The Entertainment & Celebrities category has 1,571 audiobooks on Listento.it, with an average listener rating of 4.5★ across 47,373 ratings. The most-rated is Born a Crime.
Crash and Burn
Summary
At a high point in his career, Artie Lange performed a sold-out show in Carnegie Hall-and he did it with a pocketful of heroin. In the midst of a deep, self-destructive depression, addicted to heroin, cocaine, and prescription drugs, he lashed out at everyone around him - from his cohosts on The Howard Stern Show to celebrity guests and even his longtime friends. Then came his legendary meltdown on-air, with 6 million people listening, after which Lange pulled himself together enough to go to a buddy's bachelor party in Amsterdam. He never made the party, but instead used the trip as an opportunity to hole up in his hotel room with a prostitute and do drugs. By turns dark and harrowing, hilarious and poignant, and always drop-dead honest, Crash and Burn is a blow-by-blow account of Lange's years of addiction, a suicide attempt (which he relates in terrifying detail), hitting rock bottom, stints in rehab, and painful relapses. With the help and support of friends and family, Lange manages to recover and get his life and career back on track. And despite his slip-ups, backslides, and permanent losses, Artie Lange forges on. From drugs to sports to falling in love, Lange tells all in Crash and Burn, the story of his life that is as shocking as it is funny, ever tempered by his characteristic humor, self-awareness, and inimitable way with words.
©2013 Arthur Lange, Jr. (P)2013 Tantor
The Stone Cold Truth
Summary
He's wrestled under many names, "Stunning" Steve Austin, The Ringmaster, he even wrestled for a time under his own name, Steve Williams. But to fans he is and will always be Stone Cold Steve Austin. His quick wit and colorful use of language combined with his everyman character captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Steve grew up in a small town in Texas. Always a fan of wrestling, Steve seized the chance to study it at a school in Dallas. His ability to take the bumps and hard falls required by his new profession, and his never-say-die attitude, connected him with the fans and his fellow wrestlers. His capricious firing by the WCW, World Championship Wrestling, lead to his being hired by World Wrestling Entertainment. However, it was Steve's own ability inside the ring and his quick-witted responses that lead to his becoming one of the most popular WWE Superstars of all time. It seemed nothing could stop the Texas Rattlesnake, except himself. In 2001 Steve's life seemed to spiral out of control and he walked away from it all. Now, with his triumphal return to the world of professional wrestling, he is finally ready to tell his story, his, way. The Stone Cold Truth is an unvarnished take on his life, his loves, and his days as a wrestler told in a way that only he could, and you know it's the truth "'cause Stone Cold says so!"
©2003 World Wrestling Entertainment (P)2003 Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Total F*cking Godhead
Summary
The first comprehensive biography of iconic singer-songwriter Chris Cornell. Total F*cking Godhead is the complete story of the complex and enigmatic artist, Chris Cornell. It's the riveting account of a blue collar, high-school dropout emerging from Seattle, Washington, to become one of the greatest singer-songwriters and voices of his generation. With input from people who knew and worked with him - together with Cornell's own words - the book recounts in great detail the rise of his immortal band Soundgarden as they emerged from the 1980s post-punk underground to dominate popular culture in the '90s alongside other Seattle bands like Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Nirvana. Long-time Seattle resident and rock writer Corbin Reiff examines Cornell's dynamic solo career as well as his time in Audioslave. He delves into his hard-fought battle with addiction, as well as the supercharged reunion with the band that made him famous before everything ended tragically. This is the story of an artist who channeled his own inner turmoil into songs that touched the hearts of millions around the world and turned Chris Cornell into one of music's greatest icons.
