Public Service Associate Curtis Kraetsch is a big music fan. He also loves nonfiction, especially biographies.

"Biographies, grab my attention because along with telling a person's life story, they provide a window into whatever time, place, invention, occupation, endeavor, etc. that the subject of the bio has gained notoriety for," he said. 

He shared this list of recommended reads, which includes some of his favorite true stories from the music industry.

"I have never experienced the highs winning a Grammy, or having thousands of people cheer at hearing the opening measure of a song I've written. I've also never dealt with the heart wrenching, and life altering low of having one of my children killed by being run over by a car – driven by another family member! Steven Curtis Chapman has known both, and through 'Between Heaven and The Real World' Chapman allowed me to see how he got through that lowest of lows, and how to keep from thinking of myself more highly than I should when accolades come my way," he said. "Life stories like this that can teach as well as entertain are often my favorites."

He also recommends Charlie Daniels' "Never Look At The Empty Seats," which is available via Hoopla as an ebook and audiobook.

"I was inspired by it because while telling the details of his life in the music business, he also weaves in his personal faith story, and challenges the reader to give 100% to whatever they are doing. The people who came to his concerts deserved his very best, and they would not get that if his energy was consumed by his being more concerned about the seats that had not been sold on a given night," Curtis said.

Scroll through the titles below and click on book covers to learn more about them and put them on hold in our catalog.

1. "Revolutions in Sound: Warner Bros. Records, the First Fifty Years" by Warren Zanes
2. "Between Heaven & the Real World: My Story" by Steven Curtis Chapman
3. "Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon" by Greg Laurie
4. "Finding God's Life for My Will: His Presence is the Plan" by Mike Donehey
5. "360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story" by Sean Wilentz
6. "The Bee Gees: The Biography" by David N. Meyer 
7. "Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith, and Braving the Storms of Life" by Randy Travis
8. "Gentle On My Mind: In Sickness and In Health with Glen Campbell," by Kim Campbell
9. "Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James and the Shondells" by Tommy James