overcoming poverty, blindness, the loss of his parents, and the prevailing racism of the time, by the age of thirty-two Ray Charles was acclaimed worldwide as a genius. By combining the influences of gospel, jazz, blues, and even country music, he invented, almost single-handed, what became known as soul. And over a career spanning close to fifty years, Ray Charles has remained in complete control over his life and music, allowing nobody to tell him what to do. Brother Ray was first published to great critical acclaim in 1978, and has since attained the status of a classic. In an inimitable and unsparing voice, Ray Charles here tells his whole story, from the details of his sex life and drug use to the chronicle of his musical development. Supplemented with a new epilogue updating his story to the present day, and including a complete discography, Brother Ray is as engaging, frank, funny, and soulful as Ray Charles''s enduring music.

America''s Queen of Soul recounts the story of her life, from her childhood as a minister''s daughter in Detroit to her rise to success, offering insights into the faith and determination that have taken her to the top.

This is the unvarnished, complete story of Willie Nelson''s life, told in his distinct voice and leaving no moment or experience unturned, from Texas and Nashville to Hawaii and his legendary bus. Having recently turned 80, Nelson is ready to shine on a light on all aspects of his life, including his drive to write music, the women in his life, his collaborations, and his biggest lows and highs-from his bankruptcy to the founding of Farm Aid. An American icon who still tours the country and headlines music festivals, Willie Nelson and his music have found their way into the hearts and minds of fans the world over, winning ten Grammys and receiving the Kennedy Center Honors. Now it''s time to hear the last word about his life-from the man himself.

Come fa un ragazzino nero cresciuto a piedi scalzi in un paesello della Florida negli anni Trenta a trasformarsi in un fenomeno musicale planetario? Come fa un cieco a farsi strada fino all''Olimpo delle star lasciandosi guidare, invece che da un cane e da un bastone, solo dal suo amore per la musica? Questa è la storia audace, appassionante e quasi miracolosa di Ray Charles, raccontata dal suo stesso protagonista con un candore e un entusiasmo rari. Dalle prime lezioni di piano nel retrobottega di un emporio ai tour nelle selvagge dance hall di provincia, fino agli studi delle grandi case discografiche e alle arene di mezzo mondo, Ray ripercorre le tappe di una vita avventurosa e determinata e di una carriera lunghissima, e insieme la storia della musica e della società americane (senza tacere nulla delle sue esperienze con il sesso e la droga, delle sue convinzioni politiche e dei suoi dilemmi religiosi). A chiudere questa imperdibile autobiografia, aggiornata fino agli ultimi giorni di vita dell''autore, c''è un''utile discografia completa e commentata.

Beautifully designed and featuring stunning photographs, this moving book will appeal to Christians of all denominations and colors who seek a deeper understanding of the meaning and the glories of their faith. This is a tribute to the people who awakened the author''s personal faith.

A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD SELECTION! From fourteen-year-old author Brayden Harrington, the young boy who electrified the nation when he spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2020, comes a fictional middle grade contemporary story about a boy named Jayson who stutters and the challenges he faces and the obstacles he must overcome as he campaigns for student-body president. Eighth grader Jayson Linden has had a stutter his whole life. Though his fellow classmates can sometimes be mean, Jayson tries not to let it get to him; he enjoys playing basketball and spending time with his friends. Then Jayson’s best friend, Gloria, is kicked off the debate team because of her stutter and Jayson starts to notice other injustices happening at their school. In order to make their middle school a more inclusive place and to stand up for his friends, Jayson decides to run against Mack, the most popular boy at school and captain of the basketball team, for student-body president. But as the campaign heats up, will Jayson be able to face his fears of public speaking and win the election? This poignant middle grade debut reminds us all that nothing can hold us back when we’re standing up for what’s right.

Three decades ago, Smokey Robinson burst onto the music scene. And in this candid and powerful autobiography, Smokey reveals the fabulous highs and lows of his musical career. . . . As easy to read as a Smokey Robinson song is to hear --Booklist.

