April 2016
Photo © Gail Starr.
Michael Seth Starr is the TV editor for the New York Post, where he has written about television for the past 20 years. He is a native of northern New Jersey, and has authored biographies of Peter Sellers, Art Carney, Joey Bishop, Bobby Darin, Raymond Burr, and Redd Foxx. Unlike Ringo, he was born with the last name Starr; they are not related.
What are you reading? What's on your nightstand?
The President and the Apprentice: Eisenhower and Nixon
What's on your nightstand?
The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret, Before I Get Old: The Story of The Who
Where do you go to get inspired?
A good bookstore
What's something that surprised you recently (in a good way)?
The writing and depth of the '50s-era radio series Gunsmoke.
Where do you write?
In my home office.
What/who makes you laugh? Why?
Steve Coogan (I'm Alan Partridge), Peter Sellers, Ricky Gervais (The Office, Extras). I'm a big fan of British humor.
Favorite fictional character ever?
As far as a literary character, I don't really have a favorite. Most of my reading encompasses biographies. Raymond Burr, who I wrote about in Hiding in Plain Sight: The Secret Life of Raymond Burr, led an interesting life, inventing a large part of his public persona.
What do you want readers to know about you and your books?
I try to thoroughly research each of my biographical subjects, let the story tell itself, and avoid psychoanalyzing my subjects.
What are you working on?
A biography of William Shatner.
"...a solid recounting of Ringo's life and will be of interest to Beatles fans looking for more information on the least-chronicled member of the Fab Four."
—Booklist
"In this illuminating and comprehensive biography of Richard "Ringo Starr" Starkey, New York Post TV editor Starr delves into every aspect of the life of one of the 20th century's most famous drummers....Starr successfully paints a complete portrait of the legendary drummer, whose contributions to rock ‘n’ roll, he argues, have been largely overshadowed by his iconic band mates."
—Publishers Weekly
Ringo: With a Little Help by
(Book). Ringo: With a Little Help is the first in-depth biography of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, who kept the beat for an entire generation and who remains a rock icon over fifty years since the Beatles took the world by storm. With a Little Help traces the entire arc of Ringo's remarkable life and career, from his sickly childhood to his life as The World's Most Famous drummer to his triumphs, addictions, and emotional battles following the breakup of the Beatles as he comes to terms with his legacy. Born in 1940 as Richard Starkey in the Dingle, one of Liverpool's most gritty, rough-and-tumble neighborhoods, he rose from a hardscrabble childhood marked by serious illnesses, long hospital stays, and little schooling to emerge, against all odds, as a locally renowned drummer. Taking the stage name Ringo Starr, his big break with the Beatles rocketed him to the pinnacle of worldwide acclaim in a remarkably short time. He was the last member of the Beatles to join the group but also the most vulnerable, and his post-Beatles career was marked by chart-topping successes, a jet-setting life of excess and alcohol abuse, and, ultimately, his rebirth as one of rock's revered elder statesman.
Black and Blue by
(Applause Books). Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story tells the remarkable story of Foxx, a veteran comedian and "overnight sensation" at the age of 49 whose early life was defined by adversity and his post- Sanford and Son years by a blur of women, cocaine, endless lawsuits, financial chaos, and a losing battle with the IRS. Foxx's frank, trailblazing style as the "King of the Party Records" opened the door for a generation of African-American comedians including Dick Gregory, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Chris Rock. Foxx took the country by storm in January 1972 as crotchety, bow-legged Watts junk dealer Fred Sanford in Sanford and Son , one of the most beloved sitcoms in television history. Fred's histrionic "heart attacks" ("It's the big one, Elizabeth! I'm comin' to join ya, honey!") and catchphrases ("You big dummy!") turned Fred Sanford into a cultural icon and Redd Foxx into a millionaire. Sanford and Son took Foxx to the pinnacle of television success but would also prove to be his downfall. Interviews with friends, confidantes, and colleagues provide a unique insight into this generous, brash, vulnerable performer a man who Norman Lear described as "inherently, innately funny in every part of his being."
Hiding in Plain Sight by
The complete story of the actor's career, including his secret gay life. Raymond Burr (1917-1993) was an enigma. A film noir regularly known for his villainous roles in movies like Rear Window, he eventually became one of the most popular stars in television history. He has delighted millions of viewers each week with the top-rated shows Perry Mason and Ironside, which ran virtually uniterrupted for 20 years. As crusading lawyer Perry Mason, he never lost a case in TV's first one-hour crime drama. And as the gruff, wheelchair-bound cop Robert T. Ironside, he always got his man in the first TV series to feature a handicapped protagonist. But Burr was leading a secret gay life at a time in Hollywood when such a lifestyle was akin to career suicide. He invented a tragic biography for himself in which he was mythologized as a heartbroken husband and father. There was even an invented affair with a teenage Natalie Wood, 21 years his junior. He fought for truth as Perry Mason and Robert T. Ironside, yet he couldn't admit his own deception. Burr met his partner, struggling actor Robert Benevides, on the set of Perry Mason, and they remained together for over 35 years until Burr's death. Together, they built a business empire, traveled the world, and shared their passion for orchids and fine wine - keeping the true nature of their relationship a secret from all but their closest friends - a secret revealed here for the first time in depth.
