Books
If you haven't read Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid yet, you're missing out on one of the biggest books of the spring and summer. Already a Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Book Club pick, Daisy Jones was inspired by VH1's Behind the Music and shares the oral history of the fictional band's — and it's charismatic lead singer's —complicated path to stardom in the drug-fueled, free-spirited '70s in California. Loosely based on legendary female artists like Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell, Daisy (and the rest of The Six, too) are compelling characters who leap off the page.
But if you're anything like me, you're going to want to dive into more books about female rock stars after you've finished getting to know Daisy and the band. The 10 books below are all written by or about some of the most legendary women to take the stage — think Patti Smith, Sheila E. and Janis Joplin — and all dive into their upbringings, their journeys to stardom, their creative processes and, of course, their complicated personal lives. If you just can't get enough of the drama and excitement of the rock music scene, check out the picks below:
'Girl in a Band' by Kim Gordon
Kim Gordon, founding member of Sonic Youth, shares stories of her life as one of the first women of rock and roll, delving into her music, her marriage, motherhood and more.
'Violence Girl: East L.A. Rage to Hollywood Stage, a Chicana Punk Story' by Alice Bag
Alice Bag, lead singer for early punk visionaries, The Bags, shares her journey as a Mexican-born American who crossed boundaries and made waves in East L.A.'s musica ranchera crowd and Hollywood's punk rock scene.
'I'll Never Write My Memoirs' by Grace Jones
Legendary singer and fashion icon Grace Jones writes about every era in her fascinating life in this memoir, from her strict religious upbringing in Jamaica to her time spent in the music and fashion scenes in New York and Paris in the 1980s.
'Fleetwood Mac on Fleetwood Mac: Interviews and Encounters' Edited by Sean Egan
You'll find a lot of similarities between the fictional Six and Fleetwood Mac (and their front women Daisy Jones and Stevie Nicks); and if you love the oral history format of Jenkins Reid's book, these collected interviews will be be right up your street.
'Just Kids' by Patti Smith
Patti Smith's beloved memoir follows her from her childhood and her early years in New York City, to her big break into the music scene in the '60s and '70s.
'The Beat of My Own Drum: A Memoir' by Sheila E.
Legendary drummer Sheila E. dives into her unique musical journey, sharing stories of her childhood with her father, legendary percussionist, Pete Escovedo, to joining forces with Prince.
'Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words' by Malka Marom
These collected interviews with folk musician Joni Mitchell were conducted across four decades, and take a deep dive into the singer's life and art.
'Love, Janis' by Laura Joplin
Written by the late singer's younger sister, Love, Janis is an intimate biography of the electrifying musician's influential years in the '60s music scene.
'Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.: A Memoir' by Viv Albertine
As the guitarist for seminal female punk group The Slits, Viv Albertine is one of a handful of original punks who changed music forever. Here she recounts everything from touring with the Clash to releasing her solo debut.
'I Put A Spell On You' by Nina Simone
In this book, legendary soul singer Nina Simone recounts her many lives and loves, and explores her unique influence on the music scenes of the '60s and '70s.
