NICK REDFERN'S CELEBRITY SECRETS

Celebrity Secrets and the BBC

2012-02-10T04:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was interviewed about my Celebrity Secrets book by the BBC, during which we discussed the FBI's files on such characters as Abbott & Costello, Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix, the Kingsmen, Errol Flynn and more.

The interview was turned into an article, which you can find at this link. Not a bad summary of how and why certain stars of the stage and the screen were secretly watched by J. Edgar Hoover's finest!

The Ripper File

2011-02-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

Some might dispute the notion that Jack the Ripper qualifies as being a celebrity or not. But, as someone who, since his notorious killings of 1888, has become the subject of dozens of books and more than a few movies, the Ripper is without doubt an integral part of popular culture. And here's his FBI file/profile.

Jackson's FBI File

2011-02-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

Wacko-Jacko's FBI file has now been posted online, and is now available for scrutiny and entertainment at the Bureau's website. And if the man and his bizarre life interest you, here's where you will find the file.

Sonny Bono News

2011-02-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I last updated this blog, mainly because of the lack of interesting stories to relate linking the world of celebrities to that of the government. But, here's one that caught my eye: on whether or not the death of Sonny Bono really was an accident, or something more sinister. I relate the details of Bono's FBI file in my Celebrity Secrets book.

Michael Jackson and the FBI

2009-08-19T12:40:00.001-07:00

As this new story shows, the FBI has confirmed it has a substantial file on Michael Jackson. It will be interesting to see what the file reveals on the now-dead pop-star...

The Pistols & The Police

2009-01-05T17:07:00.000-08:00

Formerly secret Irish Police papers reveal an intriguing story about how they kept a close watch on the antics of Britain's mightiest punks: the Sex Pistols. Here's the story in all its strange glory...

Not Fade Away

2008-12-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

One of the strangest celebrity secrets of all is in the news again: the death of Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones. A very intriguing article and one that is well worth reading.

Evel & The FBI

2008-10-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

The FBI has just declassified portions of its file on motorcycle legend Evel Knievel - much of which is focused upon the issue of whether or not Knievel was implicated in a string of beatings. As is typically the case with such celebrity files, a great deal of Knievel's is heavily redacted, with only 202 of its 290 pages having been released by the FBI.

Secrets & Celebrities

2008-08-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest breaking story from the clandestine world of espionage and celebrity spying.

Celebrity Spying: 21st Century-Style

2008-07-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

My Celebrity Secrets book reveals the extraordinary extent to which the FBI went to spy on Hollywood stars of the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s. But, as this new story shows, celebrity-snooping by the official world is still on-going. Will they never stop poking their noses where they're not needed? Nope: probably not!

Rowan & Martin and the FBI...and the CIA...and the Mob...

2008-05-27T13:51:00.001-07:00

The death a couple of days ago of Dick Martin - of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In fame - reminds me to tell you that copies of the FBI's disapproving file on the comedic pair can be found within the pages of my Celebrity Secrets book.

As I note within its pages:

"Laugh-In, the comedy series that debuted on NBC on January 22, 1968, and that ran until March 12, 1973, turned its hosts, Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, into stars across the length and breadth of the entire United States.

"Although both Rowan and Martin had wide experience as comedy writers, the appeal of Laugh-In stemmed largely from the cast’s ability to improvise rather than to read from pre-planned scripts. And it was this fresh, new approach, coupled with vibrant and entertaining characters, unique skits, and memorable catchphrases that attracted a young audience and ensured the show its phenomenally successful five-year run.

"But not everyone was pleased by Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, and, least of all, the CIA and FBI. In fact, what is particularly intriguing about Rowan and Martin is the sheer number of references to the pair that can be found in intelligence files."

Indeed, the pair were the subject of several official files (and possibly several unofficially-sanctioned investigations, too) in the secretive arena of U.S. Intelligence.

Hotel-Sex, the Mob, the CIA, and J. Edgar Hoover: it's all there...

