CYBER PR Presents : 15 Memoirs by Women Who Changed the Face of Music

​This article was written by Ailie Orzak - an intern at Cyber PR, a student at Tufts University, and a lover of all things music - under the supervision of Jenn O'Hagan, the PR Director at Cyber PR. This article features the stories of 15 incredible women who made their mark on multiple genres in the music industry including rock, country and pop. Their memoirs shine a light how their lives influenced their career, and how their work, in turn, empowered the world. Read on to discover your next book from this list of page-turners!

Carly Simon
Boys in the Trees
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Esteemed singer-songwriter, Carly Simon, leads her readers through the twists and turns of her remarkable life in this memoir, “Boys in the Trees.” From her musical beginnings in The Simon Sisters to her famed solo career, this book captures the slow dismantling of her family as old secrets tore them apart as well as moments musical inspiration and personal growth perfectly.  Pick up your copy here!

Jewel
Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story
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From a rugged and difficult upbringing in Alaska to homelessness in her teenage years in California and finally to her extraordinary career studded with several platinum records, singer-songwriter Jewel’s life is just as emotional as her award-winning music is. Her memoir, Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story, gives you a peek into insecurities, love, loss, and self-discovery, with writing that is heart wrenching and incredible, just as her music makes you feel.Grab this captivating read here!

Kim Gordon
Girl in a Band
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Sonic Youth emerged from the NYC underground in the 1980s as a game-changer in the rock and roll industry, bringing with them not only a fresh, punk sound but a new aesthetic that impacted the world of visual art. In Girl in a Band, Kim Gordon tells the story of Sonic Youth’s transformative career as well as her experience as one of the first women in rock and roll. In this account of a woman paving her way and forming an identity within an abrasive industry — Gordon remains as edgy as her music, as wise as her years, and powerful in her own right. Uncover more here.

Patti Smith
M Train/Just Kids/Year of the Monkey
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Patti Smith is heralded as a poet, a champion of unconventional punk, and an iconic performer. She has published several beautiful books, including Just Kids, M Train, and her latest Year of the Monkey. Smith’s writing is intellectual and evocative while featuring her beautiful prose as well. Patti’s career was based on her ability to bend the expectations of women in rock, and her writing shows she can dominate the page just as she did the stage! Get your hands on her work here.

Loretta Lynn
Coal Miner’s Daughter
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Country music legend, Loretta Lynn’s career speaks for itself. Not only is she the only woman recognized by the Academy of Country Music as the Artist of the Decade for the 1970s, she is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. As a songwriter, she’s studded with No. 1 hits and Grammy’s, but her life speaks louder than any award could. In her memoir, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Loretta recounts her rise to stardom out of deep poverty in Kentucky. Though married at 13 and a grandmother by age 30, she built a career around her family and difficult marriage. Order your copy of this memorable and influential read here!

Carole King
A Natural Woman
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Carole King may have had one of the greatest solo careers of all time, made even greater by her legacy as an incredible songwriter, having penned hits for The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, and The Monkees to name a few. Her memoir, A Natural Woman, focuses on her personal life — the love for her four husbands, anecdotes on how she coped with fame, and her journey as an activist. The accolades of her career are but a brief mention, and instead, we get a beautiful peek into the life of such a music industry icon.You can grab her memoir here!

Viv Albertine
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys
Website | Spotify

Selected by the New York Times as one of the best memoirs of the last 50 years, Viv Albertine’s Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys is a no holds barred account of her experience as a woman in the male-dominated punk scene as she rose to fame with her band The Slits. It’s a raw and honest telling of the riot grrrl movement and a woman staying true to her roots when confronted with the push to conform. Check out this fierce memoir here!

Pat Benatar
Between a Heart and a Rock Place
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Nominated for a 2020 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the infamous Pat Benatar needs no introduction. She paved a way for women in rock, and in her book, she writes, “For every day since I was old enough to think, I've considered myself a feminist … It's empowering to watch and to know that, perhaps in some way, I made the hard path [women] have to walk just a little bit easier.” When at times, rock and roll was such a boys club, Pat Benatar recounts how she asserted herself in the industry, empowering all of us readers along the way. Read her powerful book here!

