Sing to Me audiobook

Just finished LA Reid's new book "Sing To Me" and absolutely loved it. I bought it Friday and couldn't put it down. The stories behind his numerous hit records, how he signed some of the biggest names in music, and how he dealt with success are some of the most interesting anecdotes I've ever read. But the most surprising thing about his story is the self doubt and insecurities he continued to endure no matter how large his success grew. Keep in mind his well documented accomplishments such as discovering TLC, Rihanna, Neo, Toni Braxton, Usher, Outkast, Cee Lo, Avril Lavigne, Pink, Future, Meghan Trainor, just to name a few. And he's also written and produced hit songs for Whitney Houston, Mirah Carey, Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Paula Abdul, Jay Z, Jennifer Lopez, etc etc etc. He built one of the most successful record companies (La Face Records) the industry has ever seen. Then singlehandedly saved Epic Records from an almost certain death. Took over Universal as CEO after it became one of the biggest entertainment conglomerates in the industry. Yet still, with this unbelievably impressive list of accomplishments he still had to fight insecurities and self-doubt. I have always looked up to LA Reid and saw him as the self-assured confident talented ideal of what I wanted to be. Then a few chapters into his book I was quickly disabused of this notion... which was a good thing because it instantly made him more human and more relatable. Knowing that I struggle with the same type of self-doubt is comforting in a weird way. It makes his success seem a little more attainable. For those of you who are interested in the music business, or if you're into creating music (like I am), I suggest you pickup "Sing To Me". You'll definitely find a lot of helpful advice and timely jewels of wisdom throughout. If that doesn't convince you to read it, here's a tease that will. Picture this, Reid's ex-wife Pebbles storming into his house after she heard (then unknown singer/choreographer) Paula Abdul was there alone with him. Some kind of physical contact ensued which leaves one of the ladies running away in fear for her life. You want to read it now don't ya? lol

I really enjoyed LA's book. It's so awesome to have shared a part of his journey during the time that I handled the marketing for TLC, Toni Braxton, Usher and others when I was the Sr. Director of Marketing at LaFace Records.

Going into this book I was a little worried that I would lose interest as the narrative got closer to the present day. I know LA Reid mostly for his work in the 80s and 90s and that was what drew me to this memoir. I was right to think that the first half of this book would be my favorite but I was wrong to think the rest would lose me, I was hooked on this book from start to finish. This book comes with all of the stories behind the songs I was hoping for and all of the stories of discovering talent that I didn't expect to be as interesting as they ended up being.Learning about Reid's childhood and early days of playing with various groups in and around Cincinnati was super interesting. He really led a special life before making it big. He seemed to recall all of the best anecdotes for this book. Meeting Babyface and playing with The Deele was where I knew I would be sucked in and I wasn't disappointed.Where I thought I would lose interest was on his move to Atlanta to start his own label. Honestly I've come to appreciate the great vantage point he had of a previously untapped city in the music world as it blossomed into the hit factory we know today and his perspective on that growth will be invaluable to music fans and historians alike.The rest of his career is also fascinating whether just from learning about all of the amazing acts he's worked with and their trials together or from learning about the politics of the industry. The only part that fell off a bit for me was the X-factor stuff but it was short and was still enough to keep my attention.Every piece of his life that LA Reid sought to share with the world was worth reading. I recommend this book to anyone who's interested in the pop music industry in any way. If you've been an avid or even occasional pop music listener over the past three decades you owe it to yourself to go on this journey through LA Reid's unequaled career.

Overall, a very good book; super interesting to read about all of the artists this man has worked with/discovered throughout his STAGGERING career. My only complaint is a sexist one: LA Reid tells this story like a typical guy. By this I mean, he tends to give the basic outline of certain events without fleshing out the juicy details; like when you ask a guy how a party went where you know for a fact that something nuts went down and his only response is, "it was crazy", and that's it. WHY was it crazy? WHO did you see? WHAT did so and so say to so and so? What were they wearing? Did they have sex!? Half the reason I love celebrity bios is because I love celebrity gossip. To that end, Reid gives a minuscule sampling but the focus is more on the chronology of events in his career, which I guess makes sense but how dare he focus on him in his own autobiography. ;) that aside, if you can put a love of people magazine in the back of your mind, this is a great story of a hugely accomplished man. With "Sing to Me", Reid strikes a fine chord.

This has not only been one of the most inspirational works I've read in the past few years, #SingToMe is also covering decades of contemporary music, in particular music I grew up with, from an unprecedented backstage point-of-view that pulls the reader right into the diverse world of music and entertainment.Very well structured and grouped into thematically coherent chapters, L.A. Reid's autobiography takes the reader by the hand to guide one through the ups and downs of his exceptional life and artistic legacy without becoming boring or dull at any time. What is more, it makes one feel honored to have lived among a music master, innovator, a virtuoso and genius who has shaped the core and cause of music in a way no one has done it before - a great read and simply a must for every admirer of music (L.A.'s influence and legacy is far more immense than one may think).