Going Offline

2008-04-23T05:28:00.001-07:00

I'll be offline from now until next Tuesday.

Marilyn and the FBI: New Revelations

2008-04-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

My Celebrity Secrets book includes an extensive chapter on the FBI's formerly secret surveillance file on actress Marilyn Monroe. One particular entry in the file discloses details of a rumored film alleged to show the blond babe having sex with an unidentified man. Well, as this brand new development in the story demonstrates, the rumor was much more than that.

The story all began on February 16, 1965, when an FBI document was secretly prepared that contained some truly explosive data. Titled Interstate Transportation of Obscene Materials and marked for the attention of FBI Director Hoover and the FBI’s Laboratory, its author, an FBI agent whose name now languishes in obscurity thanks to the restrictions of the Freedom of Information Act, recorded some remarkable data:

"On 2/11/65, Source advised that on the previous date, 2/10/65, he, in company with [an unidentified individual] had…exhibited a motion picture which depicted deceased actress MARILYN MONROE committing a perverted act on an unknown male.

"According to Source, he claimed that former baseball star JOE DIMAGGIO in the past had offered him $25,000 for this film, it being the only one in existence, but that Source had refused the offer.

"The above is being furnished to the FBI Lab and the NYO [New York Office] for information purposes in the event reports are received from other divisions describing an obscene film which might be identical to above. It is noted that…on February 9, 1965, agents of the Albany and New York Divisions conducted a surveillance of him.

"The results of this surveillance bore out information furnished by source and further, based on contact with source, the New York Division has opened a new Potential Confidential Informant case in New York City and personally acquainted with numerous high ranking LCN members there. Since the dissemination of above information at the present time may compromise source this information should not be discussed outside the Bureau."

The Rolling Stones and the FBI

2008-03-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

The Rolling Stones; the FBI; and the Hell's Angels - in the news.

Hollywood, The FBI, Commies

2008-02-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

Spies, Stars and Hollywood.

FBI Files and the Famous

2008-02-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

The FBI's files on celebrities in the news.

Celebrity FBI Files at "The Naughty American"

2008-01-29T14:28:00.000-08:00

The Naughty American is a website I regularly write for. You can find a new article from me at their website on Government files on the rich and the famous, including Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix, and Abbott & Costello. Here's the link.

Celebrities at the National Archives

2008-01-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

This is a great resource tool: an on-line page at the website of the National Archives that lists various celebrities whose military service files are now available for public scrutiny. As you'll see, the list includes Jack Kerouac, Elvis Presley, Clark Gable, Henry Fonda and various other well-known names.

Mob Museum and the FBI

2007-12-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

I'll bet this development will result in more than a few celebrity secrets of an official kind coming out into the open...

Hollywood, the FBI and more...

2007-12-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hollywood and the FBI in the news...

Marilyn Monroe, UFOs and Vegas: What More Could You Want?

2007-10-12T11:52:00.001-07:00

My Celebrity Secrets book includes a chapter on official US Government surveillance files (predominantly FBI) on dead blond babe, Marilyn Monroe.
The book also includes a discussion of a strange, unofficial document on the actress leaked out of a secret government archive in the mid-1990s - or so the allegations go, at least.
Incredibly, the document claims that none other than Marilyn's one-time lover, JFK (also known as the President of the United States - until Lee Harvey Oswald, or the CIA, or the Mafia, or the KGB, or the FBI, or someone blew his head off), had secretly informed the actress of the truth surrounding the notorious "Roswell UFO Crash" that occurred in the deserts of New Mexico in the summer of 1947.
For those who want to learn more about this strange story, I'll be speaking about this aspect of my Celebrity Secrets book, the Marilyn Monroe-JFK-UFO saga, and the intriguing story of something known as Project Moon Dust, at a gig in Vegas next month. Here's the details.

New Book: Hollywood Scandal!

2007-10-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen this book yet, but for fans of Hollywood scandal and FBI shenanigans, it looks to be a great read.

