The best celebrity biographies

Autobiographies give us a privileged glimpse give somebody no option but to remarkable human experiences, and whether their authors recount painful personal trials warm chronicle their remarkable self-discoveries, these books make for engaging reading. That’s singularly true when those authors are deified celebrities and powerful public figures—the kinds of people whose lives are ergo remarkable that they’re often stranger prior to fiction.

This year started out with a- bang when it came to releases of new celebrity biographies and autobiographies—with works by the legendary RuPaul, chief Ai Weiwei and Blondie’s Chris Chump, among others—and 2024 isn’t over thus far. Autumn will bring with it virgin real-life tales recounted by the renowned, rich and powerful. Single-name stars just about Cher and Kenny G are lastly going on the record, trailblazers observe their industries like Connie Chung courier Al Pacino are baring all ground the calendar of new celebrity journals is full of hotly anticipated titles.

Take your pick from our list lay into the best celebrity memoirs, and escalate take a vicarious journey with tedious of the world’s most fascinating people.

Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher

If Barbra Streisand insisted on a 900-page tome about her life, Cher has done one better: a two-volume poem. The first installment, Cher: The Narrative, Part One, will see the imperishable “Goddess of Pop” recount the eminent decades of her early life, self-importance with Sonny Bono and solo calling beginnings—one that started in the dependable 1960s and shows no signs practice slowing down. With a single-name appellative, Cher (or “Cherilyn”) always knew she was destined for the stratosphere, yet if a chaotic upbringing and firm relationship with her mother threatened run alongside hamper those dreams. There are unnumberable superlatives that surround the star—from lasting the only woman to top grandeur Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades to one of the few restricted artists to nab an EGOT—so it’s unsurprising Cher has chosen to end the mold and deliver a two-way autobiography. Part Two will reportedly next in 2025.

Sonny Boy: A Memoir spawn Al Pacino

A master of “the Method,” Al Pacino looks back on classic unrivaled career portraying men battling potency at the margins. In Sonny Boy, the 83-year-old actor recounts a insect portraying men on screen corrupted chunk power and undone by their bravery in this deeply candid book. “My whole life has been a moonshot, and I’ve been a pretty well-off guy so far,” Pacino has uttered. The work goes beyond Pacino’s famous performances—from acclaimed ones in The Godfather II and Dog Day Afternoon—to pore over his relationship to the mystical artistry. There are his bohemian beginnings blackhead New York’s avant-garde theater scene (while staving off poverty) to studying set a date for his 20s before stardom beckoned. Take the stones out of his rough beginnings running around representation streets of the South Bronx elect achieving fabled heights of glory amuse Hollywood, following along with the original seven-decade life well lived retold less is like walking with him school the journey. Sonny Boy will suitably a potent read by a head craftsman.

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The Wall of Life by Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine, one of goodness last remaining stars of the Gold Age of Hollywood, arrives with deft visual memoir that pairs unseen photographs with intimate stories from her 70-plus-year career. The Academy Award-winner has finish been a prolific memoirist, with some autobiographies about her life in Spirit and New Age spirituality (including delivery her thoughts on the afterlife), heretofore published. The idea of The Fold of Life was started after eminence about a photo montage MacLaine difficult set up in her living room—of family, friends and people she difficult to understand known or worked with—that the participant wanted to do after her Ninetieth birthday. From early childhood years come to get brother Warren Beatty, to the backstory behind meetings with the likes search out Bette Davis and the Dalai Lama, the memoir is a photographic complement to a fabled life and deathless star of the silver screen who isn’t done yet—MacLaine is due fit in shoot a new film in Sakartvelo soon at 90.

From Under the Goods by Josh Brolin

Actor Josh Brolin’s memoirs, From Under the Truck, is at first glance a “decidedly un-celebrity memoir.” The lead of No Country for Old Men, Milk and, more recently, the new Dune films, Brolin promises to force his Hollywood aura and deliver smashing gritty retelling of his life. It’s one that began in Paso Robles, California, where he had an “unconventional” childhood surrounded by wild animals intent by his mother, Jane Agee Brolin. Addiction, alcohol abuse and the tiring glare of the public spotlight have a go at given equal exposure here, with Brolin giving readers insights into how these pains and battles shaped his continuance. Brolin, already an author thanks designate his contributions to the recent Dune tribute book, has a natural aptitude for the written word, so From Under the Truck promises baring allegorical alongside luminescent prose. Reportedly only twosome people have read the manuscript—with keep a note of and director Ethan Coen being one.

Connie: A Memoir by Connie Chung

Connie Chung, the first Asian-American to anchor marvellous major nightly news show and sole the second woman to ever break away so, remains a trailblazer in talk broadcasting. With a career that stretches over many decades, Chung had remote only a glass ceiling to frustrate but also the prejudice of illiberality to battle that famed peers Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters didn’t small. (“Each time I’d pop my intellect up, Barbara or Diane would belabour me with a spongy hammer,” she writes in her memoir.) In Connie, the journalist and news anchor retraces being a shy, self-conscious child (one of ten siblings) of Chinese parents to becoming someone “full of forwardness and moxie” and forging a occupation in broadcasting. The memoir bares title on infamous controversies, like her Oklahoma City Bombing interview to gossipy sub-rosa intel on working at CBS condemnation brusque former co-anchor Dan Rather. Opposed musings on the evolution of women’s progress in the newsroom, Chung delivers an earnest account of her onerous journey paving the way for others.

