LUKE CRAMPTON

Imagine One quarter of the world's most famous group, one half of the most successful songwriting team of all time and one voice for world peace - all achieved in one tragically shortened career. John Lennon's remarkable talent and uncompromising character gave him a unique and extraordinary life, achieving a level of success and public adoration that few can imagine. Never far in his mind from his working class roots, his lifestyle was conversely rich and free, his celebrity affording him a musical and political soapbox few have attained. Music Icons: Lennon takes a look at both his personal and professional life before, during and after the Beatles: the progression of his creative genius as a solo artist and songwriter, his battles with the US government, his devotion to his wife and their mutual goal for a peaceful revolution. Having become a controversial and outspoken idealist and a mercurial music legend, Lennon's senseless murder in 1980 shook the world. While his widow has continued to keep his cause and ideals alive, it is Lennon's music - both as a Beatle and as an iconic solo artist - which continues to inspire and move music lovers around the globe. The Music Icons series: Each title contains a painstaking selection of approximately 150 portraits, colorful posters and record covers, rare concert photos, and previously unpublished candid photos. These imageseach matching an important biographical eventare accompanied by text tracing the progression of each subjects life and career and are complemented by a section containing lists of essential recordings and selected chart rankings. About the Series: More bang for your buck! "... a fast-food, high-energy fix on the topic at hand." The New York Times Book Review About the editor and author: Luke Crampton and Dafydd Rees both work in London's music business before co-founding the Media Research & Information Bureau (MRIB) in 1981. In addition to writing over 20 music and media-related books, they are voting members for the Grammy Awards, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The duo has also created and produced numerous successful UK and US radio and television series, including the Network Ch

Have You Ever Been Experienced? Raised on the blues, James Marshall Hendrix exploded onto the international stage in 1967 fronting the Jimi Hendrix Experience trio. The world had seen nothing like him before: a wild-haired, blues-rocking, singer-songwriter whose virtuoso psychedelic guitar style and showmanship captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Wowing fans and critics alike, Hendrix took blues-rock as the basis for a unique sound filled with amplified distortions, wild feedback and liquid solo riffs. His live performances became legendary, hallmarked with teeth-playing antics and guitar-burning rituals, while his personal life followed an equally fascinating and destructive path. Dead at just 27, Hendrix became the poster boy for the psychedelic era's sex, drugs and rock'n'roll lifestyle. Transforming the landscape of rock music forever, the seminal recordings from his four studio albums broke new ground and his unrivaled southpaw fret-work has influenced successive generations of musicians. Hendrix's music and legacy burn as brightly today as they did 40 years ago. The Music Icons series: Each title contains a painstaking selection of approximately 150 portraits, colorful posters and record covers, rare concert photos, and previously unpublished candid photos. These imageseach matching an important biographical eventare accompanied by text tracing the progression of each subjects life and career and are complemented by a section containing lists of essential recordings and selected chart rankings. About the Series: More bang for your buck! "... a fast-food, high-energy fix on the topic at hand." The New York Times Book Review About the editor and author: Luke Crampton and Dafydd Rees both work in London's music business before co-founding the Media Research & Information Bureau (MRIB) in 1981. In addition to writing over 20 music and media-related books, they are voting members for the Grammy Awards, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The duo has also created and produced numerous successful UK and US radio and television series, including the Network Chart show and CNN Internationals World Beat&

Man in the mirror The greatest entertainer of all time Arguably the greatest all-round entertainer of his era, Michael Jackson embodied the paradox of extreme fame: a uniquely gifted singer, dancer and songwriter, his extraordinary talents were matched only by the loneliness, eccentricity and ego-mania of his isolated position atop popular culture. This book charts the rise and demise of the self-proclaimed King of Pop. A star from the age of 11, Michael Jackson's unrivalled success spanned five decades beginning with the Jackson 5 in 1968, through a solo Motown career as a teen-idol in the early '70s (while still fronting the Jacksons), and as a remarketed pop genius from the 1980s. While the success of Thriller, the best-selling album in history, owed much to production maestro Quincy Jones, Jackson's abilities as a supreme vocalist, dance provocateur, music video pioneer, songwriter and live performer simply know no equal. As an entertainer he was a perfectionist. Yet his music transcended race, geography, sex, genre, age and colora remarkable achievement for a shy, troubled boy who never grew up. While his untimely death in June 2009 shook the world, it is Jackson's musical legacy that will endure for generations to come. In this book, the triumph and tragedy of his extraordinary journey is revealed through a unique visual and narrative chronology. The Music Icons series: Each title contains a painstaking selection of approximately 150 portraits, colorful posters and record covers, rare concert photos, and previously unpublished candid photos. These imageseach matching an important biographical eventare accompanied by text tracing the progression of each subjects life and career and are complemented by a section containing lists of essential recordings and selected chart rankings. About the Series: More bang for your buck! "... a fast-food, high-energy fix on the topic at hand." The New York Times Book Review About the editor and author: Luke Crampton and Dafydd Rees both work in London's music business before co-founding the Media Research & Information Bureau (MRIB) in 1981. In addition to writing over 20 music and media-related books, they are voting members for the Grammy Awards, the Rock a

Spotlighting the stars who have changed the course of pop music, this book details all artist''s single and album chart positions in the UK and US, major music awards and concerts. Spotlighting the stars who have changed the course of pop music, this book details all artist''s single and album chart positions in the UK and US, major music awards, notable concerts, tours and birth and death dates.