Category: Authors

He was dubbed “Public Enemy Number 1” by a group of Texas cattlemen who sued him after an appearance on Oprah in which he discussed Mad Cow Disease. That was in 1996. The Texas cattlemen lost the lawsuit and Howard F. Lyman continues on with his mission to educate the public about the growing dangers of eating not only meat but poultry and dairy products as well. Q – Mr. Lyman, no doubt you’ve made a lot of converts with that book of yours haven’t you? A – Well, it’s…

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In the late 50’s, they didn’t come much bigger than Rick Nelson. He was the Teenage Idol. He recorded 27 Top 20 hits including “Hello Mary Lou,” “Travelin’ Man,” “Stood Up,” and ” Lonesome Town.” The son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Rick was seen weekly on his parents TV show. Philip Bashe has written a book on Rick Nelson titled, “Teenage Idol, Travelin’ Man. The Complete Biography of Rick Nelson” (Hyperion Books). It traces Rick’s life from the very beginning — to his tragic death in a plane crash…

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In the 60’s, The Beatles reigned Supreme. But right behind them, were The Supremes. Writer Randall Wilson has put together a fascinating look at The Supremes and member Florence Ballard in his book, “Forever Faithful: A Study of Florence Ballard and the Supremes.” Q – Why did you choose to concentrate on Florence Ballard in your book? A – I’m 35 and I grew up in Detroit. At the time, The Supremes were really hitting their stride in ’64-’65. I like Florence. She was my particular favorite out of the…

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He’s written the most explosive book on Hollywood to come along in some time. We’re talking of course about Author — Rayce Newman. Rayce Newman is candid about what it takes for a man or woman to be successful in today’s Hollywood — and talent is rarely part of the equation. Rayce Newman is an ex-cocaine dealer who sold drugs to the biggest of Hollywood’s stars. He details his experiences in “The Hollywood Connection: The Drug Supplier To The Stars Tells All” (Shapolsky Books). We spoke with Rayce Newman about…

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It was the Premiere Showcase of Central New York that played host to the Biggest Stars of the day. The club was called Three Rivers Inn and was located just outside of Syracuse, New York. Some of the stars who performed there include Tony Bennett, Paul Anka, Bobby Darin, Jimmy Durante, Al Martino, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, Jayne Mansfield, Frankie Laine, Sammy Davis Jr. and the list goes on and on and on. Dom Bruno owned Three Rivers Inn and has passed on, but, his niece Lorraine Arsenault has written…

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Charles R. Cross is recognized as a leading authority on the subject of Bruce Springsteen. From Cross and the people at Harmony Books comes “Backstreets: Springsteen, The Man and His Music.” The book chronicles the history of the man who will be at the Carrier Dome in concert this week. Q – Why is Bruce Springsteen accorded legendary status? A – Unlike most rock artists, Bruce Springsteen has always tried to use his music to deal with personal issues; whether that be adolescent angst–his first three albums; or the turmoil…

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Photographer and author Laurance Ratner has put together what may very well be the ultimate rock photography book. It’s titled “Live Dreams” and the focus is Led Zeppelin. “Live Dreams” actually takes you inside the experience of being at one of the group’s legendary performances from 22 shows of their North America Tours of 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1977. “Live Dreams” is available from Margaux Publishing (1455 N. Sandburg Terrace, Suite 904, Chicago, IL 60610; tel: 312-664-6857). We asked Laurance Ratner to take us back in time with one of…

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Attention all Beatles Fans!!! Writers Stuart Madow and Jeff Sobul have put together a new book on the group you may be interested in. Titled The Colour of Your Dreams, The Beatles’ Psychedelic Music (Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc. 701 Smithfield Street Suite 301 Pittsburgh, PA 15222). It features a detailed breakdown of each psychedelic song The Beatles wrote from 1966 through 1968. We talked with Jeff Sobul about the book. Q – Jeff, you are 29 years old. Is that correct? A – Yes. Q – So, that means you…

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She’s been an actress, a singer, a songwriter and a chemist!! Now, she’s an author. Diane Pfeifer is the author of the cookbook, “Gone With The Grits Gourmet Cookbook” Q – Diane, what exactly are grits? A – Grits are ground, dried corn. It’s basically the Southern equivalent of Cream of Wheat, except its corn. Q – Where did you come up with the idea for this cookbook? Were you a fan of Margaret Mitchell or the movie “Gone With The Wind?’ A – (Laughs.) Actually, neither of the above.…

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Writer Domenic Priore has put together a unique book on one of America’s most famous rock ‘n roll groups – The Beach Boys. Titled “Look! Listen! Vibrate! Smile!” it focuses on a year in the life of the group. That year was 1966-1967. Q – Of all the groups you could’ve written about, why did you choose The Beach Boys? A – I found this Smile album particularly interesting because of its power and its unreleased state. Its progressive power I’d say. Q – Did you ever read the Steven…

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