AustLit

'A comprehensive biography that documents how Keith Urban lived out his childhood dream - and the price he's had to pay to reach the top.

'Keith Urban came from humble origins. Born in New Zealand and raised in outer Brisbane, his father worked at the local tip; Keith was a high school dropout. When he was a child, the family house burned down, like something straight out of a country song. But Keith had a plan. A big plan. 'Nashville's not my dream,' he once said. 'It's my destiny.' And Keith was hell-bent on scaling that musical Everest. Whatever it took.

'It didn't come easy. Keith served his apprenticeship in the beer barns of Australia and was constantly on the road. His early trips to America, meanwhile, were disasters. But he never gave up, settling in Nashville in the 1990s and forming The Ranch. When the band fell apart, so did Keith, ending up in rehab (not for the last time). Keith did eventually reach the top, however, through a combination of talent, charisma, sex appeal, dogged perseverance - and skin thick enough for a rhino. And along the way he married Nicole Kidman.

'Keith Urban has lived out his musical dreams: he's jammed with the Rolling Stones, buddied up with John Fogerty and Glen Campbell and shared a stage with the Reverend Al Green. He's become a regular on Oprah and Ellen. And in a seemingly unlikely makeover, Keith has recently worked with the biggest names in pop, dance and groove, from Taylor Swift to Pink, Nile Rodgers to Post Malone and Pitbull. Along the way Keith has won four Grammys, the same as the Bee Gees and Olivia Newton-John. He's also recorded 20 US Country Number One hits.

''All I ever wanted to do,' Keith said in 2020, 'was to live in America and make records and tour and maybe get my songs on the radio. It was my life's dream. All those detours, especially the really dark ones, got me to where I am now. I would not want to change one leaf on any tree in the whole journey.'

'Keith Urban is the definitive biography of an Oz music superstar.' (Publication summary)

'The life, death and rock'n'roll rollercoaster career of AC/DC frontman Bon Scott.

Bon Scott was once asked if he was AC or DC. 'Neither,' he grinned, 'I'm the lightning flash in the middle.' And that's how he lived his life.

'No one had the same skill with lyrics as Bon, who called his words 'toilet poetry', his 'dirty ditties'. He could also vividly depict life on the road, best heard in the AC/DC classics 'Long Way to the Top' and 'Highway to Hell'.

'When Bon appeared on Countdown in March 1975, the impression he left was indelible. The ugliest schoolgirl to ever grace the small screen, Bon was a mess of tattoos and pigtails, wearing an awkwardly short skirt, all the while puffing on a ciggie. His bandmates, not just the audience, were in hysterics. The video quickly became part of Oz rock folklore.

'Bon was always the joker in the AC/DC pack. He'd happily pose for a photograph with a joint dangling from his lips or be interviewed in cut-off shorts with a banana provocatively stuffed into his waistband. Anything to elicit a laugh. The off-stage stories surrounding Bon are legendary. After spending a lively couple of days with Bon, Ol' 55 singer Jim Manzie said, 'My rock-and-roll education was pretty much complete.'

'Bad Boy Boogie is the first biography to focus on Bon's remarkable gifts as a lyricist, frontman and rascal. In short, the real Bon Scott.' (Publication summary)

'Jon English was the original multitasker. He was the pop star with the raccoon eyes who sang such hits as 'Hollywood Seven', 'Six Ribbons' and 'Hot Town', and the rocker in leather duds who packed beer barns across Australia. Jon was also the swashbuckling Pirate King in the hugely successful Pirates of Penzance, and, in the words of Tim Rice, 'a brilliantly judged and truly exciting' Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. And on the small screen he was as comfortable portraying faded rocker Bobby Rivers in All Together Now as he was the brooding convict Jonathan Garrett in Against the Wind. It seemed that no role, or song, was beyond his reach. But there was a lot more to Jon English. He was a proud father of four who married his high school sweetheart Carmen when he was barely out of his teens. He was such a diehard fan of rugby league's Parramatta Eels that he wrote their team song. And Jon was also a composer whose rock opera, Paris, proved to be the biggest creative and personal challenge of his life. This authorised biography, written with the full support of Jon's family, friends and peers, Behind Dark Eyes tells   the complete Jon English story, swinging from the massive highs of Jesus Christ Superstar and pop stardom to his struggles with alcohol and depression, and his tragic, untimely death in 2016 at the age of 66.' (Publication summary)

'George Young wasn't so much on the charts for the best part of three decades: he and his musical partner Harry Vanda were the charts.

