American journalist and celebrity biographer
J. Randy Taraborrelli |
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| Nationality | American |
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| Known for | Biographies, news reporting, journalism |
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| Notable work | 'Jackie - Public, Private, Secret,' 'Jackie, Janet & Lee' |
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| Website | jrandytaraborrelli.com |
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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]
