Fanny Brice: The Original Funny Girl

Book Description

"I've done everything in the theatre except marry a property man," Fanny Brice once boasted. "I've acted for Belasco and I've laid 'em out in the rows at the Palace. I've doubled as an alligator; I've worked for the Shuberts; and I've been joined to Billy Rose in the holy bonds. I've painted
the house boards and I've sold tickets and I've been fired by George M. Cohan. I've played in London before the king and in Oil City before miners with lanterns in their caps." Fanny Brice was indeed show business personified, and in this luminous volume, Herbert G. Goldman, acclaimed biographer of
Al Jolson, illuminates the life of the woman who inspired the spectacularly successful Broadway show and movie Funny Girl, the vehicle that catapulted Barbra Streisand to super stardom.
In a work that is both glorious biography and captivating theatre history, Goldman illuminates both Fanny's remarkable career on stage and radio--ranging from her first triumph as "Sadie Salome" to her long run as radio's "Baby Snooks"--and her less-than-triumphant personal life. He reveals a
woman who was a curious mix of elegance and earthiness, of high and low class, a lady who lived like a duchess but cursed like a sailor. She was probably the greatest comedienne the American stage has ever known as well as our first truly great torch singer, the star of some of the most memorable
Ziegfeld Follies in the 1910s and 1920s, and Goldman covers her theatrical career and theatre world in vivid detail. But her personal life, as Goldman shows, was less successful. The great love of her life, the gangster Nick Arnstein, was dashing, handsome, sophisticated, but at bottom, a loser who
failed at everything from running a shirt hospital to manufacturing fire extinguishers, and who spent a good part of their marriage either hiding out, awaiting trial, or in prison. Her first marriage was over almost as soon as it was consummated, and her third and last marriage, to Billy Rose, the
"Bantam Barnum," ended acrimoniously when Rose left her for swimmer Eleanor Holm. As she herself remarked, "I never liked the men I loved, and I never loved the men I liked." Through it all, she remained unaffected, intelligent, independent, and, above all, honest.
Goldman's biography of Al Jolson has been hailed by critics, fellow biographers, and entertainers alike. Steve Allen called it "an amazing job of research" and added "Goldman's book brings Jolson back to life indeed." The Philadelphia Inquirer said it was "the most comprehensive biography to
date," and Ronald J. Fields wrote that "Goldman has captured not only the wonderful feel of Al Jolson but the heartbeat of his time." Now, with Fanny Brice, Goldman provides an equally accomplished portrait of the greatest woman entertainer of that illustrious era, a volume that will delight every
lover of the stage.

Customer Reviews:

Herbert Goldman's "Fanny Brice: The Original Funny Girl".......2005-09-06

This is a great biography of a great entertainer. Many beautiful photos of this dear, wonderful performer and
this author does a fine job of telling Fanny Brice's
story! After seeing the two Streisand movies, this book
does an excellent job in providing an unvarnished version.
Entertaining and enlightening. I highly recommend it!

one of the most unbiased, yet loving tributes to a real star.......1999-03-13

I had the pleasure of reading FANNY BRICE by Herbert Goldman when it first came out in 1992. I am sorry that it is now out of print, as it is one of the most detailed writings on a stage/vaudeville star I have ever encountered. From her early struggles, to the height of her stardom, to her untimely death, this grand lady lead a memorable life that few can ever hope for. This lady conquered every medium she went out for. It should be read by young people aspiring to the arts to show them just how real troupers their ancestors really were......Mr Goldman also wrote the definitive book on another great, Al Jolson..I am looking forward to the one that he is writing now on Eddie Cantor. What a perfect trilogy on old Broadway......Kudos to you Mr Goldman...