'George's journey began with the trailblazing Easybeats and continued, alongside Harry, as producer/songwriter for hire with John Paul Young, The Angels, Rose Tattoo, Cheetah, Ted Mulry, Stevie Wright and, most crucially, AC/DC. George and Harry also struck gold with Flash and the Pan, almost by accident.

'George Young helped create such classics as 'Friday on My Mind', 'Sorry', 'Love is in the Air', 'Evie', 'Yesterday's Hero', 'Down Among the Dead Men', 'Hey, St. Peter', 'Bad Boy for Love', 'Jailbreak' and 'It's a Long Way to the Top'. In 2001, APRA voted 'Friday on My Mind' the best and most significant Australian song of the past 75 years.

'In this long-overdue book, the first to focus exclusively on the life and work of George Young, writer Jeff Apter explores George's long and fruitful association with Harry; his rare ability to maintain a stable married life with his wife Sandra; and his handshake deal with Ted Albert that helped create a music empire. The book also reveals such little-known events as the accident that almost killed off 'Hey, St. Peter' before its release, and the tragedy that bonded George and Harry for life.' (Publication summary)

'Malcom Young was the founder and the driving force of AC/DC, a man who possessed what many have called 'the greatest right hand in rock and roll'. That riff-producing mitt provided the muscle behind such signature songs as 'Highway to Hell', 'Back in Black', 'A Long Way to the Top' and many others, helping AC/DC survive shifting musical trends and numerous in-house dramas to stand tall as the biggest rock band on the planet.

'This first biography to focus exclusively on Malcolm tells of his remarkable rise from working-class Glasgow and Sydney to the biggest stages in the world. One of eight, Young always seemed destined for a life in rock and roll: his brother George was a key member of Australian legends, the Easybeats, and his brother Angus, the oldest schoolboy in the world, stood alongside Malcolm in AC/DC for the best part of 40 years. Malcolm lived hard and fast, enduring incredible hardship when the band first started, surviving the terrible loss of Bon Scott and suffering numerous personal demons including alcoholism. It was a series of severe health problems that led to his death in 2017, aged just 64 from complications arising from dementia. Yet without Malcolm Young, there would have been no AC/DC—it's as simple as that.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When Silverchair shuddered suddenly to a halt in 2011, there was no swansong, no farewell tour, just a brief statement and they were gone, after 15 years of brilliant music, five hit albums, legions of fans, millions of record sales, scores of ARIAs and the odd controversy. Three teenagers from Newcastle had taken the world by storm, graduating from a family garage to Madison Square Garden within the time it takes most bands to record their first single.

'Over their stratospheric career, Daniel Johns developed into a performer and songwriter with few peers. Shortly after the breakup, Johns' marriage to pop star Natalie Imbruglia also ended. People feared what might happen next. But at the same time, a new Daniel Johns emerged. 2018 saw the advent of DREAMS, his long-awaited collaboration with Luke Steele. This was a vastly different Daniel Johns to the grungy, guitar-blazing teen of the 1990s. It was a remarkable creative makeover, perhaps the most ambitious ever undertaken by an Australian rockstar. Former rockstar.

'The Book of Daniel documents how Johns also battled many personal demons, including life-threatening anorexia and crippling reactive arthritis, not to mention a wilful streak a mile wide. Jeff Apter has brought Johns' story to life, revealing in remarkable detail the many struggles and triumphs of one of Australia's most distinctive talents.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'‘How did such big balls get in such short pants?’ Steve Tyler of Aerosmith, speaking at the induction of AC/DC into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, on Angus Young

'Angus Young, the co-founder and the last remaining original member of AC/DC, has for more than 40 years been the face, sound and sometimes the exposed backside of the trailblazing rock band. In his trademark schoolboy outfit, guitar in hand, Angus has given his signature sound to songs such as ‘A Long Way to the Top’, ‘Highway to Hell’ and ‘Back in Black’, helping AC/DC become the biggest rock band on the planet.

