Today it can feel like we know absolutely everything about our favorite celebrities. But no matter how many live streams we tune into, interviews we watch, or an “iOS press releases” we read, the ones on the scene will always have the real scoop.
Robyn Crawford’s A Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston (available today) shares what it was really like being at Whitney Houston’s side for her triumphs and struggles to debunking a few rumors and uncovering more than a few secrets.
If A Song For You leaves you wanting more celebrity tell-alls, here are nine similar choices to satisfy the curiosity Crawford sparked.
01
The Beautiful Ones – Prince
The enigmatic star uses artifacts from his career to illustrate how he fought to bring his visions to life including the original Purple Rain screenplay.
02
The Last Interview Series: Billie Holiday by Billie Holiday
Holiday’s views on the importance of empathy, the evils of racism, and the power of art are explored here. Learn what she really thought about her music and how she liked to spend her time off stage in this latest installment of “The Last Interview Series.” Concluding with the final statements she gave from her death bed as police waited outside to arrest her on a parole violation, the book gives a fuller portrait of the woman behind the pain.
03
Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope by Karamo Brown
The Queer Eye star recounts his journey to define culture for himself. Growing up in a Jamaican and Cuban household in the South, Brown endured colorism in his white neighborhood, attended an HBCU, and became a proud, gay, single father. Throughout his book he encourages self-reflection and inspires difficult conversations.
04
Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For by Susan Rice
As a former National Security Advisor, Rice was present for some of the most harrowing moments of the Obama Administration. She provides a closer look at the moments most of us could only glimpse through the news ticker in this story of her determination to serve.
05
Born for This: My Story in Music by Bebe Winans
Winans sheds light on the rarely seen sides of his close friends—including Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross—as he talks about finding his way within his famous family. Knowing he was born to sing God’s praises from the very beginning, he invites readers to learn about how he learned to use his gift, his way.
06
Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius by Rakim
The God MC lifts the curtain on a lifetime of metaphors and punchlines in this memoir meets how-to manual. Stash it in your tote if you’re tired of mumble rap soundtracking your daily commute.
07
On Time: A Princely Life in Funk – Morris Day
Return to the roots of funk music in this moving memoir where Day is honest about his shortcomings, his addictions and his friendship turned rivalry with Prince. Find out how he was able to start his own band, The Time, and establish a solo career that solidified his status as a multiplatinum artist.
08
Living in Color: What’s Funny About Me by Tommy Davidson (January, 28 2020)
Inspired to tell his story by his sister, the Midwestern funnyman reveals that his road to stardom began when he was abandoned in a trashcan. In this memoir spanning thirty years of success, it gives a behind-the-scenes look at some of our favorite shows and movie scenes of the nineties.
09
Jay-Z: Made in America by Michael Eric Dyson (November 26)
Dyson reinforces the case for considering Hov a certified genius. Using his lyrics as an entry point, Dyson follows Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter’s journey from Marcy Projects to the C-suite.
10
A Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston’s longtime friend is finally breaking her silence on their romantic relationship in a new memoir out next week, A Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston.
