Lesley-Ann Jones

No comprehensive biography of the time Paul McCartney spent with Wings has ever been published. A period often dismissed as McCartney's 'missing' years, in fact the band lasted for a decade: two years longer than the Beatles, and wielded such impact and influence that they at one point achieved the status as the biggest live band in the world. Band on the Run sold over 6 million copies worldwide and became EMI's biggest selling album of the 1970s in the UK.Music biographer Lesley-Ann Jones has met McCartney many times and knew his late wife Linda. Here she shows how crucial Linda was to the evolution of Wings - at great cost to herself given the ridicule she was to encounter. But Linda saw that McCartney needed the band in the wake of the break up of the Beatles.Drawing on extensive interviews and her trademark meticulous research, the author shows how this period in Paul McCartney's career was to become crucial not only to his development as an artist, but to his very survival.

Few people knew that Freddie Mercury kept a diary. When he died in 1991, he left behind seventeen handwritten notebooks chronicling his life and times, which he had begun to write in 1976 when Queen were at the height of their global fame. His final entry was made just weeks before his death. Only four of his nearest and dearest ever knew what became of those diaries. To one of them, Freddie secretly entrusted the collection just before he died. A mind-blowing read, they constitute the closest thing to a Freddie Mercury autobiography that the world will ever know. In 2021, this trusted individual approached the author, offering something unprecedented: complete and unrestricted access to the artist’s most intimate confessions. For three and a half years, Lesley-Ann Jones has immersed herself in Freddie’s personal revelations, crafting a narrative that will overturn everything we thought we knew about him and his legacy. Love, Freddie shares shocking secrets from Freddie’s childhood, lifts the lid on his deepest fears and most passionate desires, explores the inspiration behind his songwriting, revisits his closest relationships and reveals the love of his life. Here, once and for all, is Freddie Mercury’s true story.

From Sunday Times bestselling author Lesley-Ann JonesScandalous affairs and public divorce. Addiction and fiery passion. And of course, the iconic song writing...Christine McVie - born Christine Perfect - was the quintessentially English rock star, as both the backbone and the beating heart of Fleetwood Mac.Straddling the band's incarnations to achieve global fame alongside Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham and John McVie, the classic line-up, she wrote and performed many of their greatest hits.As famous for their occasionally life-threateningly decadent lifestyles as for their musical brilliance, they were held together by this strong, constant figure whom they dubbed 'the mother' of the band. It was Christine who contained the flock, regrouped them when they went AWOL, focused and blended their talents and always got them back on track.And yet, as the 'engine' of the band during their Rumours era - an album that unwittingly charted the complete romantic disintegration within the band - Christine's personal life was every bit as tempestuous as those of her bandmates, weathering affairs, divorce, addiction and fiery passion, all of which bled into her now iconic song-writing.Told by an author who herself was friends with Christine, and with new contributions from those who knew her best, Songbird offers a true insider's view, and deep psychological insight into Christine as a both a woman and a musician - the first, the only, the ultimate picture of a rock legend and a national treasure.

'No other book has come close to capturing so well what Paul McCartney is about, nor described so vividly his mental breakdown when the Beatles separated, nor his need for Linda to nurse him back to good health...the book is packed with trivia, not for the sake of it but because it throws light onto the way Paul developed. And it's fascinating; every word of it. It's an extraordinarily brilliant book.' SIMON NAPIER-BELL'Totally enjoyed. You might have got a bit close for Sir Paul, but then again a true pro always respects the one who gets inside. Brava. ' ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM'The most brilliant journalism ... Captivating.' STEVE HARLEY, COCKNEY REBEL'...another amazing book. Your meticulous research is second to none.' JOHNNIE WALKERThe first definitive account of Paul McCartney's time in Wings, publishing on the fiftieth anniversary of the bestselling album Band on the RunNo comprehensive biography of the time Paul McCartney spent with Wings has ever been published. A period often dismissed as McCartney's 'missing' years, in fact the band lasted for a decade: two years longer than the Beatles, and wielded such impact and influence that they at one point achieved the status as the biggest live band in the world. Band on the Run sold over 6 million copies worldwide and became EMI's biggest selling album of the 1970s in the UK.Music biographer Lesley-Ann Jones has met McCartney many times and knew his late wife Linda. Here she shows how crucial Linda was to the evolution of Wings - at great cost to herself given the ridicule she was to encounter. But Linda saw that McCartney needed the band in the wake of the break up of the Beatles.Drawing on extensive interviews and her trademark meticulous research, the author shows how this period in Paul McCartney's career was to become crucial not only to his development as an artist, but to his very survival.

