Canadian singer-songwriter Richard Manuel — best known as the pianist and one of three lead singers in the Band — will be the subject of a new biography by Stephen T. Lewis, arriving May 28, 2025, via Schiffer Publishing.
Richard Manuel: His Life and Music, from the Hawks and Bob Dylan to the Band is said to celebrate the Stratford, ON-born musician, who died by suicide in 1986 at the age of 42, and his contributions to music as well as the aforementioned foundational rock acts that changed the scope of the genre forever.
A synopsis reads in part:
For the first time, Manuel's compositions and performances are critiqued with expert commentary — alongside new interviews with family, friends, and fellow musicians, including Eric Clapton and Van Morrison.
The story traces Manuel's journey from Stratford, Ontario, to Woodstock, New York, and beyond, beginning with his first band, the Revols, then singing the blues with Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson in the Hawks, the group that would later become the Band.
You can pre-order the biography here.
Lewis, a rock-and-roll archivist, owns and operates the Talk from the Rock Room website and podcast.