Tag: elvis presley

10 Great Musical Biographies That Tell the Stories Behind Your Favorite Artists

September 29, 2023

Spotify Premium Audiobooks Music Biography

You might know all the songs and albums of your favorite musicians, but do you know the experiences and inspirations behind their work? Luckily, you can find out by listening to some great musical biographies on Spotify. 

With picks that include memoirs from legendary stars including Dave Grohl, Billie Eilish, Gucci Mane, and Dolly Parton, you can discover all the wisdom these greats have to share. 

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

Written and narrated by Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl’s autobiography, The Storyteller, sheds light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, who goes on to live out his craziest dreams as a musician. The rock icon reflects on everything from hitting the road with Scream at 18, to his time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. He remembers jamming with Iggy Pop and dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He tells stories about drumming for Tom Petty and meeting Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall. Grohl even recounts unexpected moments like bedtime stories with Joan Jett to a chance meeting with Little Richard. 

The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl

Written and narrated by Melanie Chisholm

After five women answered a newspaper ad, the Spice Girls were born. They recorded their first single, “Wannabe,” and nearly overnight, Melanie “Melanie C” Chisholm went from small-town girl to Sporty Spice.

The Sporty One follows the meteoric rise of Melanie C and The Spice Girls, from the incredible highs of playing at Wembley, conquering the BRITs, and closing the 2012 Olympics, to the difficult lows. For the first time ever, Melanie C talks about the pressures of fame, the shaming and bullying she experienced, the struggles she has had with her body image and mental health, and the difficulty of finding herself when the whole world knew her name.

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics

Written by Dolly Parton, Robert K. Oermann

Narrated by Dolly Parton 

Dolly Parton, Songteller goes beyond the glitz, glamor, and rhinestones to the warmth, heart, and soul of a treasured pop culture icon. In this autobiography, 10-time Grammy Award–winning artist Dolly Parton weaves her words with music and memories to give listeners the stories behind her most cherished songs.

How close did Parton come to singing “I Will Always Love You” as a duet with Elvis Presley? How did she become an actress? And exactly who was “Jolene”? This one-of-a-kind audio experience answers the most burning questions that Parton’s fans have.

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane

Written by Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin

Narrated by Guy Lockard

For the first time, hip-hop legend Gucci Mane tells the story of his rise, fall, and redemption in The Autobiography of Gucci Mane. With a string of influential mixtapes and street anthems that pioneered the sound of trap music in the 2000s, the rap icon inspired and mentored a new generation of artists and producers including Migos, Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, Zaytoven, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Metro Boomin.

Taking listeners back to his roots in Alabama, the streets of East Atlanta, and the studio where he found his voice, Gucci Mane reflects on his successes while also confronting his dark past, which included drug addiction, murder charges, and a prison sentence. 

But Gucci Mane has changed, and in this music bio, he provides an intimate glimpse into his radical transformation following his 2016 prison release—one that saw the rapper emerge sober, smiling, focused, and positive. This is one of music’s great comeback stories.

Born to Run

Written and narrated by Bruce Springsteen

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that he decided to write about it, which then inspired him to tell the story of his entire life.

Vividly recounting his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in New Jersey, and the rise of The E Street Band, Springsteen fills the pages of Born to Run with humor, originality, and disarming candor. For the first time, the superstar rocker shares the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than we previously realized. This isn’t just a legendary rock star’s memoir. This is a book for anyone who has ever wanted to be baptized in the holy river of rock and roll. 

Billie Eilish: In Her Own Words

Written by Billie Eilish

Narrated By Billie Eilish, Maggie Baird, Patrick O’Connell

In this special audiobook companion piece, global pop phenomenon Billie Eilish walks fans through the personal highlights and special moments of her life and career, both on and off the stage. 

Billie Eilish: In Her Own Words is full of exclusive and unique content, including memories shared by her parents. Capturing the essence of Billie inside and out, listeners get personal glimpses into her childhood, her life on tour, and more, making this audio edition essential for any fan.

It’s a Long Story: My Life

Written by Willie Nelson and David Ritz

Narrated by Christopher Ryan Grant

It’s a Long Story is the complete, unvarnished story of Willie Nelson‘s life. Told in his distinct voice and leaving no moment or experience unturned, the country legend takes listeners on a ride from Texas and Nashville to Hawaii and his legendary tour bus.

