Murder Makes Music

Murder Makes Music
Author: David Schwinger
Publisher: Page Publishing Inc
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2019-09-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 164584093X

Tony Capadora was in big trouble. He had been charged with the shooting murder of pop singer/songwriter Filip Beron, and the evidence against Tony appeared to be overwhelming. To start, Tony had publicly accused Filip of taking credit for writing a hit song that Tony had actually composed. Then, the murder weapon had been found buried in Tony's backyard. Finally, Filip had been able to write, in his loose-leaf, the first four letters of Tony's last name, just before he died. Tony was innocent, but he had no alibi and very little hope of avoiding decades in prison. Then, superstar detective Amy Bell was hired to try to clear Tony and find the real killer. With the encouragement and assistance of her husband, Jeremy, Amy slowly but surely uncovered various aspects of Filip's dark side. She identified many people who had reason to wish that Filip were dead. But it would take more than just finding other possible suspects to save Tony from the nearly airtight case against him. A police detective told Amy she was pursuing a ten-million-to-one long shot. But the vivacious and witty Amy was not one to give up, regardless of the odds. Author David Schwinger, when not writing Amy Bell mysteries--there are now eleven--enjoys composing songs, playing pickleball, and traveling the world with his wife, Sherryl. He first met Sherryl when she was his student in a mathematics class he taught at City College of New York. Their secret romance became the inspiration for his first Amy Bell mystery, The Teacher's Pet Murders.

A Hit With A Bullet

A Hit With A Bullet
Author: Sammy Sadler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2019-06-04
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 195090606X

The True Story of Murder on Music Row through the eyes of the sole survivor, Sammy Sadler. “A story of survival. A story of revival. A story that had to be told. An incredible read that will keep you on the edge of your seat!” - Country Music Star Deborah Allen In 1989, country newcomer Sammy Sadler had already charted several critically-acclaimed singles and was ready to release his first album when he was shot during the assassination of then Cash Box chart-manager, Kevin Hughes, an incident known around the world as the “Murder on Music Row.” The police had no suspects, and even though Sammy suffered a nearly fatal bullet wound, the officers kept him under suspicion during the 13-year investigation. Eventually, the investigation would reveal an elaborate web of corruption, chart-rigging and payola, a clear motive and suspect for the murder. An ending that rocked the music industry for many years to come. In this first-hand account, Sadler recounts his personal and sensational journey from wide-eyed, promising, Top-40 newcomer to “person of interest” and survivor of one of the most infamous killings in the music business. From his struggle to recover from his nearly-fatal injuries to the turmoil endured during the 13-year career-throttling investigation, this autobiographical account is a demonstration of his faith and his resilient passion for music that would allow him to move forward and continue to pursue his dreams. As featured on CMN, FOX 17 WZTV Nashville, FIRST COAST ABC News, Nashville.com, This Week America, WSM 650AM and Good Morning Texas.

A Murder in Music City

A Murder in Music City
Author: Michael Bishop
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2017
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1633883450

A private citizen discovers compelling evidence that a decades-old murder in Nashville was not committed by the man who went to prison for the crime but was the result of a conspiracy involving elite members of Nashville society. Nashville 1964. Eighteen-year-old babysitter Paula Herring is murdered in her home while her six-year-old brother apparently sleeps through the grisly event. A few months later a judge's son is convicted of the crime. Decades after the slaying, Michael Bishop, a private citizen, stumbles upon a secret file related to the case and with the help of some of the world's top forensic experts--including forensic psychologist Richard Walter (aka "the living Sherlock Holmes")--he uncovers the truth. What really happened is completely different from what the public was led to believe. Now, for the very first time, Bishop reveals the true story. In this true-crime page-turner, the author lays out compelling evidence that a circle of powerful citizens were key participants in the crime and the subsequent cover-up. The ne'er-do-well judge's son, who was falsely accused and sent to prison, proved to be the perfect setup man. The perpetrators used his checkered history to conceal the real facts for over half a century. Including interviews with the original defense attorney and a murder confession elicited from a nursing-home resident, the information presented here will change Nashville history forever.

