Jimmy McDonough

A chronicle of the enigmatic performer reveals his lonely childhood, struggle with epilepsy, role as a father to a child with cerebral palsy, efforts as an awareness advocate, and achievements as a musician and band member.

Neil Young's Biography

Shakey

From 1965 to 1972 Andy Milligan made 20 exploitation movies. For him exploitation was no joke; it was his reality. But "The Ghastly One" isn't just about a lunatic with a movie camera. It's an anecdotal history of exploitation films, the birth of off-Broadway theater, the Warhol crowd, and the malevolent place called Times Square. 91 photos.

The Sex-gore Netherworld of Filmmaker Andy Milligan

The Ghastly One

McDonough's biography of Neil Young, Shakey, was hailed as 'one of the most penetrative studies of a rock icon ever written'. McDonough now turns his attention to another cultural icon, the pioneering independent filmmaker, Russ Meyer, creator of such legendary movies as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Russ Meyer has influenced a legion of filmmakers from John Waters to Quentin Tarantino. His formula: 'Big bosoms and square jaws'. Meyer's 'buxotics' are voracious superwomen sporting tiny waists, long legs and most importantly, 'protuberant balconies'. Meyer's men are either impotent weaklings or hulking psychopaths. Dames who demand satisfaction and men who are frequently unable - or unwilling - to comply. 'Women are in charge, men are the klutzes,' says Meyer. This is a story of greed, lust and the American way, full of dirty old men, demented strippers, religious zealots, film nerds, weird war vets, vicious lawyers, snot-nosed punks and the occasional normal person. Imagine Dino, with mammaries. It is a history of a scene and a culture that no longer exists: a wide-open country where the dice roll and strange dreams come true. Ultimately, it is the story of one man's very crazy vision, the way it changed the American landscape forever, and, in the end, how it consumed its maker. Fiendishly well researched, anecdote-laden and action-packed, Big Bosoms and Square Jaws will thrill film fans and appeal to anyone who likes a good yarn with plenty of sex, booze and rock n'roll.

The Biography of Russ Meyer, King of the Sex Film

Big Bosoms and Square Jaws

The bestselling author of Shakey: Neil Young's Biography presents the first in-depth biography of the legendary soul singer Al Green. Al Green has blessed listeners with some of the biggest hits of the past fifty years. "Love and Happiness," "I'm Still in Love with You," "Let's Get Married," and "I'm Tired of Being Alone" are but a sampling of the iconic songs that led a generation to embrace love in perhaps the most tumultuous period in this country's history, an unparalleled body of work that has many calling Green one of the greatest soul singers of all time. The music legend has sold over 20 million albums and been sampled by numerous rappers, and even President Obama has been known to sing a chorus or two. The now-Bishop Green is without a doubt one of the most beloved yet inscrutable figures ever to grace the popular music stage, and he has managed to magically sidestep being successfully scrutinized in print. Until now. Acclaimed journalist and author Jimmy McDonough expertly tackles this most elusive of subjects and aims to present readers with the definitive portrait of a man everyone knows but few understand. McDonough manages to break through Green's joyous veneer to reveal the contrary, tortured, and solitary individual beneath, a man who spent decades dancing an uneasy tightrope between the sacred and the profane. From his childhood in the backwaters of Arkansas to commanding the stage in front of throngs of lusting fans to addressing a very different audience from the pulpit of his own church, readers will bear witness to the creation of some of the most electrifying soul music ever recorded; learn the hitherto untold real story behind Green's colorful down-home Memphis label, Hi Records; and--by way of countless in-depth interviews with major players in the story, some speaking for the very first time--unravel one of the last great mysteries in popular music: Al Green.