'High Voltage is the first biography to focus exclusively on Angus. It tells of his remarkable rise from working-class Glasgow and Sydney to the biggest stages in the world. The youngest of eight kids, Angus always seemed destined for a life in music, and it was his passion and determination that saw AC/DC become hard rock’s greatest act. Over the years, Angus has endured the devastating death of iconic vocalist Bon Scott, the forced retirement of his brother in arms, Malcolm Young, and more recently the loss from the band of singer Brian Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd. Yet somehow the little guitar maestro has kept AC/DC not just on the rails, but at the top of the rock pile.' (Publication summary)

'John Farnham is the quintessential Aussie legend. As a teenager he gave up an apprenticeship to chase his musical dreams, hitting the big time with the catchy pop ditty ‘Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)’. But it wasn’t smooth sailing from there.'

'A family man at heart, and the most loyal of friends, John was sometimes uncomfortable with the spotlight and for many years struggled to make his music career as successful as those close to him – including Glenn Wheatley and Molly Meldrum – could see it could be. He finally hit his stride with 1986’s Whispering Jack and the breakaway success of ‘You’re The Voice’, which became the anthem of a generation. John lived it up – holidaying with the Skases in Port Douglas and sharing cigars with Bob Hawke at the Lodge – but always came back down to earth. Inherently humble, the King of Pop would also become king of the comeback, proving to have a longevity rare in the music industry.'

'In this deeply personal and insightful biography, author and music industry insider Jeff Apter, thanks to the support of those close to John, provides a rare glimpse inside Farnsie’s world, unlike any other book about the man. He reveals the drama behind John being named Australian of the Year, how the cassette demo of ‘You’re the Voice’ was nearly overlooked, and how John once accidentally sparked the attention of ASIO. And he explores Farnham’s relationships with the figures who have been instrumental in making him ‘The Voice’: his first manager, Daryl Sambell, his wife of 40-plus years, Jill, and long-time friend and manager Glenn Wheatley.' (Source: Publisher's website)

'The rise and fall of the brothers Gibb is perhaps the greatest saga in Australian music history.

'Despite several rebirths in a career that spanned many decades, it seemed that tragedy followed the Gibbs like a curse. For every incredible career high there was a hefty personal downside: divorce, drunkenness and death seemed as synonymous with the Gibbs as falsetto harmonies, flares and multi-platinum record sales.

'Not long before his death, Robin made it clear that he believed the Gibbs had been forced to pay the highest possible cost for their success. ‘All the tragedies my family has suffered . . . is a kind of karmic price we are paying for all the fame and fortune we’ve had.’

'This is the story of the brothers’ incredible careers and an examination of the Gibb ‘curse’, an all-too-human look at the rollercoaster ride of fame.' (Publication summary)

'The remarkable true story Paul 'Warlord' Warren, the young soldier and former Muay Thai boxing champioin, who lost one of his legs when an IED exploded during a mission in Afghanistan. A story of enormous courage, great determination and deep love.

'Paul 'Warlord' Warren was an Australian Muay Thai kick-boxing champion who was used to the physically punishing world of martial arts at its highest level. But nothing could prepare him for the torment he would face in the Australian army. One month after he arrived in Afghanistan as a soldier in the ADF, an IED exploded, tearing off his right leg and instantly killing his mate, Private Ben Ranaudo. It was 18 July 2009 and Ben was the campaign's eleventh fatality.

'Private Warren's life was saved by the quick work of his battalion, who got him a helicopter within 16 minutes for surgery. Paul was flown to Germany and then back to Australia, where he received treatment for his injuries in Brisbane. Although he had only known his partner, Dearne, for four months before his deployment, she moved to Brisbane to assist his recovery.

'There were many dark times as Paul struggled with the shattering effects of PTSD, and guilt and grief over the death of his mate Benny. At his lowest ebb, Paul thought about taking his own life, as so many other soldiers in similar circumstances continue to do. Recovery was a slow and at times desperately painful process, but the discipline and toughness he'd learned from his martial arts background and the fierce love of Dearne helped him mend.

'The Fighter is a story of courage, determination and love that will move all who read it. ' (Publication summary)

'Rugby league has entered an era when the coach generates as many front bar debates as the players. How did they come to command paydays and status equal to those of their star players?

