Autobiography: arts and entertainment Books

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Book SynopsisMaceo Parker’s signature style became the lynchpin of James Brown's band when he and his brother Melvin joined the Hardest Working Man in Show Business in 1964. That style helped define Brown’s brand of funk, and the phrase “Maceo, I want you to blow!” became part of the lexicon of black music. He took time off from James Brown to play with George Clinton’s P-funk collective and with Bootsy’s Rubber Band; he also formed his own band, Maceo and All the King’s Men, whose records are cult favorites among funk aficionados. Here Maceo tells his own warm and astonishing story, from his Southern upbringing to his career touring the world and playing to adoring fans. Maceo has long called his approach to the saxophone “2% jazz, 98% funky stuff.” Now, on the eve of Maceo’s 70th birthday, in prose as lively and funky as his saxophone playing, here is the definitive story of one of the funkiest musicians alive.Trade Review"An important addition to any library of black music biographies." -- DownBeat"A breezy, anecdotal memoir by the funky saxophonist who reveals himself to be an uncommonly decent man." -- Kirkus Reviews"A remarkably unassuming, even-tempered account from a true funk icon." --EntertainmentWeekly.com"Hipper than most 20-year-olds, [Parker] has more soul in his little finger than a roomful of Boyz II Men." Oakland Tribune"Parker talks with his sax, chatters away without a seeming care. It's a musical antidepressant, an antidote to dark days." San Diego Reader"Those familiar with Parker's work as a world-class saxophonist will enjoy getting to know him a little better. If you're not a fan, this will give you plenty of new music to dig into." Music Tomes

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Book SynopsisTelling the full story of the head Stooge, this work reveals the life-long career of a legendary funnyman. Born into a working-class family in Brooklyn, Moe Howard transformed his real-life experiences of getting into mischief with his brother Shemp into the plots that would have millions rolling in the aisles. From childhood, Moe’s ambition was to perform—whether it was plucking a ukulele on the beach, or playing a halfwit on a Mississippi showboat. But he only found success when he joined with Shemp and Larry Fine to play, as the New York Times put it, “three of the frowziest numskulls ever assembled.” As the brains behind the Three Stooges, he went on to act in hundreds of their movies, introducing his little brother Curly into the act when Shemp departed, and, after Curly’s death, partnering with Joe Besser and finally Joe de Rita. This is Moe Howard’s self-penned, no-holds-barred story of the ups and downs of his life, ranging from personal family tragedies to tidbits about career mishaps and triumphs. It overflows with the easygoing charm, generosity, and inspired lunacy of the “wise guy” behind America’s most successful comedy trio.

