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]
J. Randy Taraborrelli | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Biographies, news reporting, journalism |
| Notable work | 'Jackie - Public, Private, Secret,' 'Jackie, Janet & Lee' |
| Website | jrandytaraborrelli |
Writing style
editIn 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
editKirkus 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
edit- 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
edit- ^ Seal, Rebecca (14 January 2007). "Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ Yardley, Jonathan (30 August 2009). "Book Review: 'The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe' by J. Randy Taraborrelli". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ "The Secret Life of Michael Jackson". NBC News. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on March 20, 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ "CNN.com - J. Randy Taraborrelli: Madonna biographer - July 19, 2001". CNN. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ Confidential. "Kennedy clan outcast James Auchincloss dishes in upcoming book - NY Daily News". New York Daily News. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ Groskop, Viv (11 April 2014). "The unstoppable rise of the Hiltons". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ "Beyonce Bio in the Works". The Hollywood Reporter. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ "J. Randy Taraborrelli". Hachette Book Group. 28 June 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ "Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Dictionary definition of Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ Juzwiak, Rich (October 29, 2015). "Becoming Beyoncé Writer J. Randy Taraborrelli: "She's So Lucky To Have Me as a Biographer"". Gawker. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- ^ "CHER: A Biography". Kirkus Reviews. October 15, 1986. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- ^ Seal, Rebecca (14 January 2007). "Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli". The Observer.
- ^ Conrad, Peter (26 September 2009). "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J Randy Taraborrelli | Book review". The Observer.
- ^ "'I Like Lovin' This Way' - The Gay & Lesbian Review". May 2011.
- ^ Thompson, Laura (20 February 2018). "In a New Biography of the Bouvier Women, Jealousies Rule". The New York Times.