ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Walter Yetnikoff is a 1953 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brooklyn College and received his law degree in 1956 from Columbia University. He joined CBS Records in 1961 and quickly rose through the ranks. In 1975, Yetnikoff was made President of CBS Records Group, spearheading the operation for fifteen years and creating the most profitable and prestigious stable of artists in music history. Yetnikoff is generally credited with developing and nurturing the careers of superstars such as Michael Jackson, George Michael, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Living Colour and Public Enemy. He is currently involved in many projects, including contemporary performance poetry, the production of soundtrack CDs and counseling new artists. He recently joined the New York board of the Caron Foundation, an addiction treatment facility. He lives in New York.

         

David Ritz is the only four-time winner of the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award. He has collaborated with many famous performing artists on their autobiographies, including Ray Charles, B. B. King, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson and the Neville Brothers. He won a Grammy in 1992 for Best Album Notes and wrote the lyrics to “Sexual Healing.” His novels include Blue Notes Under a Green Felt Hat. He lives in Los Angeles.