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Rickey Minor

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There's No Traffic on the Extra Mile: Lessons on the Road from Dreams to Destiny Kindle Edition

by Rickey Minor (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 45 ratings

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The ultimate American Idol insider reveals what it takes to achieve your dreams, recalling his journey from South Central to center stage.

As a highly successful musician and producer, Rickey Minor has worked with some of the world’s most celebrated performers. He knows firsthand that there are reasons why some people succeed, while others fail despite their talent. As American Idol’s music director, Rickey Minor helps contestants reach for their dreams week after week. He’s seen it all behind the scenes at the wildly popular show.

In There's No Traffic on the Extra Mile, Minor spins stories from his life in the music business into inspirational gold, imparting the lessons he has learned the hard way, including:

• Always give people more than they were expecting. But remember that you can’t please everyone all the time.
• Look for mentors. Minor recounts how Quincy Jones became his.
• Why every action moves you closer or farther away from your aspiration—and how to tell the difference.
• If you can’t get what you want, it may be because youÂ’re not ready yet. When the time comes, you’ll know.

He also provides juicy behind-the-scenes anecdotes about Idol contestants, and the keys to their success. He sees the show as a condensed version of life itself. The setbacks the performers face, and their triumphs, mirror our own. But his bottom line, no matter what your field of endeavor, is this: If you drive hard enough, sooner or later you will be the only one left on the road.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Minor's motivational wisdom is exactly what you'll find in most books in the genre: accept responsibility for your own choices, he advises; love yourself and always give people more than they were expecting. And though he does take readers backstage in his role as the music director of American Idol, don't expect any major revelations; the scenes he presents are largely generic, with no names named. The book does pick up some interest when Minor looks back at his career leading up to his TV job, starting with the vocal group he started growing up in Watts through gigs with Gladys Knight and other musicians. In one especially memorable passage, he recounts the resistance that other musicians and network reps offered to Whitney Houston's unorthodox arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner for a Super Bowl appearance; that her performance would go on to set a new standard, he says, is evidence of the power of staying true to your own convictions. Unfortunately, there are not enough of these powerful moments to overcome the platitudes and make Minor's advice truly stand out from the pack. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Rickey Minor is the music director of American Idol and has served as music director for nearly every major American awards show including the Grammys, the Emmys, and the Super Bowl. He has worked with major recording artists including Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Ray Charles, BeyoncÃ© Knowles, and many more.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001FA0NEC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avery (December 24, 2008)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 24, 2008
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 625 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 180 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,379,149 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,819 in Biographies of Composers & Musicians
- #8,678 in Motivational Self-Help (Kindle Store)
- #9,121 in Personal Transformation

Customer Reviews:
4.7 45 ratings

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Stanton Kellam

A great map for anyone’s road ahead!

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2020

Verified Purchase

Solid, clear life advice for anyone’s career where competition and relationships can be difficult and ever changing. Young or old you will find encouragement from Rickey’s amazing journey and wisdom his grandmother still wants you to hear. Rickey Minor is the real deal. Let him share with you the dues he’s already paid.

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2010

Verified Purchase

Great book. Rickey's story is inspiring. I recommend this book for anyone who aspires to make it in the music business, or in life. Alot of the principles he shares can be applied to your life and help you become more successful. I also highly recommend it to every gigging musician out there, whatever level you're at. It's a smooth read with plenty of interesting real life stories worked in.

One person found this helpful

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bass_titan

Informative

Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2018

Great read

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2010

Verified Purchase

This book was very inspiring and showcased that you can be kind to people and still make it in the music industry.It was refreshing to see a "Nice Guy" thrive among those with huge egos and make his mark. This book would be a good read for anyone wanting to go for thier goals in any field.

One person found this helpful

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Mark A Corradetti

Must read

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

A wonderful story...very motivating and real.

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2013

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I love the book There's No Traffic on the Extra Mile: Lessons on the Road from Dreams to Destiny a must read. Especially if you have dreams and goals that you are trying to reach in your life.

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Art Director

Must read for young musicians

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2012

Verified Purchase

I highly recommend Mr. Minor's book for all young artists trying to rise to the top. He mentors aspiring singers and musicians through anecdotes of his personal experience in show business. Simple, but very wise advice.

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2011

Verified Purchase

I belive the the book is a great instrument to accomplish sucess in what ever task you involve yourself into. Great reading