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Book SynopsisGrowing up African American in segregated Arkansas in the 1950s, Barbara Hendricks witnessed firsthand the painful struggle for civil rights. After graduation from the Juilliard School of Music, Hendricks immediately won a number of important international prizes, and began performing in recitals and operas throughout the world. A Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, she is as devoted to humanitarian work as she is to her music. Always the anti-diva, Hendricks is a down-to-earth and straightforward woman, whether singing Mozart or black spirituals. She challenges stereotypes and puts the music first and presents a warm, engaging, and honest self-portrait of one of the great women of music.Trade Review"When the lyric soprano Barbara Hendricks sings, the first word that comes to mind is not powerful but beautiful." -- New York Times"Barbara Hendricks is a voice, in both senses of the word. For her, artistic and humanitarian engagement are tightly linked. . . . She is completely possessed by her art." -- L'Express"I remember with the greatest of pleasures every occasion Barbara has made music with me, whether in New York, Israel or the, now legendary, performances of Turandot in the Forbidden City in Beijing with the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Always a delight to work with and with the combination of her most beautiful voice and her stunning musicianship I feel very honored to be counted as one of her colleagues." --Zubin Mehta"Barbara Hendricks is an artist who has made a difference. She has brought to her art a voice naturally endowed with a shimmering sweet timbre that, coupled with a fine instinct for phrasing and opera character portrayal, has put her in a category all her own. Her devotion and contribution to humanitarian causes is without parallel. I salute Barbara, her work, and her life." --Lorin Maazel"Articulate, resourceful, kind and compassionate.These words come to mind before I even start to think of Barbara Hendricks' musical talent. In my mind's eye, I see the Barbara smile, the wink of acknowledgment of her fellow traveler, and always the serious, purposeful dedication to the work at hand. Barbara's glowing presence, both on stage and off, is remarkable.She has nothing to prove, and in that confidence she creates space for those around her--family, friends, and the public--and generously shares the accumulated wisdom and values that have been practiced over a lifetime. That is the presence I hear in the luminous voice of this extraordinary artist. And she keeps looking for that light." --Yo-Yo Ma"She has lifted her voice in song on the most prestigious stages of the world, in the Cathedral of Dubrovnik under siege, and she lifts her voice in indignation against injustice and in defence of human rights. Her life has been fueled by an insatiable curiosity, a search for truth and a willingness to serve. Through her work, Barbara has become a symbol of hope for millions." --Kofi A. Annan, from his foreword"Fans of opera and vocal music will enjoy this absorbing narrative, as will anyone who likes to read about strong and accomplished women." -- Library Journal"In this memorable memoir...The story of her journey from Arkansas pastor's daughter to international opera star is inspriring and important." -- Booklist" Lifting My Voice is no simple-minded "Diva-Speak"- it's a serious, thoughtful, and deeply insightful book on the meaning of being an artist and a morally conscious global citizen. [It's] a noble undertaking and a totally absorbing read. Highly recommended." -- La Scena Musicale"Highly recommended reading for her legions of fans and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library American Biography collections." --Midwest Book Review" Lifting My Voice is no simple-minded "Diva-Speak"- it's a serious, thoughtful, and deeply insightful book on the meaning of being an artist and a morally conscious global citizen. [It's] a noble undertaking and a totally absorbing read. Highly recommended." -- La Scena Musicale"She has some remarkable stories to recount." -- New Jersey Star Ledger"A diva's memoir probably wouldn't have a foreword by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Not only are Hendricks's life and stories about the many famous people she has known interesting, but her view of world events for the past 50 years is compelling." --Omaha World-Herald"Ms. Hendricks is direct and personal, an unfussy storyteller who recounts setbacks as well as triumphs. She is generous with anecdotes and detail... but the meat of these memoirs is the authors' exploration of the process of self-discovery as they use their considerable gifts to make their way in a challenging profession." -- Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisFrom the depths of the seventies rock 'n' roll excesses through unimaginable personal losses to an inspiring late-life transformation, Cidny Bullens’s story is an utterly compelling journey about living and singing with your authentic voice. An androgynous gender-bending musician from the get-go, Bullens toured extensively with Sir Elton John and performed with Bob Dylan, undergoing a complete immersion in the drug-fueled excesses of 1970s rock 'n' roll. Despite getting sober, climbing the charts with the Grammy-nominated Survivor, as well as a Grammy nomination for his lead vocals in the soundtrack for the movie Grease, Bullens was unable to break out as a solo star in a world that allowed its artists to cross the gender line, but had much more narrow expectations about how women could behave and perform. Retreating into the conventional lifestyle of a suburban mom, Bullens felt like she was living in an alternate universe. Then whatever world she had was shattered by the tragic death of her younger daughter from cancer. Out of the ashes of despair, Bullens brought forth an award-winning album, Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth, that relaunched the musician’s career. Finally, nine years ago, Cidny claimed his own healing and transitioned from female to male—finding unexpected love, becoming a new step-father, and a grandfather.What he found, too, was his true voice and true power as a performer. Table of ContentsForeword by Sir Elton John Prologue Part I 1. Walkin’ Through This World 2. Hollywood Hot 3. Finally Rockin’ 4. Powerless 5. Survivor 6. Mockingbird Hill 7. Rock ’n’ Roll Girl Part II 8. Send Me an Angel 9. Boxing with God 10. Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth 11. I Gotta Believe in Something Part III 12. Unbound 13. The Gender Line 14. Little Pieces 15. Purgatory Road 16. Call Me by My Name Epilogue: Lucky for Me (In Spite of Myself)