The FBI and Hollywood: Controversy Continues

2007-09-17T15:30:00.001-07:00

Although my Celebrity Secrets books mainly deals with the antagonistic relationship that the world of Hollywood had with the FBI in the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s, as this story demonstrates, not a lot has changed in the 21st Century...

The New York Times on Celebrity Secrets

2007-09-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, the New York Times published a good review of my Celebrity Secrets book. The reviewer, Dave Itzkoff, wrote in part: "...Redfern's book paints a progressively damning portrait of a government obsessed with pop culture's power and paranoid about controlling its message, as unnerved by the possibility of a riot breaking out at a Beatles concert as it is by the thought of Rock Hudson portraying an F.B.I. agent in a motion picture."

Celebrity Secrets Lecture: Sept 29, Asheville, NC

2007-09-04T10:00:00.001-07:00

For those interested, I will be speaking on my Celebrity Secrets book on September 29 at the Dark 30 Tour at Asheville, NC. It promises to be a great day, with some amazing revelations. Don't miss it! Here's the details:

MEDIA MEMORANDUM

For immediate release

For information: Joshua P. WarrenShadowbox Enterprises, LLC (828) 253-7736, ShadowboxENT@yahoo.com http://www.dark30tour.com/

Asheville Gets Paranormal Tour in September: Jim Marrs, Nick Redfern, Joshua P. WarrenAsheville, N.C. (September, 2007) --For one night, the world's greatest mysteries converge on Asheville, North Carolina, via three of the country's most notable experts on the weird.

Jim Marrs, Nick Redfern, and Joshua P. Warren make the second stop on their "Dark 30" Tour, which will delve into ghosts, UFOs, strange creatures, conspiracies and secret societies on Saturday, September 29, 2007, 1 p.m., in the Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company, 675 Merrimon Avenue.

The ten-hour-event is designed as the most comprehensive presentation on these controversial subjects ever produced."The concept was simple," says Warren, event Producer. "Let's take the biggest, most critical questions of our lifetimes and bluntly address them face-to-face with the best experts. There are restrictions on what we can say through TV, radio, and other media. But in person, we can finally tell the blatant truth. Some attendees will be uncomfortable, others will be elated. But we're frustrated, and we're ready to talk."

The trio is no stranger to censorship. Marrs, Redfern and Warren all investigated accounts of high strangeness in Roswell, NM, in 2005, and were shocked by the subsequent media cover-up that continues to this day. In addition to individual programs, the three will take the stage together in an open panel discussion on what really happened in Roswell, including new details never before made public.

"We're staking our reputations on this event," Warren stresses. "This is the only way to reach the public without intervention." Jim Marrs is a New York Times best-selling author, whose book "Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy," was a basis for the Oliver Stone film "JFK." His newest books are "The Terror Conspiracy: Deception, 9/11, and the Loss of Liberty" and "Psi Spies: The True Story of America's Psychic Warfare Program." He will speak on conspiracies and secret societies from the dawn of mankind to present day.

British native Nick Redfern is the author of numerous books including "Three Men Seeking Monsters," and "On the Trail of the Saucer Spies: UFOs and Government Surveillance." He will present on UFOs and strange creatures (known as cryptids), plus government files on the rich and famous.

Joshua P. Warren, host of Clear Channel's "Speaking of Strange," is the author of numerous books including "How to Hunt Ghosts," and his newest, "Pet Ghosts: Animal Encounters from Beyond the Grave." He will speak on ghostly phenomena and ESP, revealing the most amazing new photos and videos captured.

The event debuted in Kansas City, MO last December. The tour's second stop is Asheville, North Carolina, Warren's home town. It will be the first trip to Asheville for Jim Marrs and Nick Redfern, both now residents of Texas.

In addition to individual presentations and the panel discussion, the program includes a book signing and more.Less than 120 seats are available.Tickets are $55 per person in advance, and must be purchased via http://www.dark30tour.com/ online.Tickets will be $60 per person at the door, if space is available. More information is also available on the website: http://www.dark30tour.com/

It Was Thirty Years Ago Today...

