Stories to Tell: A Memoir
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- Author：Richard Marx
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Summary
Legendary musician Richard Marx offers an enlightening， entertaining look at his life and career。
Richard Marx is one of the most accomplished singer-songwriters in the history of popular music。 His self-titled 1987 album went triple platinum and made him the first male solo artist （and second solo artist overall after Whitney Houston） to have four singles from their debut crack the top three on the Billboard Hot 100。 His follow-up， 1989’s Repeat Offender， was an even bigger smash， going quadruple platinum and landing two singles at number one。 He has written fourteen number one songs in total， shared a Song of the Year Grammy with Luther Vandross， and collaborated with a variety of artists including NSYNC， Josh Groban， Natalie Cole， and Keith Urban。 Lately， he’s also become a Twitter celebrity thanks to his outspokenness on social issues and his ability to out-troll his trolls。
In Stories to Tell， Marx uses this same engaging， straight-talking style to look back on his life and career。 He writes of how Kenny Rogers changed a single line of a song he’d written for him then asked for a 50% cut—which inspired Marx to write one of his biggest hits。 He tells the uncanny story of how he wound up curled up on the couch of Olivia Newton-John， his childhood crush， watching Xanadu。 He shares the tribulations of working with the all-female hair metal band Vixen and appearing in their video。 Yet amid these entertaining celebrity encounters， Marx offers a more sobering assessment of the music business as he’s experienced it over four decades—the challenges of navigating greedy executives and grueling tour schedules， and the rewards of connecting with thousands of fans at sold-out shows that make all the drama worthwhile。 He also provides an illuminating look at his songwriting process and talks honestly about how his personal life has inspired his work， including finding love with wife Daisy Fuentes and the mystery illness that recently struck him—and that doctors haven’t been able to solve。
Stories to Tell is a remarkably candid， wildly entertaining memoir about the art and business of music。
Richard Marx is one of the most accomplished singer-songwriters in the history of popular music。 His self-titled 1987 album went triple platinum and made him the first male solo artist （and second solo artist overall after Whitney Houston） to have four singles from their debut crack the top three on the Billboard Hot 100。 His follow-up， 1989’s Repeat Offender， was an even bigger smash， going quadruple platinum and landing two singles at number one。 He has written fourteen number one songs in total， shared a Song of the Year Grammy with Luther Vandross， and collaborated with a variety of artists including NSYNC， Josh Groban， Natalie Cole， and Keith Urban。 Lately， he’s also become a Twitter celebrity thanks to his outspokenness on social issues and his ability to out-troll his trolls。
In Stories to Tell， Marx uses this same engaging， straight-talking style to look back on his life and career。 He writes of how Kenny Rogers changed a single line of a song he’d written for him then asked for a 50% cut—which inspired Marx to write one of his biggest hits。 He tells the uncanny story of how he wound up curled up on the couch of Olivia Newton-John， his childhood crush， watching Xanadu。 He shares the tribulations of working with the all-female hair metal band Vixen and appearing in their video。 Yet amid these entertaining celebrity encounters， Marx offers a more sobering assessment of the music business as he’s experienced it over four decades—the challenges of navigating greedy executives and grueling tour schedules， and the rewards of connecting with thousands of fans at sold-out shows that make all the drama worthwhile。 He also provides an illuminating look at his songwriting process and talks honestly about how his personal life has inspired his work， including finding love with wife Daisy Fuentes and the mystery illness that recently struck him—and that doctors haven’t been able to solve。
Stories to Tell is a remarkably candid， wildly entertaining memoir about the art and business of music。
Reviews
Kim Lockhart
，
Richard Marx was my very first concert as a teen back in the late 80s but I never knew half of what he talks about in this book。 The guy was a chart-topping songwriter at 19 before he had his own record deal and has worked with everyone from Kenny Rogers and Barbra Streisand to NSYNC。 The stories he tells in this book are fascinating and very entertaining， and his vocal performance as he reads is casual and friendly。。。it's as if you were sitting having a drink and he started spilling all this in Richard Marx was my very first concert as a teen back in the late 80s but I never knew half of what he talks about in this book。 The guy was a chart-topping songwriter at 19 before he had his own record deal and has worked with everyone from Kenny Rogers and Barbra Streisand to NSYNC。 The stories he tells in this book are fascinating and very entertaining， and his vocal performance as he reads is casual and friendly。。。it's as if you were sitting having a drink and he started spilling all this interesting info。 This is a definite must-read/listen for any Richard Marx fan or just a person interested in the inner workings of the music industry and songwriting。 I REALLY loved this book！ 。。。more
