All of Me

by Anne Murray, Michael Posner

In this revealing autobiography, Canada’s first lady of song, for the first time, tells the whole story of her astonishing 40-year career in show biz. It is a candid retrospective of the extraordinary success achieved, and the prices that had to be paid.

“After ‘Snowbird’ hit, I was swept up like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz , and catapulted into a strange new universe … If I thought for a moment that I was really in control of events, I was deluded.” Anne Murray

An unflinching self-portrait of Canada’s first great female recording artist, All of Me documents the life of Anne Murray, from her humble origins in the tragedy-plagued coal-mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia, to her arrival on the world stage. Anne recounts her the battles with her record companies over singles and albums; the struggle with drug- and alcohol-ridden band members; the terrible guilt and loneliness of being away from her two young children; her divorce from the man who helped launch her career, Bill Langstroth; and the deaths of two of her closest confidantes. The result is a must-read autobiography by Canada’s beloved songbird.

Genres: Autobiography, Nonfiction, Biography, Music, Canada, Memoir, Biography Memoir

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 5 out of 5]

* It has come to the unfullfilling point where I need to say it: I hate empty ‘like button’ clicks. I hope you will feel inspired to comment on some of my writing work. Thank you. *

Nova Scotian Anne Murray and Michael Posner authored her autobiography in 2009. I love it and am gratified by explanations of strange impressions I had had.

“All Of Me” relates family, childhood, roots, education, and steps to her infamous music career. It takes us through her insistence at being a Mom at the height of her busyness and how the wrong advice from a record label and manager had her making quadruple the albums, tours, appearances.... four times too much work and public exposure than she should have done. That slog affected her marriage and time with her children.

Here is the mystery Anne solved. Every Canadian and music fan in the world knows her name and buttery alto voice. I am her kids’ age but nonetheless, found it weird that for such a strong fixture, I could name few songs. We had her Christmas albums and only knew her singles from the radio. Categorization was an oddity of her career, juxtaposed with oversaturation in Canadian visibility. Every song bandied about as ‘folk’, ‘adult contemporary’, ‘pop’, or ‘country’. Only a few were hits.

She filmed a CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and Christmas special that probably continues to be aired annually these forty years. Her contract asked for two albums a year and not being a writer, she sought material. This then, is the reason we saw her regularly but were hard-pressed to identify songs by her. Not being their author, she is only connected with her super hits: “You Needed Me”, “Can I Have This Dance”, “Snowbird”, “You & Me”....

I love her even-toned, elevated vocabulary; honesty, grace, and her recognizable, intelligent wit. She delightfully finishes with her well earned retirement and the talents of her kids. My parents saw Anne perform, whose songs are personally poignant to our family.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of Anne Murray so I was glad to see she wrote an autobiography a few years ago. She writes of being born in Canada in the mid 40s. growing up with five brothers. Finding she had a good singing voice. She writes of her over 40 years in the music business the ups and downs of her long career. A good book fans of this talented singer may like her memoir. I did.

[Jerry B · Rating 4 out of 5]

We really read very few non-fiction books, and cannot even remember the last time we read a biography. But being a life-long fan of Anne Murray, who turns out to be just one year older than us, somehow this opportunity to learn about one of my favorite singers just seemed right. And a lovely excursion into an incredibly long show business career (50+ years, she just retired in 2008...) this turned out to be. Delivered in a low-profile, conversational tone so typical of her life as a celebrity that was always more interested in her roots and her family than in her own notoriety, reading her story was almost like being invited into her living room for a Saturday afternoon chat -- just pleasant story-telling, equally of the highs and the lows of her lengthy career, by which we learn immensely of a lovely woman and one of the most "solid" performers of our lifetime.

Along the way, we discover much about the music "biz", much of it somewhat disheartening, almost all of it highly informative. We were particularly distressed to find out how much she was forced to tour to promote her own "albums", and how much trouble she had keeping band members sober enough to perform! Fortunately, she herself rarely consumed alcohol; and despite the drug culture rampant in the field, stayed away from the bad stuff.