2007-08-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley - an event that, as this story shows, is likely to be marked by thousands of fans holding nighttime vigils in memory of the pill-popping, junk-food-devouring, one-time teen-idol.
It's doubtful that the FBI will care, though. As my Celebrity Secrets book demonstrates, the previously-secret, 600-page FBI file on Presley reveals that he was viewed with distinctly disapproving eyes by the G-Men in Black.

Mistress Scarlet on Celebrity Secrets

2007-07-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

Mistress Scarlet gives Celebrity Secrets a great review. Thanks, Rita!

Marilyn: A New Book Examines Her Death

2007-07-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Check out this link for an article concerning a forthcoming book that examines the still-controversial death of Hollywood bombshell, Marilyn Monroe.

Celebrity Secrets includes a chapter on the FBI's surveillance files on the actress; and a strange and bizarre story it is, too.

Jack Kerouac and "On the Road" - 50 Years On

2007-07-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Has it really been 50 years since Jack Kerouac's acclaimed On the Road was published? Yes, it has!

And as this story demonstrates, fans of the renowned and influential writer are already celebrating this anniversary milestone in his life and career.

For those who want to know more about Kerouac's brief period of time spent in the Navy - as well as learning all about what the Navy's formerly classified medical files on the man himself revealed - check out my Celebrity Secrets book for the full details.

I still think that Big Sur is his best one though.

Elvis, the FBI and Wikipedia

2007-06-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

The story behind some of the FBI files that appear in my Celebrity Secrets book on singer Elvis Presley can now be found at Wikipedia. As you'll see, the tale is a strange, convoluted and highly-intriguing one...

Here's the link.

Entertainment Splash on Celebrity Secrets

2007-06-07T13:33:00.001-07:00

Entertainment Splash on Celebrity Secrets.

Marilyn - Happy Late Birthday...

2007-06-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

Had she not died in 1962 at the hands of herself, or the FBI, or the CIA, or the Mafia or...well, the list goes on, Marilyn Monroe would have been 81 last Friday. Unbelievable!

Monroe might very well have taken to the grave with her an untold number of official secrets told to her by the Kennedy brothers.

However, a number of interesting tales of a sexual, conspiratorial and dark nature can be found in the blond bombshell's FBI file, which is reproduced in Celebrity Secrets - including tales of a secret film showing Marilyn giving some lucky fellow a blow-job; official interest in her marriage to lefty playwright Arthur Miller; phone-taps; Mexican commies; wild parties; and much more.

Still, at least she burned out when she still looked good and didn't end up as a wrinkled old trout.

Lucille Ball, Commies and the FBI...

2007-05-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

The blog Long Live Lucy has highlighted comments on the FBI's file on actress Lucille Ball that are reproduced in Celebrity Secrets. The FBI made some intriguing observations and comments in its records on Ball's links with Communism that - unlike with so many other Hollywood stars - were actually shown to be true, as the actress herself admitted.

Celebrity Secrets Podcast

2007-05-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Last month radio host and author Joshua P. Warren interviewed me extensively about my Celebrity Secrets book for his show Speaking of Strange.

The episode is now on-line: listen to it here.

We covered a wide range of the scandals, cover-ups, and sensational secrets of Hollywood's most famous figures.

Marilyn, UFOs and Roswell

2007-05-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

In Celebrity Secrets, I included a chapter on the FBI’s surveillance files of dead Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe.

In that chapter I devoted a brief section to a discussion of a controversial document that - if genuine, of course - suggests that Monroe had secretly been told aspects of the Roswell, New Mexico "crashed UFO" story by the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert - as well as other official secrets, too, such as plans to assassinate Cuba's Fidel Castro.

More disturbingly, the alleged CIA document refers to a threat by Monroe to spill the beans on what she knew; something that never happened, of course, as a result of her still-controversial death.