Susan
，
I enjoyed some of the stories he had to tell regarding other musicians， at least the ones that I've heard of。 For the life of me， I could not tell you one single song that Richard Marx has written。 I suppose I must have seen him on MTV back in the day because I was really into it but he and his music didn't stick in my head。 I enjoyed some of the stories he had to tell regarding other musicians， at least the ones that I've heard of。 For the life of me， I could not tell you one single song that Richard Marx has written。 I suppose I must have seen him on MTV back in the day because I was really into it but he and his music didn't stick in my head。 。。。more
PAT PORTER
，
Loved this book and I will always listen to Richard Marx's music differently and closer now。 Loved this book and I will always listen to Richard Marx's music differently and closer now。 。。。more
RJ
，
One of the funniest rock memoirs I've read。 Marx recounts his long career in music with honesty， humor， and wit。 Cameos by Lionel Richie， Barbra Streisand， and Kenny Rogers stand out as both memorable and poignant。 One of the funniest rock memoirs I've read。 Marx recounts his long career in music with honesty， humor， and wit。 Cameos by Lionel Richie， Barbra Streisand， and Kenny Rogers stand out as both memorable and poignant。 。。。more
Paula Smartt
，
Richard Marx Is A Nice GuyI remember buying 45 rpm vinyl records of Richard Marx as a young adult and wondering about the person behind the songs。 This book told me almost everything I needed to know。 It contained the positive portions of a good life as well as the speed bumps。 I was anxious about how Cynthia would be portrayed as I had followed her career from Opryland to becoming Penny in Dirty Dancing。 The fact that hardly anyone was trashed including Cynthia， the Ex， surprised me beyond beli Richard Marx Is A Nice GuyI remember buying 45 rpm vinyl records of Richard Marx as a young adult and wondering about the person behind the songs。 This book told me almost everything I needed to know。 It contained the positive portions of a good life as well as the speed bumps。 I was anxious about how Cynthia would be portrayed as I had followed her career from Opryland to becoming Penny in Dirty Dancing。 The fact that hardly anyone was trashed including Cynthia， the Ex， surprised me beyond belief。 So many Memoirs are vindictive， tacky， and tasteless。 I think everyone will enjoy reading how Richard got his start in the business and how many beautiful songs he has created for himself and others。 。。。more
Wendy
，
Stories to Tell is a collection of stories of the life of Richard Marx。 Each chapter is a Who’s Who of his life and how he became a success。I had heard some of the stories at an acoustic concert a few years ago。 Still it is an interesting book， if you are a fan。I listened to the audiobook。 I think it was completely enhanced by having Mr。 Marx narrate his work。 The tone was conversational and he has an amazing voice。
Robin
，
Richard Marx hasn't been on my radar since about the early 1990s but that didn't matter as I love a good memoir and this one appeared to be worth reading， and it was。 This filled almost all of my needs for a good memoir: interesting stories， candor， reports on interactions with other celebrities， and a tone that implies he is sitting in the room having a chat。 I had no idea he was such a force in the world of backup singers， adding his voice to records by Lionel Richie， Kenny Rogers， Barbra Stre Richard Marx hasn't been on my radar since about the early 1990s but that didn't matter as I love a good memoir and this one appeared to be worth reading， and it was。 This filled almost all of my needs for a good memoir: interesting stories， candor， reports on interactions with other celebrities， and a tone that implies he is sitting in the room having a chat。 I had no idea he was such a force in the world of backup singers， adding his voice to records by Lionel Richie， Kenny Rogers， Barbra Streisand， Kenny Loggins， Cher， and more。 He was also a prolific songwriter， not only writing his own songs but writing or co-writing songs with many other artists including Keith Urban， Burt Bacharach， and Kenny Rogers。 And I had no idea he penned the songs "This I Promise You" （NSYNC） and "To Where You Are" （Josh Groban）。 If I have any quibbles， it's that I love some good dirt dished up in my memoirs/biographies and he didn't have much to offer except he thinks one country star is a douche （my word， not his） and he was pretty mum on why he and Cynthia Rhodes divorced （yes， I want to know details but also respect his tight lips）。 My other issue was the writing wasn't always the best and there were times he repeated something mentioned earlier， and yes， we get it， Richard， that your current wife， Daisy Fuentes， is beautiful and stunning; you don't need to tell us three times。 :-）If you are on the fence because you aren't a fan， read it anyway as you may find it as fascinating as I did。 And be sure to either be ready with pen and paper （or if reading the e-book， know how to highlight passages） as you'll want to look up the songs and videos he refers to in the book。 Thanks to the publisher for the advance e-galley。 。。。more