©2020 Corbin Reiff (P)2020 Tantor
Grit & Grace
Summary
From Grammy Award-winning music superstar and actor Tim McGraw comes a one-of-a kind lifestyle audiobook that melds his personal fitness transformation story with practical advice to inspire healthy changes in listeners’ lives. Tim McGraw is as well-known for his unparalleled accomplishments in the entertainment industry as he is for his boundless energy - he is the embodiment of vitality and success. But only a decade ago, he found himself struggling with his health. The demands of his meteoric career and life on the road had taken a toll. McGraw came to a crossroads where he knew that unless he made his physical health a priority, he would put his personal happiness and professional success at risk. In Grit & Grace, McGraw shares his transformation story along with encouragement, inspiration, and real-life, practical advice to help listeners become healthy, strong, and fit in mind and body. For the first time, McGraw will share the details of the mental and physical routine that got him in the best shape of his life. He suggests that there is no magic formula to getting stronger and healthier: It is about making a commitment to do and be better and holding yourself accountable each day. McGraw didn’t follow a playbook or have a squad of trainers overseeing his every step. He describes his way of getting into shape as more "maverick" - tuning into a vision of what you personally want to achieve, staying focused, and putting in the work. McGraw says his physical transformation has ignited a whole-life transformation. "My mind is clearer, my sense of purpose is sharper, and my relationships are deeper. Consistent physical exercise helps me bring focus to my life and to the people who mean the most to me." In Grit & Grace, McGraw makes this transformation accessible to anyone, sharing with listeners the physical and mental tools they can use to create the life they deserve. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 Tim McGraw (P)2019 HarperAudio
Kathy Griffin's Celebrity Run-Ins
Summary
From New York Times best-selling author Kathy Griffin, an A-Z compendium of the celebrities she's met over the years and the jaw-dropping, charming, and sometimes bizarre anecdotes only she can tell about them. Starting with Woody Allen and making pit stops with Demi Lovato, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Donald Trump, Kathy Griffin finally lifts the veil on her never-before-told run-ins with the famous and the infamous.
©2016 Kathy Griffin (P)2016 Macmillan Audio
Saga Boy
Summary
"The triumph of Saga Boy is the triumph of Blackness everywhere - the irrepressible instinct for survival in a world where Blacks are prey." (Ian Williams, Giller Prize-winning author of Reproduction) An enthralling, deeply personal account of a young immigrant's search for belonging and Black identity amid the long-lasting effects of cultural dislocation. Antonio Michael Downing's memoir of creativity and transformation is a startling mash-up of memories and mythology, told in gripping, lyrical prose. Raised by his indomitable grandmother in the lush rainforest of Southern Trinidad, Downing, at age 11, is uprooted to Canada when she dies. But to a very unusual part of Canada: He and his older brother are sent to live with his stern, evangelical Aunt Joan in Wabigoon, a tiny Northern Ontario community where they are the only Black children in the town. In this wilderness, he begins his journey as an immigrant minority, using music and performance to dramatically transform himself. At the heart of his odyssey is the longing for a home. He is reunited with his birth parents whom he has known only through stories. But this proves disappointing: Al is a womanizing con man and drug addict, and Gloria, twice abandoned by Al, seems to regard her sons as cash machines. He tries to flee his messy family life by transforming into a series of extravagant musical personalities: "Mic Dainjah", a punk rock rapper, "Molasses", a soul music crooner, and finally "John Orpheus", a gold-chained, sequin- and leather-clad pop star. Yet, like his father and grandfather, he has become a "Saga Boy", a Trinidadian playboy, addicted to escapism, attention, and sex. When the inevitable crash happens, he finds himself in a cold, stone jail cell. He has become everything he was trying to escape and must finally face himself. Richly evocative, Saga Boy is a heart-wrenching but uplifting story of a lonely immigrant boy who overcomes adversity and abandonment to reclaim his Black identity and embrace a rich heritage.
©2020 Antonio Michael Downing (P)2020 Penguin Random House Canada
Role Models
Summary
Role Models is filmmaker John Waters's self-portrait told through intimate profiles of favorite personalities---some famous, some unknown, some criminal, some surprisingly middle-of-the-road. From Esther Martin, owner of the scariest bar in Baltimore, to the American playwright Tennessee Williams; from the atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair to the insane martyr Saint Catherine of Siena; from the English novelist Denton Welch to the timelessly appealing singer Johnny Mathis---these are the extreme figures who helped the author form his own brand of neurotic happiness. Role Models is a personal invitation into one of the most unique, perverse, and hilarious artistic minds of our time.
