I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting read and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend.

I received this arc for an honest review.

So first I will say I knew the name, Richard Marx. I could not remember the hit songs I had heard from him on the radio so I decided to give this book a shot. Turned out, I was not disappointed. I did not know he was married to Daisy Fuentes, or that he had an illness. Once you get into the story I was thinking he would be upset about Kenny Rogers taking 50% of royalties for a song he only added a few words. But now it turned out he looked at it as if not for that he might not have gotten into the business. He wrote or co-wrote many songs that I did not know about but I had and still listen to though they are sung by other artists.
He does go into the negative side of the business with agents managers and even how some push you to tour even when you are not feeling good. Also how some will take advantage of an artist for their own gain not looking out for the person they are working for or with. Overall I found this to be a very good read and one that I would read again.

I have listened to Richard Marx since he first hit the charts in the 1987, but after reading this book, I realized I heard him on multiple other artists' works prior to him hitting it big on his own.
He tells the story as easily as he writes a song (I mean, cranking out a number one hit in 20 minutes in impressive) and I had so much fun reading his stories.
What I like about his is his self admittance that he can be a bit of a jerk and somethings came easier to him than others, simply by being in the right place and right time. I also appreciate him talking about the hours he spent listening and learning to so many others who had A LOT to teach and who were incredible teachers.
Thanks for the read, Mr. Marx.
If you want to share more, I'll be right here waiting for them.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the editor for an honest review.

I also talked about this book on my TV segment with San Antonio Living which can be seen here:
https://news4sanantonio.com/sa-living/summer-reading-list-07-14-2021

Richard Marx has found new fame on Twitter, but thankfully this book focuses on his music career, not on his Twitter beefs. There are great stories about starting out singing for Lionel Richie and writing songs for Kenny Rogers. He had a meteoric rise as a solo artist and the ups and downs are well captured. Nothing ground breaking, but interesting for fans of 80s Pop.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit right here at the start that I’ve never considered myself a Richard Marx fan – not that I dislike him or his music, it’s just that not long after his career began, I distanced myself from pop music during the last half of the 1980s. MTV was focusing on hair metal and rap, and I found myself drawn to classic rock and 50s/60s oldies. Over the last couple of years, Marx became more and more outspoken on Twitter concerning the political situation in the U.S. – since his positions often matched up with my own and because I had enjoyed a couple of other music-related books I’d read recently, I decided to put in a request for his memoir in Net Galley.


The first thing that struck me when reading the book was how often thing seemed to fall neatly into place for him. I had read The Secret nearly a decade ago, dedicated to the concept that envisioning the things you want in life can lead to them actually happening. Something similar seems to have been occurring for Marx throughout his life, both in terms of songwriting collaborations and in terms of his performing career. Linking closely to that is the fact that Marx constantly expresses gratitude about the great things that came his way.

Marx has a ton of interesting stories to tell about many of his songwriting collaborators. I never expected to be reading about Fee Waybill and The Tubes in this book, but Waybill is Marx’s close friend and frequent songwriting partner. After starting out as an in-demand backup singer, Marx achieved his dream of becoming a songwriter. Using the knowledge of musical production he learned through those experience, he also became a successful producer. I don’t want to slight Richard Marx’s success as performer either, since he achieved great success with his debut album and still tours today.

On last thing I noticed was how much detail he included about his songwriting style. I’m not a songwriter (though I do sometimes make up alternate lyrics to popular songs), but it sounds like it’d be a lot of fun to hang out with Marx and try writing a few songs. Especially if his wife Daisy Fuentes came along.

I gave Stories to Tell five stars on Goodreads. I learned a lot about several familiar performers of that era, and will definitely make an effort to listen to more of his music.

Before you pick up this book, set up your music app to play Richard Marx songs…it will take you awhile. Then enjoy an insiders view of the music business. Marx (eye candy for sure, but he proves he’s more than just a pretty face) is just one very talented songwriter/singer, but always a gentlemen! If you are looking for him to dish some dirt, you will be disappointed. He may drop a few tidbits, but its mostly about his career as a songwriter, his performances, his friendships that were developed and he holds dear and his relationship with his family. I never realized just songs we wrote. Just a class act, I just might be a bigger fan now then before!

Thanks to Mr. Marx, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I've never been a particular fan of Richard Marx but I liked his songs and was vaguely aware of him - though I couldn't have picked him out in a lineup. What I wasn't aware of, though, is what a HUGE career he has had as a songwriter! Marx is a name-dropper in this book - but in a good way. I was amazed at some of the stars he's written songs with or performed with or produced. As I read, I realized there were many more of his songs that I loved that had been done by other singers.