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Book SynopsisArtist, activist, and influencer Laetitia Ky, known for sculpting her own hair to create powerful and joyful artwork that embraces the beauty of Black hair and style, the fight for social justice, and the journey toward self-love, tells her personal story that fans have been waiting for, through words and photos. Laetitia Ky is a self-described polyvalent artist and a one-of-a-kind creative voice-an up-and-coming model, activist, fashion designer, and visual artist, as well as a hugely popular Instagram and TikTok influencer. Ky uses her own hair (with the help of some extensions, wool, wire, and thread) to make unique and compelling sculptures that celebrate her African heritage, the beauty of Black natural hair, and the power of activism. Love and Justice is Ky's first book, showcasing 125 remarkable photographs interwoven with stories about her Ivory Coast childhood, her strong family ties, her embrace of her African roots, her own journey toward self-love, and her desire to lift up other women-especially Black women. As a passionate advocate for social justice, Ky shines a light on the pressing issues of our time: gender and racial oppression, harmful beauty standards, shame and its corrosive effect on mental health, and more. Part memoir, part art book, part feminist manifesto, Love and Justice is joyful and life-affirming: Ky's striking words and images honestly celebrate women's sexuality and the female body, and call for women's empowerment-extending a generous invitation for us all to love ourselves and to work toward a more just world.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the varied and unusual prop work of movie and TV graphic prop designer Ross MacDonald. MacDonald's prop work for film and TV is explored through an interview by Steven Heller, a photographic essay on his work on National Treasure, and a collection of his work (building and designing the physical pieces as well as the graphic ones) divided into categories including books, cards and letters, and documents, such as maps and legal papers. This book includes many of his most popular props for movies and shows such as Silver Linings Playbook, National Treasure, Baby's Day Out, Boardwalk, The Knick, Parks and Rec, and many, many more.

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Book SynopsisThey don't make them like Ted anymore. He's the quintessential bush storyteller; he has rubbed shoulders with some of the best-known and least-known of his countrymen and women, and he can wring a heart-wrenching song out of a beer carton. In Outback Songman, Ted Egan recounts the story of his rich and extraordinary life. Born to a working-class family in Melbourne's Coburg, he has never had a music lesson. Nonetheless, he has composed some of the first original songs about Australian history and ethos, many of which are now classics.Through his stories of growing up during World War II, teaching in a bush school, working with Aboriginal people in the Gulf Country, and performing in Alice Springs and around the country, Ted Egan brings to life an Australia that has largely disappeared. His encounters offer insights into national politics and everyday life over the past eight decades. His generosity of spirit and his deep understanding of his country shine from every page.'Ted Egan is a national treasure.' - Russell Crowe, actor'Ted Egan is a gifted natural born storyteller and a wonderful writer.' - Geraldine Doyle, singer and comedianTrade Review'A heart-warming tale of a poor boy done good, a bush balladeer who went on to become a TV star, an inaugural life member of the Stockman's Hall of Fame and much more.' - People magazine

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Book SynopsisFirst as a music writer and then as an editor, promoter, manager, broadcaster, publicist and author, Stuart Coupe has experienced the giddy highs and crushing lows of a life lived in the creative fast lane. Shake Some Action is your backstage pass to his remarkable story, from starting his first magazine at the age of fourteen to hoovering heroic amounts of cocaine before interviewing Boy Dylan (who asked him where he got his drugs from). From getting garbage bags full of fan (and hate) mail as the music critic for the teen magazine phenomenon Dolly to managing the Hoodoo Gurus and Paul Kelly ? he has been at the centre of Australian cultural life for over four decades.This is a book about fandom. About excitement. About some very bad behaviour. About writing. About talking. About being driven. About loving music and words and trying to explain that love to others ? and having a myriad of adventures and encounters in the process.This is the wild life and times of the a man who has never anything by halves. Get ready to kick out the jams!

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Book SynopsisEarly in his career, New Zealand artist Gavin Hipkins was described by fellow artist Giovanni Intra as a ‘tourist of photography’. This epithet has been used repeatedly by commentators on Hipkins’ work to describe two intertwined aspects of his practice. As art historian Peter Brunt puts it, Hipkins is a constantly travelling photographer, ‘an iconographer of desire, travel, time and … modern communities’, and a tourist within the medium, ‘a great manipulator of the photographic artifact itself’.Accompanying a major survey of Hipkins’ work at The Dowse Art Museum (November 2017 – March 2018), The Domain is an extensively illustrated book that combines new essays with a selection of art writing from the past 20 years. It illuminates not only Hipkins’ ever-evolving practice – which takes in a great variety of photographic media, from slide transparencies to moving image – but critical approaches to photography at the turn of the 21st century. Included here are plates from major bodies of work including The Habitat (1999–2000), Hipkins’ study of Brutalist architecture on New Zealand universities; The Homely (1997–2000), a photographic tour through New Zealand and Australia, nominated for the inaugural Walters Prize; The Colony (2000–2002), shown at the 28th Sao Paulo Biennale; and Erewhon (2014), Hipkins’ first feature-length film, an experimental adaptation of Samuel Butler’s anonymously published 1872 novel Erewhon. Hipkins’ work returns again and again to a set of core concerns: photography as the predominant form of modernist visual communication; the nation state and national identity; exploration and colonisation in the modern era; and how social and political ideologies visually shape the world we live in. Here, followers of Hipkins can see how his career has unfolded and newcomers can discover one of New Zealand’s most innovative, subversive investigators of photography.With new essays by George Clark, Courtney Johnston and Robert Leonard, and archival texts by Barbara Blake, Peter Brunt, Blair French, Heather Galbraith, Giovanni Intra, Robert Leonard, Trevor Mahovsky, William McAloon, Karra Rees and Laurence Simmons.

