Before Motown

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Author :
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
ISBN 13 : 9780472067657
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (676 download)

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Book Synopsis Before Motown by : Lars Bjorn

Download or read book Before Motown written by Lars Bjorn and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of Detroit jazz comes alive with remarkable photographs, advertisements, and interviews

To Be Loved

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Author :
Publisher : Rosetta Books
ISBN 13 : 0795333706
Total Pages : 587 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (953 download)

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Book Synopsis To Be Loved by : Berry Gordy

Download or read book To Be Loved written by Berry Gordy and published by Rosetta Books. This book was released on 2013-12-12 with total page 587 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of Motown Records and how it changed the course of American music, as told by its founder—“an African American culture hero of historic stature” (The New York Times). Berry Gordy Jr., who once considered becoming a boxer, started a record company with a family loan of $800 in 1959. Gordy’s company, Motown Records, went on to create some of the most popular music of all time. By the time he sold the company nearly thirty years later, it was worth $61 million and had produced musical legends including Jackie Wilson, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5. Here, the revolutionary who shattered the color barrier in the American entertainment industry and forever changed the way the world hears music, shares his story of ambition and vision. From humble beginnings, Gordy amassed a fortune and became a musical kingmaker in the cultural heydays of the 1960s and ’70s. Quelling rumors and detailing his relationships with the artists he managed, Gordy pens “a vivid recreation of a great period and a seminal company in popular music” (Kirkus Reviews).

Motown

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Author :
Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 0307538621
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (75 download)

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Book Synopsis Motown by : Gerald Posner

Download or read book Motown written by Gerald Posner and published by Random House. This book was released on 2009-04-02 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1959, twenty-nine-year-old Berry Gordy, who had already given up on his dream to be a champion boxer, borrowed eight hundred dollars from his family and started a record company. A run-down bungalow sandwiched between a funeral home and a beauty shop in a poor Detroit neighborhood served as his headquarters. The building’s entrance was adorned with a large sign that improbably boasted “Hitsville U.S.A.” The kitchen served as the control room, the garage became the two-track studio, the living room was reserved for bookkeeping, and sales were handled in the dining room. Soon word spread that any youngster with a streak of talent should visit the only record label that Detroit had seen in years. The company’s name was Motown. Motown cuts through decades of unsubstantiated rumors and speculation to tell the true behind-the-scenes narrative of America’s most exciting musical dynasty. It follows the company and its amazing roster of stars from the tumultuous growth years in Detroit, to the drama and intrigue of Hollywood in the 1970s, to resurgence in 2002. Set against the civil rights movement, the decay of America’s northern industrial cities, and the social upheaval of the 1960s, Motown is a tale of the incredible entrepreneurship of Berry Gordy. But it also features the moving stories of kids from Detroit’s inner-city projects who achieved remarkable success and then, in many cases, found themselves fighting the demons that so often come with stardom—drugs, jealousy, sexual indulgence, greed, and uncontrollable ambition. Motown features an extraordinary cast of characters, including Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder. They are presented as they lived and worked: a clan of friends, lovers, competitors, and sometimes vicious foes. Motown reveals how the hopes and dreams of each affected the lives of the others and illustrates why this singular story is a made-in-America Greek tragedy, the rise and fall of a supremely talented yet completely dysfunctional extended family. Based on numerous original interviews and extensive documentation, Motown benefits particularly from the thousands of pages of files crammed into the basement of downtown Detroit’s Wayne County Courthouse. Those court records provide the unofficial—and hitherto largely untold—history of Motown and its stars, since almost every relationship between departing singers, songwriters, producers, and the label ended up in litigation. From its peaks in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Motown controlled the pop charts and its stars were sought after even by the Beatles, through the inexorable slide caused by their failure to handle their stardom, Motown is a riveting and troubling look inside a music label that provided the unofficial soundtrack to an entire generation.

