The initial volume in the Billboard Hitmakers Series focuses on the 100 most influential rock artists of all time, including the early singers, players, and bands that shaped the evolution of rock styles. Arranged alphabetically, these profiles offer an instructive overview of the artists who charted the course of modern pop culture.

'I was amazed at how many people have shared an experience I though was so rare' - Eric ClaptonIn this exciting and inspiring book, 75 of the world's most iconic musicians reveal - many for the first time - their thoughts on creating music. Psychologist Jenny Boyd has probed the minds and souls of these artists and has delved into the drive to create, the importance of nurturing creativity, the role of unconscious influences and the effects of chemicals and drugs on the creative process.Music legends who contributed exclusive interviews include: ERIC CLAPTON - GEORGE HARRISON - JULIAN LENNON - JACKSON BROWNE - DAVID CROSBY - STEPHEN STILLS - GRAHAM NASH - DON HENLEY - HANK MARVIN - KEITH RICHARDS - RAVI SHANKAR - RINGO STARR - STEVE WINWOOD - MICK FLEETWOOD - STEVIE NICKS - JONI MITCHELLWith candid photographs and in-depth analysis of what makes great musicians tick, this is the ultimate book for any music fan.

Discusses the evolution of rock music from its earliest origins to today's most influential musical styles and performers

As a friend and cohort of some of rock music's biggest legends - the Who, Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Joe Walsh, and countless others - photographer Tom Wright was given unparalleled access to almost every aspect of the musicians' lives, on- and offstage. Roadwork is a compilation of over 200 of Wright's groundbreaking photographs and the true stories behind the captivating pictures that have earned him praise as "America's most important documenter of the 1960s and 1970s rock 'n' roll scene". Gritty and realistic, poignant and beautiful, Wright's photos powerfully deconstruct the glamour of life on the road, capturing the true essence of rock 'n' roll: the musicians, the roadies, the fans, and the beautiful women who voraciously followed these rock bands. Over the years, Wright has allowed almost no commercial access to his work; his photographs have been available to only the musicians he's worked with and a handful of record company executives ... until now. Roadwork offers a rare glimpse into the extraordinary life and stunning art of Tom Wright, the man Joe Walsh dubbed "the Jack Kerouac of rock 'n' roll." Includes 180 black and white photos (60 of those are full page) and an eight page color section.

Long before "women in rock" became a media catchphrase, Rosetta Tharpe proved in spectacular fashion that women could rock. Born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, in 1915, she was gospel's first superstar and the preeminent crossover figure of its "golden age" (1945-1965). Everyone who saw her perform said she could "make that guitar talk." Shout, Sister, Shout! is the first biography of this trailblazing performer who influenced scores of popular musicians, from Elvis Presley and Little Richard to Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt. An African American guitar virtuoso, Tharpe defied categorization. Blues singer, gospel singer, folk artist, and rock-and-roller, she "went electric" in the late 1930s, amazing northern and southern, U.S. and international, and white and black audiences with her charisma and skill. Ambitious and relentlessly public, Tharpe even staged her own wedding as a gospel concert-in a stadium holding 20,000 people! Wald's eye-opening biography, which draws on the memories of over 150 people who knew or worked with Tharpe, introduces us to this intriguing and forgotten musical heavyweight, forever altering our understanding of both women in rock and U.S. popular music.