A Biography of Al Green

Soul Survivor

"From 1965 to 1988, Andy Milligan made an astounding 29 exploitation movies, including Gutter Trash, Torture Dungeon, The Ghastly Ones, Seeds, Bloodthirsty Butchers, and Fleshpot on 42nd Street. For most of the shlockmeisters, exploitation was a joke. But for Milliganùa sadist, a misogynist, a maniacùthis was his own private reality. The Fassbinder of 42nd Street, Milligan brought a crazed intensity to his work, making films of the heart in a milieu where the only art was the con. Based on hundreds of interviews, excerpts from lost movies and plays, and ranting narratives from Milligan himself, this is a story of how one unrelenting soul attempted to escape his demons and create his own twisted universe, a universe peopled by abortion-clinic bombers, undercover transsexuals, disgruntled hustlers, and bestiality-loving exhibitionists. This is a tale of violenceùphysical, sexual, and psychological. Even the author himself got sucked in, appearing in one of MilliganÆs last gore-fests and nearly getting killed in the process. The sick secrets revealed in this book will unnerve even hard-core grind house fans. But The Ghastly Oneùprofusely illustrated with rare and strange stills shot by Milligan himselfùisnÆt just about a lone lunatic with a movie camera. ItÆs a funny, unbelievable, and oddly moving history of exploitation films as well as a vivid portrait of New YorkÆs infamous CaffT Cino, the Warhol crowd, and the vibrant but malevolent place called Times Square and what got lost when it sold its soul to Mickey Mouse. This replaces 1556524269."

The Sex-Gore Netherworld of Filmmaker Andy Milligan

Neil Young is one of rock and roll's most important, influential and enigmatic figures, an intensely reticent artist who has granted no writer access to his inner sanctum - until now. Shakey is the whole story of Young's incredible life and career: from his childhood in Canada to the founding of folk-rock pioneers Buffalo Springfield; the bleary conglomeration of Crazy Horse and the monstrous success of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; to the depths of the Tonight's the Night depravity and the Geffen years; and Young's unprecedented nineties 'comeback'. Shakey (the title refers to one of Young's many aliases) is also the compelling human story of a lonely kid for whom music was the only outlet, a driven yet tortured figure who controlled his epilepsy via 'mind over matter', an oddly passionate model train mogul who, inspired by his own son's struggle with cerebral palsy, became a major activist in the quest to help those with the condition. This long-awaited, unprecedented story of a rock 'n' roll legend is uniquely told through the interwoven voices of McDonough - biographer, critic, historian, obsessive fan - and the ever-cantankerous (but slyly funny) Young himself.

A close-up portrait of filmmaking maverick Russ Meyer, the director, writer, producer, and father of the modern sexploitation film, traces his life and career, documenting his volatile personal life, his battles with censorship, and his clashes with the Hollywood establishment. Reprint. 20,000 first printing.

From the "New York Times" bestselling biographer-the first book-length portrait of music legend Tammy Wynette. Known for his acclaimed biographies of Neil Young, Russ Meyer, and Andy Milligan, Jimmy McDonough now delivers an emotional and revealing exploration of the life of the Queen of Heartbreak. Based on dozens of interviews, McDonough's book unveils a life of profound extremes, from Wynette's impoverished youth in Mississippi, to her meteoric rise after meeting legendary producer Billy Sherrill, to her star-crossed marriage to music legend George Jones. What emerges is an unforgettable view of a Nashville that no longer exists-and a woman whose life mirrored the sadness captured in her music.

Tragic Country Queen

Tammy Wynette

A close-up portrait of filmmaking maverick Russ Meyer, the director, writer, producer, and father of the modern sexploitation film traces his life and career, documenting his volatile personal life, his battles with censorship, and his clashes with the Hollywood establishment. 35,000 first printing.

Milligan, perhaps the most compelling lone wolf in cinema history, gets his due in this definitive work. A dressmaker, actor and puppeteer, Milligan cranked out titles like Bloodthirsty Butchers, The Body Beneath, and The Rats are Coming! The Werewolves are Here! on threadbare budgets. Due to their many limitations, his movies made Milligan the laughing-stock of the film industry. McDonough changed all that by providing the necessary context and pathos, allowing these chaotic yet highly personal movies (and their creator) to be seen in a new and sympathetic light.

Jimmy McDonough

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