Loved it! One of the greats behind the scenes in music opens up in a wellwritten memoir about his passion and talent for music, discovering and/or working with huge music acts such as Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Jay-Z and Outcast as well as experiencing being part of the jury in X-Factor.I’m in music myself so it might have been an extra treat for me but I’m certain this book is interesting for everyone loving music and are curious about life working with finding hits and the next big artist.

The power of a good memoir, is its honesty. This is a good memoir.

Very Entertaining! A Great Read!!!All I have are nice words to say about this book. LA Reid is a great story teller. He has a way of pulling you in and keeping you engaged. I would love to see it made into a movie.

Musical history & journeyAs I was reading I felt pulled in by time and remembering where I was when each record or artist came out. The author was very thoughtful and honest,which further brought the story to life.

At just shy of 400 pages, this is a lot more thorough than, say, Ja Rule's Unruly. Reid and his collaborator clearly took pride in their work, which is ironic given that I fished this from a dollar bin not long after it was released.I was concerned that a lot of this would have to do with his time as a judge on one of those televised singing contests, but that only ended up being about one and a half of over 20 chapters. And I was glad to see that there was quite a bit on the 30+ years before anyone ever heard of LA Reid, when he was a drummer in obscure midwestern R&B groups (that didn't even have live drums on their records).If there's a problem with this, it's that a lot of things are glossed over or not discussed in sufficient depth. Reid has a tendency to focus on his successes, some of which he didn't seem to have much to do with, and barely mention the groups he produced that ended up working at UPS alongside people who used to be signed to Bad Boy.

This one read like candy, and I thought that it might have been because of Joel Selvin, the long-time music writer, but I am not moved by any of his other titles, so it must really be because of what LA Reid means to me as a fan of music, and particularly, the soul of the artists that he has believed in.My friend Wayne is wary, but he's always been Team Babyface, and I'm sure there is more to this story than is alluded to here, but there's no denying that LA has shaped contemporary music (and black music) in a crucial way.I have been crying a lot about how music, and live music, will probably not be the same in our lifetime, and devouring this book yesterday, mostly at my hours-long student dentist appointment, I felt particularly sad for the fact that I was reading about the beginning of artists who should not have already met their end-Whitney, Michael Jackson, Prince, Left Eye...I am also sad that I have never seen Outkast live, or when there was a sliver of hope to do so, they were already on the outs. I love that they are also LA's favourite group, and though I missed it, I am glad that they pulled him on stage with them to accept that award, even when he had been ousted from the label.His relationships with women have always been interesting. I recognize the hustle in trying to charm women into paying your rent or driving their car as a broke musician. I think I bruised an ego in that ilk recently, but hey-I know who I am. The Pebbles jealously stuff is wild, as well as the Vanessa Williams and Paula Abdul incidents. I can't get over the fact that Bootsy Collins named Babyface, or that LA referred to himself as Face's "side bitch" that he could only call in the car. Overall, if you love music, you will love this account of being driven, immersed, and controlled by music. We are mere vessels.

Its amazing how certain aspects come back around in life with regards to production. The life of a producer is a fast game and making "the right" business decisions, connections while having the proper mindset and gritty hustle is everything. I'm grateful to have gotten around to reading this one. LA Reid definitely has an inspiring story and hearing how he overcame the obstacles and dramas. All this while managing key relationships with great effect is awesome and inspiring!I really got a new look at labels and the relationships in the industry. He talked about all the hits and discovery of artist like Outkast and building up LaFace Records, DefJam with JayZ, and now Epic Records. This is one of those books where you could just chill and doing other thing while listening. It'll definitely take you down memory lane when he starts talking about Usher and how the move to Atlanta kick up momentum. He didn't hold back any punches and kept it💯 I like that the most.

This is not a book I would normally pick for myself but I had received a copy at a taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers that had been sitting on my self for years. Well with staying at home and not being able to work I figured it was time to finally read it and I'm glad I did. If you like music at all, literally any kind, Sing to Me is a book worth reading. There's so much more to the story behind your favorite songs and artist than you know and LA shares that with you. His passion constantly pushes him forward in his career amd reading his story it's clear why he has been so successful and respected in the music business.

this was a really fun book because it takes you back in time to the music I grew up listening to. it was fun to read about how Outkast was signed and then stop the book to listen to the songs la Reid references. TLC, usher, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Outkast, Avril Lavigne, pink, Mariah Carey, jayz, Kanye West, bieber, and so many more artists that he has produced, signed, or otherwise worked with. aside from hearing about the cool stories of how some of my favorite artists got their start, hearing about how Reid reinvented himself over and over again throughout his career was really insightful.

I cidnt know much about LA Reid, but WOW!! What a great book about his interesting, genius talents and life!! He talks about it ALL! His relationship with Babyface, their brotherhood and personal lives...just a great read!!!idnt know much about LA Reid, but WOW!! What a great book about his interesting, genius talents and life!! He talks about it ALL! His relationship with Babyface, their brotherhood and personal lives...just a GREAT read page turner!! Never boring.....such great info !! He is a master of records!!

LA Reid’s StoryLA Reid paints an intimate picture of his life before and after celebrity. He provides an interesting behind the scenes portrait of life in the music industry. The songs and artists he outlines provided the soundtrack of my life, and kept my interest in his narrative.