Average customer rating:

The Girl Next Door and How She Grew
Jane Powell
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0688067573

Average customer rating:

Great book!
Excellent!!
And she can write, too!
Sunday in the park with George's Aunt
If You Read Nothing Else

Girl Singer: An Autobiography
Rosemary Clooney , and Joan Barthel
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767905555
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Amazon.com

Girl Singer is that rarity, an entertainer's autobiography that sidesteps the usual cash-in maneuvers, instead earning the label of memoir. Rosemary Clooney, of course, is the 1950s pop sweetheart ("Come On-a My House," a song she detested) turned 1960s nervous-breakdown casualty and, finally, comeback kid with a well-loved interpretive style. She recalls a hectic childhood spent mostly under the wing of her grandmother, who was better equipped than her parents to raise Rosemary, sister Betty, and brother Nick. The memories are often seen through a filter of tough poetry, as in this vivid passage:

"One very cold winter day, when I was five and Betty just about two, we got dressed up in one of our aunts' long dresses. 'Now we have to go down to the river,' I told Betty, 'because we're going on a long trip, and we have to wait by the river till the boat comes.'

"Betty skidded down the slick grading into the river. The dark water closed above her head.

"I leaned over, grabbed her hand, and dragged her out. She wasn't crying, just coughing and sputtering. I got her home and into the bathtub and then dried off, all by myself--my mother had told me I would manage, I would be able to do whatever had to be done."

Near the height of her fame, Clooney herself became the mother of five, as well as the long-suffering wife of actor José Ferrer, who cheated on her early and often. Another romance, with arranger Nelson Riddle, was both her happiest and most turbulent; she remembers Riddle divorcing his first wife and then abruptly marrying his secretary. By 1968, Clooney was suffering prescription drug-induced delusions, imagining a month after his assassination that her friend Bobby Kennedy was still alive and ready to deliver a "lesson for me... to teach the American people." After several false starts, she broke her addiction and made a comeback that's seen her garner several Grammy nominations (and laugh about losing each time to pal Tony Bennett). Hard-won peace may be a cliché, but Girl Singer demonstrates it as the 71-year-old girl singer's truth. --Rickey Wright

Book Description

In Girl Singer, Rosemary Clooney, with the warmth and humor that distinguishes her singing, describes her transformation from a schoolgirl in kneesocks to one of the most beloved singers of the twentieth century. Rosemary Clooney made her first public appearance at the age of three, on the stage of the Russell Theater in her tiny hometown of Maysville, Kentucky. She has been singing ever since: on the local radio; with Tony Pastor's orchestra; in big-box-office Hollywood films; at the London Palladium, Carnegie Hall; on her own television series; and at venues large and small around the world. The list of her friends and intimates reads like a Who's Who of show business royalty: Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Tony Bennett, and Billie Holiday, to name just a few.

At twenty-five, she married the erudite and respected actor José Ferrer, sixteen years her senior and light-years more sophisticated. Trouble started almost immediately when, on her honeymoon, she discovered that he had already been unfaithful. Finally, after having five children while she virtually single-handedly supported the entire family and his numerous, unrepentant infidelities, she filed for divorce. From there her life spiraled downward into depression, addiction to various prescription drugs, and then, in 1968, a breakdown and hospitalization. After years spent fighting her way back to the top--with two albums at the top of the Billboard charts in six years--Clooney is married to her long-lost love--a fairy tale with a happy ending.

Customer Reviews:

Great book!.......2005-08-30

Rosemary Clooney was one resillient lady. From her broken-home childhood, her singing glory days, her difficult (if not impossible) marriage to Jose Ferrer, her substance abuse problems, and then final happiness with her old sweetheart are covered in unvarnished, no-nonsense prose. I really liked this book, and could not put it down.

Rosie, you wrote a great book--and, I miss you!

Excellent!!.......2005-05-25

This book was absolutely remarkable! Anyone interested in Rosemary Clooney should read it. I read this book for a history project and I could not stop talking about it! This book is one of the few that have really ever had a major effect on me. Rosemary's life is like a fairytale: tough beginnings, with a heavenly ending. The book did an excellent job in explaining everything that happened in her life. It was also made better because it was an autobiography. I love it and highly recommend it!

And she can write, too!.......2002-10-23

We lost a tremendous talent and treasure this past summer with the death of Rosemary Clooney. I am so glad that I read this book before her death, because I felt as if I got to know her. Ms. Clooney told her story, from her tulmultous childhood, to her heyday as a "girl singer" and recording star, and to her breakdown in the late 1960s. In the last 10 years, she was known more as George's aunt than her own talent. This book solidified for me that she was a great talent, and a very interesting person. Nothing is glossed over.

