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    Randy Taraborrelli Interview

    Joan Rivers interviews Randy Taraborrelli "Call Me Miss Ross" author


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    This interview, also from the 80s provides a nice contrast to the Mary Wilson interview from "American Black Journal" in my opinion.

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    Does anyone know whatever happened to him? Is he still writing?

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    Does anyone know whatever happened to him? Is he still writing?
    http://jrandytaraborrelli.com/

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    Quote Originally Posted by lakeside View Post
    Oh ok, so he is still writing. Do you know if Diana Ross ever sued him for his book "Call Her Miss Ross"?

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    Oh ok, so he is still writing. Do you know if Diana Ross ever sued him for his book "Call Her Miss Ross"?


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    Actually Berry Gordy sued J. Randy Taraborrelli for libel and invasion of privacy following the release of the book on...

    ...Michael Jackson.

    https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/ed...i-j-randy-1956

    True, Diana did not like how she was portrayed in Call Me Miss Ross [[and Smokey Robinson was pretty blunt against it in public a few times) but she never sued him. And has never sued Mary Wilson, nor Mark Bego, nor Mark Ribowsky, nor Tony Turner, for their books on her and the Supremes.

    I mean if we're gonna keep it 100, let's get the facts straight.

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    Randy updated Call Her Miss Ross, deleted what was questionable and turned it into the definitive Diana Ross book. - and it really was a work obviously admiring someone he was writing about

    And of course he wrote many other books and is on Facebook

    His writing was a notch above Mary’s and a light year above Mark Bego

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    Quote Originally Posted by jobeterob View Post
    Randy updated Call Her Miss Ross, deleted what was questionable and turned it into the definitive Diana Ross book. - and it really was a work obviously admiring someone he was writing about

    And of course he wrote many other books and is on Facebook

    His writing was a notch above Mary’s and a light year above Mark Bego
    Mary sold much more books than he..........

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    Quote Originally Posted by midnightman View Post
    Actually Berry Gordy sued J. Randy Taraborrelli for libel and invasion of privacy following the release of the book on...

    ...Michael Jackson.

    https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/ed...i-j-randy-1956

    True, Diana did not like how she was portrayed in Call Me Miss Ross [[and Smokey Robinson was pretty blunt against it in public a few times) but she never sued him. And has never sued Mary Wilson, nor Mark Bego, nor Mark Ribowsky, nor Tony Turner, for their books on her and the Supremes.

    I mean if we're gonna keep it 100, let's get the facts straight.
    I wonder why she didn't sue anyone. She always claimed she was a fighter and she certainly is not nice. So why not sue? Hmmmmm........... let me think about that for a moment! LOL!!!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    I wonder why she didn't sue anyone. She always claimed she was a fighter and she certainly is not nice. So why not sue? Hmmmmm........... let me think about that for a moment! LOL!!!!
    Wonder why you care and spend so much time focusing on a woman you dont care much about. You seem real obesessed with Diana Ross. Dont you have any kinda life outside of this here forum? Hmmmmm........... let me think about that for a moment! LOL!!!

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    Interesting, last night at her Q&A portion of her show, she said she avoids gossip, focuses on being positive, meditates and loves her family. From what Andy and George have said about her feedback on the Expanded Editions, she’s always been pleased, and nice. It’s working for her.
    She came across as very humble and sincere when she thanked the audience for attending. You could tell she loves what she does.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Roberta75 View Post
    Wonder why you care and spend so much time focusing on a woman you dont care much about. You seem real obesessed with Diana Ross. Dont you have any kinda life outside of this here forum? Hmmmmm........... let me think about that for a moment! LOL!!!
    Thank you Roberta. His obsession with Diana Ross is kinda scary and so sad! Lol