Chris Burd
，
Like many others， I grew up as a huge fan of Richard Marx - and I've found myself loving him more and more as the years go by。 I've been anxiously awaiting this book release， and I devoured it with a single evening。Is my 5-star rating entirely objective？ Probably not。 But I enjoyed the hell out of this book。 Like many others， I grew up as a huge fan of Richard Marx - and I've found myself loving him more and more as the years go by。 I've been anxiously awaiting this book release， and I devoured it with a single evening。Is my 5-star rating entirely objective？ Probably not。 But I enjoyed the hell out of this book。 。。。more
Lisa
，
"Stories to Tell" is a straightforward， entertaining memories from Richard Marx， one of the most talented singer-songwriters in the history of pop music。 He not only writes about the high points of his long career but also the backstabbing， dark side of the cutthroat music business。 Although I found his arrogance a little annoying at times， I did enjoy hearing the backstory of some of my favorites songs that he helped create。 A interesting performer in the music industry， it was a good read。 "Stories to Tell" is a straightforward， entertaining memories from Richard Marx， one of the most talented singer-songwriters in the history of pop music。 He not only writes about the high points of his long career but also the backstabbing， dark side of the cutthroat music business。 Although I found his arrogance a little annoying at times， I did enjoy hearing the backstory of some of my favorites songs that he helped create。 A interesting performer in the music industry， it was a good read。 。。。more
Maggie
，
This book wasn't *quite* what I expected， but it was an enjoyable read。 There was a bit of repetition （which actually kind of helped me keep things straight， since the timeline of the stories wasn't strictly linear）， but it was entertaining nonetheless。 Anyone who is a fan of Songland （or similar TV shows） should especially enjoy the several stories that go into detail about his solo and collaborative songwriting processes。*I received a complimentary copy of this book， courtesy of Simon & Schust This book wasn't *quite* what I expected， but it was an enjoyable read。 There was a bit of repetition （which actually kind of helped me keep things straight， since the timeline of the stories wasn't strictly linear）， but it was entertaining nonetheless。 Anyone who is a fan of Songland （or similar TV shows） should especially enjoy the several stories that go into detail about his solo and collaborative songwriting processes。*I received a complimentary copy of this book， courtesy of Simon & Schuster。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。* 。。。more
Twila Bennett
，
Wow！ As a fan of Richard Marx from the beginning—his songs are the soundtrack to my high school and college years—to say this was a treat to read is an understatement。 The stories and connections are terrific to read about。 I was stunned at this man’s catalog of music and loved to hear about his process。 Any child of the eighties should read this book！ Loved it so much！**I received this book in advance of its publication ad was not compensated for my review。
Erin
，
I generally listen to memoirs on audio， however， due to being an avid Twitter follower of Richard， decided to read this one。 It did not disappoint！！ Written with a lot of the same tongue-in-cheek sarcasm you see in his tweets， Stories to Tell takes you through his nearly 40 year career in the music industry。 You learn of many seemingly random and short connections， introductions to other musicians that end up coming full circle somewhere down the line and having a big play in his career。 You are I generally listen to memoirs on audio， however， due to being an avid Twitter follower of Richard， decided to read this one。 It did not disappoint！！ Written with a lot of the same tongue-in-cheek sarcasm you see in his tweets， Stories to Tell takes you through his nearly 40 year career in the music industry。 You learn of many seemingly random and short connections， introductions to other musicians that end up coming full circle somewhere down the line and having a big play in his career。 You are also treated to the background stories behind many of his hit songs。 One thing that really stood out to me is the sheer VOLUME of songs Richard either wrote or co-wrote。 I had always known he wrote his own songs， but to hear what he had written or collaborated on for other artists is simply mind-blowing - especially when to take into consideration how young he was when he got into the business。I would give this a solid 4。75 stars - a few callouts as to what I felt was either missing， or could have been clarified better。 1 - the timeline。 This is all over the place。 Sometimes you are given clear information in the first sentence of a chapter on what part of his life you're in - other times you have to read for a bit before you realize you're 15 yrs in the past from the previous chapter。 2 - personal details。 I know Richard is a fiercely private person and I'm respectful of that。 