Motown

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Author :
Publisher : National Geographic Books
ISBN 13 : 0500294852
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Motown by : Adam White

Download or read book Motown written by Adam White and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2019-01-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in paperback, the definitive visual history of Motown, the Detroit-based record company that became a music powerhouse. The music of Motown defined an era. From the Jackson 5 and Diana Ross to Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy and his right-hand man, Barney Ales, built the most successful independent record label in the world. Not only did Motown represent the most iconic recording artists of its time and produce countless global hits—it created a cultural institution that redefined pop and gave us the vision of a new America: vibrant, innovative, and racially equal. This new paperback edition of the first official visual history of the label includes a dazzling array of images, and unprecedented access to the archives of the makers and stars of Motown. Extensive specially commissioned photography of treasures extracted from the Motown archives, as well as the personal collections of Barney Ales and Motown stars, lends new insight into the lives of the legends. Motown also draws on interviews with key players from the label’s colorful history, including Motown founder Berry Gordy; Barney Ales; Smokey Robinson; Mary Wilson, founding member of the Supremes; and many more.

The Story of Motown

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Author :
Publisher : Grove Press
ISBN 13 : 9780802142856
Total Pages : 356 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (428 download)

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Book Synopsis The Story of Motown by : Peter Benjaminson

Download or read book The Story of Motown written by Peter Benjaminson and published by Grove Press. This book was released on 1979 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Motown was part of growing up in the 1960's and 70's. An amazing number of well-known stars worked for Motown: Diana Ross and the Supremes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Jr Walker and the All Stars, Mary Wells, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Edwin Starr, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Lamont Dozier, Shorty Long, the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Fifth dimension, the Marvelettes, the Contours, the Isley Brothers, the Spinners, the Originals, the Jackson Five, the Commodores, Rare Earth, Rick James, and many others. Most were Motown stars. Many started and ended with Motown. Motown is important for other reasons. A black company, Motown made black music popular among Americans of all ages.

Before the Fires

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Author :
Publisher : Fordham Univ Press
ISBN 13 : 0823273547
Total Pages : 195 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (232 download)

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Book Synopsis Before the Fires by : Mark Naison

Download or read book Before the Fires written by Mark Naison and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2016-09-01 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Residents of the South Bronx during its promising postwar decades tell their stories in their own words. In the 1930s, word spread in Harlem that there were spacious apartments for rent in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. Landlords, desperate to avoid foreclosure, began putting signs in windows and placing ads in New York’s black newspapers that said “We rent to select colored families”—by which they meant those with a securely employed wage earner and light complexions. Black families moved in by the score, beginning a period in which the Bronx served as a borough of hope and upward mobility. Chronicling a time when African Americans were suspended between the best and worst possibilities of New York City, Before the Fires tells the personal stories of men and women who lived in the South Bronx before the social and economic decline of the late 1960s. Located on a hill overlooking a large industrial district, Morrisania offered migrants from Harlem, the South, and the Caribbean an opportunity to raise children in a neighborhood with better schools, strong churches, more shopping, less crime, and clean air. It also boasted vibrant music venues, giving rise to such titans as Herbie Hancock, Eddie Palmieri, Valerie Simpson, the Chantels, and Jimmy Owens. Rich in detail, these interviews describe growing up and living in communities rarely mentioned in other histories. Before the Fires captures the optimism of the period—as well as the heartache of what was lost in the urban crisis and the burning of the Bronx. “Excellent . . . profound, moving.” —Robert W. Snyder, Rutgers University, Newark

Motown Encyclopedia

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Author :
Publisher : AC Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1311441549
Total Pages : 811 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (114 download)

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Book Synopsis Motown Encyclopedia by : Graham Betts