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    Quote Originally Posted by vgalindo View Post
    Thank you Roberta. His obsession with Diana Ross is kinda scary and so sad! Lol
    In all seriousness im real glad Miss Ross got good security around her. Ya never know when folks are this obsessed. It only takes something to put them over the edge.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    Mary sold much more books than he..........
    You obviously have no clue how many books he's written and on who. But then he doesn't write trash books.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    I wonder why she didn't sue anyone. She always claimed she was a fighter and she certainly is not nice. So why not sue? Hmmmmm........... let me think about that for a moment! LOL!!!!
    I mean maybe she didn't think it was worth it. Aretha Franklin also didn't sue [[though she threatened to) David Ritz for his book on her [[which is what he originally wanted to work with her on but she refused to delve into her personal life to anyone she thought was a stranger). Marvin Gaye's estate didn't sue for some of the fables told in the books on him [[in particularly how MG III was born). Some folks just decided lawsuits are not necessary. Even MARY and Florence's estate could've sued for what Tony Turner wrote about them [[and Tony wasn't particularly nice about Mary so why didn't Mary sue? She would've had every right to do so).

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    Quote Originally Posted by midnightman View Post
    I mean maybe she didn't think it was worth it. Aretha Franklin also didn't sue [[though she threatened to) David Ritz for his book on her [[which is what he originally wanted to work with her on but she refused to delve into her personal life to anyone she thought was a stranger). Marvin Gaye's estate didn't sue for some of the fables told in the books on him [[in particularly how MG III was born). Some folks just decided lawsuits are not necessary. Even MARY and Florence's estate could've sued for what Tony Turner wrote about them [[and Tony wasn't particularly nice about Mary so why didn't Mary sue? She would've had every right to do so).
    That's what I'm saying. Oh in regards to Mary not suing Tony. Didn't his book come out around the time her second book came out? Didn't she fire him? Wasn't it Berry Gordy that threaten to sue him which prevented him from releasing his 3rd book? Makes me wonder if Mary didn't have to get at him to make him leave "the scene" LOL! Any way. I don't like to, but I have sued people before. Sometimes they leave you no choice. Miss Ross, if she felt all these people lied on her in all of these books [[including those by Martha Reeves, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Bettye LaVette and on and on and on....) she should have sued them to clear her name........that's if none of it were true.

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    Roberta, I do not post much but may I ask you why you are always so nasty to Marv?

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    JRTs book was loaded with footnotes and highly researched. He spent much of the introduction of the updated edition extending an olive branch to Mary Wilson and expressing his respect for her.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    That's what I'm saying. Oh in regards to Mary not suing Tony. Didn't his book come out around the time her second book came out? Didn't she fire him? Wasn't it Berry Gordy that threaten to sue him which prevented him from releasing his 3rd book? Makes me wonder if Mary didn't have to get at him to make him leave "the scene" LOL! Any way. I don't like to, but I have sued people before. Sometimes they leave you no choice. Miss Ross, if she felt all these people lied on her in all of these books [[including those by Martha Reeves, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Bettye LaVette and on and on and on....) she should have sued them to clear her name........that's if none of it were true.
    I actually like Diana's approach, which is the way most famous folks do it. Unless you claim something extraordinarily horrible, like Tony Turner did with his proposed third book claiming that Berry Gordy molested him as a youth, and of which Gordy promptly went into legal attack mode, as he should've [[assuming it was false), you let people say whatever they want and you pay them no mind. The things that have been claimed against Diana Ross have been nothing of the sort that should've made her run to her lawyers about anything. Only a few people like yourself who seem overly invested in the goings on in the life of a 75 year old woman who was in her twenties when most of the gossip usually takes place seem to really care about what is said about her. For everything a few people say negatively about her, she keeps pressing on. The proof is in the fruit that she bore, and that would be her children and grandchildren. If you wanna gauge the happiness of a woman of Diana's age, check out the relationship to the children. I've seen it in the women I know personally my whole life. The elderly women who were shitty mothers, you can tell. The good ones? You can tell that too. I suspect that as long Diana Ross has a family that love and respects her and doesn't care what anyone has to say about her, she give you and everyone else nothing as the books are written and the Soulful Detroit posts are created. Never underestimate the love of family. It will outweigh all even when the whole world is against you.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    I actually like Diana's approach, which is the way most famous folks do it. Unless you claim something extraordinarily horrible, like Tony Turner did with his proposed third book claiming that Berry Gordy molested him as a youth, and of which Gordy promptly went into legal attack mode, as he should've [[assuming it was false), you let people say whatever they want and you pay them no mind. The things that have been claimed against Diana Ross have been nothing of the sort that should've made her run to her lawyers about anything. Only a few people like yourself who seem overly invested in the goings on in the life of a 75 year old woman who was in her twenties when most of the gossip usually takes place seem to really care about what is said about her. For everything a few people say negatively about her, she keeps pressing on. The proof is in the fruit that she bore, and that would be her children and grandchildren. If you wanna gauge the happiness of a woman of Diana's age, check out the relationship to the children. I've seen it in the women I know personally my whole life. The elderly women who were shitty mothers, you can tell. The good ones? You can tell that too. I suspect that as long Diana Ross has a family that love and respects her and doesn't care what anyone has to say about her, she give you and everyone else nothing as the books are written and the Soulful Detroit posts are created. Never underestimate the love of family. It will outweigh all even when the whole world is against you.
    That's nice, but there is no way in Hell I am going to believe that is why she has not sued this guy or anyone else that has written about her in books!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Zantellor View Post
    Roberta, I do not post much but may I ask you why you are always so nasty to Marv?
    I can't see what he is posting. I put him on ignore over 3 years ago. Ralph will have to tell me......

