Audiobooks by Lesley-Ann Jones

Songbird: An Intimate Biography of Christine McVie

In this revealing portrait of keyboardist, lyricist, and vocalist Christine Mcvie of Fleetwood Mac, readers will get an exclusive glimpse of the band's "mother figure". Christine McVie-born Christine Perfect-was the quintessentially English rock star, as both the backbone and the beating heart of Fleetwood Mac. She wrote and performed many of their greatest hits, and was dubbed 'the mother' of the band. It was Christine who contained the flock, regrouped them when they went AWOL, and always got them back on track. And yet, as the "engine" of the band during their Rumours era-an album which charted the romantic disintegration within the band-Christine's personal life was every bit as tempestuous as those of her bandmates. Told by an author who herself was friends with Christine, and with new contributions from those who knew her best, Songbird offers a true insider's view and psychological insight into Christine as a both a woman and a musician--the ultimate picture of a rock legend and a national treasure.

Lesley Ann Jones, Lesley-Ann Jones (Author), Lucy Tregear, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Songbird: An Intimate Biography of Christine McVie

From Sunday Times bestselling author Lesley-Ann Jones Scandalous affairs and public divorce. Addiction and fiery passion. And of course, the iconic song writing... Christine McVie - born Christine Perfect - was the quintessentially English rock star, as both the backbone and the beating heart of Fleetwood Mac. Straddling the band's incarnations to achieve global fame alongside Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham and John McVie, the classic line-up, she wrote and performed many of their greatest hits. As famous for their occasionally life-threateningly decadent lifestyles as for their musical brilliance, they were held together by this strong, constant figure whom they dubbed 'the mother' of the band. It was Christine who contained the flock, regrouped them when they went AWOL, focused and blended their talents and always got them back on track. And yet, as the 'engine' of the band during their Rumours era - an album that unwittingly charted the complete romantic disintegration within the band - Christine's personal life was every bit as tempestuous as those of her bandmates, weathering affairs, divorce, addiction and fiery passion, all of which bled into her now iconic song-writing. Told by an author who herself was friends with Christine, and with new contributions from those who knew her best, Songbird offers a true insider's view, and deep psychological insight into Christine as a both a woman and a musician - the first, the only, the ultimate picture of a rock legend and a national treasure.

Lesley-Ann Jones (Author), Lucy Tregear (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Stone Age: Sixty Years of the Rolling Stones

'However much you thought you knew about The Stones before you read it, afterwards you'll know more. It's glittering' - Simon Napier-Bell 'Special [...] it's brilliant' Johnnie Walker From Sunday Times bestselling author Lesley-Ann Jones On 12 July 1962, the Rollin' Stones performed their first-ever gig at London's Marquee jazz club. Down the line, a 'g' was added, a spark was lit and their destiny was sealed. No going back. These five white British kids set out to play the music of black America. They honed a style that bled bluesy undertones into dark insinuations of women, sex and drugs. Denounced as 'corruptors of youth' and 'messengers of the devil', they created some of the most thrilling music ever recorded. Now, their sound and attitude seem louder and more influential than ever. Elvis is dead and the Beatles are over, but Jagger and Richards bestride the world. The Stones may be gathering moss, but on they roll. Yet how did the ultimate anti-establishment misfits become the global brand we know today? Who were the casualties, and what are the forgotten legacies? Can the artist ever be truly divisible from the art? Lesley-Ann Jones's new history tracks this contradictory, disturbing, granitic and unstoppable band through hope, glory and exile, into the juggernaut years and beyond into rock's ongoing reckoning . . . where the Stones seem more at odds than ever with the values and heritage against which they have always rebelled. Good, bad and often ugly, here are the Rolling Stones as never before.

Lesley-Ann Jones (Author), Antonia Beamish (Narrator)

Audiobook

Who Killed John Lennon?: The lives, loves and deaths of the greatest rock star

Late on 8 December 1980, the planet stopped spinning for millions when news broke that the world's best-loved rock star had been gunned down in cold blood in New York City. In this enthralling exploration, acclaimed music biographer and journalist Lesley-Ann Jones unravels the enigma to present a complete portrait of the man, his life, his relationships, his untimely death and his eternal musical legacy as never before. Peeling back the layers, Jones tracks the highs and lows of both his professional and personal life that led Lennon to relocate to New York, where he was shot dead on the street outside his apartment building that fateful winter night. But who, or what, really killed him? And when did the 'real' John Lennon die? Using fresh first-hand research, unseen images and exclusive interviews with those who knew Lennon best, the author's search for answers offers a gripping, 360-degree view of one of our most iconic music legends, four decades on from his tragic death.Having interviewed many people over the years who had been connected to Lennon, including his first wife Cynthia, his firstborn son Julian, fellow Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, John's former girlfriend May Pang and Andy Peebles - the last British broadcaster to interview him, a couple of days before he was murdered - Jones draws on an astonishing personal archive. There have been countless books about the Beatles and John Lennon. There has never been one quite like this.

Lesley-Ann Jones (Author), Lesley-Ann Jones, Rebecca Gethings (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury

A REVEALING, INTIMATE LOOK AT THE MAN WHO WOULD BE QUEEN As lead vocalist for the iconic rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury's unmatched skills as a songwriter and his flamboyant showmanship made him a superstar and Queen a household name. But despite his worldwide fame, few people ever really glimpsed the man behind the glittering faÃ§ade. Now, more than twenty years after his death, those closest to Mercury are finally opening up about this pivotal figure in rock 'n' roll. Based on more than a hundred interviews with key figures in his life, Mercury offers the definitive account of one man's legendary life in the spotlight and behind the scenes. Rock journalist Lesley-Ann Jones gained unprecedented access to Mercury's tribe, and she details Queen's slow but steady rise to fame and Mercury's descent into dangerous, pleasure-seeking excesses- this was, after all, a man who once declared, "Darling, I'm doing everything with everyone." In her journey to understand Mercury, Jones traveled to London, Zanzibar, and India-talking with everyone from Mercury's closest friends to the sound engineer at Band Aid (who was responsible for making Queen even louder than the other bands) to second cousins halfway around the world. In the process, an intimate and complicated portrait emerges. Meticulously researched, sympathetic yet not sensational, Mercury offers an unvarnished look at the extreme highs and lows of life in the fast lane. At the heart of this story is a man . . . and the music he loved.

Lesley-Ann Jones (Author), Jane Collingwood (Narrator)

Audiobook