The life and music of Richard Manuel will be given fresh context and never-heard perspective this June, with the release of author Stephen T. Lewis’ official biography of The Band’s visionary songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. A strong but quiet presence in the group, who did very few interviews during his own life, Manuel’s story is brought to the forefront by those who knew him best – many speaking on the record for the first time – including family members, lifelong friends and close musical collaborators (Eric Clapton and Van Morrison among them). Through their words and Lewis’ meticulous research, well-worn second-hand narratives are eschewed for a dynamic portrait of an inspired spirit among his generation’s greatest and most underrated musical innovators.

Within the pages of this first official Richard Manuel biography are stories from his earliest days as a teenage blues obsessive, leading The Revols (his first band) to ascendant heights in Canada – into the crucial artistic viewpoint (and revered singing voice) he brought to The Hawks and The Band; as well as the pivotal roles he played in moments that defined an era – like Bob Dylan “going electric,” Woodstock and of course The Last Waltz. Lewis also offers many never-heard insights into Manuel’s later years, including his unwavering passion for creating with those closest to him (and renewed songwriting output) as he battled addiction and personal demons in his final days.

To pre-order and learn more about Stephen T. Lewis’ Richard Manuel: His Life and Music, from The Hawks and Bob Dylan to The Band (coming June 17 via Schiffer Publishing) please visit Amazon (https://a.co/d/2PShi4p) or Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/richard-manuel-stephen-t-lewis/1146228…;

Listen to a playlist of the music that most deeply inspired Manuel – and additional context on those songs from Stephen T. Lewis – via the author’s Talk From The Rock Room podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ee/podcast/talk-from-the-rock-room-the-roots…

“Richard was a dear friend, a great singer and songwriter, and a key member of the greatest rock band that ever played.” – Eric Clapton 

“I love this book! Like a slow blues, Stephen T. Lewis takes you through every heartbreak, the beer-soaked floors of juke joints and the sweat-stained clothes from long hours on stage, Richard Manuel’s entire life and the Dickensian cast of characters he intersected with. His musical descriptions of the bands Richard played with carry the ring of truth. The stories are endless. I could not give the book a rest. Absolutely brilliant! – Bill Payne, Little Feat

“Having spent many a long night with Richard, I believe this book beautifully captures the essence of the brilliant musician to an extraordinary detail – to the point where you can actually hear the words. “He lived, he breathed, he died with his music.” – Corky Laing, Mountain

“It’s hard to imagine American music in the sixties and seventies without The Band, even though they never quite got the attention and sales they deserved. Yet the country/folk/blues end of rock would not have existed without them. And though other band members got more attention, Richard Manuel’s voice and classic blues piano were at the very core of that music. Which is why Stephen Lewis’ Richard Manuel deserves serious attention. It fills a major gap in our understanding.” – Dennis McNally, author of A Long Strange Trip, The Inside History of the Grateful Dead