Alan Goldsher – författare

Over the span of his illustrious five-decade career, George Benson has sold millions of records, performed for hundreds of millions of fans, and cut some of the most beloved jazz and soul tunes in music history. But the guitarist/vocalist is much more than "This Masquerade," "On Broadway," "Turn Your Love Around," and "Give Me the Night." Benson is a flat-out inspiration, a multitalented artist who survived an impoverished childhood and moulded himself into the first true- and truly successful- jazz/soul crossover artist. And now, on the heels of receiving the prestigious NEW Jazz Masters award, George has finally decided to tell his story. And what a story it is. Benson: The Autobiography follows George's remarkable rise from the ghettos of Pittsburgh to the stages of South Africa, and everywhere in between. George Benson is an unparalleled storyteller, and his tales of scuffling on the Chitlin Circuit with jazz legend Brother Jack McDuff, navigating his way through the recording studio with Miles Davis, and performing with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Quincy Jones, Benny Goodman, Rod Stewart, Chaka Khan, Count Basie, and Lou Rawls will enthrall devotees of both music history and pop culture.A treat for serious listeners, hardcore guitar aficionados, and casual music followers alike, George's long-awaited book allows readers to meet the man who is one of the most beloved, prolific, and bestselling musicians of his or any other era.

Grab your board, test your skills and balance on this "mini" wave while retro surf rock plays in the background, all from the comfort of your desk. But -- watch out! -- if you lose your balance and wipe-out you'll have to do the swim of shame back to shore.This kit includes:A balancing wave with three different surf rock songsA finger surfboardCustomisable surfboard stickersA 48-page book, with surfboard tricks, fun facts and trivia

In this hilarious chronicle of the zombified Liverpudlians' rise to fame, "bloody" is no longer just a four-letter word. It's a fookin' way of life for the undead moptops, whose arrival is heralded by the bloodcurdling screams of sanguine American girls who twitch, and writhe, and scratch their own eyes out in manic ecstasy. Come on, surely you've seen the footage from the Ed Sullivan Show! Through hidden messages in their songs, the Beatles mind-meld millions of delicious fans, and their infamous backstage door becomes an one-way ticket to a particularly gruesome session of sucking face. That is, until a notorious zombie hunter named Mick arrives, the fierce wiggle of his lithesome hips and shoulders his only defense against a seemingly impenetrable glut of reanimated corpses. Guard your gray matter, ladies and blokes, and prepare yourselves for a finger-licking feast of the mind!

One of Comedy Central's Top 100 Stand-Up Comedians of All Time, award-winning dramatic actor, and an internet pioneer, Kevin Pollak has done it all for thirty years and is ready to spill the beans. Best known for performances in A Few Good Men and The Usual Suspects, he shares never-before-heard stories of film legends like De Niro, Hanks, Howard, Lemon, Loren, Lucas, Martin, Mathau, Reiner, Scorcese, Singer, Willis, and more. He turned down his first invitation to do stand-up on The Tonight Show because he knew that he'd have a bigger impact if he sat next to Johnny instead of performing onstage. When he gambled for a spot on the most coveted couch in showbiz, he had no agent, no auditions, no prospects. But his gut was right: A year later, his first sit with the king of late night led to three visits a year, every year, until Carson retired. Now a new media entrepreneur, Pollak is laughing proof that you can do anything you want—except have a rational conversation with Rip Torn, who's an evil, paranoid $#!%.

Even hardcore music fans don't know the name Ron Weisner . . . but they should. A high-powered manager for over four decades, Ron worked alongside Madonna, Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, Gladys Knight, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, and, most notably, Michael Jackson. He saw the King of Pop through his game-changing multi-platinum albums Thriller and Off the Wall. He watched M.J.'s prickly father Joe run roughshod over both his son and industry execs. He fought back as the industry tried to steer Jackson in a musical direction that would have derailed his career. And he saw Michael suffer through devastating press coverage that turned the troubled singer's world upside down. Featuring an introduction from Quincy Jones and commentary from Winwood, Knight, and some behind-the-scenes record label power brokers, Weisner's illuminating memoir Listen Out Loud underscores the destructive changes to the industry during his forty-year career, including the shift in focus from artistic integrity to the pursuit of cold hard numbers. It's an intimate glimpse into the music world from a man with a keen eye, sharp ears, and a big heart.