'In Jeff Apter’s inimitable and fast-paced style, the book traces the evolution of the rugby league coach, back to the humble era of the captain-coach, and charts the careers of the legends, as well as the superstars of the modern era.

• Weaves an entertaining and fast-paced story around both the iconic legends and the instantly recognisable modern masters: Gibson, Bath, Churchill, Masters, Bennett, Stuart and Bellamy
• Indispensable reading for all rugby lovers and sports nuts.' (Publication summary)

'Bill Haley called him a future king of rock. Billy Thorpe idolised him. Fans loved him. We knew him simply as JO K.

'Johnny O Keefe was a human dynamo. Australia s first king of rock n roll, his massive influence still looms large on the Australian entertainment landscape. Although O Keefe suffered as many breakdowns as he did breakthroughs, he played a huge role in establishing the multi-million dollar Australian music industry as we know it today. He was our first and remains our greatest rock n roll star.

'Like his peer Elvis Presley, Johnny died way too young, from a heart attack in 1978, at the age of 43. He left behind a legacy of timeless hits, including She Wears My Ring , She s My Baby , Shout and The Wild One , and recorded thirty-three Top 40 hits during his lifetime. Johnny s role as host of the television shows Six O Clock Rock, Sing Sing Sing and The Johnny O Keefe Show still hold a special place in the hearts and minds of his many fans, as do his legendary live performances.

'Featuring the input of peers and insiders, and written with the full support of the JO K Trust, this is the definitive story of the man known as the Wild One.' (Publisher's blurb)

'"I think the only way to genuinely relate to people is to be true to yourself and about yourself. This means revealing the good and the bad. I hope that someone reading this might think ′I know what that feels like". Raised on the Nullarbor by their free-spirited parents, young Kasey Chambers and brother Nash would sometimes go for months without encountering another human being. Then, as The Dead Ringer Band, the family would perform in rough-and-tumble outback pubs, playing for little more than petrol money and sleeping in swags by the highway under the stars.

Along the way, Kasey was honing the unique talent that led to hit songs like Not Pretty Enough and multi award-winning albums like Barricades & Brickwalls and Little Bird. With her trademark down-to-earth honesty and humour, Kasey shares the highs and lows of her far from ordinary life, from her idyllic gypsy childhood to confronting the personal demons that threatened much more than her career.' Source: /www.harpercollins.com.au/ (Sighted 24/08/2011).

'He had it all: the heroin chic thing before it was chic, the scars, the swagger, an incredible stage presence. After bursting on to the Australian music scene in 1975, Dragon fast developed a reputation for both hard rocking and hard living. As the highly visible and charismatic lead singer, Marc Hunter was the voice behind such timeless hits as April Sun in Cuba, Are You Old Enough? and Rain. Yet Hunter was also a maverick whose destructive genius and serious heroin addiction led to a turbulent relationship with his bandmates, including older brother Todd. And it contributed to his early death at just 44. Originally published in 2011, this intimate portrait was written with full co-operation from Marc's mother Voi and his brother and former bandmate Todd, as well as contributions from many high-profile Australian music personalities such as James Reyne, John Paul Young, Kate Fitzpatrick, Richard Clapton, Don Walker, Kevin Borich, Tommy Emmanuel and Robert Forster.' (Publication summary)

'Suburban loner, gifted guitarist, drug addict, planinum-plated superstar: Keith Urban has squeezed a lot of living into his 40 years. He now ranks with Kylie Minogue, INXS, Silverchair and Savage Garden as one of the country's biggest musical exports of the past 20 years.

'Fortunate Son, the first biography of this movie-star-handsome country hero, tells the unlikely story of how Urban - who was born in New Zealand in 1967 but raised in Queensland - followed and eventually fulfilled his dream of selling country music back to the Americans, the people who created it in the first place.

'In an age when a crew of crack Nashville songwriters generate most of the hit songs recorded in Music City, Urban is an anomaly: actually writing, or at least co-writing, most of his material. Many feel he's watered down his rootsy take on country music to please the masses, but Urban's success is undeniable: to date he's sold more than five million albums, has scored five US Number One singles and typically sells out his stadium-sized shows in minutes...

'...based upon extensive interviews with friends, foes and Urban insiders, Fortunate Son reveals how Keith Urban lived out his childhood dream - and the price he's had to pay to reach the top of the music business.' (Publisher's blurb)