Along the way, we learn much of her family stories, her own favorite singers, what led to selecting the songs that became hits, how she moved from label to label, from producer to producer, and so on. All in all, a very charming book, highly reflective of the charm of Murray's own persona - no doubt, just as she intended !

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book and the best part for this Canadian’s heart was listening to Anne’s accent:-)

The story has no huge surprises or revelations; it’s just a good story of a decent human being who has an abundance of talent and whose life overflows with gratitude and grace. Well worth the read. ( or listen!)

[Steph Pullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this one. I love Anne’s voice. Grew up listening to her music.
Quite incredible to hear about her journey and adventures. Firmly believe she is someone I would be able to sit down with and have a chat…..although it would be one sided - she’d be doing all the talking ❤️

[Vionna · Rating 3 out of 5]

She tells her story simply and honestly - there is no brushing over of events and she makes no apologies for the decisions she made. Reading her book is like listening to a story told by a friend.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Anne Murray’s autobiography All of Me, she portrays herself—and indeed her public persona portrays her this way—as one of the nicest people on the earth. Everyone loves Anne Murray. She is beloved by fans, other celebrities love her, and she is just oh so nice. This is what she wants us to believe. But it’s hard to believe her as she tells her own, almost unremarkable story. She comes across as bland and, at times, uncaring. Most celebrity autobios are filled with interesting anecdotes, unusual slices of lives, and sometimes surprising insights. Murray grew up in a typical middle-class, small-town family, she liked to sing and thus sort of slid into the business called show and then cheated her way into a major recording contract with Capitol records, started recording and touring, and along the way became extremely successful. To hear her tell it, before her breakout success and after, songwriters were falling all over her to give her their songs because she was such a great singer (I’ll give her that) and a supremely nice person. During all this, without a lot of depth or compassion, she tells of life on the road with drug and alcohol-addicted band members—those stories seemed to sometimes amuse her—one manager who was married, had children and whom she had an eleven-year secret affair with until she finally married him, gave him two children of their own, and eventually, because she was the bread-winner in the family, pretty much emasculated him until their marriage ran its course. I’m not saying women can’t be the primary earners in a family, but this husband was left with almost nothing to do but take care of their children and pick up an occasional odd-job that fit his considerable skills. We also learn of her huge Lesbian following. Many performers embrace their LBGTQ+ fans. Murray seems to tell the few stories she does of these fans with contempt for them. And during all this, Murray is obsessed with telling us how well each of her albums did, how much money they made, and what award they won. In fact, as she relates her homes purchased, her tennis courts added, her furs and diamonds, she seems to want us to know how very rich she became. And all the while, she was eyeing retirement. I got this book because I saw a recent interview with her where she related how she does not sing much at all since her retirement over two decades ago (and yet, she was doing this interview to promote a new album!) I could not believe that a singer could “never sing again” unless there was a physical reason for it. So, I thought the book would help me understand that. The message I got was that she never wanted to be a performer. I have never read a performer’s autobiography, and I’ve read hundreds of them, where the performer was always hoping for the day when they no longer had to do this “stage” thing. All this is fine. I say, “Anne, you do you,” but don’t expect us readers to come away liking you and feeling like we are glad you “quit the business”—especially if twenty years later, you’re going to come up with a new album. Granted, said album is compiled of outtakes from recording session done years ago, but one wonders if she didn’t see dollar signs when this was suggested to her.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both casual and knowledgeable fans will enjoy this.

For casual fans, it includes the inevitable laundry list of memories from the road, a chronological career recounting, some gossipy bits (Burt Reynolds ended all communication with her once Loni Anderson entered his life) and some small pieces you may have forgotten (i.e. Anne appeared in TV commercials from 1978-1984 for CIBC, back when it was called “the Commerce”).