And while I only included a chapter on this affair in Celebrity Secrets, researcher Don Burleson wrote a whole book about it; and he has just been interviewed about his research into the Monroe-UFO story.

The document falls into the gray area that most UFO data inhabits. Namely that it’s certainly intriguing, but actually proving anything is near impossible.

Celebrity Secrets on the Radio

2007-05-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

John Greenewald, keeper of the Black Vault, interviewed me today for his on-line show, Black Vault Radio.

The subject: my Celebrity Secrets book. We cover such characters as John Lennon, Abbott & Costello, Rock Hudson, and more.

Check it out here.

Celebrity Anniversaries: Wayne & Sinatra

2007-05-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

This month marks key anniversaries in the lives (and deaths) of a couple of celebrities whose FBI files are disclosed in my Celebrity Secrets book.

May 14 was the ninth anniversary of the death of cool rat-packer Frank Sinatra - whose FBI files runs to thousands of pages and cover such topics as mob and underworld links, hookers, booze, wild parties with JFK; and also, interestingly enough, rumors that the FBI followed up on (and took very seriously) suggesting that Ol' Blue Eyes had tried to bribe a doctor to declare him unfit for service in World War Two!

And, incredibly enough, May 26 will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Hollywood cowboy John Wayne. Yep: a century! Again, his formerly secret FBI file is a notable one - with the strangest entry related to allegations that Wayne was somehow involved in a 1950s plot to overthrow the Panamanian Government! Weird...

The Calgary Herald Reviews The Book

2007-05-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Calgary Herald's website includes a review of Celebrity Secrets (you'll need to register to read it, though).

Celebrity Secrets in Entertainment Weekly

2007-05-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

One I missed first time around:

Celebrity Secrets in Entertainment Weekly.

Sid Vicious - Happy 50th!

2007-05-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

As I noted a few days ago, my Celebrity Secrets book provides evidence that elements of British Intelligence - namely MI5 - had secret opened files on the British Punk Rock band, the Sex Pistols back in the late 1970s.

Today would have marked the 50th birthday of Pistols bass-guitarist Sid Vicious (who replaced original bassist Glen Matlock in 1977), had he not overdosed on heroin at the age of 21 in 1979.

MI5, I'm sure, could not care less; but I raise a glass to stupid Sid on his birthday, who - for all of his flaws and complete inability to actually play the damned bass! - didn't deserve to go out in the fashion that he did.

As Laurence Binyon said: "They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old. At the going down of the sun, and at the dawning of the day, we shall remember them."

"Memphis: The City Magazine" Reviews Celebrity Secrets

2007-05-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

Memphis: The City Magazine has reviewed Celebrity Secrets. Not surprisingly given where the magazine is located, their review focuses on the chapter in my book on the FBI's files on Elvis Presley.

A strange file, most of it is tedious in the extreme; but it does contain a few genuinely weird, intriguing and amusing entries.

Louie Louie - A Threat to the US Way of Life? No, Of Course Not!

2007-05-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

In Celebrity Secrets, I tell the absurd, crazy and complete and utter exercise in time-wasting that was the FBI's secret investigation of the Kingsmen's classic song Louie Louie.

Did it contain obscene lyrics? Well, no actually it didn't.

But that didn't stop the FBI launching its own inquiry after emotionally repressed and stunted members of the public with apparently nothing better to do with their time grumbled and ranted to the boys at the Bureau that the song's lyrics would utterly corrupt the morals of America's youth.

And no doubt in the deranged minds of these same complainers, and as a direct result, chaos would soon rule supreme, cities would fall, Satan would rise up, man and animal would engage in carnal activities, and Armageddon would be looming ominously on the horizon.

Right.

In Celebrity Secrets, I cited a handful of documents on the strange affair. But, incredibly enough, the FBI's case file itself actually runs to nearly 120 pages.

It can be read here in PDF format in all its mind-numbing glory.

