Three Biographies: Inspiring Performers!

A recent post profiled  the power of everyday people to change the world with a spotlight on biographies about FRED ROGERS (Mr. Rogers, of course) and TOD BOL (originator of LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES). In both cases, they drew on early intentions about doing good for others, about honoring the messages learned in youth, to generate ripple effects that continue beyond today. 

Whether starting from humble beginnings or nurtured from the earliest days, three remarkable creatives each made an impact that reverberates today.

Candlewick Press, 2019

Dipping back farthest in time (of these three titles) is a biography of perhaps the most iconic figure in cinematic history. SMILE: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry) is written by Gary Golio and illustrated by the remarkable Ed Young. Two award-winning talents were paired and do justice to the heart-tugging and surprising early life of little Charlie, to reveal the necessity and the inspiration for Charlie to develop his timing, his talent, his theater awareness, and his comfort on the stage. 

When, as an adult,  he found himself exploring characters in the new media, silent film, he led with his heart. While directors called for "More funny!" he discovered that audiences would laugh harder if the character they saw on the flat, black and white screen could reach out and connect. And audience could care enough to cry, if the story and the actor worked their magic together. 

Chaplin was proud to transform apparently everyday folks into everyday heroes by revealing seeming weaknesses into strengths. He did so with a grace that is still imitated but remains unmatched. Check out clips and further details of Charlie Chaplin at the official CHAPLIN site, HERE. Back matter in this book leads to other helpful information. 

Just a bit further into the twentieth century, young Lester Paul was growing up in traditional Waukesha, Wisconsin. He raced into the music room at his school with the enthusiasm for music that stayed with him throughout his very long life. 

His music teacher was not as enthused about his various attempts at instruments and informed his mother that Lester was NOT musical. 
GUITAR GENIUS: How Les Paul Engineered the Electric Guitar and Rocked the World documents how wrong a teacher can be.

Like Fred, Tod, and Charlie, Lester had a mother who believed in him, who encouraged his inventions and schemes, even when they involved sawing a chunk out the staircase or disassembling electronic and other household items. That confidence and encouragement keep Lester pushing and prodding and learning and playing, even though he never learned to read music. His list of awards and honors as a performer, an innovator, an inventor, a collaborator, and more led to lifetime achievement accolades in multiple Halls of Fame and numerous patents for his inventions. The text by Kim Tomsic and illustrations by Brett Helquist vibrate with Paul's unstoppable drive and energy. Back matter is informative on several layers. 

My personal disappointment with this book is that there is no mention, even in the back matter, of Paul's creative musical partner and love of his adult life, his wife, Mary Ford. She collaborated in the development of many of his inventions and innovations, and together they were dubbed THE GOLDEN DUO. As should be the case, this picture book is focused on his childhood. But enough pages touch on his adult accomplishments that this feels like an unhappy omission.

Schwartz & Wade, 2019

Finally, you'll want to have a close look at ELVIS IS KING, written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by RED NOSE STUDIO. If any rocker took the power of Les Paul's electric guitar and ran with it, it would be ELVIS. Although his original beat-up accoustic guitar was beloved, and he performed with accoustics often, his drive to create a sound that had never before been heard never left him.

Winter's text is laid out in blocky chunks, moving readers from age to age, page to page, and stage to stage, pun intended. The neon cover lettering and carved-puppet-dimensional profile hint at interior scenes. Each dimensional, stop-action spread reinforces the staging that Elvis mastered early in his life- including when he used dye and wax to turn his blond hair into the iconic masterpiece it was throughout his career. 

This rags to riches story is far more than a tribute to determination and dreams. Elvis, like Chaplin and Paul, harnessed incredible talent to change the world. 

30 Years Triumphs Books, 2019

If these lives have you in a musical mood, you should pick up THE HISTORY OF ROCK for BIG FANS and LITTLE PUNKS, by Rita Nabais and Joanna Raimundo. With a blend of field guide style and comic book illustrations, brief bios of the best known and most influential rockers are presented in chronological order. Whether because global rock favors -speaking performers or because the book is intended for American audiences, representation of international bands is limited. 
Even so, the change-makers, innovators, and icons of rock music are within these pages. Simple sidebar details enhance the short  summary paragraphs. Back matter includes a glossary of rock terminology, both technical and cultural. There is plenty of appeal to lead BIG FANS AND LITTLE PUNKS to search for, explore, and discover performers and music that might otherwise fly under their radar.