©2010 John Waters (P)2010 Tantor
Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink
Summary
The perfect gift for music lovers and Elvis Costello fans, telling the story behind Elvis Costello’s legendary career and his iconic, beloved songs. Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink provides readers with a master’s catalogue of a lifetime of great music. Costello reveals the process behind writing and recording legendary albums like My Aim Is True, This Year’s Model, Armed Forces, Almost Blue, Imperial Bedroom, and King of America. He tells the detailed stories, experiences, and emotions behind such beloved songs as “Alison”, “Accidents Will Happen”, “Watching the Detectives”, “Oliver’s Army”, “Welcome to the Working Week”, “Radio Radio”, “Shipbuilding”, and “Veronica”, the last of which is one of a number of songs revealed to connect to the lives of the previous generations of his family. Costello chronicles his musical apprenticeship, a child's view of his father Ross MacManus' career on radio and in the dance hall; his own initial, almost comical steps in folk clubs and cellar dive before his first sessions for Stiff Records, the formation of the Attractions, and his frenetic and ultimately notorious third US tour. He takes listeners behind the scenes of Top of the Pops and Saturday Night Live, and his own show, Spectacle, on which he hosted artists such as Lou Reed, Elton John, Levon Helm, Jesse Winchester, Bruce Springsteen, and President Bill Clinton. The idiosyncratic memoir of a singular man, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink is destined to be a classic.
©2015 Elvis Costello (P)2015 Penguin Audio
Last Words
Summary
As one of America's preeminent comedic voices, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary 50-year career and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acerbic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life. In 1993 George Carlin asked his friend and best-selling author Tony Hendra to help him write his autobiography. For almost 15 years, in scores of conversations, many of them recorded, the two discussed Carlin's life, times, and evolution as a major artist. When Carlin died at age 71 in June 2008 with the book still unpublished, Hendra set out to assemble it as his friend would have wanted. Last Words is the result, the rollicking, wrenching story of Carlin's life from birth - literally - to his final years, as well as a parting gift of laughter to the world of comedy he helped create. George Carlin's journey to stardom began in the rough-and-tumble neighborhood of New York's Upper West Side in the 1940s, where class and culture wars planted the seeds for some of his best-known material, including the notorious "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television". His early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, Last Words is told with the same razor-sharp honesty that made Carlin one of the best loved comedians in American history.
©2009 George's Stuff (P)2009 Simon & Schuster
Happy Endings
Summary
Comedian Jim Norton is dirty...really dirty...the kind of dirty that makes The Aristocrats look like a knock-knock joke. Fortunately for him, his kind of dirty humor has earned him the distinction of being third microphone on the immensely popular Opie & Anthony syndicated radio show. In Happy Endings, Jim brings his raw, hilarious, and offensively honest comedy to Audible® listeners. Jim will discuss everything from his affinity for hookers to stalking Black Sabbath and Alan Alda to always getting stuck with the hot girl's fat friend. He will share some of his experiences with Opie and Anthony, including his arrest on the infamous Voyeur Bus (a bus filled with naked girls that drove around Manhattan flashing passers-by). Many more heartwarming stories will be included in what is sure to be the most controversial title of 2007. In addition to being a regular on the Opie & Anthony Show, Norton sells out comedy shows across the country. He starred on the recent HBO series Lucky Louie and was a regular on Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, and other national shows. Norton had this to say about his forthcoming title: "It's ironic that many of the stories revolve around prostitution, because that's where all proceeds from this...will be going. Actually, that's probably more disgusting and creepy than ironic." Explicit Language Warning: You must be 18 years or older to purchase.
©2007 Jim Norton. All rights reserved (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.
The Salmon of Doubt
Summary
Rescued from his beloved Macintosh, The Salmon of Doubt provides us with the opportunity to linger and frolic one last time in the uniquely entertaining and richly informative mind of Douglas Adams. For the millions of readers who expressed their grief and shock at his untimely death, this is a treasure; his final book and our last chance to see new work from an acknowledged comic genius.
©2005 Douglas Adams (P)2009 Phoenix
A History of My Brief Body
Summary
National Best Seller The youngest ever winner of the Griffin Prize mines his own personal history to reconcile the world he was born into with the world that could be. Billy-Ray Belcourt's debut memoir opens with a tender letter to his kokum and memories of his early life in the hamlet of Joussard, Alberta, and on the Driftpile First Nation. From there, it expands to encompass the big and broken world around him, in all its complexity and contradictions: a legacy of colonial violence and the joy that flourishes in spite of it, first loves and first loves lost, sexual exploration and intimacy, and the act of writing as a survival instinct and a way to grieve. What emerges is not only a profound meditation on memory, gender, anger, shame, and ecstasy, but also the outline of a way forward. With startling honesty, and in a voice distinctly and assuredly his own, Belcourt situates his life experiences within a constellation of seminal queer texts, among which this book is sure to earn its place. Eye-opening, intensely emotional, and excessively quotable, A History of My Brief Body demonstrates over and over again the power of words to both devastate and console us.