Someone remind me to mail the FBI a copy of So What? by the Anti-Nowhere League. The G-Men will have a collective fit when they listen to that one.

Wanna Read The FBI's Celebrity Files? Here They Are...

2007-04-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

This web-link to the FBI's official website is far from complete. However, it does provide an A to Z listing (with PDF links) of some of the celebrity surveillance files secretly collated by the FBI from the 1930s and 40s onwards.

Gene Kelly's Secret Naval Intelligence File

2007-04-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

One of the inevitable hazards about writing a book that focuses on government surveillance files on Hollywood stars is that just when you finish writing the book, along comes another declassified file!

Such was the case with the recently surfaced Office of Naval Intelligence file on famous dancer-actor Gene Kelly, who was secretly investigated by the ONI for suspected Communist links (as was just about everyone in the Red-obsessed late 40s and 50s).

The story didn't make it to the pages of my book; however, you can see the file here, courtesy of the people at The Memory Hole.

Celebrity Secrets at Paraview Books

2007-04-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

Paraview-Pocket Books, the publisher of Celebrity Secrets, have set up a web-page to promote the book. For details click here.

Oregon Live on Celebrity Secrets

2007-04-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Oregon Live has this to say about Celebrity Secrets:

"With gossip mags and Internet sites proliferating like dandelions, you'd think there'd be no secrets left about celebs. Think again.

"In Celebrity Secrets: Government Files on the Rich and Famous (Paraview/Pocket Books, 272 pages, $14), Nick Redfern digs into declassified government files to see what the FBI and others were snooping into.

"A hefty chunk of entries cover the Communist-obsessed '50s, when J. Edgar Hoover was convinced there were Reds hiding inside every Hollywood home. "

For the rest of the story, here's the link.

And While We're On The Subject Of The Sex Pistols...

2007-04-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

And, lest I forget to mention it, right now I am using the Freedom of Information Act (all perfectly legal, chaps, for any spooks and Men in Black reading this) to pursue a story that when the Sex Pistols embarked upon their ill-fated tour of the United States in January 1978 (a tour that saw the band spectacularly implode on stage in San Francisco - and which would be their final performance until their blisteringly good return in 1996), Britain's MI6 (the UK equivalent of the CIA) shared with the FBI its own secret files on the British bad-boys of punk.

In this photo (left) I'm stood outside the futuristic MI6 building that overlooks London's River Thames, pondering on, and salivating about, all those juicy files on the Sex Pistols that remain hidden from the prying eyes of those who like to ask penetrating and awkward questions.

In 2001, I interviewed a man named David Shayler, a former employee of MI5 (not to be confused with the above MI6), who blew the whistle on certain activities of his former spymasters, and whose story is told in the book Defending the Realm.

During the course of that interview, I asked Shayler about the Sex Pistols and British Intelligence. He told me (and as was also related within the pages of Defending the Realm) that while working for MI5, he read a file of press cuttings titled "Subversion in Contemporary Music" that included material on the Sex Pistols.

My reward when British authorities found out that I had met with Shayler (in the company of Mark Birdsall, editor of the British-based magazine Eye-Spy)? Nothing less than a phone-call from those same authorities ordering me to hand over the audio-cassette recording of the interview...

Sid Vicious, the Sex Pistols And Secret Spies

2007-04-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

In only two short weeks from now some of us will be celebrating the 50th birthday of British punk-rock icon, Sid Vicious. Sid 50?! GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! Can it really be true? Yep, it can be true. And, indeed it is true.

Sadly, of course, Sid himself won't be around to see it because the poor bastard overdosed on heroin at only 21 years of age on February 2, 1979.

So, why, you may ask, am I telling you all this 2 weeks ahead of Sid's should-have-been-half-a-century? Well, doubtless when the big day arrives, we will see glowing tributes to Sid and his mighty contribution to punk rock.

However, I hope that overblown misty-eyed nostalgia doesn't get in the way of the real story; hence the reason why I'm getting my say in now and before the flood-gates open on May 10.