Download or read book Motown Encyclopedia written by Graham Betts and published by AC Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-02 with total page 811 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Motown means different things to different people. The mere mention of perhaps the most iconic record label in history is often enough to invoke memories and mental images of Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, The Supremes and numerous others. With each group recalled, there is an accompanying piece of music of the mind, from Baby Love, My Girl, Signed Sealed Delivered, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, ABC and Tears Of A Clown and countless more. Quite often, you can ask people what kind of music they like and they will simply answer ‘Motown’, and both they, and you, know exactly what is meant. Or rather, what is implied. The Motown they are invariably thinking of is the label that dominated the charts in the mid 1960s with a succession of radio friendly, dance orientated hits, most of which were written and produced by the trio of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. This period is referred to, naturally enough, as the Golden Era, when Motown was not only the dominant force in its home city of Detroit but carried The Sound of Young America all around the world. The kind of music that had them Dancing In the Street from Los Angeles to London, Miami to Munich and San Francisco to Sydney. It was the kind of music that attracted scores of imitators; some good, some not so good. The kind of music that appealed to the public and presidents alike, and still does. It was that Motown that this book was intended to be about. However, when you start digging deeper into the Motown story, you realise that throughout its life (which, for the purposes of this book, is its formation in 1959 through to its sale in 1988) it was constantly trying other musical genres, looking to grab hits out of jazz, country, pop, rock, middle of the road and whatever else might be happening at the time. Of course it wasn’t particularly successful at some of the other genres, although those who claim Motown never did much in the rock market conveniently overlook the healthy sales figures achieved by Rare Earth, the group, and focus instead on the total sales achieved on Rare Earth, the label. This book, therefore, contains biographies of all 684 artists who had releases on Motown and their various imprints, as well as biographies of 16 musicians, 23 producers, 19 writers and 13 executives. There are also details of the 50 or so labels that Motown owned, licensed to or licensed from. All nine films and the 17 soundtracks are also featured. Every Motown single and album and EP that made the Top Ten of the pop charts in either the US or UK also have their own entries, with 222 singles, 84 albums and five EPs being featured. Finally, there are 36 other entries, covering such topics as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Motortown Revues, Grammy Awards and the most played Motown songs on radio. The 1,178 entries cover every aspect of Motown and more – of the link between Granny in The Beverly Hillbillies and Wonder Woman, of the artists from Abbey Tavern Singers to Zulema, and the hits from ABC to You Really Got A Hold On Me. The Motown Encyclopedia is the story of Motown Records; Yesterday, Today, Forever.

Motown: The Golden Years

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1440225575
Total Pages : 616 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (42 download)

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Book Synopsis Motown: The Golden Years by : Bill Dahl

Download or read book Motown: The Golden Years written by Bill Dahl and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-02-28 with total page 616 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the book for lovers of Motown! Author and Motown historian Bill Dahl has expertly compiled this comprehensive guide to the musical combination of pop and gospel, known as Motown. This new compilation features an A-to-Z listing and biography of nearly every Motown group since its beginning in 1959. Also included are never-before-published photos from former Motown promotions guru Weldon A. McDougal III. Enthusiasts will now have a chance to own a complete encyclopedia of groups and artists, along with information about their music, including a discography and price guide. • 32-page color section containing many never-before-published photos • Complete encyclopedia of groups, artists, plus discography and price guide for all Motown acts

The Other Side of Motown

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Author :
Publisher : iUniverse
ISBN 13 : 1532073267
Total Pages : 175 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (32 download)

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Book Synopsis The Other Side of Motown by : Audrey Thorpe

Download or read book The Other Side of Motown written by Audrey Thorpe and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2019-05-01 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1960s, Motown Record Corporation, located in Detroit, Michigan, was in its heyday, churning out number one hit records in rapid succession. Maria Arlington was just nineteen years of age when she began working for Motown as an assistant to a talent manager. She was surrounded by a sea of famous singers, songwriters, producers, and musicians. A handsome young trumpeter captivated her heart and became unforgettable in her life. When Berry Gordy Jr. moved Motown from Detroit to Los Angeles in 1972, Maria was anxious to discover “the other side of Motown” after the company had relocated. She also wished to renew her friendship with her musician friend. After many years have passed, Maria and her musician friend meet again, and Maria is willing to travel to Los Angeles to renew their friendship, even though she’s now a married woman and someone is secretively plotting to destroy her marriage.