©2020 Billy-Ray Belcourt (P)2020 Penguin Random House Canada
Grace's Guide
Summary
Face it - being a young adult in the digital era is one of the hardest things to be. Well, maybe there are harder things in life…but being an adult is difficult! So Grace Helbig has written a guide that’s perfect for anyone who is faced with the daunting task of becoming an adult. Infused with her trademark saucy, sweet, and funny voice, Grace’s Guide is a tongue-in-cheek handbook for millennials, encompassing everything a young or new (or regular or old) adult needs to know, from surviving a breakup to recovering from a hangover. Read by the author in her inimitable style, Grace’s Guide features interactive elements and exclusive stories from Grace’s own misadventures - like losing her virginity solely because her date took her to a Macaroni Grill - and many other hilarious lessons she learned the hard way. Amusing and unexpectedly educational, this refreshing and colorful guide proves that becoming an adult doesn’t necessarily mean you have to grow up.
©2014 Grace Helbig (P)2014 Simon & Schuster Audio
Alice in Chains
Summary
Alice in Chains was the first of grunge's big four - ahead of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden - to get a gold record and achieve national recognition. With the charismatic Layne Staley behind the microphone, they became one of the most influential and successful bands to come out of the Seattle music scene. But as the band got bigger, so did its problems. Acclaimed journalist David de Sola follows the members from their inauspicious beginnings at a warehouse under the Ballard Bridge through the history of the band, charting: The local hair metal scene in Seattle during the 1980s. How drugs nearly destroyed the band and claimed the lives of Staley and founding bassist Mike Starr. Jerry Cantrell's solo career and Mike Starr's life after being fired from the band. The band's resurrection with William DuVall, the Atlanta singer/guitarist who stepped into Layne Staley's shoes. Based on a wealth of interviews with people with direct knowledge of the band and its history, many of whom are speaking on the record for the first time, Alice in Chains will stand as the definitive Alice in Chains biography for years to come.
©2015 David de Sola (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!
Summary
That stammer. Those basset-hound eyes. That bone-dry wit. There has never been another comedian like Bob Newhart. In this, his first audiobook ever, Newhart gives us his brilliant and bemused twist on a multitude of topics, including flying, the trials of a family holiday in a Winnebago, and more serious subjects, such as golf. And, of course, there are side-splittingly funny stories from his life and career. Who else has a drinking game named after him? ("Hi, Bob!") This isn't a memoir like most memoirs. It's an audiobook only Bob Newhart could have conceived, with his unique worldview and irrepressibly wry humor. Oh, and there's a fair bit of plain silliness, too.
©2006 Bob Newhart. All Rights Reserved (P)2006 Hyperion
Leonard
Summary
A New York Times best seller Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner first crossed paths as actors on the set of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Little did they know that their next roles as Spock and Captain Kirk, in a new science-fiction television series, would shape their lives in ways no one could have anticipated. In seventy-nine television episodes of Star Trek and six feature films, they grew to know each other more than most friends could ever imagine. Over the course of half a century, Shatner and Nimoy saw each other through personal and professional highs and lows. In this powerfully emotional audiobook, Shatner tells the story of a man who was his friend for five decades, recounting anecdotes and untold stories of their lives on and off set, as well as gathering stories from others who knew Nimoy well, to present a full picture of a rich life. As much a biography of Nimoy as a story of their friendship, Leonard is a uniquely heartfelt audiobook written and read by one legendary actor in celebration of another.