The format of the book was ok though it did jump around a bit in time which can be hard to follow sometimes. In one sentence he would be 19 and then suddenly in the next sentence he was 25. What? The constant F-bombs were distracting and unnecessary too in my opinion - but that's just my opinion.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating look at the music industry and how it works behind the scenes. Marx is certainly confident in his abilities (some would say arrogant) and I suppose that is responsible for his success.

It was an enjoyable memoir to read.

Disclaimer: I RARELY read biographies/memoirs. However, when I saw this was from one of my very favorite singers from the 80s/90s, I couldn’t resist. Unfortunately, the book was not all that I had hoped for.

PROS: The man is PROLIFIC, both in writing his own songs and also those recorded by others, and there were many interesting stories behind all of them…how they came to be, what was going on in his life at the time, the who’s who of those he’s met and worked with during his career. I learned that he has written SO many hit songs for others and considers himself foremost a songwriter even though he also enjoys his time in the spotlight on stage.

CONS: Some repetitive points throughout, and the skipping around with the timeline could be hard to follow at times.

On a personal (fan) level, I found his rare mention of his wife of 25+ years and the mother of his three children a little sad. As an actress, she was successful in her own right and gave up her career to be the primary caregiver in their home as he was on the road almost constantly. While I didn’t need or want intimate details of their marriage, leaving out that entire 25+ years of their relationship seemed a bit odd. His relationship with his current wife of 5 years (of whom he became aware in the early 90s when he bought her “sexy” calendar) is lauded as the “deepest and most rewarding” of his life. He mentions that he has always been able to “will” things/people to come to him throughout his life, and his meeting her was one of these events.

But I think what disappointed me most from this memoir is that I came away thinking of him as arrogant, and I never expected that. I give the book 3 stars because I’m sure others will enjoy, but unfortunately, I came away disillusioned about him…but never the gift of his music.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #SimonandSchuster for providing me the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I've always been a huge fan of Richard Marx so I was highly anticipating reading his memoir. Even if you aren't a fan of his, you would really love this book! Any music fan will love this! I loved reading the stories behind each of the songs. But mostly, I've always loved him as a songwriter and was extremely intrigued to hear how many of his hit songs came about.

This is definitely a must read for any music fan. Hilarious moments and chock full of information behind the scenes of his process.

Not going to lie - I LOVE a good memoir. Especially from someone in the music industry.

The name "Richard Marx" definitely throws me way back. I knew his songs. I knew a bit about him. But as even he says in this memoir, he was a very private person - so none of us knew much.

This memoir let you see the up and down sides of the music industry. How even in that "world", relationships come and go. People are in your life for a season. But wow did this man have some seasons.

If you're an 80's and 90's music person who remembers Marx, this book would definitely be a good read for you. And even if you're in the "who is he" group, I'd bet money you know a song he's written, without knowing that he wrote it! Very good read!

Thanks to Simon Schuster and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Stories to Tell" is a straightforward, entertaining memories from Richard Marx, one of the most talented singer-songwriters in the history of pop music. He not only writes about the high points of his long career but also the backstabbing, dark side of the cutthroat music business. Although I found his arrogance a little annoying at times, I did enjoy hearing the backstory of some of my favorites songs that he helped create. A interesting performer in the music industry, it was a good read.

This book wasn't *quite* what I expected, but it was an enjoyable read. There was a bit of repetition (which actually kind of helped me keep things straight, since the timeline of the stories wasn't strictly linear), but it was entertaining nonetheless. Anyone who is a fan of Songland (or similar TV shows) should especially enjoy the several stories that go into detail about his solo and collaborative songwriting processes.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book, courtesy of Simon & Schuster. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

I absolutely loved this book! As a huge Richard Marx fan, it was awesome to get the behind-the-scenes stories and process behind his famous songs. His music was the soundtrack to my high school experience and this book made those songs mean even more. It was amazing to read about his actual songwriting methods—what a gifted artist!

Thanks for the opportunity to review this book. Will be recommending to all my friends.

A revelatory memoir of a most talented singer, songwriter and musician raised in a musical family who began singing at the age of five and writing songs as a teen. Richard’s stories involve a who’s who of well-known artists and the writing feels straight from the heart. I enjoy reading musician biographies and this is a good one.

I generally listen to memoirs on audio, however, due to being an avid Twitter follower of Richard, decided to read this one. It did not disappoint!! Written with a lot of the same tongue-in-cheek sarcasm you see in his tweets, Stories to Tell takes you through his nearly 40 year career in the music industry. You learn of many seemingly random and short connections, introductions to other musicians that end up coming full circle somewhere down the line and having a big play in his career. You are also treated to the background stories behind many of his hit songs.