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Book SynopsisBusty babe Holly Hagan has had viewers of Geordie Shore glued to their screens ever since her arrival in the first series. Fed up with her dead end job at a call centre, and with dreams of being a star one day, Holly applied for a new reality TV show. She couldn't know it was to catapult her into fame and make her one of the most recognisable faces on British TV. Fame and fortune, though, came at a price - the road from the call centre to the celebrity circuit has been far from smooth. For the first time, Holly is lifting the lid on the perks and perils she's faced ever since her topless hot tub antics shocked the nation. Holly owes her success to a very simple change of look, which involved both a new bottle of red hair dye and a new found confidence. Ever since then, audiences have been in stitches as they watch Holly (and her flame-red hair) flirt her way around Newcastle's famed 'Diamond Strip' and places further afield such as Magaluf, Cancun and Australia. In this action-packed, revealing, funny and sometimes heart-breaking memoir, Holly recounts her life in and out of the limelight with brutal honesty - from her childhood days when she was badly bullied, her shocking take on sex and dating, her liaison with bad-boy musician Frankie Cocozza and what really goes on behind-the-scenes on the UK's biggest reality TV show. Filled with genuinely touching stories and inside accounts of what they don't show you on TV, Holly has laid herself bare, first physically and now emotionally. If you think you know all there is to know about Holly from Geordie Shore, think again.

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Book Synopsis'A wonderful blend of nostalgia, hilarity and personal anecdotes that only Josh Widdicombe could deliver' James Acaster'If you read only one book by Josh Widdicombe this year, make it this one' Jack Dee'Beautifully written, cleverly crafted and charmingly funny' Adam Hills'This is a book about growing up in the '90s told through the thing that mattered most to me, the television programmes I watched. For my generation television was the one thing that united everyone. There were kids at my school who liked bands, kids who liked football and one weird kid who liked the French sport of petanque, however, we all loved Gladiators, Neighbours and Pebble Mill with Alan Titchmarsh (possibly not the third of these).'In his first memoir, Josh Widdicombe tells the story of a strange rural childhood, the kind of childhood he only realised was weird when he left home and started telling people about it. From only having four people in his year at school, to living in a family home where they didn't just not bother to lock the front door, they didn't even have a key.Using a different television show of the time as its starting point for each chapter Watching Neighbours Twice a Day... is part-childhood memoir, part-comic history of '90s television and culture. It will discuss everything from the BBC convincing him that Michael Parkinson had been possessed by a ghost, to Josh's belief that Mr Blobby is one of the great comic characters, to what it's like being the only vegetarian child west of Bristol.It tells the story of the end of an era, the last time when watching television was a shared experience for the family and the nation, before the internet meant everyone watched different things at different times on different devices, headphones on to make absolutely sure no one else could watch it with them.

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Book SynopsisThe warm, rich and fascinating memoir of beloved broadcaster Tommie Gorman.When Tommie Gorman was growing up in Sligo in the 1960s, struggle was never far away but his household had a surplus of love and warmth. From modest beginnings as a local reporter at the Western Journal, where his deadlines were dependent on the bus schedule, Tommie landed at RTÉ, taking up the post of North-West correspondent in 1980. Over the next four decades he became a familiar presence in Irish homes, known for his coverage of Europe and Northern Ireland, as well as his unforgettable interviews with controversial figures including Gerry Adams, Roy Keane, Ian Paisley and Arlene Foster.While revelling in his life as a journalist, he was also coping with the cancer diagnosis he received in 1994 and seeking ways to access life-saving treatments for patients who shared his rare form of the disease.In this insightful and generous book, Tommie takes readers behind the scenes and shares some of his memories from Sligo to Stormont, via Brussels and Sweden, as he recounts forty extraordinary years of Irish history from his front-row seat and looks at what may lie ahead for the island.Trade Review[A] page-turner memoir of his life less ordinary...a gem. -- John Downing * Irish Independent *Gorman's narrative shines, as he outlines the history of his roots in Leitrim and Sligo, his family's modest means, his father's issues with alcohol, the encounters with want, with illness, with death, and all set against a panorama of 20th-century Irish social and political history: the family dramas and sorrows, and the swirl of national life that any reader will recognise, and understand. * Irish Times *Tommie's memoir brims with his characteristic optimism, faith in humanity and an absence of cynicism rare in such a fine frontline journalist. He evokes many memories as well as gifting us new and welcome insightsinto significant contemporary political, sporting and medical events. -- Mary McAleeseTommie Gorman is the shining jewel in the crown of RTÉ news and current affairs -- Gay ByrneTable of Contents1: Sligo: early years 2: The first job 3: The north-west years 4: Brussels 5: Power and loss 6: Living with cancer 7: Love, sport and the Roy Keane interview 8: Belfast 9: Compromise and power 10: The Queen and the changing of the guard 11: Brexit 12: The journey made and the road ahead

