Shelley, Also Known as Shirley" by Shelley Winters. That perfect combination of brutal honesty, great dish on co-workers, and ultimate triumph. I fell in love with her reading her book.
@Heather - one of my other fave bios is Pam Grier's ("Foxy - My Life In Three Acts). Jabaar comes off quite douchy in her book. Changed my opinion of him big time.
There's a better one. Steven Davis did it. Jim loved using butter as lubricant. He also LOVED buttsecks. Interesting read, it goes in depth about his sexual conquests. People are strange, for sure.
I think Paul Trynka's biography of Iggy Pop is the only one I've read, at least in the last couple of decades. It was good, but more because it gave me information than any literary merit, IIRC.
Gold Dust Woman about Stevie Nicks, & Respect - An unvarnished eye-opener about Aretha Franklin.
@Moose- I've read two of Winter's autobios, & found them to be a bit sanitized. Other actors' bios (Tony Curtis was one) all mentioned her as an arrogant bitch who thought everyone was beneath her.
Clapton by Eric Clapton. While he whitewashes some of his bad behavior Clapton provides an honest opinion of himself and events in his life. The book was enough to turn me off him and his music. I had been a lifelong fan of both and after reading the book I lost interest. I will never be able to listen to Layla again without thinking about Clapton raping Patti Boyd- repeatedly while they were married. Eric has Mommy issues and I hope (for his sake) his daughters are treated better than Eric ever treated the women in his life.
Thanks, @Gator - I still love her. I imagine the by-product of telling your story your way is that others will tell their story their way. And I can see Winters being labelled an arrogant bitch. But I prefer to think of her as a broad. And I mean that as a huge compliment.
All of George Burns’ books, Anna Kendrick’s Scrappy Little Nobody, Al Franken’s book Giant of the Senate, and I just listened to This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps and really enjoyed it.
I just finished watching Bill Burr's brand new stand up special on Netflix.
Well if the gobshite SJWs at Rotten Tomatoes andcelsewhere were livid with Dave Chapelle after his latest effort then theyre gonna shit their unisex, hemp woven, rainbow coloured panties at Billy boy.
The Dark Side of Genius (Alfred Hitchcock) by Donald Spoto. Read it along with Wilhelm Reich's The Mass Psychology of Fascism to really understand how unacknowledged sexual latency turns men into women hating hostiles. The only difference between Hitchcock and Hitler was Hitch's morbid sense of humor. Also, for a blueprint on how a woman with everything can piss it all away, Barry Paris' bio of Louise Brooks is the standard for self-destruction.
I enjoyed Marianne Faithfull's autobiography and a Keith Richards biography by Vic Bokris (? I think)...sure there's more to the story, but both were easy, good reads about The Stones and their circle. Marianne has seen all extremes, and is a good storyteller.
Full Moon - a hilarious biography of the late drummer for the Who Keith Moon.
The Day Elvis Died - covering the death of Elvis as a news event, using the what would have been front page of the Memphis paper to mop up spilled coffee, and pandemonium setting in in the news room when the King really died.
The Beatles Forever - written by a fan, full of fun facts.
--I don't read that many biographies, but I did like "Paul McCartney: A Life" (Peter Ames Carlin). Part one, the early years in Liverpool, was incredibly well written and well researched.
--Donny Osmond's autobiography, "Life is Just What You Make It". He's an interesting person and has overcome a lot of setbacks, including severe panic attacks.
Accordion to a recent survey, replacing words with the names of musical instruments in a sentence often goes undetected.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read that many, I guess Is That It? by Bob Geldoff which I read many, many years ago.
ReplyDeleteNatalie: A Memoir By Her Sister by Lana Wood
ReplyDeleteShelley, Also Known as Shirley" by Shelley Winters. That perfect combination of brutal honesty, great dish on co-workers, and ultimate triumph. I fell in love with her reading her book.
ReplyDeleteKareem Abdul Jabaar's. Honestly to see his relationship with Wooden and during Civil Rights, it was interesting LOL.
ReplyDeleteThe Girls: Sappho Goes to Hollywood.
ReplyDelete@Heather - one of my other fave bios is Pam Grier's ("Foxy - My Life In Three Acts). Jabaar comes off quite douchy in her book. Changed my opinion of him big time.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I'm going to be reading Pam Grier's book! Thanks dude!
DeleteZelda Fitzgerald
ReplyDeleteNo Here Gets Out Alive
ReplyDeleteThere's a better one. Steven Davis did it. Jim loved using butter as lubricant. He also LOVED buttsecks. Interesting read, it goes in depth about his sexual conquests. People are strange, for sure.
DeleteI think Paul Trynka's biography of Iggy Pop is the only one I've read, at least in the last couple of decades. It was good, but more because it gave me information than any literary merit, IIRC.
ReplyDeleteShirley McLaines”Out On A Limb” was a good read. Fascinating life.... and I love her spiritual awareness
ReplyDeleteGold Dust Woman about Stevie Nicks, & Respect - An unvarnished eye-opener about Aretha Franklin.
ReplyDelete@Moose- I've read two of Winter's autobios, & found them to be a bit sanitized. Other actors' bios (Tony Curtis was one) all mentioned her as an arrogant bitch who thought everyone was beneath her.
@Trica- MacLaine has had several followup books to Out on a Limb, & they're all pretty interesting.
ReplyDeleteYep. I love her candor. Story about filming “Being There “with Peter Sellers is super interesting
DeleteClapton by Eric Clapton. While he whitewashes some of his bad behavior Clapton provides an honest opinion of himself and events in his life. The book was enough to turn me off him and his music. I had been a lifelong fan of both and after reading the book I lost interest. I will never be able to listen to Layla again without thinking about Clapton raping Patti Boyd- repeatedly while they were married. Eric has Mommy issues and I hope (for his sake) his daughters are treated better than Eric ever treated the women in his life.
