ABANDONED. SciFi. Young man joins traveling space circus, learns to play/perform on a sitar or lute(?). Cover: man playing sitar/lute? (greyscale), bright green background, bubble font. From 1970s? Read 2003-2006.

[Sheena]

When I was a teenager around 2003-2006 in Murfreesboro TN the public library had a science fiction book I was obsessed with. I left for college, came back, and I couldn't find this book; worse I don't remember the title or author, and so couldn't even figure out if the library still had it. I only remembered which shelf it was on (maybe) and it was no longer there.
The cover art was very 60s or 70s realism line art with hippy/disco bubble font. It's a gray scale drawing of a man playing an instrument with the title and a bright green background. The writing style makes me think it was written around the 70s as well. The b&w author's photo was big and on the back cover and he was rocking a 70s or early 80s look and a big grin, I wouldn't be shocked if it was a candid photo. It was an 8-10 inch tall hardcover book and possibly 1-1.5 inches thick.
The plot is about a young man who joins a space circus; he learns to play a sitar (I think) and that's his performance. Space travel is vividly explained that time doesn't change for people traveling space but does for planet-bound folk (like the movie Interstellar). I believe there is some manner of royalty involved. There is a big problem on this one planet and our protagonist solves it by playing is sitar and bringing peace, yatta yatta, and gets the girl. The story had a psychedelic whimsy to it. There is no "Earth" but I believe a series of space stations and strange planets.
It could have been a sitar, it could have been a lute, heck it could have been a flute though I'm so certain it was a stringed instrument since that's what I visualize when I attempt to recall it.
I've google searched this over the years and pestered friends and social media to the point of annoyance. I'm too far away from that city to look in the library again (and of course covid is an issue atm) and I'm a little afraid I'd get the same weird looks I did in 2009 when I returned to look for it to contact them with this weird plot alone, and my local library in the wee-bitty town only has non-fiction, children's books, DVDs, and only allows children to check out at any rate. Any clue to what this book's title or author is would be so appreciated and bring me some peace of mind that I haven't had for a decade. Thank you so much.

[Rainbowheart]

How old was the young man in the story?

Do you think the book was intended for teens or adults?

[SBC]

I haven't read them, so I'm not sure about plot, but could it be one of the Jerry Cornelius books by Michael Moorcock?

https://www.goodreads.com/series/49768

He's described as "a scientist, a rock star, and an assassin. He is the hippest adventurer of them all: tripping through a pop art nightmare in which kidnappings, murder, sex and drugs are a daily occurrence."

[Kris]

Sheena, is this book for teens or adults?

I added some details to the header/topic title at the top of the page, so your book might be recognized from that description alone. Many members only read the headers.

You can update it by clicking the small "edit" link after the header. This only works on the full Desktop website - not the Mobile website or app. (On the Mobile website, there's a "Desktop version" link at the bottom of the page.)

[Bryan457]

Maybe something from Mike Resnick's series Tales of the Galactic Midway

[SBC]

Sheena, are you still looking for this book? Could it possibly be Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger?

Have you also had a chance to check this list of Rock n Roll Sci Fi and Fantasy?
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[SBC]

Starclipper and the Song Wars by Brian Earnshaw?

[Kris]

No response, moving to Abandoned folder.

Sheena (OP) was last active on the site in August 2020.