One thing that really stood out to me is the sheer VOLUME of songs Richard either wrote or co-wrote. I had always known he wrote his own songs, but to hear what he had written or collaborated on for other artists is simply mind-blowing - especially when to take into consideration how young he was when he got into the business.

I would give this a solid 4 stars - a few callouts as to what I felt was either missing, or could have been clarified better. 1 - the timeline. This is all over the place. Sometimes you are given clear information in the first sentence of a chapter on what part of his life you're in - other times you have to read for a bit before you realize you're 15 yrs in the past from the previous chapter. 2 - personal details. I know Richard is a fiercely private person and I'm respectful of that. It just feels somewhat awkward that his first wife (married for 25 yrs) is barely mentioned, yet he spends the last few chapters gushing about Daisy Fuentes. He also include a fair amount of information about his parents & his relationships with them and relatively nothing about his relationships with his own children - it felt unbalanced. If he didn't want to share personal details & simply wanted to focus on his musical history (which is still incredibly impressive) perhaps a slightly revised title from 'memoir' would be appropriate. 3 - tone of writing. Not an issue for me, as I'm a huge Twitter follower and seem to understand his fairly sarcastic tone. If you are not, you may think he's extremely full of himself and this book is just a huge brag fest.

Overall - I would very much recommend this to anyone who was/is a huge fan of his music (or 80's music in general) and/or who follows his savage Twitter feed.

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for the gifted advance copy.

Wonderful recount of Richard's life so far. I'm amazed at all he had a hand in regarding the music industry. Funny, sad, and clever chapters.

Richard Marx has always been someone I have loved. I was so excited to read stories about some of my all time favorite songs. Getting a behind the scenes look at what was happening in his life and going on in his head during the times they were written was fantastic. I loved learning more about him as an artist and the events that made him who he is today. The only thing that bothered me a little was that it wasn't done chronologically. I am not sure if it is me just coming to expect it not to regress, but it took away from things just a bit for me. I expected it to be a progression, but it was just stories around the same time lumped together. It was just a bit distracting, but I absolultely loved all the stories. I was young when he first came onto the scene and these things didn't interest me at the time, I am glad I can go back and learn about them now. Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and Richard Marx for an early copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this one. This book was so much fun to read. Being of a similar age to the author, we were "coming of age" around the same time, listening to similar music, and I was following his progress in the early days of his career, so this was some serious nostalgia reading for me. Marx is an excellent storyteller, so the title sets the tone from the very beginning. He was blessed to make some amazing connections early on in his career and we get story after story about his friendships with various musicians -- all of whom were/are household names. I found myself saying, "No way!" several times throughout as he related how he came to meet various people either in the studio or some other seemingly random coincidence. There are some stories that are laugh out loud funny and a couple that are borderline scary.

I especially appreciated Marx' sensitivity to the privacy of his family. This has been his habit from the very beginning of his career and he maintains that here as well. We get enough information to know how close-knit they are, but it is given in a general way to give us the gist without feeling invasive. He tells plenty of stories about famous people, but never anything that feels like it came from a tabloid, which was refreshing. There is also some interesting insight into the workings of the music industry and how it has changed over the years. For readers who are sensitive to language, there are a fair share of f-bombs throughout, so take note. 

If I had a criticism of the book, it would be that it does bounce around a little bit chronologically. There's an overall linear narrative, but definitely some back and forth in time as it is more organized by subject. That said, it was fairly easy to follow and I found it a delight from start to finish. The audiobook is read by the author, so I may reread it in that format for the additional experience.

I absolutely loved this book. Having been to his concerts and been a lifetime fan one of my favorite things about him is his sense of humor and ability to tell stories. It was just a joy to read those stories and hear where the music I've loved for so long comes from. I feel like he has a real connection with his fans and this just solidifies that. Grateful that he sat down and wrote. And also huge amount of respect for him keeping his private life private.

I’ve been a fan since the 80s and when I saw this book I knew I had to request it and I’m glad I did. This is an up close and personal account of how each of his most famous songs came to be, as well as his accounts of working with some of the best in the business and what life was like behind the music. I knew he was talented, obviously, but I had no idea how many famous songs he has written for other stars and with other stars! The list is endless!! One of my fav stories was of him performing at a concert and Pricilla Presley was front row and he had on an “Elvis had a stinky butt.” Tshirt that some fan had given him because everyone knows how much he loves the King. Priscilla apparently handled it like a champ and it made me chuckle.
This memoir is full of interest tidbits and history of music that not only Richard Marx fans will enjoy, but music fans in general.
Thanks to Simon Schuster and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.