J. Randy Taraborrelli

Last updated
J. Randy Taraborrelli
NationalityAmerican
Known forBiographies, news reporting, journalism
Notable workJackie - 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]

Contents

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 an 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 book, 'Jackie - Public, Private, Secret,' debuted at #3 on the 'New York Times' bestseller list on August 6, 2023. The follow up, "JFK - Public, Private, Secret" debuted at #4 on the 'New York Times' bestseller list on August 9, 2025.

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

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. Archived from the original on March 20, 2013. 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 . 27 October 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  8. ↑ "J. Randy Taraborrelli". Hachette Book Group. 28 June 2017. 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. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. 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". May 2011.
  15. ↑ Thompson, Laura (20 February 2018). "In a New Biography of the Bouvier Women, Jealousies Rule". The New York Times.
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