(CelebrityAccess) — NEA Jazz master and Grammy-winning pianist Ramsey Lewis is set to publish his forthcoming memoir via Blackstone Publishing.
One of the biggest names in modern jazz and with a career that spans six decades, Lewis has cultivated a distinct sound that’s crossed over to the R&B and pop charts with hits such as “The In Crowd,” “Hang On Sloopy” and “Wade In The Water.”
His memoir will detail his childhood and early development as an artist and bandleader, as well as his collaborations with a diverse array of artists from Stevie Wonder, to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Lewis’ deal with Blackstone was negotiated by Rick Bleiweiss, Head of New Business Development at Blackstone, with Brett Steele of Steele Management, representing Ramsey Lewis, for world all languages rights.
“I would like to leave behind something that tells my story. Who I am, where I’ve been, what I think, what I feel. Something for my kids, grandkids, great grandkids and everyone. So that thirty years from now people will say, ‘Let me check his book out, my mom and dad used to talk about him.’ Through this book, I would like readers to come away with how commitment and honesty are combined to make your life what you want it to be,” Lewis said of the forthcoming memoir.
“I have been a fan of Ramsey’s music since I first heard his earliest recordings, and now that I know more about him, I have become a huge fan across all of his endeavors. This is going to be a superb book laden with colorful anecdotes encompassing a plethora of celebrities and detailing Ramsey’s extraordinary life. I am so very pleased to have acquired it,” added Blackstone’s Rick Bleiweiss
The memoir, which Lewis will co-write with award-winning jazz journalist and author Aaron Cohen, is scheduled to be published in October 2023.