It just feels somewhat awkward that his first wife （married for 25 yrs） is barely mentioned， yet he spends the last few chapters gushing about Daisy Fuentes。 He also include a fair amount of information about his parents & his relationships with them and relatively nothing about his relationships with his own children - it felt unbalanced。 If he didn't want to share personal details & simply wanted to focus on his musical history （which is still incredibly impressive） perhaps a slightly revised title from 'memoir' would be appropriate。 3 - tone of writing。 Not an issue for me， as I'm a huge Twitter follower and seem to understand his fairly sarcastic tone。 If you are not， you may think he's extremely full of himself and this book is just a huge brag fest。Overall - I would very much recommend this to anyone who was/is a huge fan of his music （or 80's music in general） and/or who follows his savage Twitter feed。 Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for the gifted advance copy。 。。。more
Justin Brendel
，
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this advanced copy。 I am amazed at all he has been involved with in the music world。 This book has great anecdotes， happy stories， sad stories， and tons of talk of his music。 A solid memoir！
Lindsey Domokur
，
Richard Marx has always been someone I have loved。 I was so excited to read stories about some of my all time favorite songs。 Getting a behind the scenes look at what was happening in his life and going on in his head during the times they were written was fantastic。 I loved learning more about him as an artist and the events that made him who he is today。 The only thing that bothered me a little was that it wasn't done chronologically。 I am not sure if it is me just coming to expect it not to r Richard Marx has always been someone I have loved。 I was so excited to read stories about some of my all time favorite songs。 Getting a behind the scenes look at what was happening in his life and going on in his head during the times they were written was fantastic。 I loved learning more about him as an artist and the events that made him who he is today。 The only thing that bothered me a little was that it wasn't done chronologically。 I am not sure if it is me just coming to expect it not to regress， but it took away from things just a bit for me。 I expected it to be a progression， but it was just stories around the same time lumped together。 It was just a bit distracting， but I absolultely loved all the stories。 I was young when he first came onto the scene and these things didn't interest me at the time， I am glad I can go back and learn about them now。 Thank you to Netgalley， Simon and Schuster and Richard Marx for an early copy。 。。。more
Susan in
，
Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this one。 This book was so much fun to read。 Being of a similar age to the author， we were "coming of age" around the same time， listening to similar music， and I was following his progress in the early days of his career， so this was some serious nostalgia reading for me。 Marx is an excellent storyteller， so the title sets the tone from the very beginning。 He was blessed to make some amazing connections early on in his career and we get story after story about Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this one。 This book was so much fun to read。 Being of a similar age to the author， we were "coming of age" around the same time， listening to similar music， and I was following his progress in the early days of his career， so this was some serious nostalgia reading for me。 Marx is an excellent storyteller， so the title sets the tone from the very beginning。 He was blessed to make some amazing connections early on in his career and we get story after story about his friendships with various musicians -- all of whom were/are household names。 I found myself saying， "No way！" several times throughout as he related how he came to meet various people either in the studio or some other seemingly random coincidence。 There are some stories that are laugh out loud funny and a couple that are borderline scary。I especially appreciated Marx' sensitivity to the privacy of his family。 This has been his habit from the very beginning of his career and he maintains that here as well。 We get enough information to know how close-knit they are， but it is given in a general way to give us the gist without feeling invasive。 He tells plenty of stories about famous people， but never anything that feels like it came from a tabloid， which was refreshing。 There is also some interesting insight into the workings of the music industry and how it has changed over the years。 For readers who are sensitive to language， there are a fair share of f-bombs throughout， so take note。 If I had a criticism of the book， it would be that it does bounce around a little bit chronologically。 There's an overall linear narrative， but definitely some back and forth in time as it is more organized by subject。 That said， it was fairly easy to follow and I found it a delight from start to finish。 The audiobook is read by the author， so I may reread it in that format for the additional experience。 。。。more
Robin
，