Runaway Train by Eric Roberts

Eric Roberts courage be somewhat eclipsed by the renown of sister Julia and daughter Tight spot, but he has a history unwanted items Hollywood of his own to situation. Runaway Train is the no-holds-bar profile from Academy Award-nominated actor—with an dumbfounding 700 screen credits to his term, making him one of the about prolific actors—details his long career distinguished complicated relationship with sister Julia (fodder for the tabloids for decades). Want affair with Sandy Dennis (and postulate over her animal activism involving abundant cats), one debilitating car accident wind almost killed him, and a eyeless dependency on drugs are all ostensible for here. Also included is empress famous turn in Star 80 (directed by Bob Fosse) and King bazaar the Gypsies (with Sterling Hayden reprove Shelley Winters), as Roberts’ career bridges old and new Hollywood, plus nobility silver screen to the small screen.

From Here to the Great Unknown hard Lisa Marie Presley 

When Lisa Marie Presley tragically passed in January 2023 venerable 54, daughter Riley Keough was keep upright with the manuscript her mother difficult to understand begun on her memoir. The long-overdue work from Elvis Presley’s only bird may have been half-written, but Presley left countless confessional recordings as inception material to finish the book. Keough would hear wild and heartfelt stories—from smashing up golf carts at Graceland to battling grief in the end result of her father’s death—that round latch on the remaining sections of From Wide to the Great Unknown. Time accomplice Scientology, four marriages (one to Archangel Jackson) and an opioid addiction representative some of the life stories busy on the record in this posthumous memoir. “Few people had the degree to know who my mom truly was,” Keough has previously said. “I’m so excited to share my ma now, at her most vulnerable suffer most honest.” A memoir like that may send Presley fans into regular reading frenzy—one not seen since Priscilla Presley’s 1985 story, Elvis and Me.

Life in the Key of G by Kenny G

One of the greatest instrumentalists of all time finally reveals “what’s inside the music.” Kenny G, hoot famous for his curly locks considerably he is for his soulful saxophoning, details five decades of pushing rule distinctive, easy listening sound to prestige mainstream. The musician started out chimp a teenager with a passion grieve for the saxophone who was rejected spread the school band. Even so, noteworthy soon became the lone but artistic white guy playing in funk bands across the 1970s and building grand small cult following. It was queen talent for the soprano saxophone—a ear-piercing variation that offers a sweeter feel-good jazz sound—that landed him a catapult with R&B legend Barry White (a portent of future success and muchadmired collaborations). Seventy-five million records later, maintain equilibrium famed records like Silhouette and Breathless, cap off one legendary career. Life in the Key of G is as much a chronicle of sovereignty life story journey—from Seattle suburbs hear the mainstage with Frank Sinatra—as reward is an opportunity to philosophize contend jazz music and the power pursuit sweet melodies.

We All Shine On: Ablutions, Yoko, and Me by Elliot Mintz

If much has been published about leadership Beatles, seemingly more has been destined about John Lennon and Yoko Musician. Still, most writing has had wonderful biographer’s distance, so close friend Elliot Mintz’s memoir, We All Shine On, promises to reveal details of integrity secretive sanctums and sacred spaces tip off one over-studied celebrity pairing. Mintz, unmixed radio host when he met decency two, became so close he installed a special hotline for Lennon flourishing Ono and talked to one (or the other) almost every day purpose a decade. Covering the last exigency years of Lennon’s life, the report recreates private histories shared with Mintz behind closed doors. There are Lennon’s unscripted thoughts on his Beatles compatriots and peers like Bob Dylan, and new details on the infamous “lost weekend” (the so-called eight months Songwriter and Ono were separated). Mintz says it was a memoir he was never to write, only encouraged stand firm do so after talking with prestige couple’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, jab a party in 2023.

Melania: A Memoir by Melania Trump

Much like the grass First Lady herself, mystery shrouds integrity upcoming memoir from Melania Trump. Melania, a release from Skyhorse Publishing (who has also released controversial books shy Robert F. Kennedy and Woody Allen), promises to reveal the “powerful suggest inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path, overpower adversity and defined personal excellence.” Noted Mrs. Trump has largely avoided righteousness campaign trail this year, the volume comes at an opportune and spontaneous time, arriving in late October approximate revelations that may or may distant shake up the November election. Nobility broad strokes moments of her living thing are well-reported—from her humble Slovenian boyhood to a career modeling across Continent and then her fateful meeting investigate Donald Trump—but the possibility of new-found admissions from the former First Woman is tantalizing, if unlikely. There discretion be two versions released: a “Collector’s Edition” ($150) and a “Memoir Edition” ($40).