Next to the mighty Ramones, the Sex Pistols are my all-time favorite band, but the fact of the matter is that Sid could play the bass-guitar about as good as I can pilot the Space Shuttle. Not at all, in other words.

Yes, he looked the punk-rock part: spiky black hair; sunken cheekbones, leather-jacket, Billy Idol-style sneer, and more, but that's about it. With Sid, it was all image and no substance. Not a single, solitary bit.

When Sid replaced original Pistols bass-player Glen Matlock, it marked the end for the London band. And when Sid took that last, fatal hit of heroin it was the end of him too.

And while punk-rockers all across the world were saddened by Sid's death 28 years ago, it's doubtful that MI5 (the British equivalent of the FBI) shed a tear.

Check out my Celebrity Secrets to find out what the real-life equivalents of "James Bond, 007" secretly thought of Sid and the other Pistols: John Lydon, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock.

You'll also find in the book details of some of the New York Police Department's files on Sid's arrest in 1978 after allegedly stabbing to death his junkie girlfriend Nancy Spungen, or as Pistols guitarist Steve Jones succinctly referred to her: "That fucking bird." Sid you were a stupid fool, and heroin ended your life at a tragically young age. And even though it's doubtful that MI5 will be raising a glass to you on your 50th, I will.

The Baseball Think Factory on Mickey Mantle and the FBI

2007-04-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Baseball Think Factory has highlighted the FBI file on baseball legend Mickey Mantle that is detailed in my book.

As the file of Hoover's boys shows, Mantle's life was far more entertaining and dramatic behind the scenes than it ever was while he was playing baseball!

The Washington Times on Celebrity Secrets

2007-04-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

The Washington Times has things to say on Celebrity Secrets:

http://washingtontimes.com/entertainment/20070205-095139-8216r.htm

Hollywood and the Military

2007-04-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

VIPs in Uniform is an excellent article from 2006 that touches upon some of the official, military files on the rich and famous that also feature in Celebrity Secrets, such as the Navy files on acclaimed (but tortured) writer Jack Kerouac; fret-master Jimi Hendrix; and several others.

Kerouac is without doubt my favorite author; and to get hold of his medical files from his time with the Navy was very satisfying; but unfortunate too, as the files demonstrate all too clearly the inner demons that plagued the great man throughout his life and right up until his tragic, booze-induced death at only 47.

Still, he left us with some of the finest and most influential written work of all time.

You'll always be remembered, Jack.

Publisher's Weekly on Celebrity Secrets

2007-04-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Weekly has this to say about Celebrity Secrets:

"This collection offers a roundup of the titillating, mundane, hilarious and unusual information gathered by government agencies-including the FBI, CIA and military-on more than 20 celebrities.

"Collected through Freedom of Information Act requests, this provides a quick-reading peek into the files of Errol Flynn, John Wayne, Billie Holiday and Princess Diana, among others.

"Each chapter provides a brief bio, explains why the government investigated and then lays open the file, highlighting details both juicy and inane and answering some frequently asked celebrity questions:

"Was John Lennon funding Irish terrorism? Was Frank Sinatra really in league with the mob? Why was Jimi Hendrix discharged from the Army? And what in the hell were the Kingsmen singing about, anyway?

"Frequently, the motivation behind an agency's interest is the most intriguing part of the file; Rock Hudson, for example, was tailed by the FBI because he was slated to portray one of their own in a film.

"Several dozen short entries round up the book, covering Lucille Ball, Jack London and the Sex Pistols, to name a few.

"This title is satisfying both as a repository of quick and dirty celebrity trivia and as a revealing cross-section of Washington's long, tense relationship with Hollywood."

Quick Stop Entertainment Comments...

2007-04-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Quick Stop Entertainment give my Hollywood scandal-fest the thumbs-up. Cheers, guys!

