USA TODAY: Exclusive: James Taylor announces audio memoir ‘Break Shot’ on Audible in early 2020
By Barbara VanDenburgh
James Taylor has been telling his story through song for decades. Now, the celebrated singer-songwriter is trying something a little bit different.
Audible has announced Taylor’s upcoming Audible Original project, “Break Shot.” A deeply personal audio-only memoir, “Break Shot” is a unique storytelling and musical experience, combining a spoken-word performance with musical interludes recorded at Taylor’s Western Massachusetts home studio.
The “Fire and Rain” and “Carolina in My Mind” singer worked with music journalist Bill Flanagan to share the story of his life up to age 21, covering his childhood, difficult family life and musical development, taking listeners to the cusp of his inevitable superstardom. The memoir promises to offer unique insight into how Taylor’s upbringing inspired some of his most beloved and enduring songs.
“I’ve known Bill Flanagan and admired his writing forever. So I was happy and relieved that he had agreed to help me gather my thoughts and edit this autobiography of my beginnings, the on-ramp to the road I’ve traveled ever since,” Taylor said in a press release. “A pitcher needs a catcher, and a funny and intelligent collaborator can make you seem likewise.”
“Break Shot” is scheduled to be released early next year, though no specific date has been announced. It will be available exclusively on Audible.
Taylor, 71, is a Grammy Award-winning Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and the recipient of both the Kennedy Center Honors and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is currently working on a new album, which is slated to be released Fantasy Records in early 2020. “Break Shot” will be Taylor’s first spoken-word performance.