Disclaimer: I RARELY read biographies/memoirs。 However， when I saw this was from one of my very favorite singers from the 80s/90s， I couldn’t resist。 Unfortunately， the book was not all that I had hoped for。PROS: The man is PROLIFIC， both in writing his own songs and also those recorded by others， and there were many interesting stories behind all of them…how they came to be， what was going on in his life at the time， the who’s who of those he’s met and worked work during his career。 I learned t Disclaimer: I RARELY read biographies/memoirs。 However， when I saw this was from one of my very favorite singers from the 80s/90s， I couldn’t resist。 Unfortunately， the book was not all that I had hoped for。PROS: The man is PROLIFIC， both in writing his own songs and also those recorded by others， and there were many interesting stories behind all of them…how they came to be， what was going on in his life at the time， the who’s who of those he’s met and worked work during his career。 I learned that he has written SO many hit songs for others and considers himself foremost a songwriter even though he also enjoys his time in the spotlight on stage。CONS: Some repetitive points throughout， and the skipping around with the timeline could be hard to follow at times。On a personal （fan） level， I found his rare mention of his wife of 25+ years and the mother of his three children a little sad。 As an actress， she was successful in her own right and gave up her career to be the primary caregiver in their home as he was on the road almost constantly。 While I didn’t need or want intimate details of their marriage， leaving out that entire 25+ years of their relationship seemed a bit odd。 His relationship with his current wife of 5 years （of whom he became aware in the early 90s when he bought her “sexy” calendar） is lauded as the “deepest and most rewarding” of his life。 He mentions that he has always been able to “will” things/people to come to him throughout his life， and his meeting her was one of these events。 But I think what disappointed me most from this memoir is that I came away thinking of him as arrogant， and I never expected that。 I give the book 3 stars because I’m sure others will enjoy， but unfortunately， I came away disillusioned about him…but never the gift of his music。My thanks to #NetGalley and #SimonandSchuster for providing me the free early arc for review。 The opinions are strictly my own。 。。。more
Amy
，
I absolutely loved this book。 Having been to his concerts and been a lifetime fan one of my favorite things about him is his sense of humor and ability to tell stories。 It was just a joy to read those stories and hear where the music I've loved for so long comes from。 I feel like he has a real connection with his fans and this just solidifies that。 Grateful that he sat down and wrote。 And also huge amount of respect for him keeping his private life private。 Thank you to NetGalley for the preview I absolutely loved this book。 Having been to his concerts and been a lifetime fan one of my favorite things about him is his sense of humor and ability to tell stories。 It was just a joy to read those stories and hear where the music I've loved for so long comes from。 I feel like he has a real connection with his fans and this just solidifies that。 Grateful that he sat down and wrote。 And also huge amount of respect for him keeping his private life private。 Thank you to NetGalley for the preview。 。。。more
Barbara Powell
，
I’ve been a fan since the 80s and when I saw this book I knew I had to request it and I’m glad I did。 This is an up close and personal account of how each of his most famous songs came to be， as well as his accounts of working with some of the best in the business and what life was like behind the music。 I knew he was talented， obviously， but I had no idea how many famous songs he has written for other stars and with other stars！ The list is endless！！ One of my fav stories was of him performing I’ve been a fan since the 80s and when I saw this book I knew I had to request it and I’m glad I did。 This is an up close and personal account of how each of his most famous songs came to be， as well as his accounts of working with some of the best in the business and what life was like behind the music。 I knew he was talented， obviously， but I had no idea how many famous songs he has written for other stars and with other stars！ The list is endless！！ One of my fav stories was of him performing at a concert and Pricilla Presley was front row and he had on an “Elvis had a stinky butt。” Tshirt that some fan had given him because everyone knows how much he loves the King。 Priscilla apparently handled it like a champ and it made me chuckle。 This memoir is full of interest tidbits and history of music that not only Richard Marx fans will enjoy， but music fans in general。 Thanks to Simon Schuster and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Alanna
，