Sunday in the park with George's Aunt.......2002-08-31

Rosemary Clooney's life wasn't all a picnic in the Park. Her autobiography is straightforward - like herself, it is not grandiose, but it is no shrinking violet, either. While reading this book, I also got "Songs from the Girl Singer: a musical autobiography " a 2 CD set. Like Girranimals, the similarly titled companion pieces have the same picture on the front so that the purchaser will know that they go together. Buy `em both, they won't disappoint!

Her life and music are all here - without gloss or pretension. And from her debut with sister Betty, with a local Cincinnati big band, to her meteoric rise to solo national celebrity for "Come On-a My House," a song she never really liked, to sing with Bing in "White Christmas," to the ascension of Rock & Roll (which, she said at the time "wiped out music as we know it,") to her resultant (?) breakdown and triumphant "comeback," to her introduction to a new TV viewing generation as the Coronet Paper Towel lady, to her appearance with nephew George Clooney on ER, Rosemary never learned to read music!

More pictures (including one of the Great Dane, Cuddles,) would have been nice, but the set is a treat. Get it! God Bless You, Rosemary. 5/23/28 - 6/30/2002

If You Read Nothing Else.......2002-08-10

I just finished Rosie's Girl Singer, an autobiography, and found it probably one of the best I have read. I have always been a fan of hers, but didn't realize what a super entertainer she was, given the load she was given to carry. If you haven't read it yet, don't miss it.

Shout, Sister, Shout!: Ten Girl Singers Who Shaped A Century

Average customer rating:

A Fantastic Collection of Biographies
You won't want to put it down ...
Awesome book about Awesome women

Shout, Sister, Shout!: Ten Girl Singers Who Shaped A Century
Roxane Orgill
Manufacturer: Margaret K. McElderry
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Book Thief (Readers Circle)

ASIN: 0689819919

Amazon.com

Judy Garland wrings our hearts with her wistful "Over the Rainbow;" Madonna inspires a dancing frenzy with "Everybody;" Ethel Merman blows us away with her brassy "Everything's Coming Up Roses;" Bette Midler makes us laugh with her schlocky "Chapel of Love;" and Joan Baez looks back on an era of social protest with her hauntingly beautiful "Diamonds and Rust." In this richly illustrated collection of biographies, music critic Roxane Orgill recreates those magic moments and paints vivid word pictures of the lives of 10 women vocalists who span the century, from Sophie Tucker, Last of the Red Hot Mamas, to country singer Lucinda Williams. "This book tells the stories of ten women who went about their own business, regardless of what other people said or did. These women took charge of their lives and their singing careers," Orgill declares. Each artist epitomizes her decade, often by resisting the social currents of the time. They come from 10 different genres of popular music and entertainment--cabaret, vaudeville, movie musicals, Broadway shows, music videos, country, rock, blues, folk, and jazz--and the author characterizes those musical styles and sets them in historical perspective, as the great blues singers Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith are shown against a backdrop of racial injustice, and Anita O'Day's intellectual jazz improvisations are explained in the context of the Beat era. Adding to the wealth of information are sidebars on the development of electronic media, intriguing glimpses into the public wardrobe of each singer, and a discography for some great listening. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

Dip into this collective biography of ten outstanding female singers of popular music in the twentieth century and meet some of the most remarkable women who've ever lived!

Through intimate personal details and numerous photographs, interviews, and tidbits of little-known information, music critic Roxane Orgill brings to life ten "girl singers" and the decades in which they did their best work. Readers of Shout, Sister, Shout! will learn about the lives, the loves, and the music of

SOPHIE TUCKER (1900s)
MA RAINEY (1910s)
BESSIE SMITH (1920s)
ETHEL MERMAN (1930s)
JUDY GARLAND (1940s)
ANITA O'DAY (1950s)
JOAN BAEZ (1960s)
BETTE MIDLER (1970s)
MADONNA (1980s)

LUCINDA WILLIAMS (1990s)

Writing in a friendly, readable style, Roxane Orgill has created a book of great distinction that will fascinate and inspire readers of all ages.