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    Ralph isnt telling you diddly squat so grow up.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Zantellor View Post
    Roberta, I do not post much but may I ask you why you are always so nasty to Marv?
    Im actually not but best you stay out of it my dear Zantellor.

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    Quote Originally Posted by luke View Post
    JRTs book was loaded with footnotes and highly researched. He spent much of the introduction of the updated edition extending an olive branch to Mary Wilson and expressing his respect for her.
    Randy is a huge Supremes fan or I reckon he is.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    I actually like Diana's approach, which is the way most famous folks do it. Unless you claim something extraordinarily horrible, like Tony Turner did with his proposed third book claiming that Berry Gordy molested him as a youth, and of which Gordy promptly went into legal attack mode, as he should've [[assuming it was false), you let people say whatever they want and you pay them no mind. The things that have been claimed against Diana Ross have been nothing of the sort that should've made her run to her lawyers about anything. Only a few people like yourself who seem overly invested in the goings on in the life of a 75 year old woman who was in her twenties when most of the gossip usually takes place seem to really care about what is said about her. For everything a few people say negatively about her, she keeps pressing on. The proof is in the fruit that she bore, and that would be her children and grandchildren. If you wanna gauge the happiness of a woman of Diana's age, check out the relationship to the children. I've seen it in the women I know personally my whole life. The elderly women who were shitty mothers, you can tell. The good ones? You can tell that too. I suspect that as long Diana Ross has a family that love and respects her and doesn't care what anyone has to say about her, she give you and everyone else nothing as the books are written and the Soulful Detroit posts are created. Never underestimate the love of family. It will outweigh all even when the whole world is against you.
    Smashingly good post Mr R

