Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You

Lucinda Williams' memoir 'Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You' is a candid chronicle of her traumatic childhood, years of being overlooked in the music industry, and the stories that inspired her enduring songs. Raised in the Deep South, she developed a voice that has captivated millions and faced numerous challenges but persevered to achieve hard-won success and a legacy as one of the greatest and most influential songwriters of our time.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 27 April 2023
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Lucinda Williams' memoir is as flinty, earthy, and plain-spoken as her songs, as evidenced by the New York Times' description of it as "often hilarious, occasionally harrowing." Dont Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You is a bracingly candid chronicle of a sui generis character plotting a ramshackle but ultimately triumphant trajectory, as noted by the Wall Street Journal. MOJO also praised the book, calling it an "engaging read" and "beautifully written."

Lucinda Williams, the beloved and iconic singer-songwriter and three-time Grammy winner, has opened up about her traumatic childhood in the Deep South, her years of being overlooked in the music industry, and the stories that inspired her enduring songs.

Williams' rise to fame was anything but easy. Raised in a working-class family in the Deep South, she moved from town to town each time her father, a poet, textbook salesman, professor, and lover of parties, got a new job, totaling twelve different places by the time she was 18. Her mother suffered from severe mental illness and was in and out of hospitals. And when Williams was about a year old, she had to have an emergency tracheotomy, an inauspicious start for a singing career.

But she was also born a fighter, and she would develop a voice that has captivated millions.

Lucinda Williams takes readers through the events that shaped her music, from performing for family friends in her living room to singing at local high schools and colleges, to recording her first album and headlining a sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall. She reveals the inspirations for her unforgettable lyrics, including the doomed love affairs with "poets on motorcycles" and the gothic Southern landscapes of the many different towns of her youth.

Williams spent years working at health food stores and record stores during the day so she could play her music at night, and faced record label recor. Despite the challenges, she never lost her passion for music or her determination to pursue her dreams.

Dont Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You is a testament to Williams' resilience, talent, and unwavering spirit. It is a must-read for fans of her music and anyone who appreciates a compelling and heartfelt memoir.

Weight: 482g
Dimension: 161 x 242 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781471177484