Customer Reviews:

A Fantastic Collection of Biographies.......2002-07-27

Roxane Orgill selected ten of the greatest female volcatist of the last century to highlight in these fascinating biographies in "Shout, Sister, Shout". As you take a musical journey through this book you will meet ten amazing women, including Bette Midler, Joan Baez, Judy Garland, Madonna, and Lucinda Williams. You will get a glimpse into how music changed their lives and how their music changed the world. Roxane Orgill includes descriptions of some of the clothes these women wore and discussions of how we experience music has changed through the decades. This a fabulous book with great pictures and interesting stories. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys music.

You won't want to put it down ..........2001-08-22

Author Roxane Orgill picked a single woman to epitomize each decade of the 20th century, profiling women of different genres, each of whom has an interesting story and voice. Shout, Sister, Shout! is a great introduction to the performers and leaves one wanting to read more about each one of them, while artfully giving a sense of the developments of the 20th century. I read this fascinating, photographically illustrated book in two sittings and was sorry when it was over.

For the 1950s we get, not all-American girl Doris Day, but jazz singer and junkie Anita O'Day, and Orgill chooses outrageous Bette Midler for the 70s instead of Linda Rondstadt, for instance. Her choice for the 1990s was the most difficult ["How was I to know which of the top performers (of the 1990s) would still be considered exceptional ten, twenty, thirty years from now?"]; with keen insight, the author finally picked alt-country singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, though she includes long sidebars about Wynonna Judd and LeAnn Rimes as well.

Additional sidebars describe advances in music technology and each performer's fashions, and Orgill sneaks in advancements in women's and civil rights, without whitewashing each woman's difficulties, triumphs, love affairs, and addictions. Two of `em - Anita O'Day and Ethel Merman - never learned to cook, and O'Day didn't clean, either. (You go, girls!) Incidentally, O'Day chose her stage last name because, she said, "In pig Latin it meant `dough,' which was what I hoped to make."

Make sure the music-loving young women in your life see this book, and if you're a grrrl of ANY age or gender, you're sure to enjoy it yourself.

Awesome book about Awesome women.......2001-05-12

I just finished reading SIGHTS by Susanna Vance before I read this. Together, these are my favorite books. Both authors show girls at their strong best. I'm inspired!

Girl Trouble: The True Saga of Superstar Gloria Trevi and the Secret Teenage Sex Cult That Stunned the World

Average customer rating:

Fantastic, but Believable
Miami Herald book review
Wow! What a story, what a storyteller.
Blah
His feature exposes the truth behind the scandal

Girl Trouble: The True Saga of Superstar Gloria Trevi and the Secret Teenage Sex Cult That Stunned the World
Christopher McDougall
Manufacturer: Rayo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060536624
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic, but Believable.......2005-09-11

i loved this book, and i think any reader who isn't blown away by it must be used to airport newsstand trash, not real journalism. i was about to write a rave review myself, but found this one from the herald to be dead on the money:

"Despite its sensationalist title, Girl Trouble is no hastily assembled fallen-superstar exposé, and McDougall is no mere gossip-rag hack. Using the "Siempre en Domingo" performance as his launching point, McDougall - who has written for The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, and the Associated Press - delves deeply and thoroughly into the bizarre irony that would become Gloria Trevi's life and career. In the process he seeks - and largely provides - answers and understanding rather than simple exploitation of this stranger-than-fiction tale.

Two very detailed stories emerge from Girl Trouble; the first of which is the story of Trevi herself and her meteoric rise to become Mexico's Madonna.

Singing songs that championed teen sexual liberation and bashed traditional macho attitudes, all the while sporting a carefree thrift-store chic and a metaphorically untamed mane of hair, Trevi was adored by young audiences - especially young female audiences. She even won over members of Mexico's intellectual community. Social critic Carlos Monsivaís and author Elena Poniatowska wrote about her in glowing praise, and none other than Zapatista guerilla leader Subcomandante Marcos admitted to being a fan.

But at the same time that she was loudly and proudly extolling sexual liberation, freedom and girl power, Trevi herself seemed to be living an entirely monkish existence. She was never spotted out and about town, she seemed to have few friends, and she never dated. When she stepped on stage or when a television camera was turned on her, she burst into her irreverent, unconstrained persona. But when the spotlight was turned off, she immediately turned sulky and introverted.

