“Fascinating… [Weintraub] is breezily forthcoming about his life as a legendary concert promoter, movie producer, Broadway show producer, actor, philanthropist, best pal to George Clooney and president George H.W. Bush, author, and most of all, survivor.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
“Drops more boldface names than a gossip column… As the title of the book indicates, Weintraub loves to talk. And the seventy-two-year-old impresario has some amazing stories to tell… all told in Weintraub’s shooting-the-breeze voice.”
—Rick Warner, Bloomberg News
“Edgy and honest but refreshingly spare in his criticism of stars, colleagues, and family… With a bold voice, a storied career, and a cast of superstars, Weintraub’s memoir makes a rousing insider tour of some five decades in the entertainment industry.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Full of great stories.”
—Wall Street Journal
“The classic self-made Hollywood tale, as it’s been molded by Warners, Zanucks, and Geffens… Old chestnuts from this journey are lovingly, and often hilariously, burnished… The book, which is in no way a scandalous showbiz tell-all but a good-humored, and often self-deprecating, romp of outrageous will and amazing fortune, also paints a picture of uncanny bliss.”
—Nicole LaPorte, The Daily Beast
“FOUR STARS… This is a guy who can tell a story. And boy does he have stories to tell. The legendary producer was around for—or created—cultural moments with Elvis and Sinatra, not to mention Brad P. and George C. A nice Jewish boy from the Bronx, Weintraub became a political force and pal of presidents; the elder Bush, then a senator, got him into a restricted country club. Weintraub exhibits no false modesty—or illusions.”
—People
“Page-turning… now it’s Hollywood producer Jerry Weintraub’s turn to take center stage and shine like a star… As much as telling the story of his life, the memoir offers wisdom for others hoping to follow his path.”
—Reuters
“Now, I could tell you stories about Jerry, but Jerry is the first and best to tell them. He’s funny and grumpy and perfectly inappropriate. When it comes to work, nobody works harder. When it comes to charities, nobody guilts better. And when it comes to friendship, he has no peers. That’s Jerry’s great talent. He doesn’t just light up a room, he lights it on fire. He’s a great producer, a great organizer, a great friend, and truly the greatest showman on earth.”
—George Clooney
“For more than five decades [Weintraub] has been a larger-than-life manager, promoter, producer, and legendary impresario for a Forbes list of the great and powerful… aside from the fact that he’s a notoriously great storyteller and there are loads of intimate stories about the biggest names in show business, there is an emotional narrative that drives the story—a chance to see what it’s like behind the curtain with the wizard.”
—Sunday Times Magazine (London)
“Required reading.”
—New York Post
“Jerry has made a fascinating career for himself… bloomed wherever he’s been planted. His life has put him in the company of greats like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, The Rat Pack, Robert Altman, and Steven Soderbergh, to name a few. Jerry’s story chronicles his journey that involved a lot of improvising, love, and, of course, luck. This story isn’t just for music or movie lovers, or entrepreneurs… it’s for everyone… If there was a Mount Rushmore of legendary show business figures, he’d be one of them.”
—Don Imus
“A lively and endearing memoir by one of the last men standing from a certain golden age of the entertainment industry.”
—Heritage Florida Jewish News
“Weintraub worked with Elvis and Sinatra. He headed a studio. And now he’s written a memoir that’s also a how-to guide… WHEN I STOP TALKING, YOU’LL KNOW I’M DEAD is anything but a rote, let-the-record-show memoir… it’s written with stealth and style, doubtless shaped by his co-writer, Rich Cohen… The book really is a performance, a monologue by a guy comfortable hanging with Armand Hammer at Leonid Brezhnev’s funeral or with Joey Bishop at a deli.”
—RJ Smith, Los Angeles Times
“Between Mr. Weintraub’s skills as a raconteur, Rich Cohen’s punchy style as his co-writer, and a fabulous cast of those with whom Mr. Weintraub has done business over the years, this book is paved wall to wall with funny, hard-nosed stories… he’s great at the name-dropping game: ‘Yeah, Elvis. It’s me. What’s up?’ Even in that kind of company his best stories are the ones about himself.”
—Janet Maslin, New York Times
“In the book’s most entertaining stories he not only has to sell an audience on a celebrity but also has to sell the celebrity on himself… ‘I’ll tell you my biggest talent,’ says Weintraub. ‘When I believe in something, it’s going to get done.’ No reader of his memoir will need to be convinced of that.”
—Nathaniel Rich, Vanity Fair
“Truth is often more outrageous than fiction, especially when you consider Jerry Weintraub’s outrageous fortune. As a young man, he booked nationwide tours for Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. In the process, he reinvented their careers and changed the business of live music.”
—National Public Radio
“He sold Elvis to the masses, staged Sinatra’s comeback. And has the biggest stars on his speed dial. When celebrities want something done, he’s the man. Hollywood producer, power player. And author of a terrific memoir… What a man, what a book.”
—Larry King