Brandi Carlile was born into a musically gifted, impoverished family on the outskirts of Seattle and grew up in a constant state of change, moving from house to house, trailer to trailer, fourteen times in as many years. Though imperfect in every way, her dysfunctional childhood was as beautiful as it was strange, and as nurturing as it was difficult. At the age of five, Brandi contracted bacterial meningitis, which almost took her life, leaving an indelible mark on her formative years and altering her journey into young adulthood.
As an openly gay teenager, Brandi grappled with the tension between her sexuality and her faith when her pastor publicly refused to baptize her on the day of the ceremony. Shockingly, her small town rallied around Brandi in support and set her on a path to salvation where the rest of the misfits and rejects find it: through twisted, joyful, weird, and wonderful music.
ย
In Broken Horses, Brandi Carlile takes readers through the events of her life that shaped her very raw artโfrom her start at a local singing competition where she performed Elton Johnโs โHonky Catโ in a bedazzled white polyester suit, to her first break opening for Dave Matthews Band, to many sleepless tours over fifteen years and six studio albums, all while raising two children with her wife, Catherine Shepherd. This hard-won success led her to collaborations with personal heroes like Elton John, Dolly Parton, Mavis Staples, Pearl Jam, Tanya Tucker, and Joni Mitchell, as well as her peers in the supergroup The Highwomen, and ultimately to the Grammy stage, where she converted millions of viewers into instant fans.
Evocative and piercingly honest, Broken Horses is at once an examination of faith through the eyes of a person rejected by the churchโs basic tenets and a meditation on the moments and lyrics that have shaped the life of a creative mind, a brilliant artist, and a genuine empath on a mission to give back.
Carlile recorded new stripped-down, solo renditions of more than 30 of the songs featured in the book, including her own and songs from artists whoโve inspired her, from Dolly Parton to Elton John, Leonard Cohen and more, available exclusively on the audiobook:
ย
โI Donโt Hurt Anymoreโ by Hank Snow
โCoat of Many Colorsโ by Dolly Parton
โRide on Outโ by Brandi Carlile
โHonky Catโ by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
โPhiladelphiaโ by Neil Young
โHappyโ by Brandi Carlile
โThat Yearโ by Brandi Carlile
โHallelujahโ by Leonard Cohen
โEye of the Needleโ by Brandi Carlile
โTurpentineโ by Brandi Carlile
โWastedโ by Brandi Carlile
โThe Storyโ by Brandi Carlile
โCloser to Youโ by Brandi Carlile
โCarolineโ by Brandi Carlile
โJosephineโ by Brandi Carlile
โSugartoothโ by Brandi Carlile
โLooking Outโ by Brandi Carlile
โBeginning to Feel the Yearsโ by Brandi Carlile
โLove Songsโ by Brandi Carlile
โI Willโ by Brandi Carlile
โI Belong to Youโ by Brandi Carlile
โThat Wasnโt Meโ by Brandi Carlile
โThe Motherโ by Brandi Carlile
โThe Stranger at My Doorโ by Brandi Carlile
โHeroes and Songsโ by Brandi Carlile
โMurder in the Cityโ by The Avett Brothers
โParty of Oneโ by Brandi Carlile
โThe Jokeโ by Brandi Carlile
โHold You Dearโ by The Secret Sisters
โBring My Flowers Nowโ by Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker
โYour Songโ by Elton John and Bernie Taupin