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Book SynopsisWhen the music impresario Bryan Morrison died aged 66 in 2008, after two years in a coma following a polo accident, he left behind his unpublished memoir. As a music publisher, manager and agent, Morrison had represented the Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, T. Rex, The Jam, Wham! and many others. He was also the founder and owner of the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club.In this candid and outspoken book, Morrison reveals the true stories behind why Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd once bit his finger to the bone, the Pretty Things were banned for life from New Zealand, and he became involved with the Kray Twins. He also tells how The Jam kissed goodbye to success in the USA, he received death threats when Robin Gibb left the Bee Gees, and signing a publishing deal with George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley as Wham! Spanning the golden age of British rock ’n’ roll from the 60s to the 80s, this is the extraordinary story of a cigar-chomping, East End entrepreneur, with a passion for art and design, fashion, music and polo. Trade ReviewFor me, reading ‘Have a Cigar’ was like finding a box in the loft that you had completely forgotten about which, upon opening, reveals treasures that have been locked away in your memory and transport you back in time... Even if you would not describe yourself as being a huge music fan, I defy you to not be gripped and sucked in by this cigar-chomping music impresario. -- Amanda Best * Haynet *The book is written in an easy to read, down to earth style and tells of a lifestyle that could have stepped straight off the pages of a Jilly Cooper novel... Given the sheer force of personality that shines through on the pages of the book, it seems unsurprising that Morrison was attracted to the world of polo. As he says, ‘A game of such intensity, skill, bravery and presence of mind that everything else pales into significance.’ I read the book in one sitting; it is an incredible insight into Morrison’s life and truly a privilege to have even a glimpse of the sheer force of nature he was as a businessman. -- Louise Broderick * Haynet *The book reveals the often cut-throat nature of the music business and the chaotic and often destructive lifestyles of those involved... Have a Cigar is a riveting read, bouncing through his music business deals, a brush with The Krays, Bill Gibbs’ fashion business disaster and Morrison’s dogged determination to stick with recording artists he believed in. -- Nigel Carr * Louder Than War *Have a Cigar! is a thrilling affair that takes the reader from the handy fists and feet of London's East End gangsters to the inner turmoil and confusion of Syd Barrett's by then Pink Floyd-less world. Morrison's account affords tremendous insight into the twilight world of the groups, the song publishing highs and lows, the gigs and parties; also putting a degree of flesh onto one or two particular stories, the skeletal bones of which are already known, especially to those who have geeked-out and freaked out to the myriad sounds that made up British psychedelia... It's an easy-going, hugely enjoyable read, the pages seemingly just turning by themselves as you wonder, eagerly awaiting to learn of what's going to happen next. -- Lenny Helsing * Shindig Magazine *Have a Cigar! [offers] something for those interested in the backroom machinations of the rock business. And it highlights a long gone time when charismatic solo wheelers and dealers – maybe with a bit of shady partnerships – could make struggling performers into stars. -- Bob Ruggiero * Houston Press *Bryan Morrison passed away following two years in a coma, but the publisher, manager and agent left the world with one final, unexpected gift: a candid, forthright memoir of a remarkable life. In Have a Cigar! The Memoir of the Man Behind Pink Floyd, T.Rex, The Jam and George Michael (Quiller Publishing, March 2020), Morrison shares tales of a unique life in the worlds of rock ‘n’ roll, fashion, design and polo. * Vinyl District *Table of ContentsIntroduction Prologue 1. How it all Began 2. Where is Michaelangelo Buried? 3. Oh, you Pretty Things 4. Don't Bring Me Down 5. Double Trouble 6. Crazy Diamond 7. King of the Rumbling Spice 8. A Safe Haven 9. Saved by the Bell 10. Helping Police with Enquiries 11. The Madcap Laughs 12. Art for Art's Sake 13. Fashion Victim 14. Going Underground 15. Careless Whisper 16. Wham! Bam! 17. Another Rock and Roll Christmas 18. The Game of Kings 19. A Field of Dreams 20. Reach for the Sky Epilogue Acknowledgements Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFor the last thirty years, singer Mary Black has been a dominant presence on the Irish music scene, an award-winning artist with many bestselling albums to her name. Now, in this long-awaited memoir, Mary takes us back to the roots of her musical heritage and to the influences that helped to shape her as an artist and a woman. Born into a musical family, Mary Black – a feisty tomboy who could hold her own when it came to sparring with her brothers and anyone else brave enough to take her on – began singing folk songs from the age of ten. Music played an important role in the family home and, performing with her brothers and her sister Frances, Mary built her highly successful career on the bedrock of these early years. From the pubs and clubs of her hometown, Dublin, she went on to perform in some of the most prestigious venues across the world. Always committed to exploring new material from the best writers, her unique talent attracted acclaim from critics, fellow artists and the public alike. It also led to a host of bestselling albums, including the multi-platinum No Frontiers, which spent more than a year in the Irish Top 30. Mary’s love of singing was matched only by the love she had for her family. As she recalls the inevitable tensions that arose when trying to juggle family life and a high-profile career, she tells of her struggle to combine the two contrasting aspects of her life. It was only through gritty determination, hard work and a fair amount of laughter that Mary was able to enjoy major success as an artist and, at the same time, raise a close and loving family with her husband Joe. Refreshingly honest, and written with warmth and humour, Down the Crooked Road offers a unique insight into the life and career of one of our most gifted singers – an artist who, during the course of her long career, has captured the hearts of millions around the world.