There was a good explanation for the strange dichotomy in Trevi's personality, however. She, along with a rotating cast of more than a dozen other young women and girls, had become part of a secret brainwashing sex cult cultivated by producer/manager Sergio Andrade, a quintessential macho control artist.

Here the second and larger story takes over Girl Trouble as McDougall painstakingly reconstructs not only the lurid details of the Andrade cult's workings, but also the psychology that allowed it to take shape in the first place.

Sergio Andrade, while blessed with at least some knack for penning hum-able pop tunes, is repeatedly characterized in the book as fat, ugly, boorish, slovenly, sullen, and essentially devoid of any sort of endearing personality trait. Yet somehow he managed to convince a rotating cast of young teenage girls - as well as women's lib champion Glori Trevi herself - to submit to beatings, rape, starvation and ritual humiliation. And they bore it all while remaining completely loyal, obedient, and most importantly, silent.

As McDougall explains it, Andrade's madness followed a precise scientific logic. He, along with the able help of Trevi, targeted and recruited girls almost exclusively aged 12 and 13 years to join his "talent school;" a cover for what was in effect an indoctrination center.

"But was it pure sexual attraction on his part, or strategy" to choose 12 and 13 year olds, the author ponders. To answer that question, McDougall consults with teen culture analysts as well as the classic developmental psychology theory of Erik Erikson. When the responses assert that the transition age from child to teen is precisely that at which a girl's mind is most vulnerable to influence, McDougall concludes that Sergio knew exactly what he was doing.

Once the girls had been recruited into joining Andrade's academy, they were subjected to a seemingly standardized routine of anxiety-provoking performance tests, psychological manipulation, and then later, sexual and physical abuse. McDougall turns to cognitive theory and scientific treatises on brainwashing to show that Andrade's program was no accident, but rather a regime designed precisely and perfectly to gain the girls' unquestioning obedience.

McDougall's analysis certainly helps to answer one question plaguing the reader: why in the world did these girls so willingly accept what was happening to them? But there is, of course, a follow-up question that begs to be answered as well: where in the world were the parents during all of this?

Ultimately, only after a 14-year-old Trevi backup singer abandoned her newborn baby - one of several children fathered by Andrade within the clan - could Mexican authorities persuade a set of parents to press charges. And so finally, in March of 1999, Andrade and Trevi were formally charged with rape, kidnapping and corruption of minors.

Panicked, Andrade took his harem and hid out in Brazil, fathering several more babies with the girls in hopes of protecting the clan against extradition. Eventually, in January of 2000, he and Trevi were arrested and sent to solitary confinement in Brazilian jail, where in the next bizarre plot turn, Gloria announced that she had somehow become pregnant.

McDougall followed it all, from Trevi giving birth in Brazilian prison, to the pair's extradition back to Mexico, and then, this past September, to Gloria's surprise acquittal on all charges by a Chihuahua state judge."

Miami Herald book review.......2005-09-03

"That's where Christopher McDougall, who covered Trevi's story for The New York Times, picks up. Pretending to be an old music-industry pal of Andrade's, McDougall got into the famously fearsome Brazilian Papuda Correctional Facility to interview him. (McDougall speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese.) He also finagled his way into Gloria's cell, where she promised him the truth: "I am who I tell you I am."

In unraveling the mystery, McDougall also got close to Aline Hernandez, who was a skinny 13-year-old when Gloria plucked her from a crowd for admission to the school. Aline alleged that Sergio made her strip for her "audition," later raped her, forced her into group sex, beat her with electrical cords and, when she was 15, married her. (She was the fourth Mrs. Sergio Andrade, and not the youngest.)

So what's the weirdest thing about this story? Too close to call.

"Girl Trouble" was plucked from the headlines, but has a longer shelf life ahead of it - for one thing, Trevi's comeback album just went platinum. Beyond that, McDougall gives the book a powerful resonance by finding the larger cultural context of this singularly bizarre tale."