Nelson shines a light on all aspects of his life, including his drive to write music, the women in his life, his biggest collaborations, his lowest lows, and his highest highs—from his bankruptcy to the founding of Farm Aid.

Talking to My Angels

Written and narrated by Melissa Etheridge

Following the success of her first memoir, award-winning rocker and trailblazing LGBTQIA+ icon Melissa Etheridge returns to take stock of her life in the years that have followed. 

Talking to My Angels is a profoundly honest look into Etheridge’s inner life as a woman, an artist, a mother, and a survivor. With characteristic wit and courage, Melissa delves into how numerous tragedies served as a catalyst for growth, and what the past two decades have taught her about the value of music, love, family, and life in the face of death. This audiobook also features live, stripped-down performances of many of Melissa’s songs, including “Talking to My Angel” and “Here Comes the Pain.”

Chronicles of the Juice Man: A Memoir

Written by Juicy J and Soren Baker

Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White

The hustle still continues for hip-hop OG Juicy J in Chronicles of the Juice Man, where he shares his invaluable story as an unwavering force in the music industry. Jordan Houston’s rise to stardom was never easy. Beginning with his journey on the streets of Memphis in the ’80s, Juicy J was always inspired by music and had big dreams of becoming a superstar rapper. The Three 6 Mafia member stuck to his plan with determination, rising from a young, poor, ambitious kid to an Academy Award–winning and Grammy-nominated recording artist and entrepreneur. A never-before-seen look into one of the most influential tastemakers in the game, Chronicles of the Juice Man offers Juicy J’s wisdom as a respected industry veteran.

Tell It Like It Is: My Story

Written and narrated by Aaron Neville

Tell It Like It Is shares the trials and tribulations of legendary singer and songwriter Aaron Neville through the lens of his faith, family, and music.

Scoring his first number-one hit in 1966 with “Tell It Like It Is,” the artist went on to form the Neville Brothers with his siblings Art, Charles, and Cyril. Aaron was the breakout star, and over the next six decades, he’s enjoyed four platinum albums, three number-one songs, and entry into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

But few people know the challenging and circuitous road Aaron took to fame. Born in a housing project in New Orleans, he struggled as a teenage father working to raise a family while building his career as a musician, surviving a stint in jail for car theft and battling heroin addiction for many years. Now for the first time, fans can discover the inside story. 

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

‘Elvis’ Director Baz Luhrmann and Actor Austin Butler Talk Movie Soundtrack and Song Inspiration

March 6, 2023

Baz Luhrmann and Austin Butler talking on the set of the movie "Elvis"

The star power that Elvis Presley brought to the stage is undeniable. With a shake of the hips and the strum of a guitar, the Memphis performer dazzled fans and captivated the world.

But there are so many other elements, relationships, and more that defined the rock star’s life offstage. Director, screenwriter, and producer Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 film Elvis brings that side to light—with the show-stopping and dazzling flair the Australian director is known for. Austin Butler stepped into the role of Elvis, spending years homing in on every aspect of the King of Rock and Roll’s persona. 

Photo credit: Eric Charbonneau

The film was a hit, quickly cementing itself as one of the biggest movies of the year and one of the highest-grossing music biopics of all time. Elvis has already received multiple awards—and eight nominations for the 2023 Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture and Best Actor.

And the film prompted fans to flock to Spotify as well.

 

In a film that follows a musician as prominent as Elvis, it’s critical to get the music right. With their new, exclusive playlist on Spotify, Baz and Austin are giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the music that influenced the movie. 

“One of the things that really motivated us to do the story of Elvis was the simple fact that ‘Without Black music, there’d be no Elvis’ and the direct influence that music had on him,” Baz told For the Record. “In particular, his genuine friendship with B.B. King came to light in some of our research, and his mother, Gladys, was a huge Sister Rosetta Tharpe fan—she used to play her music all the time. This playlist has just a smattering of these artists.” 

The award-winning director and actor pair recently sat down together to talk about the film, their playlist, and how music played a role both on and off the set. 

Baz Luhrmann: So Austin, how did you go about preparing for the role of Elvis, specifically in regards to music and singing? 