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Book SynopsisIn nineties small-town Surrey, watching Top of the Pops was Malcolm's only escape from boredom and the bullies at school... until a phone call from a pop star changed his life forever. Before long, he was getting compliments from Beyonce, hanging out at award ceremonies with Posh Spice's mum and sneaking onto All Saints' tour bus. Freak Like Me is the true story of one teenage pop fan who, with a group of like-minded outcasts, witnesses the disposable music industry of the late nineties and early noughties first-hand. Tracking down A-lister itineraries, he gets to meet the real personalities behind the Smash Hits posters adorning his bedroom walls. This hilarious memoir is packed with scandalous gossip and poignant memories from the era of Nokia 3310s and dial-up Internet, when chart positions meant everything and, if you wanted to know what your idols were up to off-screen, you had to track them down yourself!

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Book Synopsis**The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller** **Audiobook shortlisted for the Specsavers National Book Awards 2018** Gary Barlow is one of the most successful British musicians and songwriters of all time, but fifteen years ago, as he himself admits, he hit rock bottom - he was out of shape, out of work and depressed. His mental and physical health were at an all-time low, and he struggled to see a way out. Faced with an underperforming solo career, tireless media taunts and other cruel twists of fate, Gary turned to food. For nine years, he struggled with his weight and went on every diet imaginable. Fasting, extreme dieting, and binge eating saw him on a seemingly unstoppable downward spiral for which he eventually sought professional help, asking a doctor what the 'cure' for obesity was. That was the moment he realised that he would have to dramatically change his life and relationship with food. So how did he go from an obese, out-of-work pop star to one of the UK's favourite superstars of music and TV, as well an accomplished musical songwriter and producer who is full of vitality, fitter, happier and more successful than ever before?" In this extraordinarily honest memoir, Gary tells of his journey back to mental and physical health, as well as musical success. A Better Me is a remarkably frank account of Gary's life as he battled with his demons, endured devastating personal tragedy, and recovered his health from the extremities of disordered eating and obesity. In his warm, witty and authentic voice, Gary recounts his story with compelling insight, captivating sincerity and a human side that people rarely see. From overcoming his weight problems and crippling obsession with food, to returning with a critically and commercially successful Take That and reigniting his own legendary song-writing career, going beyond recorded music to forge success on TV with The X Factor and Let It Shine, this is the story of how Gary found balance in both his personal and professional life. Here is one of the UK's most beloved pop stars, more open, honest and raw than ever before.

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