Arsenio
A Memoir
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4.5 • 26 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Arsenio Hall, America’s beloved late-night TV host, reveals the ups and downs of his remarkable career as a trailblazing pioneer with this “vivid, outrageous” (The New York Times) behind-the-scenes, star-studded, no-holds-barred memoir of celebrity, race, and show business.
Arsenio Hall holds a uniquely prominent place in American culture—celebrated late-night host and comedic actor, famed for starring roles in the cultural touchstones Coming to America and Harlem Nights.
Now, he pulls back the curtain and takes us to a different time in Hollywood. Iconic scenes include: starting out as a young magician in Cleveland; hosting his first talk show in the basement of his apartment building when he was in elementary school; cutting his teeth at the world-famous Comedy Store in Hollywood, learning about comedy and life from legendary comedian Richard Pryor; forming lifelong bonds with legendary icons Muhammad Ali, Luther Vandross, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Eddie Murphy; tasting superstar success with Coming to America, the film that preceded The Arsenio Hall Show; conducting unforgettable, groundbreaking interviews with Magic Johnson, Bill Clinton, Tupac Shakur, Maya Angelou, Madonna, and Minister Louis Farrakhan; rescuing a family from a home-fire with Jay Leno; sharing hot sauces and blackjack with Patti LaBelle; and chilling with Prince.
And then, he made the difficult decision to walk away.
This bracingly candid memoir offers a new appreciation for this raw talent and gifted storyteller, who nightly, for six years, hosted what felt like a televised “party” that changed the landscape of late-night television and brought Black culture into living rooms across America.
With this book, he does it one more time.
Customer Reviews
Really Entertaining
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s well written and gives a really great history lesson on the time when Arsenio was a cultural icon. The inherent battle he faced between being labeled as either “too black” or “not black enough” is a good reminder of how hard it was for him to thread the racial needle.
One of the best autobiographies ever!
Even if you’re not the biggest fan of Arsenio, this is absolutely one of the best autobiographies I have ever read! I watched Arsenio in the late 80s and early 90s on and off as I am also a David Letterman fan. But I always had a lot of respect for his groundbreaking show, how he went against the grain, never faltered when people made fun of him or doubted him and I also loved him in Coming to America and other movies. His journey from childhood to his current lifestyle is just extraordinary. He is very descriptive, self-aware, and most importantly very humble and very grateful. The amount of famous and influential people that he encountered on the way up that helped him is mind blowing. This is the perfect autobiography, even his childhood seemed exciting because everything he tells you leads to his great success and it is never boring. This book is always exciting, so many funny stories, he is so honest and candid about everything that went on in his life. I was very sad that this book had to come to an end.