Rap on Trial

Rap on Trial
Author: Erik Nielson
Publisher: The New Press
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2019-11-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1620973413

A groundbreaking exposé about the alarming use of rap lyrics as criminal evidence to convict and incarcerate young men of color Should Johnny Cash have been charged with murder after he sang, "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die"? Few would seriously subscribe to this notion of justice. Yet in 2001, a rapper named Mac whose music had gained national recognition was convicted of manslaughter after the prosecutor quoted liberally from his album Shell Shocked. Mac was sentenced to thirty years in prison, where he remains. And his case is just one of many nationwide. Over the last three decades, as rap became increasingly popular, prosecutors saw an opportunity: they could present the sometimes violent, crime-laden lyrics of amateur rappers as confessions to crimes, threats of violence, evidence of gang affiliation, or revelations of criminal motive—and judges and juries would go along with it. Detectives have reopened cold cases on account of rap lyrics and videos alone, and prosecutors have secured convictions by presenting such lyrics and videos of rappers as autobiography. Now, an alarming number of aspiring rappers are imprisoned. No other form of creative expression is treated this way in the courts. Rap on Trial places this disturbing practice in the context of hip hop history and exposes what's at stake. It's a gripping, timely exploration at the crossroads of contemporary hip hop and mass incarceration.

Murder on Music Row

Murder on Music Row
Author: Stuart Dill
Publisher: John F. Blair, Publisher
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2011
Genre: Murder
ISBN: 9780895875662

Twenty-three-year-old Judd Nix, an unpaid intern at the most prestigious personal management firm in country music, gets the opportunity of a lifetime when his boss and mentor, Simon Stills, offers him a temporary position--an opportunity that may just cost Judd his life.

Theme Music

Theme Music
Author: T. Marie Vandelly
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2020-09-29
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1524744727

“If you've been looking for your newest horror obsession after The Haunting of Hill House, read this one next.”—BuzzFeed She didn't run from her dark past. She moved in. For the lucky among us, life is what you make of it; but for Dixie Wheeler, the theme music for her story was chosen by another long ago, on the day her father butchered her mother and brothers and then slashed a knife across his own throat. Only one-year-old Dixie was spared, becoming infamously known as Baby Blue for the song left playing in the aftermath of the slaughter. Twenty-five years later, Dixie is still desperate for a connection to the family she can’t remember. So when her childhood home goes up for sale, Dixie sets aside all reason and moves in. But as the ghosts of her family seemingly begin to take up residence in the house that was once theirs, Dixie starts to question her sanity and wonders if the evil force menacing her is that of her father or a demon of her own making. In order to make sense of her present, Dixie becomes determined to unravel the truth of her past and seeks out the detective who originally investigated the murders. But the more she learns, the more she opens up the uncomfortable possibility that the sins of her father may belong to another. As bodies begin to pile up around her, Dixie must find a way to expose the lunacy behind her family’s massacre to save her few loved ones who are still alive—and whatever scrap of sanity she has left.

City of Angels

City of Angels
Author: Cy Coleman
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
Total Pages: 216
Release: 1990
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 9781557830814

(Applause Libretto Library). The libretto to the Tony winning musical featuring a book by Larry Gelbart, music by Cy Coleman, and lyrics by David Zippel. The book also includes an introduction by Larry Gelbart, illustrations by Al Hirschfeld, production photographs, and original costume designs.

The Book of Mac

The Book of Mac
Author: Donna-Claire Chesman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2021-10-26
Genre: Music
ISBN: 163758069X