Austin Butler: Well, I never sang in front of anybody before this role, so I had to find my way into his humanity. I worked with a number of different singing coaches for the year and a half leading up to filming. The thing you quickly realize is that Elvis’s voice changed a lot over the course of his career. Not only his speaking voice, but also his singing voice. So I had to figure out how to lock into the different vocal mannerisms of those different time periods in his life. It was an immense amount of research and work, and involved me following my own curiosity and finding how he’s saying a specific word. And I just worked on that as much as I could. 

Baz: I remember you used to walk around listening to Elvis. How many of his songs do you reckon you had on your playlist? 

Austin: First, I just listened to every one of his songs chronologically so that I could see and hear the journey that he went on throughout his entire career. You hear over time how his influences affected the way he sings. I also started to curate playlists for each time period, because we were filming out of sequence. Then the night before, I would listen to the time period that corresponded to whatever we were shooting the next day. I was even listening to those key recordings in makeup and hair as I was getting ready. So I have many, many Elvis playlists. 

austin butler playing elvis and receiving direction on set from baz luhrmann

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Baz: We also had access to a lot of Elvis content that other people haven’t heard. Were there pieces or recordings that inspired you? 

Austin: Yeah. For me, it was those recordings—whether they were songs, or as we’ve talked about before, Anita Wood recording him on the phone when he didn’t know it—that reveal these moments of intimacy and give a glimpse into the unguarded version of Elvis. 

One of those is when he’s singing, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” As a way to amuse himself and to amuse the audience, he would often sing these lines that people weren’t expecting. So, in this version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” he says, “Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair?” and the story is that this man in the front row stood up and took off his toupee and waved it around, and Elvis just burst out laughing. Then, as he’s laughing, you can hear I think Cissy Houston in the background, who’s singing the high note. And she keeps singing, and at one point he can’t help but laugh, and he goes, “You singing baby or something?” I just love that moment.

Baz: One of the things we decided was to make sure we weren’t just endlessly playing Elvis songs on set as we were rehearsing. We wanted to have a contemporary mood and feel, so that when we did shoot, we could use the other songs and it felt fresh and emotional. One of the tasks we set ourselves was what kind of songs might suit certain scenes. Is that the way you remember it? 

Austin: Yeah, there were times where we were listening to Elvis and there were other times we were listening to those artists that have influenced Elvis, and then there were times where, as you’ve said, it was about the feeling. 

austin butler playing elvis and receiving direction on set from baz luhrmann

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Baz: I’m gonna ask you why you think we used “Anarchy in the U.K.” by the Sex Pistols as a kind of gear-up before we then went to you singing for that scene? 

Austin: I think it was the feeling of anarchy and the feeling of rebellion. The fact that Elvis was the original punk rocker. So it was giving the energy to the audience and the entire crew of what that felt like at the time. Because sometimes you’ll hear those recordings and especially because of the way that they were recorded, you can’t fully grasp what that felt like in the room. 

Baz: In a way, we say he’s the original punk, but really, the other point is that punk was trying to get back to being Elvis. It’s worth holding up the original Elvis Presley album from 1956 and The Clash‘s London Calling. Just to see that what punk was trying to do was a reaction to how sappy music had become, and they were trying to get back to the raw energy that was Elvis Presley. 

And the other song that comes to mind vibe-wise is David Essex‘s “Rock On.” I think we played that when Elvis gets out of the truck and he’s walking into Lauderdale Courts. And do you know why we played this? It’s because I think in Elvis’s head he was playing the coolest country and western guy around. He didn’t care what they thought, he was rolling.

Austin: And he says “blue suede shoes” in the song, which is great, and “James Dean” as well. There are a lot of influences in this song. You know, I’d never heard the song before that day, and so as I was getting out of the truck, that was the first time I heard this David Essex track, and you can’t help but walk a certain way when you hear it. It gives you swagger. 

Another song that always tugs at the sorrow in my heart is Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight.” Before we were going to do the scene in the closet after Gladys passed away, you guys asked what song I want to be playing, just around the set, and this is the first song that came to my mind. So that was what was playing leading up to when action was called. It just has a way of cutting through any of my conscious mind and getting right to the sorrow in my heart. 

Baz: It’s very interesting because that was your choice, but I allowed the camera and the mood of the set to be very influenced by that music. 

