Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera, first published in 1910, remained a perennial favorite throughout the twentieth century and into the early 2000s. It was adapted to several popular motion pictures and into one of the most successful stage musicals of all time. Its main character, Erik, is a romantic figure whose appeal reaches across different cultures and times. He is a sensitive soul, an accomplished composer and musician whose great...

This comprehensive biography of George Gershwin unravels the myths surrounding one of America's most celebrated composers and establishes the enduring value of his music. Gershwin created some of the most beloved music of the twentieth century and helped make the golden age of Broadway. Biographer Pollack draws from sketches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, books, articles, recordings, films, and other materials to create an expansive, lively chronicle....

Two would-be songwriters hijack Dino as he passes through their town. Their attempts to charm him into listening to their songs encounter a problem when one man's wife is the head of Martin's fan club. A substitute is hired to claim his attentions. Things do not exactly work out as planned.

"Escaping persecution for being Jewish, the Baline family flee Russia and arrive by ship in New York Harbor in September 1893. Little Israel Isidore Baline is only five years old. After arriving at Ellis Island, the first stop for all immigrants, Israel and his family are ready to begin a new life in America. His family settles on the Lower East Side and soon Israel (now nicknamed Izzy) starts school. And while he learns English, he is not a very...

The life of a beloved American composer reflected through his music, writings, and letters.

"Jimmy Webb's words have been sung to his music by a rich and deep roster of pop artists, including Glen Campbell, Art Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Donna Summer, and Linda Ronstadt. He's the only artist ever to win Grammy Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestrations, and his chart-topping career has, so far, lasted fifty years, most recently including a Kanye West rap hit and a new classical nocturne. Now, in his first memoir, Webb delivers a snapshot...

When Tony Lip, a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley, a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on The Green Book to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger, as well as unexpected humanity and humor, they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the...

A meditation on the life of the Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and novelist discusses his performing career, which began despite his crippling stage fright, to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

From Irving Berlin to Cy Coleman, from "Alexander's Ragtime Band" to "Big Spender," from Tin Pan Alley to the MGM soundstages, the Golden Age of the American song embodied all that was cool, sexy, and sophisticated in popular culture. For four glittering decades, geniuses like Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Harold Arlen enticed unforgettable melodies out of thin air. Gershwin, in his brief but incandescent career, straddled Tin Pan...