©2016 William Shatner (P)2015 Macmillan Audio
Trouble Boys
Summary
Based on all-new interviews, Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements is the definitive "boigraphy" of one of the last great rock 'n' roll bands of the 20th century. Written with the participation of the group's key members, including reclusive singer-songwriter Paul Westerberg, bassist Tommy Stinson, and the family of late guitarist Bob Stinson, Trouble Boys is a deeply intimate and nuanced portrait, exposing the primal factors and forces - addiction, abuse, fear - that would shape one of the most brilliant and notoriously self-destructive bands of all time. Based on a decade of research and reporting and hundreds of interviews (with family, friends, managers, producers, and musical colleagues) as well as full access to the Replacements' archives at Twin/Tone and Warner Bros. Records, author Bob Mehr has fashioned something far more compelling than a conventional band bio. A roaring rock 'n' roll adventure, a heartrending family drama, and a cautionary showbiz tale, Trouble Boys is a penetrating work of biography and a major addition to the rock book canon.
©2016 Bob Mehr (P)2017 Hachette Audio
Tune In
Summary
Tune In is the first volume of All These Years - a highly-anticipated, groundbreaking biographical trilogy by the world's leading Beatles historian. Mark Lewisohn uses his unprecedented archival access and hundreds of new interviews to construct the full story of the lives and work of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Ten years in the making, Tune In takes the Beatles from before their childhoods through the final hour of 1962 - when, with breakthrough success just days away, they stand on the cusp of a whole new kind of fame and celebrity. They've one hit record ("Love Me Do") behind them and the next ("Please Please Me") primed for release, their first album session is booked, and America is clear on the horizon. This is the lesser-known Beatles story - the pre-Fab years of Liverpool and Hamburg - and in many respects the most absorbing and incredible period of them all. Here is the complete and true account of their family lives, childhoods, teenage years, and their infatuation with American music; here is the riveting narrative of their unforgettable days and nights in the Cavern Club, their laughs, larks, and adventures when they could move about freely, before fame closed in. For those who've never read a Beatles book before, this is the place to discover the young men behind the icons. For those who think they know John, Paul, George, and Ringo, it's time to press the reset button and tune into the real story, the lasting word.
©2013 Mark Lewisohn (P)2013 Random House Audio
Far and Wide
Summary
Thirty five concerts. Seventeen thousand motorcycle miles. Three months. One lifetime. In May 2015 the veteran Canadian rock trio Rush embarked on their 40th anniversary tour, R40. For the band and their fans, R40 was a celebration and, perhaps, a farewell. But for Neil Peart, each tour is more than just a string of concerts; it's an opportunity to explore backroads near and far on his BMW motorcycle. So if this was to be the last tour and the last great adventure, he decided it would have to be the best one, onstage and off. This third volume in Peart's travel series shares all-new tales that transport the listener across North America and through memories of 50 years of playing drums. From the scenic grandeur of the American West to a peaceful lake in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains to the mean streets of Midtown Los Angeles, each story is shared in an intimate narrative voice that has won the hearts of many listeners. Thoughtful and ever engaging, Far and Wide is an elegant scrapbook of people and places, music and laughter, from a fascinating road - and a remarkable life.
©2016 Neal Peart (P)2016 Recorded Books
World in My Eyes: The Autobiography
Summary
Richard Blade’s autobiography is much more than a spotlight on any one decade. Instead, he gives you a jaw-dropping, uncensored insider’s look into the world of music, movies, and television and its biggest stars, starting in the '60s and continuing through to the new century. Richard takes you on a journey that few have experienced, from his early days as a student at Oxford to the wild, lascivious nights of being a disco DJ touring the clubs of Europe to coming to America and working with Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, and Sarah Jessica Parker and finally breaking through into the LA radio scene and becoming the number one morning drive personality in California. From his TV and radio shows to his feature films and live gigs, Richard shares stories that have, until now, remained secret. His unique perspective will take you on the road with Depeche Mode to Australia with Spandau Ballet into the recording studio with Morrissey and onto the main stage at Live Aid with Duran Duran. He opens up about his friendships with Michael Hutchence and George Michael, as well as his passionate love affair with Terri Nunn of Berlin. This is a no-holds-barred look at life, sex, and death, set to a pulsing backbeat of music. For the first time, Richard Blade shares his extraordinary story, allowing us to see the world through his eyes. The audiobook is not only read by Richard Blade but features a full cast of voices of many of the superstar acts featured in Richard's previously untold stories, including Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Spandau Ballet, and Terri Nunn of Berlin. It is a unique and extraordinary audio experience.
©2017 BladeRocker Entertainment Inc. (P)2018 BladeRocker Entertainment Inc