2. Straight Life: The Story of Art Pepper by Art and Laurie Pepper
A brutal and honest account of the saxophonist’s addiction, prison and deviancy with a little jazz thrown in. One of the best books ever of any kind. Exceptional.
3. Papa John by John Phillips
Extremely dark account of The Mamas & The Papas songwriter’s life. Not for the faint of heart.
4. Tenement Kid by Bobby Gillespie
An open and often funny account of Gillespie’s childhood and upbringing in ’70s working-class Glasgow. Brilliantly captures the spirit and the times that took him from there to the worldwide stage.
5. Ten Thousand Apologies: Fat White Family And the Miracle of Failure by Adelle Stripe and Lias Saoudi
I can’t say enough good things about this book. A hilarious and heartbreaking story of Fat White Family and the heavy price rock ’n’ roll sometimes demands of its most sensitive disciples.
You can buy Devil in a Coma from The Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.
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