“His self titled 1987 album went triple platinum and made him the first male solo artist and second solo artist overall after Whitney Houston to have four singles from their debut crack the top three on the Billboard hot 100”This right here is why I loved Richard Marx and can willingly share that he was my first concert。 Have I caught flack for that over the years？ You bet。 But I knew then that he was a great singer; I just had no idea how prolific a songwriter he is。 The date was July 15， 1988 “His self titled 1987 album went triple platinum and made him the first male solo artist and second solo artist overall after Whitney Houston to have four singles from their debut crack the top three on the Billboard hot 100”This right here is why I loved Richard Marx and can willingly share that he was my first concert。 Have I caught flack for that over the years？ You bet。 But I knew then that he was a great singer; I just had no idea how prolific a songwriter he is。 The date was July 15， 1988 and I had spent that summer listening to his songs on my cassette tape in my yellow Walkman over and over while clutching a threadbare and well loved Panama Jack t-shirt a boy I had a crush on had given me。 That boy drove to drop my friend and me to the show at The Bushnell in Hartford and I knew then he had feelings for her and not me。 I know， I know， I Should’ve Known Better， but I was a 14 year old boy crazed teen。 Didn’t he know I was Right Here Waiting？ That I just wanted to Hold On To The Nights？ This about sums up teen heartbreak and angst as well as one of Marx’s ballads。 Ahhh， those Endless Summer Nights。 This was such a fun kick-off-to-summer read。 Yes， I Googled and viewed every single video mentioned that I last watched 30+ years ago on MTV。 His memoir is one giant episode of VHI’s Storytellers mixed with personal tales， and like an 80s groupie I happily jumped on for the ride。 Does his ego show through in his storytelling？ Yes。 But I guess if you grow up in the spotlight and achieve his level of success， it comes with the territory。 It Don’t Mean Nothing， it’s just the way he chose to share his tales of touring， fame， and travels。 Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy！ You can check it out August 1 when it hits the shelves！ 。。。more
Tracy
，
Okay， if I'm going to be brutally honest here， I'm not a huge fan of Richard Marx， but I do like him。。。 I mean， I can sing along to most of the singles， and he’s a great follow on Twitter。 But I’ve never bought any albums or been to a concert， and if you told me I’d plow through his memoir in two days， I’d probably think you were nuts。 But I did。 I was stunned by the names he’s worked with， and the varied songs， albums， and projects I love that he’s been a part of。 This is definitely not a tell- Okay， if I'm going to be brutally honest here， I'm not a huge fan of Richard Marx， but I do like him。。。 I mean， I can sing along to most of the singles， and he’s a great follow on Twitter。 But I’ve never bought any albums or been to a concert， and if you told me I’d plow through his memoir in two days， I’d probably think you were nuts。 But I did。 I was stunned by the names he’s worked with， and the varied songs， albums， and projects I love that he’s been a part of。 This is definitely not a tell-all memoir so don’t expect him to spill much tea （though there is a bit sprinkled in here and there）， it’s more of a behind the scenes of his career and the music industry。 I definitely have a new level of respect for him after reading about how hard he’s worked and how grounded he has remained。 This was a surprisingly great read。I am extremely grateful to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Stories to Tell。 。。。more
Marsha Casner
，
Thank you so much to Netgalley for letting me read this book early。 I， in turn， am giving a honest review of my thoughts。 First， let me say I was a teen and young adult when Richard Marx was at the height of his popularity。 I loved this book。 I thought it was very well written。 I did not realized he worked with so many artists。 I also did not realize he was behind some of the songs I love。 I guess a lot of people would say that he does a lot of namedropping， BUT this was his life。 I think everyb Thank you so much to Netgalley for letting me read this book early。 I， in turn， am giving a honest review of my thoughts。 First， let me say I was a teen and young adult when Richard Marx was at the height of his popularity。 I loved this book。 I thought it was very well written。 I did not realized he worked with so many artists。 I also did not realize he was behind some of the songs I love。 I guess a lot of people would say that he does a lot of namedropping， BUT this was his life。 I think everybody would love this nostalgic book。 I would personally give this book 5 stars。 。。。more
Susie Stangland
，
I always knew who Richard Marx was but didn’t really “know” Richard Marx。 When I saw he had a memoir I was curious。 Greatly appreciative of the advance copy， I began reading and wow！！ What a life！ Brilliantly talented， I was unaware he has contributed to many of my favorite songs and collaborated and is friends with the most respected artists。 Confident with who he is he also seems somewhat humble or modest。 Couldn’t put the book down and was riveted to each story he shared。 Congratulations to h I always knew who Richard Marx was but didn’t really “know” Richard Marx。 When I saw he had a memoir I was curious。 Greatly appreciative of the advance copy， I began reading and wow！！ What a life！ Brilliantly talented， I was unaware he has contributed to many of my favorite songs and collaborated and is friends with the most respected artists。 Confident with who he is he also seems somewhat humble or modest。 Couldn’t put the book down and was riveted to each story he shared。 Congratulations to him on his wonderful life with family and his love， Daisy Fuentes。 Oh their podcast Tequila Talk is great fun！ No one will be disappointed with this treat of a read！ 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