Jazz from Detroit

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Publisher : University of Michigan Press
ISBN 13 : 0472074261
Total Pages : 359 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (72 download)

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Book Synopsis Jazz from Detroit by : Mark Stryker

Download or read book Jazz from Detroit written by Mark Stryker and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2019-07-08 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jazz from Detroit explores the city’s pivotal role in shaping the course of modern and contemporary jazz. With more than two dozen in-depth profiles of remarkable Detroit-bred musicians, complemented by a generous selection of photographs, Mark Stryker makes Detroit jazz come alive as he draws out significant connections between the players, eras, styles, and Detroit’s distinctive history. Stryker’s story starts in the 1940s and ’50s, when the auto industry created a thriving black working and middle class in Detroit that supported a vibrant nightlife, and exceptional public school music programs and mentors in the community like pianist Barry Harris transformed the city into a jazz juggernaut. This golden age nurtured many legendary musicians—Hank, Thad, and Elvin Jones, Gerald Wilson, Milt Jackson, Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson, and others. As the city’s fortunes change, Stryker turns his spotlight toward often overlooked but prescient musician-run cooperatives and self-determination groups of the 1960s and ’70s, such as the Strata Corporation and Tribe. In more recent decades, the city’s culture of mentorship, embodied by trumpeter and teacher Marcus Belgrave, ensured that Detroit continued to incubate world-class talent; Belgrave protégés like Geri Allen, Kenny Garrett, Robert Hurst, Regina Carter, Gerald Cleaver, and Karriem Riggins helped define contemporary jazz. The resilience of Detroit’s jazz tradition provides a powerful symbol of the city’s lasting cultural influence. Stryker’s 21 years as an arts reporter and critic at the Detroit Free Press are evident in his vivid storytelling and insightful criticism. Jazz from Detroit will appeal to jazz aficionados, casual fans, and anyone interested in the vibrant and complex history of cultural life in Detroit.

50 Events That Shaped African American History [2 volumes]

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 667 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis 50 Events That Shaped African American History [2 volumes] by : Jamie J. Wilson

Download or read book 50 Events That Shaped African American History [2 volumes] written by Jamie J. Wilson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2019-09-19 with total page 667 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This two-volume work celebrates 50 notable achievements of African Americans, highlighting black contributions to U.S. history and examining the ways black accomplishments shaped American culture. This two-volume encyclopedia offers a unique look at the African American experience, from the arrival of the first 20 Africans at Jamestown through the launch of the Black Lives Matter movement and the Ferguson Protests. It illustrates subjects such as the Jim Crow period, the Brown v. Board of Education case that overturned segregation, Jackie Robinson's landmark integration of major league baseball, and the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. Drawing from almost 400 years of U.S. history, the work documents the experiences and impact of black people on every aspect of American life. Presented chronologically, the selected events each include at least one primary source to provide the reader with a first-person perspective. These range from excerpts of speeches given by famous African American figures, to programs from the March on Washington. The remarkable stories collected here bear witness to the strength of a group of people who chose to survive and found ways to work collectively to force America to live up to the promise of its founding.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown

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Author :
Publisher : Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN 13 : 9780881888829
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (888 download)

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Book Synopsis Standing in the Shadows of Motown by : James Jamerson

Download or read book Standing in the Shadows of Motown written by James Jamerson and published by Hal Leonard Corporation. This book was released on 1989 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: (Guitar Book). Bassist James Jamerson was the embodiment of the Motown spirit and groove the invisible entity whose playing inspired thousands. His tumultuous life and musical brilliance are explored in depth through hundreds of interviews, 49 transcribed musical scores, two hours of recorded all-star performances, and more than 50 rarely seen photos in this stellar tribute to behind-the-scenes Motown. Features a 120-minute CD! Allan Slutsky's 2002 documentary of the same name is the winner of the New York Film Critics "Best Documentary of the Year" award!

Issues in African American Music

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Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1315472082
Total Pages : 433 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (154 download)

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Book Synopsis Issues in African American Music by : Portia Maultsby

Download or read book Issues in African American Music written by Portia Maultsby and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2016-10-26 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Issues in African American Music: Power, Gender, Race, Representation is a collection of twenty-one essays by leading scholars, surveying vital themes in the history of African American music. Bringing together the viewpoints of ethnomusicologists, historians, and performers, these essays cover topics including the music industry, women and gender, and music as resistance, and explore the stories of music creators and their communities. Revised and expanded to reflect the latest scholarship, with six all-new essays, this book both complements the previously published volume African American Music: An Introduction and stands on its own. Each chapter features a discography of recommended listening for further study. From the antebellum period to the present, and from classical music to hip hop, this wide-ranging volume provides a nuanced introduction for students and anyone seeking to understand the history, social context, and cultural impact of African American music.