O LIVRO DE MEMÓRIAS CHOCANTE E HONESTO DO MÚSICO QUE LIDEROU O STONE TEMPLE PILOTS E O VELVET REVOLVER, INCLUINDO IMAGENS DO SEU ARQUIVO PESSOAL. No início da década de 1990, Stone Temple Pilots - não o U2, nem o Nirvana, nem o Pearl Jam - era a banda mais quente do mundo. O STP derrubou megabandas como Aerosmith e Guns N'' Roses na MTV e nas paradas da Billboard, e o vocalista Scott Weiland tornou-se um frontman convincentemente carismático na tradição de Mick Jagger, David Bowie e Robert Plant. Depois, quando o STP implodiu, foi Weiland quem emergiu como o rótulo dos excessos das estrelas do rock, com as suas bem divulgadas apreensões de drogas e idas à reabilitação. Escrito apenas alguns anos antes de sua trágica morte, este livro de memórias cru e revelador investiga essas experiências e muito mais - seus primeiros anos como coroinha, seu desejo por seu pai após o divórcio de seus pais, seu complexo relacionamento com o amor de sua vida, Mary Forsberg Weiland, seus traumas e tristezas. Os leitores também aprendem as histórias fascinantes por trás de suas canções mais conhecidas e como era estar lá no início do fenômeno grunge. Não estou morto nem à venda é um livro de memórias apaixonado, perspicaz e às vezes bem-humorado que pode ser lido com extraordinária força narrativa. Desde a infância, passando pela descoberta da música e pelos primeiros acordes do grunge, até o ápice da fama e as consequências do vício, Weiland narra com honestidade brutal sua jornada. Descubra os bastidores de hits como "Plush", "Interstate Love Song" e "Vasoline", além das histórias de amor e as perdas que marcaram sua vida. O livro tem a potência de um talento inegável que o impulsionou a criar obras-primas atemporais. Um relato emocionante e revelador sobre a vida, a música e a luta de um artista que deixou sua marca na história do rock.

A OBRA MAIS IMPORTANTE DE TODAS SOBRE A TUMULTUADA VIDA DA RAINHA DO GOSPEL E DO SOUL. "A biografia monumental que todos nós esperávamos. Sim, este é ''O Livro''." — Joel Selvin, crítico musical do San Francisco Chronicle "O retrato mais honesto e genuíno da verdadeira diva." — Kirkus Reviews Aretha Franklin começou a vida como a filha de ouro de um pregador batista progressista – e promíscuo. Criada sem a mãe, ela foi um prodígio do gospel que deu à luz dois filhos na adolescência e os deixou em sua cidade natal, Detroit, para tentar a vida em Nova York, onde lutou para encontrar sua verdadeira voz. Em 1967,um produtor judeu branco insistiu que ela voltasse às suas raízes gospel, que a fama e a fortuna finalmente vieram por meio de "Respect" e uma série rápida de sucessos. Ela continuou a evoluir por décadas, em meio a tragédias pessoais, apresentações surpresa no Grammy e reinvenções de carreira. De novo e de novo, Aretha teimosamente encontrou uma maneira de triunfar sobre os problemas, mesmo enquanto eles continuavam a crescer. Seu domínio da coroa foi tenaz e, em Respect, David Ritz nos dá a vida definitiva de um dos maiores talentos de toda a cultura americana.

Primera y única biografía traducida al español de la reina del soul: Aretha Franklin. Con testimonios de todos los que convivieron y trabajaron con ella, familiares y artistas. La biografía definitiva de una de las más excelsas y atormentadas voces de la música sacra y popular de la cultura estadounidense. First and only biography translated into Spanish of the queen of soul: Aretha Franklin. It includes testimonies from all those who lived and worked with her, family members, and artists. The definitive biography of one of the most lofty and tormented voices of sacred and popular music in American culture.

At once an intimate biography, and the poignant story of a man whose voice will live forever, the life story of Jimmy Scott (b. 1925), one of the most influential singers in jazz whose ethereal voice and uncanny phrasing have inspired performers for generations, is told for the first time. Photos.

The determination of two childhood sweethearts, Gabriella Lotta and Marco Pucenza, to become a successful screenwriter and actor, respectively, threatens to destroy their relationship

A OBRA MAIS IMPORTANTE DE TODAS SOBRE A TUMULTUADA VIDA DA RAINHA DO GOSPEL E DO SOUL. "A biografia monumental que todos nós esperávamos. Sim, este é ''O Livro''." — Joel Selvin, crítico musical do San Francisco Chronicle "O retrato mais honesto e genuíno da verdadeira diva." — Kirkus Reviews Esta edição acompanha brindes especiais: 1 ecobag no tamanho de 24x30cm 1 adesivo Respect 1 marcador de páginas Respect Aretha Franklin começou a vida como a filha de ouro de um pregador batista progressista – e promíscuo. Criada sem a mãe, ela foi um prodígio do gospel que deu à luz dois filhos na adolescência e os deixou em sua cidade natal, Detroit, para tentar a vida em Nova York, onde lutou para encontrar sua verdadeira voz. Em 1967,um produtor judeu branco insistiu que ela voltasse às suas raízes gospel, que a fama e a fortuna finalmente vieram por meio de "Respect" e uma série rápida de sucessos. Ela continuou a evoluir por décadas, em meio a tragédias pessoais, apresentações surpresa no Grammy e reinvenções de carreira. De novo e de novo, Aretha teimosamente encontrou uma maneira de triunfar sobre os problemas, mesmo enquanto eles continuavam a crescer. Seu domínio da coroa foi tenaz e, em Respect, David Ritz nos dá a vida definitiva de um dos maiores talentos de toda a cultura americana.