This is truly one of the best books ever written about art, music, life, and the way we grow to be exactly who we are.

g for artists such as David Bowie, Diana Ross, Duran Duran, The Thompson Twins, INXS, Steve Winwood, Mick Jagger, Madonna, Blondie, Brittany Spears, and the B-52s), which is part of the soundtrack of my life. Legendary producer and co-founder of Chic, Nile wrote 'We are Family' for Sister Sledge and 'I'm Coming Out' for Diana Ross, and then produced Let's Dance for David Bowie and Like a Virgin for Madonna. I started reading this to gain more insight into the great producer's body of work, but was pleasantly surprised by an amazing memoir about growing up fast in NYC and dealing with the excesses of success. He sneaks transgressive messages into smash radio singles, flourishes in improbable collaborations, and trades the spotlight for behind-the-scenes influence, reporting on pop music from the vantage of a prankish infiltrator. Keep in mind that anyone can view public collections—they may also appear in recommendations and other places.

It is a competition for artists where through a series of "Paint Offs", the final winner is commissioned to paint a portrait for the chosen subject to hang in the infamous Albert Hall. While I am not a big fan of many of those block-buster 80s records he produced, it would have been interesting to hear more about the process of producing some of them--specific challenges, the reasons for various decisions, etc. but as this diagnosis was some time ago - 2010 - I'm surprised there was nothing more after this, maybe an afterword, or an extra bit added to the text to say what happened next, but that aside it was a thoroughly entertaining read. If you’ve already done that, your item hasn’t arrived, or it’s not as described, you can report that to Etsy by opening a case. Chic was able to parlay the sting of exclusion into a breakthrough single and the band’s first seven-figure check.

Some of the technologies we use are necessary for critical functions like security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and to make the site work correctly for browsing and transactions. But it’s also that rare thing for a music memoir, arguably at its best when it steers away from the music. After disco burned out, he went on to produce a staggering list of pop's biggest stars, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, David Bowie, Diana Ross, Prince and Mick Jagger. Which sounds like it could be bollocks, but then you think of how many hits these dudes made, and there has to be something to it.The book starts off at Nile the little asthmatic kid whose childhood was spent with his junkie parents, watching TV and loitering around. Between his technical command and a personal charm he’s too charming to brag about, his career progressed steadily, from “Sesame Street” road band to Apollo house band to increasingly lucrative backup slots. Happily for us, he avoids the boring/repetitive tell-all aspect that is so frequently part of the stories of the famous and addicted. The most obvious example is that he tells the story of his partner Bernard Edwards' death, but doesn't mention the cause of death. I was really looking forward to reading Rodgers’ autobiography and about his experiences working in the music industry particularly during that time.

The first quarter of this book has nothing to do with his future mega-celebrity and even then, every other page shocks and amazes. After Chic reformed in the mid-90s, Bernard Edwards fell ill before a gig in Japan, but insisted on playing.I opened Nile Rodger’s memoir and honestly, had it not been for the Vine Program I would have missed out on enjoying one of the best books I’ve read this year.