Books like Respect by David Ritz

Jeannette Walls' memoir chronicles her turbulent childhood in a dysfunctional, itinerant family, detailing poverty, alcoholism, and homelessness across the United States as she seeks stability and personal growth.

Maya Angelou's autobiography, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings', tells the story of her life and the challenges she faced growing up in Arkansas, including racism, abuse, and the loss of her father. The book is a powerful and moving portrayal of the African American experience during the 1930s and 1940s.

Michelle Obama chronicles her life from South Side Chicago to the White House, revealing the personal drive behind her public advocacy for women, families, and health.

A detailed history of Stax Records, its rise and fall, and the impact of Memphis, Tennessee's racial politics on the soul and R&B scene.

"'You ain't nothing but a hound dog' ... with these words shouted into the microphone she will always be remembered: Big Mama Thornton. Who is this woman who sang the megahit 'Hound dog' before Elvis Presley and who wrote 'Ball & chain,' the song that catapulted Janis Joplin to sudden fame? The story begins with her first musical attempts in the Hot Harlem Revue as a girl of 14 and follows her career until her untimely death at age 57 in 1984"--from publisher.

Traces the life of Aretha Franklin from deserted child to teenage mother to Grammy winner to inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Faith Evans reflects on life after tragedy, sharing how grief, family, and music shaped her journey as a singer and mother in the rhythm‑and‑blues world.

Fourteen‑year‑old Bethany’s life takes a dramatic turn when her next‑door neighbors, the McKenzie brothers, become the hit rock‑music group Boyzlife, turning friendship, music and neighborly ties into a whirlwind adventure.

"Her soulful, soaring voice has earned her mythic status. Now, in her own moving words, the woman behind the myth is revealed. The result is a captivating self-portrait of one of this century's most fascinating artists, an Aretha Franklin as real as the songs she sings."--BOOK JACKET. "A child prodigy of the golden age of gospel, the daughter of a world-famous preacher, Aretha was the anointed successor to Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward. But her father had a broader vision and helped Aretha enter the field of pop and jazz. By age eighteen, she was under contract to Columbia Records. Six years later, after only a few minor hits, she switched to Atlantic, where she shook the musical world to its roots. Her song "Respect" became the anthem of an epoch, a touchstone for African Americans, for women, for all people struggling to be free. Aretha became the Queen of Soul, the genre's finest interpreter since Ray Charles."--BOOK JACKET. "In Aretha: From These Roots, the singer gets up-close and personal. In rich detail, she paints a vivid picture of a Detroit long gone: the storefront churches, the basement parties, the explosive R&B shows. She documents her life as a single teenage mother, working to balance home life with career, coping with two challenging marriages and, later, romantic relationships that were the source of both tremendous joy and unforeseen heartache."--BOOK JACKET.

In 1939 a young African‑American woman marries a Jewish refugee fleeing the Nazis; together they raise three children whose quests for voice—tenor, activism and family harmony—unfold against the backdrop of 20th‑century America.