Hardcore fans will take a lot of this retelling for granted, and pull out the truly golden nuggets: that iconic photo with Alice Cooper, John Lennon (et.al.) was coordinated almost immediately by a new LA-based manager in order to expand her mainstream visibility and credibility; she wasn’t nominated for Country category Grammys after arguably her most successful year because “the jury” deemed her too ambiguously pop; her deals with Capitol Records were creatively generous all through the 70s and most of the 80s, until she was dumped on the Nashville doorstep and then, in 1992, dropped entirely.

An easy breezy read.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up, I listened to a lot of radio thanks to my mom...the adult contemporary hits of the late 1970s and early 80s...one of those artists was Anne Murray...imagine my surprise when I found out recently she wrote an autobiography.

For those that know Anne's music, from "Snowbird" to "You Needed Me" and other favorites, she is a pretty good singer that evokes the senses. Her life story is/was anything but easy from her early days of her singing career to the events of her later life (deaths, divorce, and other family problems) but its told in a no holds barred kind of way.

Highly recommended for Anne Murray fans and a surprisingly easy read.

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne Murray penned this memoir published in 2010, with co-writer Michael Posner. It describes her life beginning with her childhood in the coal mining town of Springhill Nova Scotia, her initial success as a singer and her eventual arrival on the world stage, where she enjoyed a successful forty-year career until she retired in 2008.

It is straight forward narrative, candid and honest, qualities that have always defined Anne Murray since her career began. She has always been known as a down to earth, private person, a low-key singer with a beautiful voice, but never a super star, staying far from the wild, controversial behavior that marked many celebrities at the time. Yet, she became one of Canada’s best-known singers, putting out successful records, collecting awards and establishing a catalogue of music that was versatile, crossing the boundaries that had traditionally defined music. She sang everything from children’s songs to ballads, rhythm and blues to country, all the while fighting against music executives who tried to pigeon hole her singing into a specific genre.

Today some of her revelations, including her long running affair with her manager Bill Langstroth while he was still married, admitting to smoking marijuana and having almost peed on Herb Albert while sitting on his lap in a cab in the Bahamas, seem so mild they are humorous, while others such as her having spurned an advance from a young man named Brain Mulroney and another by Dusty Springfield, are less known.

Murray was always her own person, hated over production and simply liked to sing. She loved to perform simply dressed and in bare feet, something she had to overcome as her career took off. However, one piece of advice she consistently refused was that she move to the United States if she wanted a successful career. Instead, she stayed firmly rooted in her home country.

She speaks openly and honestly about a career which was filled with sold out concerts, over fifty million records and more than thirty awards, including Junos, American Music Awards and a Grammy. But it was not all sunshine and laughter and there were bumps along the road. In her professional life, she had to deal with band members who had drug and alcohol issues, endure the guilt over leaving her children behind while she worked, battle constantly with controlling music executives who tried to run her career and live through a disturbing experience with a fan from Saskatchewan who stalked her. Life on the home front was not always a sea of calm as she worked through the failure of her marriage to Langstroth and tried to help her daughter through her struggles with anorexia.

She also addresses the many rumours she was gay. She had always attracted a strong lesbian fan base, women looking for others who were strong, independent and so inclined, but Murray says she never leaned that way.

There are funny anecdotes and some interesting insights, but little for readers looking for juicy gossip. Murray is simply herself—modest, low-key with a dash of deprecating humour, and a complete lack of pretentiousness. It completely fits the image that came to define her as the girl next door with the beautiful voice.

An interesting book which does not reveal much more than was already in the public sphere.