Wow! What a story, what a storyteller........2005-09-02

This is one of the most sensational true-crime books I have ever read, and one reason I loved it is because it's not sensationalized. Christopher McDougall makes Gloria Trevi appear so true to life, and then peels back the layers of her on-stage persona to reveal the troubled, scary, cunning woman beneath. His characterization of the arch mastermind, Sergio Andrade, is amazing: you can't believe that a guy like that could rise to such power and remain free for so long, yet McDougall does a masterful job of showing exactly how Andrade DID get away with his secret girl-group sex cult for so long. If you're looking for a window into the dark corners of show business, sexual perversion or the perversions of wealth and power, this is it.

Blah.......2005-07-22

This is a really interesting story. The writing? Leaves a LOT to be desired and turns the otherwise incredible subject matter into a boring mess.

His feature exposes the truth behind the scandal.......2005-04-10

Superstar Gloria Trevi was finally freed from prison after being cleared of rape and kidnapping charges, and intends to act and release an album, so "Girl Trouble" will be the perfect announcement of her return to stardom. Trevi was accused of masterminding the kidnap, rape and brainwashing of nearly a dozen teens in Brazil: Christopher McDougall is a journalist determined to uncover the truth, and his feature for the New York Times Magazine exposes the truth behind the scandal, tracing Trevi's involvement in the sex-slave scandal and in the music and acting worlds.

Til the Fat Girl Sings: From an Overweight Nobody to a Broadway Somebody-A Memoir

Average customer rating:

So glad I trusted my instincts!
Her journey and reach for leading roles would take her to the top
a great read for anyone who wants to be noticed...
Success is the Best Revenge
Great book!

Til the Fat Girl Sings: From an Overweight Nobody to a Broadway Somebody-A Memoir
Sharon Wheatley
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1593375433

Book Description

Whale. Heifer. Fatty. These are the names Sharon Wheatley heard every day during middle school. By high school she topped the scales at 230 pounds. Sneaking into the garage late at night to scarf down frozen cupcakes from the freezer while her family slept, Sharon kept on eating-and kept on dreaming of Broadway. Discouraged at every turn by friends and family alike, "Little Miss Sunshine" stayed positive and kept her dream alive. Even when her own father told her, "Sexy sells, and fat isn't sexy," Sharon endured. Despite her weight, she got into the prestigious Cincinnati Conservatory of Music-where they told her she'd never land a romantic leading role.
They were all wrong. In this touching memoir, readers follow Sharon as she transforms herself from a tortured-on-the-inside, all-smiles-on-the-outside, obese teenager to the confident young woman who, against all odds, takes Broadway by storm. Rising above her greatest critics and detractors, Sharon achieves her lifelong dream. A story that is sure to touch teens and adults alike, 'Til the Fat Girl Sings is a compelling, honest story that shows readers good girls don't always finish last-and leading roles don't always go to the most popular girl in school.

Customer Reviews:

So glad I trusted my instincts!.......2006-11-20

I picked up this book on a total whim. The saying is that you can't judge a book by it's cover, but sometimes that's more true in the metaphorical sense than reality. I admit, I judge books by their covers nearly every time. Some good cover art, or even something clean and simple, and I want to read the back or inside jacket. This cover caught my eye. It's very Playbill meets that Blind Melon video with the little girl in the Bee costume. (No Rain? Maybe? I think? It's been too many years since I've watched MTV and I doubt they'd ever play it anymore anyway.)

It's more than a cool cover, though. It's hopeful, and funny, witty, down-to-earth, and SO inspirational. It's more than a coming-of-age story, because it's also a story of success. It's a true testament to the grit that comes with knowing what you want and being too stubborn to settle for anything less no matter what obstacles are in your way.

Her journey and reach for leading roles would take her to the top.......2006-11-06

This could've been featured in our Biography section, but is reviewed here for its insights on how a Broadway star made it big - despite her lifetime weight problem. Sharon Wheatley weighed over two hundred pounds by high school, but never stopped dreaming of a career on Broadway. Her journey and reach for leading roles would take her to the top and 'TIL THE FAT GIRL SINGS: FROM AN OVERWEIGHT NOBODY TO A BROADWAY SOMEBODY - A MEMOIR tells how.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

a great read for anyone who wants to be noticed..........2006-09-10

I am a tall thin straight Male who thought that I might not really understand where Sharon Wheatley is coming from. Her story is so great that you don't have to be over weight to understand where she is coming from. This book is funny, thoughtful and true. It is a worthy read and it is great for anyone who has ever had the need to feel wanted. A GREAT READ AND A GREAT BUY!