Listen to all the songs that inspired Baz and Austin during the making of Elvis, including the tracks mentioned in their chat, in their curated playlist below.

 

 

Main Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Spotify Listeners Are Getting Nostalgic: Behavioral Science Writer David DiSalvo and Cyndi Lauper Share Why

April 14, 2020

Photo credit: Helen Maybanks

With all the uncertainties of our current climate, music from decades past is striking a particularly strong chord. From April 1–7, we saw a 54% increase in listeners making nostalgic-themed playlists, as well as an uptick in the share of listening to music from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s (with ’50s music listening increasing the most). But what exactly is driving this interest?

For the Record spoke with David DiSalvo, a behavioral science writer and author of What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite, to get his take. “Nostalgia is an extremely powerful force linked to memory,” he noted. “But it has a way of putting a rosier view on our memory. When we smell those chocolate chip cookies, it’s a link to memory that brings us back to a more stable, comfortable place in our lives. We can inhabit it in our minds and feel a level of support that most of us aren’t feeling right now because there is so much instability.”

DiSalvo also explained the powerful role music specifically plays. “Music, like smell, is one of those things with immediate access to that direct, nostalgic memory. It takes you back to that place. For example, everyone can remember the specific song they were listening to during their first kiss.”

Perhaps Spotify listeners are trying to recreate moments from their past to find comfort, calm, and a break from the day-to-day. When making or updating playlists, listeners have been adding plenty of throwbacks—just take a look at the most-added tracks to playlists from each decade:

And they aren’t the only ones feeling the nostalgic vibes. Artists, too, are thinking of days long gone.

We asked Cyndi Lauper, whose upbeat hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” is one of the most-streamed songs from the ’80s in the past week, for her thoughts on what’s driving folks down memory lane. “Music marks time for me. So when I hear a song, it brings me back to that exact moment in time. It also helps that I have a really good memory, but music has always been such an important part of my life. Like most, I have a soundtrack. Broadway cast recordings of The King & I and Funny Girl bring me back to when I was 5 and just discovering my voice and love for music.”

Cyndi is also featured prominently on All Out 80s, Spotify’s popular throwback playlist with over 7.1 million followers. She thinks there’s a good reason why the playlist is so popular.

“The music of the ’80s was melodic. That was the common thread and why music from the ’80s is so good. I know for me, my intention was to make music that people would want to listen to for years and years, for decades and decades, long after I was gone.” 

Though many listeners have taken to more “chill” music in the past few weeks, there is also something to be said for pausing on the present and getting down with your favorite oldies. According to DiSalvo, “There is a good part of ‘distraction.’ It plays a healthy role in giving us a break, a reset point when we are in deep anxiety and stress.”

Also looking for a break from the moment? Take a listen to some of the most popular tracks streamed by decade April 1–7:

’50s:

“Put Your Head on My Shoulder” – Paul Anka

“Johnny B. Goode” – Chuck Berry

“I Walk the Line” – Johnny Cash

“Dream A Little Dream Of Me” – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

’60s:

“Here Comes the Sun” – The Beatles

“Feeling Good” – Nina Simone

“(What A) Wonderful World” – Sam Cooke

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell

“Fortunate Son” – Creedence Clearwater Revival

“Brown Eyed Girl” – Van Morrison

“Son Of A Preacher Man” – Dusty Springfield

’70s:

“Don’t Stop Me Now” – Queen

“Hotel California – 2013 Remaster” – Eagles

 “Sweet Home Alabama” – Lynyrd Skynyrd

“Dreams – 2004 Remaster” – Fleetwood Mac

’80s:

“Back in Black” – AC/DC

“Under Pressure – Remastered” – David Bowie, Queen

“Livin’ On A Prayer” – Bon Jovi

“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Remastered” – Eurythmics

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) – Whitney Houston

“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” – Cyndi Lauper

’90s:

“Wonderwall – Remastered” – Oasis

“I Want It That Way” – Backstreet Boys

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana

“Wannabe” – Spice Girls

“…Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears

“No Scrubs” – TLC

 2000s:

“Lose Yourself” – Eminem

“Hey, Soul Sister” – Train

“Mr. Brightside” – The Killers

“Hips Don’t Lie (feat. Wyclef Jean)” – Shakira, Wyclef Jean

“Halo” – Beyoncé 

Podcasts more your thing? Get hooked on a ’90s earworm in the popular Reply All episode “The Case of the Missing Hit.”