The Rolling Stones juggernaut appraised and dissected as never before - the good, the bad, the ugly.

John Lennonin kuolema 8. joulukuuta 1980 pysäytti miljoonat ihmiset ympäri maailman. Tiedämme kaikki, kuka hänet ampui, mutta kuka, tai mikä, hänet varsinaisesti tappoi? Milloin ”oikea” Lennon kuoli? Lesley-Ann Jones käy huolella läpi Lennonin taustat, elämän ja uran, setvii sekä kohokohdat että ongelmat ja pohtii mikä johti siihen, että hänet ammuttiin kuoliaaksi kotitalonsa edessä.Jones kuvaa tarkasti ja herkästi Lennonin musiikkia ja elämää tukeutuen muun muassa silminnäkijöiden lausuntoihin ja ennen julkaisemattomiin valokuviin. Hän on vuosien varrella haastatellut lukuisia Lennonin lähipiiriin kuuluneita ihmisiä ja ammentaa uutta tietoa heidän ajatuksistaan. Ääneen pääsevät niin Paul McCartney, ensimmäinen vaimo Cynthia ja heidän poikansa Julian, entinen tyttöystävä May Pang kuin Andy Peebles, viimeinen brittitoimittaja joka haastatteli Lennonia vain muutamaa päivää ennen tämän kuolemaa.Tämä vangitseva elämäkerta paljastaa vihdoin, mistä oli kyse mysteerissä nimeltä John Lennon.Lesley-Ann Jones on brittiläinen kirjailija ja legendaarinen rock-toimittaja. Hän on kirjoittanut elämäkerrat mm. Freddie Mercurystä, David Bowiesta, Marc Bolanista - ja itsestään.

In this revealing portrait of keyboardist, lyricist, and vocalist Christine Mcvie of Fleetwood Mac, readers will get an exclusive glimpse of the band's "mother figure". Christine McVie-born Christine Perfect-was the quintessentially English rock star, as both the backbone and the beating heart of Fleetwood Mac. She wrote and performed many of their greatest hits, and was dubbed 'the mother' of the band. It was Christine who contained the flock, regrouped them when they went AWOL, and always got them back on track. And yet, as the "engine" of the band during their Rumours era-an album which charted the romantic disintegration within the band-Christine's personal life was every bit as tempestuous as those of her bandmates. Told by an author who herself was friends with Christine, and with new contributions from those who knew her best, Songbird offers a true insider's view and psychological insight into Christine as a both a woman and a musician--the ultimate picture of a rock legend and a national treasure.

'EYEWITNESS GOLD' SUNDAY TIMESWHO - OR WHAT - WAS THE REAL LOVE OF FREDDIE MERCURY'S LIFE? THE SENSATIONAL NEW BIOGRPHAY OF QUEEN'S FRONTMAN Millions of Queen and screen fans who watched the Oscar-winning film Bohemian Rhapsody believe that Mary Austin, the woman he could never quite let go of, was the love of Freddie Mercury's life. But the truth is infinitely more complicated.Best-selling biographer and music writer Lesley-Ann Jones explores the charismatic frontman's romantic encounters, from his boarding school years in Panchgani, India to his tragic, final, bed-ridden days in his magnificent London mansion. She reveals why none of his love interests ever perfected the art of being Freddie's life partner.In Love of My Life, the author follows him through his obsessions with former shop girl Mary, German actress Barbara Valentin and Irish-born barber boyfriend Jim Hutton. She explores his adoration of globally fêted Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé. She delves into his intimate friendship with Elton John, and probes his imperishable bonds with his fellow band members. She deconstructs his complicated relationship with the 'food of love' - his music - and examines closely his voracious appetite for - what some would call his fatal addiction to - sex. Which of these was the real love of Freddie Mercury's life? Was any of them? Drawing on personal interviews and first-hand encounters, this moving book brings to the fore a host of Freddie's lesser-known loves, weaving them in and out of the passions that consumed him. The result, a mesmerising portrait of a legendary rock star, is unputdownable. Love of My Life, published during the year of the 30th anniversary of his death and that would have seen his 75th birthday, is Lesley-Ann's personal and compassionate tribute to an artist she has revered for as long as she has written about music and musicians.

