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J. Randy Taraborrelli
NationalityAmerican
Known forBiographies, news reporting, journalism
Notable work'Jackie - Public, Private, Secret,' 'Jackie, Janet & Lee'
Website jrandytaraborrelli.com

John Randall Anthony Taraborrelli is an American journalist and celebrity biographer. Prior to his book-writing career, he was a magazine journalist and editor-in-chief of Soul magazine, the black entertainment title. Taraborrelli is known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures such as Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, [1] Marilyn Monroe, [2] Michael Jackson, [3] Madonna, [4] the Kennedy family, [5] the Hilton family, [6] and Beyoncé. [7] He also regularly appears on television as an entertainment news reporter on programs such as Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, Today and CBS This Morning. [8] Taraborrelli lives in California. [9]

Writing style

In a 2015 interview with Gawker, Taraborrelli described his evolution as a writer:

I think as you get older as a writer, your standards change. When I was a kid, my standard was very simple: If it was true, I put it in my book. That was it. There was no wiggle room to that. I’ve been through enough in my lifetime to realize there has to be more of a standard in biography than just the truth. There has to be an eye toward empathy. There has to be and eye toward understanding interpretation. There’s a lot of nuance that goes into a biography that is bigger than whether or not something is true. When I was a kid, it was a simpler time. Today, I weigh everything on a moral compass. It has to do with: Is it fair? Is it hurtful? Is it going to cause people pain? That’s a big part of my process today that when I was a kid, I never considered. [10]

Taraborrelli's most recent book, 'Jackie - Public, Private, Secret,' debuted at #3 on the 'New York Times' bestseller list on August 6, 2023.

Reviews

Kirkus Reviews found Cher – A Biography to be "a fun read, and even moving". [11] The Observer reviewed Diana Ross – A Biography as "fawning" and while acknowledging the comprehensiveness of the book, regretted that the writer held back unfavorable information about the subject because he was a personal fan. [12] It said The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe was written by "an indefatigable gossip hound" and criticized his vocabulary. [13] The Gay & Lesbian Review said that Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story was a "comprehensive and even-handed biography". [14] The New York Times called Jackie, Janet & Lee "deliciously readable". [15]

Bibliography

  • Diana: A Celebration of the Life and Career of Diana Ross (1985)
  • Cher – A Biography (1986; updated in 1992)
  • Motown: Hot Wax, City Cool and Solid Gold (1986; updated in 1988)
  • Laughing Till It Hurts – The Complete Life and Career of Carol Burnett (1988)
  • Call Her Miss Ross (1989; updated in 2007 as Diana Ross – A Biography)
  • Michael Jackson – The Magic and the Madness (1991; updated in 2003 and 2004. In 2009, the book was updated as Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story)
  • Sinatra – Behind the Legend (1997; updated in 1998 and 2015)
  • Jackie, Ethel and Joan: Women of Camelot (2000)
  • Madonna: An Intimate Biography (2001; updated in 2002, 2007 and 2018)
  • Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairytale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier (2003)
  • Elizabeth (2006)
  • The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (2009)
  • Michael Jackson - The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story (2009)
  • After Camelot: A Personal History of the Kennedy Family - 1968 to Present (2012)
  • The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty (2014)
  • Sinatra - Behind The Legend (rewritten and updated) (2015)
  • Becoming Beyoncé - The Untold Story (2015)
  • Jackie, Janet & Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill (2018)
  • Madonna: An Intimate Biography of an Icon at Sixty (updated) (2018)
  • The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Triumph and Tragedy (2019)
  • Grace & Steel: Dorothy, Barbara, Laura, and the Women of the Bush Dynasty (2021)
  • Jackie - Public, Private, Secret (2023)

References

  1. ^ Seal, Rebecca (14 January 2007). "Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  2. ^ Yardley, Jonathan (30 August 2009). "Book Review: 'The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe' by J. Randy Taraborrelli". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  3. ^ "The Secret Life of Michael Jackson". NBC News. 5 February 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  4. ^ "CNN.com - J. Randy Taraborrelli: Madonna biographer - July 19, 2001". CNN. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  5. ^ Confidential. "Kennedy clan outcast James Auchincloss dishes in upcoming book - NY Daily News". New York Daily News. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  6. ^ Groskop, Viv (11 April 2014). "The unstoppable rise of the Hiltons". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Beyonce Bio in the Works". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  8. ^ "J. Randy Taraborrelli". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  9. ^ "Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Dictionary definition of Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  10. ^ Juzwiak, Rich (October 29, 2015). "Becoming Beyoncé Writer J. Randy Taraborrelli: "She's So Lucky To Have Me as a Biographer"". Gawker. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  11. ^ "CHER: A Biography". Kirkus Reviews. October 15, 1986. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  12. ^ Seal, Rebecca (14 January 2007). "Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli". The Observer.
  13. ^ Conrad, Peter (26 September 2009). "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J Randy Taraborrelli | Book review". The Observer.
  14. ^ "'I Like Lovin' This Way' - The Gay & Lesbian Review".
  15. ^ Thompson, Laura (20 February 2018). "In a New Biography of the Bouvier Women, Jealousies Rule". The New York Times.