Jeff Apter

Keith Urban

Jeff Apter tells to story of No Doubt, the Orange County band which was formed in 1986 by Eric Stefani and John Spence. The soon recruited Eric's younger sister Gwen as co-vocalist. With the addition of Tony Kanal on bass, No Doubt launched a 20 year career that would fuse ska, grunge, alt.rock and shades of other musical genres.

Simple Kind of Life

The highs, lows and incredible life of the enigmatic Daniel Johns, from Silverchair to DREAMS

From Silverchair to DREAMS

The Book of Daniel

(Book). Bono called Jeff Buckley "a pure drop in an ocean of noise." In this startling new biography, Buckley's friends, peers, enemies, collaborators, lovers, and others speak of the Jeff they knew or, in some cases, thought they knew. His struggles with writer's block are explored, as are his battles with the concept of stardom, his desire for escape, and his attempts to deal with the unavoidable legacy of his equally gifted father, Tim Buckley.

The Life of Jeff Buckley

A Pure Drop

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.

The Life and Death of Marc Hunter

Chasing the Dragon

In this deeply personal and insightful biography, author and music industry insider Jeff Apter provides a rare glimpse inside Farnsies world. Thanks to the support of those close to John its unlike any other book about the man. 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 1986s Whispering Jack and the breakaway success of Youre the Voice, which became the anthem of a generation. Jeff reveals the drama behind John being named Australian of the Year, how the cassette demo of Youre the Voice was nearly overlooked, and how John once accidentally sparked the attention of ASIO. And he explores Farnhams 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 longtime friend and manager Glenn Wheatley.

The Definitive Biography of John Farnham

Playing to Win

'Jeff Buckley was a pure drop in an ocean of noise.' – Bono It was his take on John Cale's cover version of Leonard Cohen's song 'Hallelujah' that made the number famous and his album – Grace – that caused everyone from Led Zeppelin and U2 to Radiohead and Coldplay to look up to Buckley as an illuminating spirit. But who was the man behind the music? Buckley’s many personal letters are revealed for the first time. His struggle with writers block is explored, as is his ongoing battles with the concept of stardom, his desire for escape and the attempts to deal with the unavoidable legacy of his equally gifted father, Tim Buckley. In A Pure Drop, his friends, peers, enemies, lovers and collaborators all speak of the Jeff Buckley they knew, or in some cases, they thought they knew.

A Pure Drop' The Life Of Jeff Buckley

the story of The Cure

Never enough

He was the pop star with the raccoon eyes who sang ‘Hollywood Seven’ and ‘Six Ribbons’; the swashbuckling Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance; the rocker who packed beer barns across Australia; and, in the words of Tim Rice, ‘a brilliantly judged and truly exciting’ Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. On the small screen he was as comfortable portraying Bobby Rivers in All Together Now as he was Jonathan Garrett in Against the Wind. But there was a lot more to Jon English. He was a proud father of four who married his high school sweetheart. He was so devoted to the Parramatta Eels that he wrote one of their team songs. And he was also a composer whose rock opera, Paris, proved to be the biggest challenge of his life. Written with the full support of Jon’s family, friends and peers, Behind Dark Eyes swings from the massive highs of Jesus Christ Superstar and pop stardom to the turmoil brought about by creative frustration and depression - and Jon’s tragic death in 2016 at the age of 66.

The True Story of John English

Behind Dark Eyes

Behind Dark Eyes tells the complete, authorised story of Jon English, the pop star and actor with 70s/80s hits such as Hollywood Seven, Six Ribbons and Hot Town, and the star of shows such as Pirates of Penzance and Jesus Christ Superstar. The book tells of these massive highs, but also of his later struggles and his tragic, untimely death in 2016.

The True Story of Jon English

With contributions from former and current band members, collaborators, friends and critics, Simple Kind Of Life is the first major biography of No Doubt. The eclectic Orange County band was formed in 1986 by Eric Stefani and John Spence who soon recruited Eric's younger sister Gwen as co-vocalist. With the addition of Tony Kanal on bass, No Doubt launched a 20-year career that would fuse ska, grunge, alt.rock and shades of several other musical genres into a unique mix. The 1987 suicide of John Spence resulted in the battlefield promotion of Gwen Stefani to lead vocalist, a shift that would prove a launch pad for her future solo career and media celebrity status. Through it all No Doubt went from strength to strength and in 1995, following the departure of Eric Stefani, finally found mainstream success when their third album, Tragic Kingdom, enjoyed over 15 million sales worldwide. Since then this ska-loving band from Southern California has flourished. Despite a frequently shifting line-up and the potential distraction of Gwen Stefani's parallel solo career, No Doubt have stayed true to their original mission to be musical and visual innovators. This is their fascinating story. Book jacket.