Success is the Best Revenge.......2006-07-04

It is Amazing what has happened in the first part of her Songbird Sharon's life.
Her memoir is a testimony about whatever life throws at you , you can overcome it. I think we can all identify with mean kids, horrific embarrassing moments, and blaming yourself for things you don't understand.

It is one of the sweetest, saddest, and most inspiring books I would recommend. Hooray for the Songbird aas we look forward to Volume 2 and all its successes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would have picked a different title though- I have known you 35 years, and you were never a "nobody". And how could you sing the Sound of Music to Chopin, Mozart, et., al.???

You did not mention Patrick- the meanest dog in Cincinnati???!!!

Great book!.......2006-06-27

I loved this story! It opened my eyes to a problem that I really wasn't tuned in to. An important story to tell. Not only that but I think sometimes we as individuals feel so alone, like we are the only people with problems, Sharon's story of overcoming adversity is a REAL inspiriation.

Jennifer Hudson: American Dream Girl: American Dream GirlAn Unauthorized Biography

Average customer rating:

Jennifer Hudson: American Dream Girl: American Dream GirlAn Unauthorized Biography
Betsy West
Manufacturer: Price Stern Sloan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0843126876

Book Description

You've seen her as sassy Effie White in Dreamgirls and heard her belt it out on American Idol. Now get the behind-thescenes scoop on this incredibly talented singer and actress—Jennifer Hudson! She's won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her role in Dreamgirls, toured the U.S. with American Idol, and is releasing a solo album with J Records in 2007. With her big voice and even bigger personality, Jennifer is a star on the rise!

Average customer rating:

This Book Is Terrific !!!

Stardust Girl: A Memoir
Jan Welles
Manufacturer: Alyson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1555836275

Book Description

The true story of a popular singer who broke all the rules and paid the ultimate price.

A stunning, velvety-voiced crooner who drew raves from Walter Winchell and Cole Porter, Jan Welles was perched on the brink of stardom, when she faced an impossible choice: deny her lesbianism or abandon the career she had worked a lifetime to achieve. Ranging from the dazzling lights of Broadway to dusty bullfighting rings in the Dominican Republic, flings with Lana Turner and Paulette Goddard to an attempted rape by Broadway impresario Billy Rose, Jan Welles's tale is a saucy story of achievement, danger, and the ultimate triumph of being true to yourself.

Jan Welles was a singer for RKO records and was a regular on The Arthur Godfrey Show, where she was known as the Stardust Girl, as well as on The Steve Allen Show. She was also the first woman bullfighter in Mexico. She now lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Customer Reviews:

This Book Is Terrific !!!.......2007-01-28

This book is about a girl who wins a talent contest and dreams of becoming a famous singer. She gets jobs singing in clubs and bars and appears on TV and gets some better gigs. Her story is about the ups and downs of show business (and life in general). She is nearly abducted as a child than nearly raped while auditioning for a Broadway show and there are many other hard knocks along the way for Jan.

They are also some good times for her she tells of her romantic relationships with other (female) performers. And she mentions a Hollywood party that she went to with a friend (who was nearly assaulted by a male Hollywood star), it was there she met Lana Turner and the two had a fling. She mentions other Hollywood friends as well, it's a great book for you if you're gay and into the golden age of Hollywood.

The last third of this book deals with her bullfighting days which are just as interesting as the preceding chapters. Even though Jan never got the fame she deserved her story as a happy ending. This book also deals with her parents' reaction to finding out their child is gay.

Jan Welles is a Great role model for young gay women to look up to, she has strength of character and a determined sprit, which is a shame she never got the fame she deserved.

The only thing I think is wrong with this book is it doesn't say if any of Jan's records are available or not

Paula Abdul: A Real-Life Reader Biography

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Paula Abdul: A Real-Life Reader Biography
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Manufacturer: Mitchell Lane Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0791052850

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