ReplyDeleteThanks, @Gator - I still love her. I imagine the by-product of telling your story your way is that others will tell their story their way. And I can see Winters being labelled an arrogant bitch. But I prefer to think of her as a broad. And I mean that as a huge compliment.
ReplyDelete"Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild" by David Stenn.
ReplyDeleteExtremely compelling reading, very tragic.
After that, anything by Sharon or Ozzy Osbourne, they are very entertaining writers, and "Shout!" by Phillip Norman.
Showgirls.
ReplyDeleteToo Fat To Fish
ReplyDelete&
Chaplin's autobiograpy
Carré Otis & Sherry Lansing are my most recent favorites.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm X
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMarianne Faithfull by Marianne Faithfull
Delete@moose definitely will add to the kindle library checkout! Always love an outside view of someone else.
ReplyDeleteNot sure how much of a celebrity he's considered, but Dean Koontz's bio rules.
ReplyDeleteI heard the one by Anthony Kedis is amazing. I keep forgetting to get it. *puts it on my To Do list* 📝
ReplyDeleteScuse Me While I Kiss The Sky
ReplyDelete@Freebird - Anthony Kiedis's bio was "Scar Tissue", and one of my favorites! Also liked "Walk this Way" which is an autobiography of Aerosmith.
ReplyDeleteMIchael York's autobiography
ReplyDeleteChronicles by Bob Dylan. Audiobook read by Bob. "Lead a generation?!?! I was trying to feed my family."
ReplyDeleteAll those books by David Niven.
ReplyDeleteAll of George Burns’ books, Anna Kendrick’s Scrappy Little Nobody, Al Franken’s book Giant of the Senate, and I just listened to This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps and really enjoyed it.
ReplyDelete"When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead" by Jerry Weintraub
ReplyDelete"By Myself" by Lauren Bacall...I can't remember how many times I have read it.
ReplyDelete+1 @ Dane
ReplyDeleteScuse Me While I Kiss The Sky
No One Here Gets Out Alive
ReplyDeleteO/T.
ReplyDeleteI just finished watching Bill Burr's brand new stand up special on Netflix.
Well if the gobshite SJWs at Rotten Tomatoes andcelsewhere were livid with Dave Chapelle after his latest effort then theyre gonna shit their unisex, hemp woven, rainbow coloured panties at Billy boy.
Get in the van - Henry Rollins
ReplyDeleteIt’s Always Something - Gilda Radner
ReplyDeleteScar Tissue - Anthony Kiedis
The Dark Side of Genius (Alfred Hitchcock) by Donald Spoto. Read it along with Wilhelm Reich's The Mass Psychology of Fascism to really understand how unacknowledged sexual latency turns men into women hating hostiles. The only difference between Hitchcock and Hitler was Hitch's morbid sense of humor. Also, for a blueprint on how a woman with everything can piss it all away, Barry Paris' bio of Louise Brooks is the standard for self-destruction.
ReplyDeleteMaking a list...thanks, everybody!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Marianne Faithfull's autobiography and a Keith Richards biography by Vic Bokris (? I think)...sure there's more to the story, but both were easy, good reads about The Stones and their circle. Marianne has seen all extremes, and is a good storyteller.
Freddie Mercury
ReplyDeleteAnthony Quinn and Montgomery Cliff, they kinda fucked with my head in my teen years.
ReplyDeleteThe Dirt,Def Leppard: Animal instinct, Dave Mustaine, Frank Sinatra
ReplyDeleteAny of Bruce Campbell's books.
ReplyDeleteLauren Bacall's autobiography, about her life with Bogie, and trashing Sinatra.
ReplyDeleteDavid Heyman's book on Jackie O.
Up and down with the Rollng Stones, written by one of their paid friends and drug dealers, Tony Sanchez.
Keith Richards by Barbara Charone (not Keef's autobiography)
House of Hilton by Jerry Oppenheimer
In all his Glory, about William S. Paley, who founded CBS.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Scott Wieland's Not Dead and Not for Sale. And the one by Esther Williams. She spills lots of tea!
ReplyDeleteI came here to say Not Dead and Not for Sale. Definitely a great read!
DeleteA few more rarer ones:
ReplyDeleteFull Moon - a hilarious biography of the late drummer for the Who Keith Moon.
The Day Elvis Died - covering the death of Elvis as a news event, using the what would have been front page of the Memphis paper to mop up spilled coffee, and pandemonium setting in in the news room when the King really died.
The Beatles Forever - written by a fan, full of fun facts.
I enjoyed Errol Flynn's 'My Wicked, Wicked Ways'.
ReplyDeleteI don't tend to read them, but any Jackie Collins novel back in the day was as good as a biography. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the book but it was a comparison of Princess Diana and Princess Grace.
ReplyDeleteBoth autobiographies by Candace Bergen.
ReplyDeleteFashion Climbing by Bill Cunningham.
I'll Drink to That by I forget who. Very entertaining recollection of being a personal shopper at Bergdoff's.
Tab Hunter's autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential.
--I don't read that many biographies, but I did like "Paul McCartney: A Life" (Peter Ames Carlin). Part one, the early years in Liverpool, was incredibly well written and well researched.
ReplyDelete--Donny Osmond's autobiography, "Life is Just What You Make It". He's an interesting person and has overcome a lot of setbacks, including severe panic attacks.
One Life - Dr Christiaan Barnard
ReplyDeleteI found it so inspirational that it changed my life.
Agreed @a beautiful virago, Esther Williams's "Million Dollar Mermaid" memoir was really good gossipy reading!
ReplyDeleteAgassi.. Riveting story and really well written..
ReplyDeleteDino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams--Nick Tosches,
ReplyDelete