Number One With a Bullet; A Novel.

By Elaine Jesmer

Book Overview

424 pages - a novel on the music world This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374223475
• ISBN13: 9780374223472
• Release Date: January 1974
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
• Length: 423 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Fact and fiction downfall of a Black popular singer.

A black popular singer whose brother-in-law owns the company he records for, comes to a crossroads in his life and career. His marriage to his boss' sister is crumbling and in the concept-album oriented 70's, this former singles seller is fast becoming archaic. He is unable to get out of either contract neatly. Connections between this fictional singer and the real troubles between Marvin Gaye and Berry Gordy of Motown Records are easily seen. Sprinkled into the mix are thinly disguised portraits of Tammi Terrell and other Motown stars and a music-and-the-mob theme in which the control of the company is taken out of one family's hands and into the other "family's" hands, making it possible for the hero to exit his contract and sail happily into the sunset of the new singer-singwriter music scene. This book was bought by the movies, but never made, while "Dreamgirls" and "Sparkle" went on to explore similar material. An interesting read by an author whose insight and apparent good connections into the rhythm and blues music scene of the time gives the book significant credibility. Richard Adkins (radkins@pacbell.net)