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    That's what I'm saying. Oh in regards to Mary not suing Tony. Didn't his book come out around the time her second book came out? Didn't she fire him? Wasn't it Berry Gordy that threaten to sue him which prevented him from releasing his 3rd book? Makes me wonder if Mary didn't have to get at him to make him leave "the scene" LOL! Any way. I don't like to, but I have sued people before. Sometimes they leave you no choice. Miss Ross, if she felt all these people lied on her in all of these books [[including those by Martha Reeves, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Bettye LaVette and on and on and on....) she should have sued them to clear her name........that's if none of it were true.
    Not too many stars think of suing, most rather move on. It could state that what these people said was true or they might not bother because it's a private thing. Bettye LaVette also could've been sued for saying she and Aretha for instance smoked weed and drank liquor together and that Ted White was a pimp but either she shrugged it off or didn't know. You just never know how celebrities, especially ones who rise to the top, feel when a lot of stuff is said about them, true or not.
    Last edited by midnightman; 06-25-2019 at 09:57 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    I actually like Diana's approach, which is the way most famous folks do it. Unless you claim something extraordinarily horrible, like Tony Turner did with his proposed third book claiming that Berry Gordy molested him as a youth, and of which Gordy promptly went into legal attack mode, as he should've [[assuming it was false), you let people say whatever they want and you pay them no mind. The things that have been claimed against Diana Ross have been nothing of the sort that should've made her run to her lawyers about anything. Only a few people like yourself who seem overly invested in the goings on in the life of a 75 year old woman who was in her twenties when most of the gossip usually takes place seem to really care about what is said about her. For everything a few people say negatively about her, she keeps pressing on. The proof is in the fruit that she bore, and that would be her children and grandchildren. If you wanna gauge the happiness of a woman of Diana's age, check out the relationship to the children. I've seen it in the women I know personally my whole life. The elderly women who were shitty mothers, you can tell. The good ones? You can tell that too. I suspect that as long Diana Ross has a family that love and respects her and doesn't care what anyone has to say about her, she give you and everyone else nothing as the books are written and the Soulful Detroit posts are created. Never underestimate the love of family. It will outweigh all even when the whole world is against you.
    Tony also claimed Marvin Gaye was, well, gay, as well as Eddie Kendricks. He has NO credibility.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    That's nice, but there is no way in Hell I am going to believe that is why she has not sued this guy or anyone else that has written about her in books!
    Well Diana is far from the only superstar celebrity who didn't sue against an author for a supposedly defaming book on her [[which I don't think it was). So I guess if we're to believe the stories in books about Diana, we have to believe the stories about Aretha, about Michael Jackson, about Smokey Robinson, about any artist that has had issues over the years and put into a book or two. Whitney Houston didn't sue Kevin Ammons for his Good Girl, Bad Girl book [[which claimed Whitney's alleged girlfriend Robyn Crawford was also fooling with Whitney's brother Michael) or Faith Evans, who alleged Whitney had an affair with 2Pac [[Bobby Brown alluded to the same thing in his book). I mean if the stuff about Diana is true and I tend to believe a good chunk of it [[because we're not all saints of course), we have to believe everything else, right? Just going on the theory that if a celebrity doesn't sue on a book about them, that means the stories are factual.

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    Interesting interview but I like Randy. However, I am always suspicious when there are only two people involved like his story about Michael and Diana sitting on the couch talking and Diana leaves for a moment to find Michael at her makeup mirror. I would love to know who told him that story........... Michael or Diana since they were the only two in the room. I read things like this when there are only two or sometimes just one individual present but obviously someone is able to write about because there was a GHOST in the room.

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    Quote Originally Posted by midnightman View Post
    Tony also claimed Marvin Gaye was, well, gay, as well as Eddie Kendricks. He has NO credibility.
    Quincy Jones did the same

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    I can't see what he is posting. I put him on ignore over 3 years ago. Ralph will have to tell me......
    This is like Randy Taborelli, "someone told me"

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    My first observation from the Turner book after reading it and then trashing it was "Why are there no pictures of him and Flo" ? Surly, they had cameras back then right ? I could have wrote the same book and talked about meeting Flo and then Diana and then Mary. The whole thing was odd and felt dirty.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    That's nice, but there is no way in Hell I am going to believe that is why she has not sued this guy or anyone else that has written about her in books!
    What would she be suing about though? Do you really think it's worth her time to sue someone who writes in a book about how she copied someone's dress and then wore it before they had a chance? Or how about suing because someone said she hit him upside the head with a hat box with a dog hidden inside? Or maybe she should've sued because someone wrote that she wasn't always nice to Mary Wilson?

    The law appears to be [[and you legal scholars please feel free to step in and confirm or correct me) fairly strict on what constitutes a person being able to sue an author for libel or defamation. Diana would have to prove that her reputation has truly suffered as a result of these books, and I don't believe she can do that. I know a few Mary fans like to believe that Dreamgirl somehow kept Diana from scoring another hit, but that's a fantasy, not reality. The truth is that by the time Dreamgirl hit the street, Diana hadn't had a hit over here in two years. And then three or so years after Dreamgirl, Diana hit the top 5 r&b. She was still in demand as a concert draw. Still being approached to take part in major television appearances. Mary's book didn't steal her shine, nor did JRandyT's book, Tony Turner, or anyone else since. Music wise, what killed Diana's career was stinky music which nobody wanted to bother with, and when she did record good stuff, she was considered "past it" by the business who was more interested in the Toni Braxton and Mary J Blige's of the industry.

