So Cosby did!
Comedian, actor, and writer Bill Cosby is one of the most successful and respected entertainers in America. He's still at the top of the class with his new fall show, "Cosby." Yet the Bill Cosby we know today came from a much different place and time than the ideal featured in his 1 98Os hit series "The Cosby Show," where the main character was a loveable, responsible doctor and family man. The Cosby the world knows is startlingly different from the man who has drawn his award-winning comedy from the pain of a broken childhood and the difficulties of growing up black in 194Os America.
Cosby: The Life of a Comedy Legend by Ronald L. Smith, a recognized writer on comedy and comedians, tracks the humble upbringing of the Cos in the Philadelphia projects; explores the inspiration he drew from his family, his teachers, the strong female figures in his life, and the books he read; discusses the hardships he experienced while working several jobs to help support his sisters and brothers after his father deserted the family; and reveals his lean years as a budding comic, his early successes, and the big break that brought him to television.
As the only biography of Bill Cosby for the adult market, Cosby explores his feelings and thoughts in great detail, while masterfully documenting Cosby's trail-blazing work as a pioneering black performer who was one of the first to co-star in a drama series, "I Spy." Also discussed is Cosby's dedication to education and his efforts on behalf of children.
Included are exclusive interviews with family, friends, Cosby's college coach, his first manager, technical advisors from "The Cosby Show" and other big stars. Cosby tells the authentic story of a talent, moved by early heartache, that now knows no limits. Smith also includes a complete and up-to-date checklist of Cosby's writings, records, films, and television credits.
RONALD L. SMITH (New York, NY) is the author of Comic Support, Stars of Standup, Comedy on Record, and Carson, whose work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune. He served as an editor at Rave and Rocket.