An acclaimed rock and roll journalist evokes the legacy of The Rolling Stones--iconic, granitic, commercially unstoppable as a collective; and fascinating, contradictory, and occasionally disturbing as individuals. As Lesley-Ann Jones writes, the Rolling Stones are "still roaming the globe like rusty tanks without a war to go to. Jumping, jacking, flashing, posturing, these septuagenarian caricatures with faces that might have been microwaved but coming on like eternal thirty-year-olds." On 12th July 1962, the Rollin' Stones performed their first-ever gig at London's Marquee jazz club. Down the line, a 'g' was added, a spark was lit and their destiny was sealed. No going back. These five white British kids set out to play the music of black America. They honed a style that bled bluesy undertones into dark insinuations of women, sex, and drugs. Denounced as 'corruptors of youth' and 'messengers of the devil, ' they created some of the most thrilling music ever recorded. Now their sound and attitude seem louder and more influential than ever. Elvis is dead and the Beatles are over, but Jagger and Richards bestride the world. The Stones may be gathering moss, but on they roll. Yet how did the ultimate anti-establishment misfits become the global brand we know today? Who were the casualties, and what are the forgotten legacies? Can the artist ever be truly divisible from the art? Lesley-Ann Jones's new history tracks this contradictory, disturbing, granitic and unstoppable band through hope, glory and exile, into the juggernaut years and beyond into rock's ongoing reckoning . . . where the Stones seem more at odds than ever with the values and heritage against which they have always rebelled. Good, bad, and often ugly, here are the Rolling Stones as never seen before.

The truth behind Freddie Mercury's complex romantic relationships.

'EYEWITNESS GOLD' SUNDAY TIMESWHO - OR WHAT - WAS THE REAL LOVE OF FREDDIE MERCURY'S LIFE? THE SENSATIONAL NEW BIOGRPHAY OF QUEEN'S FRONTMAN Millions of Queen and screen fans who watched the Oscar-winning film Bohemian Rhapsody believe that Mary Austin, the woman he could never quite let go of, was the love of Freddie Mercury's life. But the truth is infinitely more complicated.Best-selling biographer and music writer Lesley-Ann Jones explores the charismatic frontman's romantic encounters, from his boarding school years in Panchgani, India to his tragic, final, bed-ridden days in his magnificent London mansion. She reveals why none of his love interests ever perfected the art of being Freddie's life partner.In Love of My Life, the author follows him through his obsessions with former shop girl Mary, German actress Barbara Valentin and Irish-born barber boyfriend Jim Hutton. She explores his adoration of globally fêted Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé. She delves into his intimate friendship with Elton John, and probes his imperishable bonds with his fellow band members. She deconstructs his complicated relationship with the 'food of love' - his music - and examines closely his voracious appetite for - what some would call his fatal addiction to - sex. Which of these was the real love of Freddie Mercury's life? Was any of them? Drawing on personal interviews and first-hand encounters, this moving book brings to the fore a host of Freddie's lesser-known loves, weaving them in and out of the passions that consumed him. The result, a mesmerising portrait of a legendary rock star, is unputdownable. Love of My Life, published during the year of the 30th anniversary of his death and that would have seen his 75th birthday, is Lesley-Ann's personal and compassionate tribute to an artist she has revered for as long as she has written about music and musicians.

Late on 8 December 1980, the world stopped turning for millions when news broke that its best-loved rock star had been gunned down in cold blood in New York City. But who, or what, really killed him? And when did the 'real' John Lennon die?Peeling back the layers, acclaimed music biographer and journalist Lesley-Ann Jones tracks the highs and lows that led Lennon to relocate to New York, where he was shot dead on the street outside his apartment building that fateful winter night. Using fresh first-hand research, unseen images and exclusive interviews with those who knew Lennon best, the author's search for answers in this enthralling exploration offers a gripping, 360-degree view of one of our most iconic music legends, four decades on from his tragic death.There have been countless books about the Beatles and John Lennon. There has never been one quite like this.