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Philip Norman

Biography

Philip Norman

Philip Norman grew up on Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight. His bizarre childhood as the son of an unsuccessful seaside showman inspired his memoir, BABYCHAM NIGHT. Norman went on to win the Young Writer of the Year Award contest organized by The Sunday Times Magazine (London), where he became a star interviewer, profiling celebrities ranging from Stevie Wonder to Libyan President Moammar Gaddafi. Norman’s early career as a rock critic led to his first biography, SHOUT!, which received critical acclaim and sold more than a million copies. He is the author of numerous highly praised works, including JOHN LENNON: The Life; PAUL McCARTNEY: The Life; SLOWHAND: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton; RAVE ON: The Biography of Buddy Holly; WILD THING: The Short, Spellbinding Life of Jimi Hendrix; and a memoir of his Sunday Times years, WE DANCED ON OUR DESKS.

Philip Norman

Books by Philip Norman

by Philip Norman - Biography, Music, Nonfiction

Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote. Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions. This rich biography captures him at his most multifaceted: devoted friend, loyal son, master guitar player, brilliant songwriter, cocaine addict, serial philanderer, global philanthropist, student of Indian mysticism, self-deprecating comedian, and, ultimately, iconic artist and man beloved by millions.

by Philip Norman - Biography, Music, Nonfiction

Today, Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) is celebrated as the greatest rock guitarist of all time. But before he was setting guitars and the world aflame, James Marshall Hendrix was a shy kid in Seattle, plucking at a broken ukulele. Bringing Hendrix’s story to vivid life against the backdrop of midcentury rock, and interweaving new interviews with friends, lovers, bandmates and his family, WILD THING vividly reconstructs Hendrix’s remarkable career, from playing segregated clubs on the Chitlin’ Circuit to achieving stardom in Swinging London.

by Philip Norman - Biography, Music, Nonfiction

For half a century, Eric Clapton has been acknowledged to be one of music's greatest virtuosos, the unrivalled master of an indispensable tool, the solid-body electric guitar. Winner of 17 Grammys, the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame's only three-time inductee, he is an enduring influence on every other star soloist who ever wielded a pick. Now, with Clapton's consent and access to family members and close friends, rock music's foremost biographer returns to the heroic age of British rock and follows Clapton through his distinctive and scandalous childhood, early life of reckless rock 'n' roll excess, and twisting and turning struggle with addiction in the ’60s and ’70s.

by Philip Norman - Biography, Nonfiction

Since the age of 21, Paul McCartney has lived one of the ultimate rock-n-roll lives played out on the most public of stages. Now, McCartney’s story is told by rock music's foremost biographer, with his consent and access to family members and close friends who have never spoken on the record before. PAUL McCARTNEY reveals the complex character behind the façade and sheds new light on his childhood --- blighted by his mother's death but redeemed by the father who introduced him to music.

by Philip Norman - Biography, Music, Nonfiction, Popular Culture

From exclusive interviews with those closest to Mick Jagger, such as ex-girlfriends Chrissie Shrimpton and Cleo Sylvestre, which shed light on little seen aspects of Jagger's personality, to record-straightening revelations about Jagger's infamous 1967 drugs bust and the notorious Altamont concert, Philip Norman's groundbreaking biography crafts a vivid portrait of the real man behind the swagger, little glimpsed and much misunderstood.

by Philip Norman - Biography, Music, Nonfiction

JOHN LENNON: THE LIFE is an intimate look at the troubled genius who --- along with Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr --- changed the shape and sound of popular music forever. From his early Liverpool days and heartbreaking childhood tragedies through the heady roller-coaster ride that was The Beatles and far beyond --- his prolific post-“Fab Four” career, his turbulent marriage to Yoko Ono, his peace crusade, and his shocking death on the New York City streets --- JOHN LENNON: THE LIFE is a remarkably fair and honest, utterly enthralling study of an achingly human rock legend.