A Simple Kind of Life

Gwen Stefani & No Doubt

Here is the unlikely story of one man's wild ride from his upbringing in a Virginian suburban outpost to the top of the rock and roll ladder. Throughout his now legendary career with punk banner-wavers Scream, grunge heroes Nirvana, and alt-rock leaders the Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl has thrilled millions of fans with his powerhouse drumming, his anthemic riffing, and his melodic brilliance - and the smile has never left his face. His is a story of hard times, good fortune, and some very tough decisions. Three decades into his life of rock, having endured more than his fair share of tragedy and triumph, Dave Grohl remains one of rock's most respected figures.

Nirvana - Foo Fighters

Dave Grohl Story

Loaded with candid interviews and hard truths about Grohl's life in music, this is the first comprehensive biography of an icon whose career charts rock and roll's rise and fall over the past two decades. 'The Dave Grohl Story' details his drumming and touring with Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails, as well as his battle over Nirvana's legacy with Courtney Love.

Nirvana, Foo Fighters

The Dave Grohl Story

Eva Cassidy Fields of Gold

'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.

The Life of Angus Young - AC/DC's Last Man Standing (16pt Large Print Edition)

High Voltage

‘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. Jeff Apter is the author of more than 20 books, many dealing with the world of music. He has written biographies of Keith Urban, the Finn brothers, Johnny O’Keefe, Jeff Buckley and the Bee Gees. As ghostwriter, he has worked with Kasey Chambers, AC/DC’s Mark Evans and Richard Clapton. He was also the creative consultant for the Helpmann Award–nominated live production A State of Grace: The Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley and spent four years on staff at Rolling Stone Australia.

The Life of Angus Young - ACDC's Last Man Standing

First comprehensive biography of Silverchair featuring interviews with all band members. Andrew Denton: 'I think you're enjoying life now. Would I be right?' Daniel Johns: 'Yeah, definitely, I love life. It's the best thing in the world.' - Denton, 2004 It's taken Daniel Johns a long time to be able to make such a simple statement. Having spent more than 10 years as the frontman for Silverchair, Australia's biggest rock band of the past decade, he's endured teen stardom, depression, anorexia, crippling reactive arthritis and the slings and arrows of the music industry, only to emerge, tattooed and renewed. And now, the Newcastle-born band have been recording in the famed Laurel Canyon studios in LA and will release their fifth album early in 07 and hit the road playing their own eccentric and feisty Oz Rock. A New Tomorrow tells the complete and unexpurgated story of Silverchair. Apter documents how Johns and his two schoolmates, drummer Ben Gillies and bassman Chris Joannou, graduated from the loft above the Gillies' family garage to centrestage of Madison Square Garden - all within the time it typically takes most bands to record their first single. When the dust settled and they discovered their debut album, Frogstomp, had sold almost three million copies, Silverchair were faced with an even bigger challenge, as they attempted to prove they were much more than 'Nirvana In Pyjamas'. With the release of their 2002 masterpiece, Diorama, Silverchair firmly established their own musical identity, while Johns has developed into a songwriter with few peers in modern music. Featuring exclusive interviews with the band and all of those who have worked with Silverchair over their rollercoaster ride of a career, A New Tomorrow covers all of the band members' solo work, the Johns/Imbruglia nuptials, the band's 'rebirth' at the WaveAid fundraiser.

The Silverchair Story

A New Tomorrow

This intimate and revealing portrait is the first biography of one of the original hard men of Australia rock. It has been written with full co-operation of Marc's mother Voi and his brother and former bandmate Todd, as well contributions from many high-profile Australian music personalities-- Back cover.

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.

The true story of AC/DC legend Bon Scott

Bad Boy Boogie

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

Jeff Apter

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