Spotify Listeners Can’t Help Falling (and Staying) In Love with Elvis

August 13, 2019

It’s Elvis Week, and we’re all shook up. As fans gather in Memphis, Tennessee, from August 9 – 17 for an annual celebration of the King, we decided to look at just how tenderly listeners love his music on Spotify.  

And love Elvis Presley they do. With more than 16.5 million hours of streaming of Elvis music in 2019 alone, and more than 2.3 million playlists based on the iconic artist on Spotify, there’s no denying the power of the musician’s legacy. 

While he made his biggest mark in music—and on film—in the 50’s and 60’s, today Elvis’ songs appeal across generations. On Spotify, 18-22 year-olds stream his music almost as much as listeners aged 45-59. The former group accounts for 20% of all Elvis streaming on Spotify in the last month, while the latter accounts for 17%. 

See what other stats we uncovered in our all-things-Elvis infographic: 

Experience one of music’s most distinctive voices in Spotify’s popular This Is Elvis Presley playlist.

 

10 Albums That Prove the Summer of ’69 Was a Hot One for Music

August 8, 2019

It’s been 50 years since the summer of 1969, three months that remain one of the most memorable periods in modern music history. Of course, many associate the summer of ’69 with the Woodstock music festival, which featured now legendary performances by Santana, Grateful Dead , Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, to name just a few. But it was also an incredible time for album releases.

As the warm-weather months of 2019 comes to a close, here’s a look back at 10 of the many albums that rocked the world during the summer of ’69.

At San Quentin by Johnny Cash

This album, Cash’s 31st, was the follow-up to his groundbreaking 1968 performance and album recorded at Folsom Prison. The show also marked the first live performances of “San Quentin” and “A Boy Named Sue.” At San Quentin was later nominated for Album of the Year.

First Take by Roberta Flack

First Take is still considered an extraordinary debut from an artist of any genre. It went on to top the charts in 1972 after Ewan MacColl’s cover of her song “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” was included in the 1971 Clint Eastwood film Play Misty for Me.

Suitable for Framing by Three Dog Night

Suitable for Framing included hits like the instantly recognizable “Feeling Alright,” as well as “Lady Samantha,” written by then-unknown Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The band’s previous album from 1968 featured “One,” written by Harry Nilsson, which was still in the top 10 by the summer of ’69. (Nilsson’s song “Gotta Get Up” was rediscovered recently in the hit Netflix series Russian Doll.)

From Elvis in Memphis by Elvis Presley

The tenth studio album by The King was considered one of his best ever, both at the time of its release and now. Recorded in a country-soul style in Memphis, the album came after a long dry spell in which Elvis mostly focused on soundtracks for the films in which he starred. The album’s single “In the Ghetto,” written by Mac Davis, hit number three on the charts.  

The Soft Parade by The Doors

The fourth studio album by the band, The Soft Parade marked The Doors’ transition to a more mainstream sound. It features one of their biggest hits, “Touch Me.”

Bubblegum, Lemonade, and… Something for Mama by Cass Elliot

This effort had two big hits from Elliot’s five-album solo career after her time in The Mamas & The Papas, including “It’s Getting Better” and “Make Your Own Kind of Music,” the latter of which was added to the album when it was re-released later in the year.

The Stooges by The Stooges

Although it was initially dismissed by critics, the debut album from Iggy Pop and his bandmates is now considered a classic—essentially punk before punk existed. The band broke up after a couple years, but was revived by Stooges fan David Bowie.

Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Not only is the album itself impressive, with its hits “Green River” and “Bad Moon Rising,” but this was the second of three classic full-length albums the band released in 1969 alone.

My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder

Wonder’s 11th studio album is just one in a long string of successful records, but this one stands out for its original songs “My Cherie Amour” and “Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday,” as well as Wonder’s inventive cover of “Light My Fire” by The Doors.

Santana by Santana

If nothing else, Santana knows not to squander an opportunity. The band, featuring guitarist Carlos Santana, got its big break at Woodstock and delivered a memorable performance ahead of their debut album’s release.

Want to tap into the sentiment of ’69 even more? Stream Parcast’s new Summer of ’69 true-crime podcast series.