19 - ALL OF ME: ANNE MURRAY

An unflinching self-portrait of Canada’s first great female recording artist, All of Me documents the life of Anne Murray, from her humble origins in the tragedy-plagued coal-mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia, to her arrival on the world stage. Anne recounts her story: the battles with her record companies over singles and albums; the struggle with drug- and alcohol-ridden band members; the terrible guilt and loneliness of being away from her two young children; her divorce from the man who helped launch her career, Bill Langstroth; and the deaths of two of her closest confidantes. The result is a must-read autobiography by Canada’s beloved songbird.

Not really so humble, her father was a doctor and not as sensational as the above implies but an interesting enough read seeing as we are of the same vintage. She certainly recorded more than I was aware of probably because so much was country. The only album I ever bought was: There's A Hippo in My Bathtub, songs for children.