    Diana is the rule for celebrities, not the exception, when it comes to allowing negative depictions in books to go without pursuing legal options, if any exists for her particular case. You almost never hear of celebrities suing authors.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Roberta75 View Post
    Im actually not but best you stay out of it my dear Zantellor.
    Uh yeah, you're pretty nasty to him Roberta, even when he's not being nasty himself. I get it when he's being a dick. Give him what he gives you. But if not, let him be, please. It'll go a long way to achieving what little peace can be achieved in a forum allowed to run amok.

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    Quote Originally Posted by midnightman View Post
    Well Diana is far from the only superstar celebrity who didn't sue against an author for a supposedly defaming book on her [[which I don't think it was). So I guess if we're to believe the stories in books about Diana, we have to believe the stories about Aretha, about Michael Jackson, about Smokey Robinson, about any artist that has had issues over the years and put into a book or two. Whitney Houston didn't sue Kevin Ammons for his Good Girl, Bad Girl book [[which claimed Whitney's alleged girlfriend Robyn Crawford was also fooling with Whitney's brother Michael) or Faith Evans, who alleged Whitney had an affair with 2Pac [[Bobby Brown alluded to the same thing in his book). I mean if the stuff about Diana is true and I tend to believe a good chunk of it [[because we're not all saints of course), we have to believe everything else, right? Just going on the theory that if a celebrity doesn't sue on a book about them, that means the stories are factual.
    Exactly. These folks would spend a lot of money in legal fees fighting every single thing alleged about them, and they mostly wouldn't be able to prove that someone is lying. Could you imagine Diana trying to prove that something is a lie from 1965? Nearly impossible. It's usually one person's word against another.

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    Quote Originally Posted by captainjames View Post
    Interesting interview but I like Randy. However, I am always suspicious when there are only two people involved like his story about Michael and Diana sitting on the couch talking and Diana leaves for a moment to find Michael at her makeup mirror. I would love to know who told him that story........... Michael or Diana since they were the only two in the room. I read things like this when there are only two or sometimes just one individual present but obviously someone is able to write about because there was a GHOST in the room.
    It would probably be hearsay. JRandyT would just assert that a source told him that Diana told the source what happened. Let's say the story is real. I can imagine Diana maybe having to tell somebody what she walked in on. She may have thought that story was too wild to sit on, even for her.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    Uh yeah, you're pretty nasty to him Roberta, even when he's not being nasty himself. I get it when he's being a dick. Give him what he gives you. But if not, let him be, please. It'll go a long way to achieving what little peace can be achieved in a forum allowed to run amok.
    I really respect you RanRan so I will let him go and wish him peace and tranquillity and freedom from his Miss Ross obsession.

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    Quote Originally Posted by captainjames View Post
    My first observation from the Turner book after reading it and then trashing it was "Why are there no pictures of him and Flo" ? Surly, they had cameras back then right ? I could have wrote the same book and talked about meeting Flo and then Diana and then Mary. The whole thing was odd and felt dirty.
    BAM Captain. Bam. Not ONE single photo that struck me as real odd as well. That said Tony Turners a liar and a fraud but his books were real funny and made me LOL cause I know 90% of what he wrote was fake. LOL

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    Quote Originally Posted by Albator View Post
    Quincy Jones did the same
    Yeah. In regards to Marvin. That was lowdown outing him since he is not here to refute it. Being an uber famous celebrity is scary because your whole life becomes an open book.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    Exactly. These folks would spend a lot of money in legal fees fighting every single thing alleged about them, and they mostly wouldn't be able to prove that someone is lying. Could you imagine Diana trying to prove that something is a lie from 1965? Nearly impossible. It's usually one person's word against another.
    Exactly. It's a waste of money. Suing for hearsay is never good.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    It would probably be hearsay. JRandyT would just assert that a source told him that Diana told the source what happened. Let's say the story is real. I can imagine Diana maybe having to tell somebody what she walked in on. She may have thought that story was too wild to sit on, even for her.
    That is wild though. Imagine a 11 year old kid in your house wearing your clothes and imitating you and he's an artist on your label. Talk about "Wacko".

