TORONTO, CANADA (Top40 Charts/
Random House Of Canada) - On October 27, Anne Murray releases her autobiography entitled All Of Me (Published by Knopf Canada, a division of
Random House of Canada Limited. Distributed by
Random House of Canada Limited.) where for the first time, the Canadian icon, reveals the whole story of her astonishing 40-year career. It is a candid retrospective of the extraordinary success achieved along with her personal triumphs and admitted shortcomings.
Born and raised in Springhill, Nova Scotia, Anne Murray has enjoyed an unparalleled career, delighting millions with her signature voice and time-honored songs. Over a four-decade-long career, she's sold 54 million records, putting more than 30 pop hits, 50 country tunes and over 40 adult contemporary songs on the Billboard charts.
All of Me takes the reader from her childhood in the tragedy-plagued coal-mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia, Canada to her breakthrough success in 1970 with her first gold record, "Snowbird," and the following string of top-selling singles (including "Danny's Song," "A Love Song," "You Needed Me," "You Won't See Me," "Could I Have This Dance," "A Little Good News," "Just Another Woman in Love").
"I was swept up like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and catapulted into a strange new universe," writes Anne. "I was lonely and tired. My privacy was constantly being invaded. I was in love with a married man whom I seldom saw. I was touring with a group of musicians who at any moment were at risk of being arrested. What I wanted most was to stop and go home, but it wasn't possible. I had commitments and obligations as far as the eye could see."
Even before destiny took hold, Murray recalls the internal force within her to sing. From Phys Ed teacher to a professional recording artist, she recalls the early years when a 5th grade music teacher's poor assessment of her vocals gave her reason to pause, to the teenage years when she traveled hours alone by bus to the nearest town for singing lessons. Later, to her college adventures, her first big break when she landed a singing spot on a television show and her fateful decision to leave her promising teaching career and make music more than just her passion.
We learn of Anne's seven-year clandestine love affair with the married man who helped launch her career and later became her husband....her fierce battles with record companies....the struggle with drug and alcohol-ridden band members...her episodes of stage fright and anxiety...the tragic deaths of her manager and then of her best friend....the terrible guilt and loneliness of being away from her two young children...and the tortuous stalker who's persistence for nearly 20 years led to 37 arrests, over half a million dollars in security and two plays based on her frightful experience.
Murray's unflinching self-portrait examines the life choices that led to her divorce after 23 years of marriage and the role she played in her daughter's battle with anorexia.
It's all here - the highs and lows, the emotional moments and the embarrassing ones; from the smoky basement clubs to the glittering showplaces of Vegas and the London Palladium.
Along the way, we meet Presidents, Prime Minsters, Kings and Queens as well as a veritable who's who of show business and discover the role they played in the superstar's journey: Glen Campbell, Burt Reynolds, Julio Iglesias, Jerry Seinfeld, Doris Day, Larry Gatlin, Frank Sinatra, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Kenny Loggins, Rodney Dangerfield, Alice Cooper, John Lennon, Helen Reddy, Bruce Springsteen, Perry Como, Jimmy Dean, Sammy Davis, Jr. Johnny Cash, Mac Davis, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Olivia Newton John, Queen Elizabeth II, President George Bush, K.T. Oslin, Celine Dion, Diana Krall and many more.
All of this told with Anne's signature candor and class.
"If I regret anything," says Anne. "It's that I didn't take enough time for myself and my family. Having to leave my children crying at the door as I flew off made me miserable."
Murray reveals an invaluable "lesson" she learned about the power of music and her decision to make one final album. In 2007, Anne Murray DUETS: Friends & Legends, which featured collaborations with such industry heavyweights as Sarah Brightman, Celine Dion, Nelly Furtado, Emmylou Harris and Martina McBride became a runaway success.
"After being on tour for most of my adult life, the time was right to stop and reflect," said Murray. "The years pass so quickly when you're on the road, and besides," she continued with a chuckle, "I thought it was important to do this memoir, while I can still remember things!"
The book, written alongside prominent journalist/author Michael Posner, is a must-read autobiography by the beloved performer.
For all the adventures, accomplishments, struggles, tragedies and transformations, from start to finish there is one constant theme. As her brother Harold commented when he witnessed the thunderous standing ovation at renowned Radio City Music Hall, it's "just Anne."
