THE AUTHORS GIVE SPECIAL THANKS to Alison Holloway, our executive producer, without whom this book could not have been written; our editor Yuval Taylor, developmental editor Devon Freeny, and copyeditor Joseph Webb, and the team at Chicago Review Press, without whom this book would not have been published—and whose work improved upon it along the way; Robert S. Bader, who was always a source of inspiration and assistance, and above all a man of his word; and many others who were important to the research and completion of this project, including Laurie Abkemeier, Cindy Adams, Glen Alai, Robert M. Angel, Alan Bisbort, Dan Bowen, Michael Braverman, Lisa Lew Brennan, Peter Brennan, Paul Brownstein, Joseph Burrus, Mike Caveney, Dick Cavett, Bruce Charet, John Cox, Michael Custer, Donato Di Camillo, Tony Douglas, Dave Edison, Cliff Einstein, Mark Evanier, Kriss Famous, Wayne Federman, John Fisher, Vic Garbarini, Tracey Goessel, Danny Gold, Dara Gottfried, Gilbert Gottfried, Chuck Granata, Howard Green, Bob Greenberg, Joe Gunches, Tom Hearn, Ricky Jay, Penn Jillette, Lori Jonas, John Katsilometes, Sally Jade Kearns, Sam Kearns, Dianna T. Kenny, David Koenig, Michael Kurth, Norman Lebrecht, Matt Lubich, Mark Malkoff, Gillian McCain, Don McGlynn, Legs McNeil, Mónica Aunión Monroy, Kliph Nesteroff, Greg Otto, Billy Riback, Ricky Riccardi, Ray Richmond, Jay Ruttenberg, Corrie Sachs, Frank Santopadre, Glenn Schwartz, Michael Sells, Carmine Sesto, Adam Shawn, John Shetler, Randy Skretvedt, Jim Steinmeyer, Zach Stork, Nik Wallenda, Dean Ward, Karen Wheeler, Spats White, Gary Williams, Elli Wohlgelernter, Danny Wolf, and, of course, Al Dvorin, and all those who lived to perform and died doing what they loved.