Never Givin' Up: The Life and Music of Al Jarreau

Summary

This is the first biography to chronicle the life and career of one of the most distinguished and beloved musical artists to come out of Wisconsin: Al Jarreau. From his earliest days singing in the 1940s until his death in 2017, Jarreau defied categorization. While his biggest hit, “We’re In This Love Together,” is pure pop, he smashed music industry stereotypes as the first artist to win Grammy Awards in three genres: jazz, pop, and R&B.

Never Givin’ Up traces Jarreau’s singing career from humble beginnings in his hometown of Milwaukee to international fame. The narrative includes his formative student days at Ripon College and the University of Iowa, as well as the years spent honing his craft at nightspots in Milwaukee, San Francisco, and the Twin Cities. After he was signed by Warner Bros. Records in 1975 at the age of 35, Jarreau achieved stardom with his innovative vocal stylings and electric live performances.

This book includes more than 20 sidebars with bonus information about every Jarreau album and behind-thescenes stories about the making of the records. Author Kurt Dietrich conducted interviews with Al Jarreau, as well as dozens of his friends, fellow musicians, professional associates, and family members—most notably Al’s sister, Rose Marie Freeman, who was a major contributor to the project. Featuring 54 images spanning Jarreau’s life, from never-before-seen family snapshots to stills from his legendary stage performances, Never Givin’ Up celebrates a Milwaukee hometown hero and global sensation.

Author

KURT DIETRICH is professor emeritus of music at Ripon College, where he was also Barbara Baldwin DeFrees Chair in the Performing Arts. He has written many articles and three books on jazz, including Wisconsin Riffs: Jazz Profiles from the Heartland from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. He earned degrees from Lawrence University, Northwestern University, and the University of Wisconsin– Madison. He plays trombone with various groups around Wisconsin.

Reviews

“Kurt Dietrich has created a masterful book, revealing and depicting a detailed version of my brother, Al Jarreau, through his music and career. In these pages, I see Al’s determination and his admirable goal of Never Givin’ Up on his joy of singing. It was my distinct pleasure to work with Kurt Dietrich in the process, establishing what has become a bond of family-like friendship that will endure for a lifetime and beyond.”
—Rose Marie (Jarreau) Freeman

“Dietrich captures Jarreau’s simultaneously gregarious and shy charm while revealing his own affection for this gifted and gracious performer. It’s his love letter to a Milwaukee legend.” 
—Bill Milkowski, author of Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius and Ode to a Tenor Titan: The Life and Times and Music of Michael Brecker

Awards

• Silver Medal Winner for the 2023 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for Performing Arts and Music
• Finalist for the Association for Recorded Sound Collections’ Award for Best Historical Research in Recorded Jazz