Celebrity Secrets, Counterintelligence and Security

2007-04-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

None other than the Alexandria, VA-based Center for Counterintelligence and Security Studies have picked up on Celebrity Secrets. Crikey!

The Dallas Observer Comments On Celebrity Secrets

2007-04-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

Although a Brit by birth, I live in sunny, gun-happy Dallas with my wife Dana; so it's always good to see Celebrity Secrets getting a bit of coverage in the Dallas Observer.

Celebrity Secrets on the Lecture Circuit

2007-04-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday September 29, I'll be lecturing on my Celebrity Secrets book at the second leg of the Dark 30 Tour which will be held in Asheville, North Carolina.

You can expect to see all of the scandalous tales of your Hollywood heroes come tumbling out in their dark, comic, outrageous glory. If you are going to be in NC this September check it out.

And, if you can't wait, here's a little something to tempt you before the main event:

Abbott and Costello, the FBI And Hot Lesbian Action!

2007-04-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Who would ever have known that Hollywood funnymen Abbott and Costello possessed between the two of them just about the biggest collection of porno movies in Hollywood? Or that Lou Costello was quite partial to a bit of blistering-hot girl-on-girl action now and again? Well, the FBI certainly knew: I got hold of their secret files.

Mob ties, hot sex, gyrating strippers, hookers and humorless FBI agents skulking around in the background: party on Bud and Lou!

John Lennon and the IRA?

2007-04-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

Was John Lennon really donating money to Irish terrorists? What was the reason behind the FBI's and Britain's MI5's interest in the nasally, former guitarist, co-writer and singer with the Drab Four? Just like me, neither agency was a fan of Lennon. They thought he was a threat to national security as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes in its report that references Celebrity Secrets. Me: I just thought he was crap. Imagine - someone please pass the sick-bag.

Celebrity Secrets - Buy It Now!

2007-04-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

Buy Celebrity Secrets before Big Brother bans it or I suffer a fatal car "accident"...
Okay that's just paranoid, right? Erm...probably...

Chicago Sun Times Reports on Celebrity Secrets

2007-04-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

Errol Flynn, that swashbuckling actor of the 30s and 40s, and, according to the FBI "a wolf who delights in achieving intimacies with young innocent girls;" Hollywood heart-throb Clark Gable; axe-god Jimi Hendrix; Rat-Packer and cool-drunk Dean Martin; and singer Marvin Gaye - all the focus of official, and highly disapproving government files and all of who feature within the pages of my book, as the Chicago Sun Times recently noted.

J. Edgar and Rock - The Secret Story

2007-04-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

A formerly classified FBI file on Hollywood star and AIDS victim Rock Hudson? Surely not? Yep.

Alleged cross-dressing FBI boss J. Edgar Hoover and his merry band of G-Men were far from being on speaking terms with the secretly gay actor; and almost blew a federal fuse when they heard rumors he was possibly going to portray an FBI agent in a forthcoming movie.

As a result, dark and sinister Men in Black were dispatched to ascertain the facts.

The somewhat pathetic saga is spelled out in its stark glory Celebrity Secrets, but you can find snippets of the story here.

Take the "Plain Dealer's" Celebrity Quiz

2007-04-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

There are no cash-prizes unfortunately , but if you want to test your knowledge of the celebrities of yesteryear that appear in my book, check out the Plain Dealer and click here.

Mickey Mantle - The Secret FBI File

2007-04-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Pimp Boosted Yankee Hitters reported the New York Post in an article that detailed aspects of the FBI's surveillance file on baseball legend, Mickey Mantle, that appears in my Celebrity Secrets.

A strange and amusing tale of blackmail; financial extortion; sexual intrigue; a "notorious Dallas stripper;" a "house of prostitution;" and the "many girls" with who Mantle had "shacked up."

Baseball: it sure beats the hell out of 9 to 5, eh...?

Celebrity Secrets in the Washington Post

2007-04-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to say that the Washington Post has written a good review of my Celebrity Secrets book. Check it out.