J. Randy Taraborrelli

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.com

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.