Carrie Brownstein
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl
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Carrie Brownstein led the feminist punk rock movement of the 1990s alongside her bandmates of Sleater-Kinney, spearheading the riot grrrl scene and building a space for queerness in hardcore rock. She went on to develop Portlandia, of which many of the sketches drew inspiration from her experience in the Pacific NorthWest music and indie scenes. Her memoir is a fresh account of her experience as a young woman who found her life changed forever by music, performance, and a fierce desire to redefine how gender is perceived in punk rock. Grab her book here!

Courtney Love
Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love
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Always the controversial figure, Courtney Love emerges to tell her side of life as a trendsetting rock musician and wife of a rockstar - the late Kurt Cobain. Whether you love her or hate her, this memoir is an enticing compilation of Love’s successes, mistakes, personal anecdotes, and upbringing. When we say this one’s juicy… we mean it! Seriously, Courtney fired her ghostwriter for being a bit too tell all. Grab your copy and let us know what you think!

Billie Holiday
Lady Sings the Blues
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Billie Holiday left a rose-tinted legacy on the jazz scene of the 1930s and 1940s, but during her lifetime, her reputation was plagued with drug abuse and legal troubles. Her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, tells the tall tales of her career, personal struggles, and experience as a Black woman in the pre-Civil Rights era. It’s raw, and upsetting, but a work of art just like Billie herself. Buy yours today!

Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir
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There’s no denying Cyndi Lauper is an international icon — her music, style, fresh take on 90s pop, and score of Broadway Show Kinky Boots have all made her a worldwide name. In her self-titled memoir, the “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” singer leads us through her life detailing her childhood in Queens, NY to her career filled with activism, acting, and nonstop hits. It’s funny, real and the story of a remarkable, pop heroine. Check it out here!

Sara Bareilles
Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song
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If you haven’t wailed the lyrics to “Love Song” at some point in your life, you’re missing out (and we also kind of think you’re lying but we digress...) This catchy and empowering single from 2007 was Sara Bareilles' debut release and the very beginning of a long and successful career. With 7 award-winning records, Sara consistently writes songs from that heart that depict raw, beautiful emotion and this book is no different. This her collection of essays, Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song, she takes you behind the scenes featuring her childhood, inside stories behind her biggest tracks and how she maintains integrity in the commercial music industry.Enjoy Sara’s work here!

Chrissie Hynde
Reckless: My Life as a Pretender
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Though Chrissie Hynde is THE face of The Pretenders, she has created a legacy for herself by bending gender expectations in rock and roll and showcasing her songwriting capabilities both in the band and in her solo career. Hynde has long proved that she can outperform her male counterparts, and her memoir, Reckless: My Life as a Pretender, tells the story of the jagged beginnings of her career. This rough-around-the-edges, coming of age story shines a light on the first-hand experiences of one of the greatest female rock stars of all time. Order yours today!

Grace Jones
I’ll Never Write My Memoirs
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There’s hardly a facet of the entertainment industry that Grace Jones hasn’t made a name for herself in - music, modeling, acting and her memoir, I’ll Never Write My Memoirs, adds the title author to her boundless career. Readers follow her from her childhood in Jamaica to her career in Paris and NYC to her present life in London. It’s a whirlwind of a worldwide journey, filled to the brim with her triumphs in the multiple industries she worked in. Get a closer look at Grace's life here!

Written by Ailie Orzak, supervised by Jenn O'Hagan :

 Ailie Orzak is an intern at Cyber PR. From event coordination and marketing, to community management and performing, the PR Director of Cyber PR , Jenn has glanced behind-the-curtain in many areas of this industry. Well-versed in all things Cyber PR, Jenn works with artists to identify if they’re a perfect fit for our company and if so, which services will be the best match. Find out more about Jenn and Cyber PR here.