
Ray Charles
Man and Music, Updated Commemorative Edition
Michael Lydon(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 22. January 2004
Book
Paperback/Softback
488 pages
978-0-415-97043-3 (ISBN)
Description
Ray Charles: Man and Music is a complete biography of this seminal singer/pianist who has been active on the American music scene since the mid-'50s. Originally published in 1995 by Penguin Books, and universally hailed as the definitive biography, this new edition will bring Charles's life up to date, covering the last 7 years of his life.There are only a few legendary singers who have developed mass audiences while pursuing their own artistic visions: Sinatra is one; Ella Fitzgerald another. Ray Charles undoubtedly belongs in this pantheon of major musical stars. Ray Charles: Man and Music begins with Charles's impoverished childhood in Greenville, Florida, where tragedy struck early when the young Charles went blind at age 6 and was orphaned at age 14. Driven by his enormous talent and determination, Charles landed work playing some of the toughest juke joints in the state, fought heroin addiction, and finally landed a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Unlike other R&B singers, Charles took control of his career from its earliest days, moving on from his gospel-soul stylings of the mid-'50s to break through musical barriers, recording two country albums in the late '50s (at a time when the black presence in country music was barely felt), pure jazz, and then the powerful pop hits of the '60s. Famed music journalist Michael Lydon - a founding editor of RollingStone - is uniquely qualified to document Charles's career, having interviewed Charles and followed the star's performances since the 1960s. Originally published in 1995, and universally hailed as the definitive biography, this new edition brings Charles's life up to date, covering the last 7 years of his life. It coincides with the release of a made-for-TV movie starring Jamie Fox as Charles, currently in production by Taylor Hackford. Charles has also issued a new CD recently and remains active as a touring artist throughout the world.
Reviews / Votes
"Lydon is obviously a very gifted and very sensitive writer--his prose lilting and poetic, drunk on the invisible rhythms of the music each syllable softly falling like beads of water against the wide windows of the dawn-hour. Readers will find this an easy book to consume- pages almost turning themselves, eyes feverishly tracking back and forth, anxious to see where everything ends." -- The Electric ReviewMore details
Edition
2nd ed.
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional Practice & Development
Edition type
New edition
Illustrations
38 s/w Abbildungen, 38 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder
38 Halftones, black and white; 38 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
700 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-415-97043-3 (9780415970433)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
12/2020
1st Edition
Routledge
€253.70
Shipment within 10-20 days

E-Book
06/2004
Routledge
€47.49
Available for download

E-Book
06/2004
Routledge
€47.49
Available for download
Person
Michael Lydon was a founding editor of Rolling Stone magazine and one fo the most highly regarded rock journalists of his generation. He is the author of Flashbacks: Eyewitness Accounts of the Rock Revolution (Routledge, 2003). He resides in New York City.
Content
PART I YOUTH, PART II APPRENTICE, PARTIII THE 1950s: THE ATLANTIC YEARS, PART IV THE 1960s: THE ABC YEARS, PART V THE 1970s: THE INVISIBLE YEARS, PART VI THE 1980s: THE LONG COMEBACK, PART VII THE 1990s: THE GRAND MASTER