An album-by-album celebration of the life and music of Mac Miller through oral histories, intimate reflections, and critical examinations of his enduring work. “One of my most vivid memories of him is the way he would look at you while he was playing you a song. He tried to look you right in the eyes to see how you were feeling about it.” —Will Kalson, friend and first manager Following Mac Miller’s tragic passing in 2018, Donna-Claire Chesman dedicated a year to chronicling his work through the unique lens of her relationship to the music and Mac’s singular relationship to his fans. Like many who’d been following him since he’d started releasing mixtapes at eighteen years old, she felt as if she’d come of age alongside the rapidly evolving artist, with his music being crucial to her personal development. “I want people to remember his humanity as they’re listening to the music, to realize how much bravery and courage it takes to be that honest, be that self-aware, and be that real about things going on internally. He let us witness that entire journey. He never hid that.” —Kehlani, friend and musician. The project evolved to include intimate interviews with many of Mac’s closest friends and collaborators, from his Most Dope Family in Pittsburgh to the producers and musicians who assisted him in making his everlasting music, including Big Jerm, Rex Arrow, Wiz Khalifa, Benjy Grinberg, Just Blaze, Josh Berg, Syd, Thundercat, and more. These voices, along with the author’s commentary, provide a vivid and poignant portrait of this astonishing artist—one who had just released a series of increasingly complex albums, demonstrating what a musical force he was and how heartbreaking it was to lose him. “As I’m reading the lyrics, it’s crazy. It’s him telling us that he hopes we can always respect him. I feel like this is a message from him, spiritually. A lot of the time, his music was like little letters and messages to his friends, family, and people he loved, to remind them of who he really was.” —Quentin Cuff, best friend and tour manager

Most Dope

Most Dope
Author: Paul Cantor
Publisher: Abrams
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2022-01-18
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1647005221

The first biography of rapper Mac Miller, the Pittsburgh cult favorite–turned–rap superstar who touched the lives of millions before tragically passing away at the age of 26—now in paperback Malcolm James McCormick was born on January 19, 1992. He began making music at a young age and by 15 was already releasing mixtapes. One of the first true viral superstars, his early records earned him a rabid legion of die-hard fans—as well as a few noteworthy detractors. But despite his undeniable success, Miller was plagued by struggles with substance abuse and depression, both of which fueled his raw and genre-defying music, yet ultimately led to his demise. Through detailed reporting and interviews with dozens of Miller’s confidants, Paul Cantor brings you to leafy Pittsburgh, seductive Los Angeles, and frenzied New York, where you will meet Miller’s collaborators, producers, business partners, best friends, and even his roommates. Traveling deep into Miller’s inner circle, behind the curtain, the velvet ropes, and studio doors, Most Dope tells the story of a passionate, gifted young man who achieved his life’s ambition, only to be undone by his personal demons. Most Dope is part love letter, part cautionary tale, never shying away from the raw, visceral way Mac Miller lived his life. Praise for Most Dope "A tender, studious remembrance." —The New York Times Book Review "An insightful exploration of his life . . . painstakingly reported by Cantor, who interviewed more than 100 people during a three-year process." —USA Today "An inside look at Miller's life through the eyes of his friends and industry peers, tracking the musician's life journey as he quickly ascended the ranks." —Daily Beast

Singing the News of Death

Singing the News of Death
Author: Una McIlvenna
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 561
Release: 2022-07-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 0197551858

Across Europe, from the dawn of print until the early twentieth century, the news of crime and criminals' public executions was printed in song form on cheap broadsides and pamphlets to be sold in streets and marketplaces by ballad-singers. Singing the News of Death: Execution Ballads in Europe 1500-1900 looks at how and why song was employed across Europe for centuries as a vehicle for broadcasting news about crime and executions, exploring how this performative medium could frame and mediate the message of punishment and repentance. Examining ballads in English, French, Dutch, German, and Italian across four centuries, author Una McIlvenna offers the first multilingual and longue durée study of the complex and fascinating phenomenon of popular songs about brutal public death. Ballads were frequently written in the first-person voice, and often purported to be the last words, confession or 'dying speech' of the condemned criminal, yet were ironically on sale the day of the execution itself. Musical notation was generally not required as ballads were set to well-known tunes. Execution ballads were therefore a medium accessible to all, regardless of literacy, social class, age, gender or location. A genre that retained extraordinary continuities in form and content across time, space, and language, the execution ballad grew in popularity in the nineteenth century, and only began to fade as executions themselves were removed from the public eye. With an accompanying database of recordings, Singing the News of Death brings these centuries-old songs of death back to life.