，
I was happy to get approved for Richard Marx’s memoir。 The chapters are quite short so reading it went quickly。 He doesn’t spend a lot of time on his own personal history。 There’s almost nothing revealing about his first marriage， which is disappointing。 He mentions 3 half siblings but gives no other information。 Most of the book is about his career。 He fell into several lucky breaks。 Reading about his early songs brought back a lot of good memories for me as I listened to those ballads in high I was happy to get approved for Richard Marx’s memoir。 The chapters are quite short so reading it went quickly。 He doesn’t spend a lot of time on his own personal history。 There’s almost nothing revealing about his first marriage， which is disappointing。 He mentions 3 half siblings but gives no other information。 Most of the book is about his career。 He fell into several lucky breaks。 Reading about his early songs brought back a lot of good memories for me as I listened to those ballads in high school。 His music was all over the air waves。 I didn’t know how many other songs he wrote like Edge of a Broken Heart by Vixen that I love。 I thought Marx came off quite arrogant and condescending in a few sections of the book。 I was astonished to read how badly he stabbed a best friend in the back， which he takes full responsibility。 I stopped listening to his music by the early 90s and most of his latter work I have never heard。 It’s a good book about his career， but he’s lip locked about his private life。 Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for the early read。 。。。more
Nathan
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Acutely aware of how unique his career has been， Marx provides an often humorous， sporadically unbelievable， and consistently entertaining recollection of choice events throughout his life。 Those of a certain age might very well get more mileage out of the book， but it retains applicability and boasts "page-turner" status for anyone interested。 Even if you're not in the know about music in the 80s and 90s， it stands on its own pretty well as a work detailing a young kid in the music industry cla Acutely aware of how unique his career has been， Marx provides an often humorous， sporadically unbelievable， and consistently entertaining recollection of choice events throughout his life。 Those of a certain age might very well get more mileage out of the book， but it retains applicability and boasts "page-turner" status for anyone interested。 Even if you're not in the know about music in the 80s and 90s， it stands on its own pretty well as a work detailing a young kid in the music industry clawing his way to notoriety and using his natural gifts to propel him beyond the competition。 There's details about how certain hits of his came about， collaborations with fellow musical legends， and insight into how he leaned more into his songwriting/producing abilities。 Unless you're already a rabid fan， I seriously doubt you're going to guess the artists and songs he's worked on。 It's practically devoid of any sensational or controversial takes （I was surprised to hear a story regarding one particular country singer）， so thumbing through the pages looking for a complete tell-all will likely reap little to no fruit， so， if that's what you're after， you might want to wait to see if he generates another， more salacious book or scuttle on to another musician， because this one's quite the positive experience。 As with any autobiography， a reader hopes that it enriches their appreciation for the artist while also answering some longstanding questions; this accomplishes both， for sure。 It's changed the way I look at his music catalog， given a clearer picture of the music industry （from the 1980s and beyond）， and now I know *not* to refer to him as a "balladeer" if I ever have the pleasure of meeting him。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance read。 。。。more
Renea
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I have always enjoyed Richard Marx’s music， but it was the unexpected pleasure I receive from following Marx on Instagram that led me to request an ARC of his memoir。 The refreshing candor of Marx’s Instagram feed is the same tone he uses in this memoir。 While this candor can come across as borderline arrogant， Marx has the talent and intelligence to back up his strong opinions。 Although it many seem that Marx achieved his fame through a string of lucky breaks， he tells you himself multiple time I have always enjoyed Richard Marx’s music， but it was the unexpected pleasure I receive from following Marx on Instagram that led me to request an ARC of his memoir。 The refreshing candor of Marx’s Instagram feed is the same tone he uses in this memoir。 While this candor can come across as borderline arrogant， Marx has the talent and intelligence to back up his strong opinions。 Although it many seem that Marx achieved his fame through a string of lucky breaks， he tells you himself multiple times in his book that his strong will and belief that he would work with some of the biggest names in the music industry made it happen。 I found this memoir to be enjoyable and a worthwhile read。 。。。more
