First published 2015
Elvis Costello chronicles his rise from Declan Patrick MacManus, a London kid with musical genes, to rock icon before age twenty-four. Born to a jazz musician father and grandson of a White Star Line trumpet player, Costello entered the family trade and conquered popular music through what he calls dumb luck and animal cunning. He traces his journey from practicing with a cardboard guitar in his front room to performing in the world's greatest concert halls. Costello reveals the emotional foundations behind his best known songs and upcoming hits, sharing stories about his famous collaborators and co-conspirators. He examines both his absurd episodes of pop stardom and the darker aspects of fame. Written with the same distinctive voice that marks his lyrics and filled with images from his personal collection, this memoir captures four decades of an unlikely career that somehow endured against the odds.
Genres: autobiography, biography-memoir, music, musicians
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, rise-to-fame
Setting: London
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
672 pages · Hardcover · Blue Rider Press