Nine Eight Books to publish the long-awaited memoir from 60s soul legend P.P. Arnold

Nine Eight Books, the music imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has acquired Soul Survivor, the compelling and pertinent memoir from 1960s soul legend P.P. Arnold. 

Pete Selby, Publishing Director, acquired world rights from Heather Taylor at Redfire Music.

Documenting the musical highs and personal lows of P.P. Arnold’s extraordinary life, this long-awaited memoir details the bigotry and abuse experienced by a young black woman growing up in the music industry on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1960s and ’70s, as well as the temptations and trappings that accompany fame and success.

P.P. Arnold is an American-born soul legend known for chart hits The First Cut Is the Deepest and Angel of the Morning. Her career stretches across more than fifty years of pop and rock ’n’ roll history.

Sharing her story for the first time, P.P. Arnold details how it all began at the age of seventeen when she joined the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Arriving in London in 1966 to support the Rolling Stones, the shy but vivacious nineteen-year-old caught the eye of front-man Mick Jagger. He persuaded her to stay in the city and record as a solo artist, leading to a five-decade career working with everyone from Jagger, Rod Stewart, the Small Faces, Eric Clapton and Nick Drake to Barry Gibb, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, the KLF, Paul Weller and Primal Scream.

Far from a gilded life though, after being forced into marriage while pregnant at the age of fifteen, P.P. Arnold went on to endure a string of personal traumas, including physical abuse from her husband, sexual abuse at the hands of her one-time musical mentor and, later, the tragic loss of her young daughter in a road accident.

The legendary musician has survived it all and has continued to reinvent herself through the years ­– be that as a West End musical actress, a much-sought-after backing singer or a renowned pop and soul star in her own right.

Pete Selby, Publishing Director, Nine Eight Books, said: “It is an absolute privilege to be publishing P.P. Arnold’s long-awaited autobiography. Someone who is truly befitting of the title ‘legendary’, Pat has led an astonishing life – one of incredible highs and shocking lows – but throughout it all she just happens to have gifted her remarkable voice to some of the greatest records of the past 60 years. I can’t wait for everyone to read this book and fall in love with Pat in the way that we have at Nine Eight.”

P.P. Arnold said: “I am so pleased to announce the release of my memoirs on Nine Eight Books. It’s been a long time coming and I hope you enjoy my journey down memory lane”.

Soul Survivor: The Autobiography will publish in hardback, audio and eBook in June 2022.