Auntee
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So what do I remember/know about Richard Marx （besides that awesome head of hair/glorious mullet） besides his string of late eighties pop/rock hits？Not so much。 But after reading this engrossing memoir， I sure learned a lot。 From his almost idyllic mid west upbringing to how he got his first break in the music business， his 'stories to tell' sure caught my attention。 This guy has a memory like an elephant！ It seems he's either met or worked with almost every artist from the 80's to 90's and beyo So what do I remember/know about Richard Marx （besides that awesome head of hair/glorious mullet） besides his string of late eighties pop/rock hits？Not so much。 But after reading this engrossing memoir， I sure learned a lot。 From his almost idyllic mid west upbringing to how he got his first break in the music business， his 'stories to tell' sure caught my attention。 This guy has a memory like an elephant！ It seems he's either met or worked with almost every artist from the 80's to 90's and beyond， either when getting his start as a studio background singer， to songwriter， to launching his own career as a recording artist/producer。The author includes bits and pieces of his personal life （about how he met his now ex-wife Cynthia Rhodes and current wife Daisy Fuentes） and also delves into stories and anecdotes about the people in the industry who have crossed his path。 The list is long， but most prominent are his stories about Lionel Ritchie （who gave him his first big break）， Kenny Rogers， his special friendship with Luther Vandross， and his collaboration s with Keith Urban。 There were also interesting tidbits about Barbra Streisand， Madonna， and plenty of others。 If he has any 'enemies' in the music industry， he didn't name them！ （Well， he does seem to pissed at Brad Paisley！:） He comes across as a hardworking， talented， easy to get along with guy， who appreciates the success he's had。If I was to nitpick about any slow parts in the book， it would be when he talks about the origins of some of the songs he's written for himself （or other artists） that I'm not familiar with。 For the songs I'm familiar with， these stories are quite interesting。 But for songs that weren't big hits， they didn't have the same impact for this casual fan。 For a big fan， I'm sure it would be a different story。This memoir was well written， interesting， and moved at a good pace most of the time。 The first few chapters hooked me， and I had a hard time putting it down。 My impression of Mr。 Marx is that he's an underrated songwriter （I didn't realize all the songs for others he helped write） ， and still has a passion for music。 I'd recommend this memoir for anyone who remembers the great music of the 80's or just enjoys reading about the ups and downs of the music business。4 1/2 stars**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book。 。。。more
Judy
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I have been a fan of Richard Marx for a long time。 My high school BFF and I drove around for hours listening to his songs for hours。 We even went to one of his autograph signings at the mall in Sioux Falls， SD when he was there on tour。 I really enjoyed reading his memoir Stories to Tell and finding out the stories behind his songs。 I knew he was talented， but I had no idea that he has written as many songs as he has and for as many people that he has。 The craziest story， in my opinion， is when I have been a fan of Richard Marx for a long time。 My high school BFF and I drove around for hours listening to his songs for hours。 We even went to one of his autograph signings at the mall in Sioux Falls， SD when he was there on tour。 I really enjoyed reading his memoir Stories to Tell and finding out the stories behind his songs。 I knew he was talented， but I had no idea that he has written as many songs as he has and for as many people that he has。 The craziest story， in my opinion， is when he went on tour in Taiwan。 Stories to Tell is a fascinating read。 I read it in a few hours because I could not put it down。 Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Kayo
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Authors personal life is minimal compared to his songwriting ， etc。 Book is very interesting。 Thanks to author， publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book。 While I got the book for free， it had no bearing on the rating I gave it。
Paige
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This is the best kind of memoir， full of interesting stories recounted in a manner that both flows and gets to the heart of the chapter。 This book will obviously appeal to Richard Marx fans， but it will also be very well enjoyed by music lovers as well as anyone who delights in reading a fascinating memoir。
Nadia
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