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    We all know that those biographies contain stories that are not always factual. It is really the question of the credit can we give to an interview given by someone involved: the story is always distorted by the interviewed person and its own interests. But how to know how distorted it is? To know who close to the subject the interviewed person is, and his sides [[real friend or rival…) of course helps but that information is usually hard to get [[and when the sources are mentioned, they are at the end of the book… well, it’s really not practical to go back and forth while reading…)
    As Captainjames rightly points out, related stories involving only two persons whom which we know none of them would tell about it to a journalist are necessarily a recreation that most probably comes from a third party. And Taraborrelli’s biographies are full of that [[or, does he have the ability to transform into a fly? - oh! that’s only in Harry Potter only – sorry).

    Most of us here know how the read between the lines, and it’s also the reason why I wrote in a former website I created on Diana Ross, about Taraborrelli’s “Call Her Miss Ross”, that it made me love her more [[probably because it depicted Diana Ross in a more human way than only an ultimate Goddess – or maybe just because I didn’t believe everything I read - lol). But some things I read or hear in interviews still get me on my nerves, I can’t help it!
    It’s also one of the main reasons I created a factual Timeline about Diana’s career that can help to put some perspective to some stories and to correct the too numerous inaccuracies that we can found in those books [[and alas also in the booklet of the expanded edition).
    http://dianarosssupremes.free.fr/
    Laurent
    [[RanRan79; love your post on Diana’s approach, I couldn’t have say it better)

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    let's also look at the time period in which CHMR was written. in the 80s, the style of celebrity writing was tabloid-ish. sensational revelations were the hit thing. Supposedly the ghost writers and publishers encouraged Mary to amp things up too. "tell alls" and intimate secrets sold not only books but magazine and tabloid newspapers.

    While some of this is still around today [[TMZ anyone?) it appears as though the biographies being written are toning things down somewhat. in 1987 the word "diva" was sort of new and almost offensive. Nowadays, anyone can be a diva.

    I believe that's why Randy opted to released the latest Diana biography which is MUCH more even handed with the material.

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    Yeah Randy's revised bio on Diana got rid of the tabloid stories.

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    Randy is a great guy and his revised Diana Ross biography from 2007 really is the definitive biography on her. He’s been involved with all the expanded editions and he is one of the authority voices on the Supremes/Ross history. He also has written some incredible books on the Kennedys.

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    some of his early books are great too - his first DR biography and motown: hot wax, cool city, solid gold

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    Quote Originally Posted by bradsupremes View Post
    Randy is a great guy and his revised Diana Ross biography from 2007 really is the definitive biography on her. He’s been involved with all the expanded editions and he is one of the authority voices on the Supremes/Ross history. He also has written some incredible books on the Kennedys.
    Yes he is a nice enough guy.I have not always seen eye to eye with him on everything, but for the most part he is thoroughly decent guy. I enjoyed his books on Marilyn and Sinatra amongst others. He has a real flair to his writing and is not afraid to admit to previous mistakes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bluebrock View Post
    Yes he is a nice enough guy.I have not always seen eye to eye with him on everything, but for the most part he is thoroughly decent guy. I enjoyed his books on Marilyn and Sinatra amongst others. He has a real flair to his writing and is not afraid to admit to previous mistakes.
    I had a brief e-mail exchange with Randy when he was between books and I was impressed with him. I think he truly regrets CMMR and has worked to redeem himself as a popular, but serious, biographer.

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    I think it was rather sad and embarrassing that Randy T. would reveal on television how jealous Diana Ross was of Whitney Houston. I mean, she had like a 20 year head start on Whitney and was old enough to be Whitney's mom.

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