K.D. Lang: All You Get Is Me

Before Ellen DeGeneres, there was kd lang and Melissa Etheridge who were the most famous "Out" entertainers. This is the only comprehensive biography of kd lang to date. It was published 10 years ago, so it is not current, but it is an excellent, detailed biography, nonetheless. Starr traces Lang's history starting with her childhood, her teenage years, and her struggle to break into the music business. Talented but strongly individualistic and proudly Out, it is not surprising "the Old Boy's Network" in Nashville boycotted lang and her "country punk" music, even though she had great songs, a tremendous voice and a huge fan base. Of course, kd did nothing to endear herself to the country radio DJ's or to the powers-that-be, which is unfortunate. However, people in the industry thought highly enough of her talent to colloborate with her on albums (most notable is Owen Bradley, Patsy Cline's producer), resulting in powerful and memorable music. The author presents a well-rounded portrait of kd, noting her flaws and mistakes as well as her triumphs. She writes objectively and clearly about her subject, without going into supermarket, tabloid trashiness that often accompanies biographies about controversial entertainment figures. If you're expecting to find steamy gossip about lang's personal life, thankfully you won't find it here. It is an articulate and interesting read, but in dire need of an update. Still, it is one of the best lang biographies and I highly recommend it.

The life story of a famous singer. Even if I don't like her music, I like k.d. Having on the odd occasion appeared barefoot on stage, she seems like a decent human being. A must-read for my sister, Julie, who's going through a very exciting time in her life now.