[Goose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straightforward memoir by Canadian songbird, Anne Murray. Much like her music and her live performances, it's entertaining without having too much to think about after you read it. Murray did a lot to become a star and it was interesting to read how she herself felt overexposed at times. Most surprising to me was how much control she had over her music right from the very beginning. If you like Anne Murray, of course, you will like her memoir plus she name checks many celebrities from Patti Labelle to Dusty Springfield and from Burt Reynolds to Joyce DeWitt. Feel free to skim the parts about Murray and her friends golf outings. Sorry Anne, but golf might be fun to play but unless you were part of the crowd, it's kind of boring to read about.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elton John once said all he knows about Canada is hockey and Anne Murray. I concur, but I’ve long been an Anne Murray fan. With hits including “Snowbird” “Danny’s Song” “You Needed Me” “Could I Have This Dance” and countless others. There’s not too much dirt can be found here, because Murray really is wholesome. This bio explains where she came from. a move to the U.S. that opened her eyes to the most outrageous bands and decadent life. Still not for Anne, she remained focused on her goals, climbed through the ranks, brought home tons of awards all the while being married and raising two children. It’s still a fun read with lots of great stories and fun anecdotes with the most unexpected guests. Great for the music lover and a must for the Anne Murray fan,

[Mary B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when it was first published and greatly enjoyed it. I think I enjoyed it even more this time around. It's amazing what one forgets over time and I relished being reminded again, in Anne's own unique voice. A very detailed account of her life & career, from her early childhood to her retirement. Lots of personal photos. I've been an unabashed fan of AM since I first heard her singing on a recording made at a UNB Black & Red Revue while she was a student there.
The book is well written; fans of Anne & her music will learn a great deal about how tough the 'show biz' life can be, no matter how good you are.

[Melba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Murray has always been one of my favorite performers, and after reading this book, she is even more so. I really enjoyed learning more about her life, love, family & career. It would be a wonderful thing to meet her some day; however, that most likely won't ever happen. This is a wonderful book to read to learn more about the life of Anne Murray, and she writes a no holds barred account of her life as she lived it. I truly love her music, and her voice is one of those that you never forget.

[CJ Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

You learn a lot about Anne Murray in this book: mostly that WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). She comes across as a humble, genuine person when she performs, and this memoir reveals why that's so. She really is just a girl from Springhill, NS (a humble coal-mining town). I loved reading most about her childhood as a girl growing up with 5 brothers. That alone would give someone survivial skills! She definitely carved out a place for herself and the women who would follow in such a cutthroat industry. Like her singing voice, Anne is unique and strong.

[C.J. Frederick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne Murray is surely a Canadian icon. That voice, that voice. Well, we get to hear some of the stories behind that voice in All of Me. Personally, I was more interested in details about Springhill, NS where she was born and wished she had gone into more stories about her childhood. As a woman in the music industry in the late 1960s, Anne had to be as tough as they come to survive and thrive in a "dog-eat-dog" business with the gruelling tour and recording schedule. She really has nothing left to prove.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knowing that I was an avid Anne Murray fan and loved listening to her sing, my daughter gave me a hard copy of All of Me by Anne Murray with Michael Posner. This autobiography by Canada's beloved songbird is a candid retrospective of Anne's extraordinary success and the prices that were paid along the way. There are over 70 photographs included in this memoir. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and give it 5 solid gold stars.

[litost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir about a small-town girl becoming a superstar. Her career was remarkable, based on talent, hard-work, and a bit of luck. Surprisingly, her life mostly had garden-variety drama: her father died; she got divorced; her long-time record label dropped her; no drugs or scandals, though she did have a long-time stalker. Recommended for those who are fans.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved listening to Anne. Growing up, I wasn’t her demographic but I did listen to Hippos in My Tub with my infant son. Didn’t realize the huge impact she had and the trailblazer she was. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.

[Margaret Boucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!

[Smi4ever2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very informative book, about her career. Many names mentioned, of those she worked with. I would have liked to read more about her family life.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, well written, I enjoyed it from cover to cover.

[Julie Germann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

If you are an Anne Murray fan this won't disappoint! An interesting window into the life and career of an awesome entertainer and musician!

[Carolynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful memoir!

[Doug Adamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable memoir from a Canadian music icon.

[Dianne Feasby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3 1/2*

[Sherry Bradette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading about one of my favourite Canadian icons

[Debbie McCall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Love, Love her music but this book was a hard read because it's all over the place.

[Neil McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A famous Canadian life.

[Katie Cotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Lots of great vocabulary.