The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 0679737286
Total Pages : 722 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (797 download)

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Book Synopsis The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll by : Anthony ed DeCurtis

Download or read book The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll written by Anthony ed DeCurtis and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 722 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discusses the evolution of rock music from its earliest origins to today's most influential musical styles and performers

The Rock History Reader

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136201017
Total Pages : 418 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (362 download)

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Book Synopsis The Rock History Reader by : Theo Cateforis

Download or read book The Rock History Reader written by Theo Cateforis and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-11-27 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Rock History Reader is an eclectic compilation of readings that tells the history of rock as it has been received and explained as a social and musical practice throughout its six decade history. The readings range from the vivid autobiographical accounts of such rock icons as Ronnie Spector and David Lee Roth to the writings of noted rock critics like Lester Bangs and Chuck Klosterman. It also includes a variety of selections from media critics, musicologists, fanzine writers, legal experts, sociologists and prominent political figures. Many entries also deal specifically with distinctive styles such as Motown, punk, disco, grunge, rap and indie rock. Each entry includes headnotes, which place it in its historical context. This second edition includes new readings on the early years of rhythm & blues and rock ‘n’ roll, as well as entries on payola, mods, the rise of FM rock, progressive rock and the PMRC congressional hearings. In addition, there is a wealth of new material on the 2000s that explores such relatively recent developments as emo, mash ups, the explosion of internet culture and new media, and iconic figures like Radiohead and Lady Gaga. With numerous readings that delve into the often explosive issues surrounding censorship, copyright, race relations, feminism, youth subcultures, and the meaning of musical value, The Rock History Reader continues to appeal to scholars and students from a variety of disciplines.

MICHAEL JACKSON:

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Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0446565687
Total Pages : 784 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (465 download)

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Book Synopsis MICHAEL JACKSON: by : J. Randy Taraborrelli

Download or read book MICHAEL JACKSON: written by J. Randy Taraborrelli and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2009-07-15 with total page 784 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This major biography includes the behind-the-scenes story to many of the landmarks in Jackson's life: his legal and commercial battles, his marriages to Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe, his passions and addictions, his children; objective and revealing, it carries the hallmarks of all of Taraborrelli's best-sellers: impeccable research, brilliant storytelling and definitive documentation. So much has how been said and written about the life and career of Michael Jackson that it has become almost impossible to disentangle the man from the myth. This book is the fruit of over 30 years of research and hundreds of exclusive interviews with a remarkable level of access to the very closest circles of the Jackson family - including Michael himself. Cutting through tabloid rumours, J. Randy Taraborrelli traces the real story behind Michael Jackson, from his drilling as a child star through the blooming of his talent to his ever-changing personal appearance and bizarre publicity stunts.

Dancing in the Street

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Author :
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674043839
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis Dancing in the Street by : Suzanne E. Smith

Download or read book Dancing in the Street written by Suzanne E. Smith and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2001-05-02 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Detroit in the 1960s was a city with a pulse: people were marching in step with Martin Luther King, Jr., dancing in the street with Martha and the Vandellas, and facing off with city police. Through it all, Motown provided the beat. This book tells the story of Motown--as both musical style and entrepreneurial phenomenon--and of its intrinsic relationship to the politics and culture of Motor Town, USA. As Suzanne Smith traces the evolution of Motown from a small record company firmly rooted in Detroit's black community to an international music industry giant, she gives us a clear look at cultural politics at the grassroots level. Here we see Motown's music not as the mere soundtrack for its historical moment but as an active agent in the politics of the time. In this story, Motown Records had a distinct role to play in the city's black community as that community articulated and promoted its own social, cultural, and political agendas. Smith shows how these local agendas, which reflected the unique concerns of African Americans living in the urban North, both responded to and reconfigured the national civil rights campaign. Against a background of events on the national scene--featuring Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Nat King Cole, and Malcolm X--Dancing in the Street presents a vivid picture of the civil rights movement in Detroit, with Motown at its heart. This is a lively and vital history. It's peopled with a host of major and minor figures in black politics, culture, and the arts, and full of the passions of a momentous era. It offers a critical new perspective on the role of popular culture in the process of political change.