For any writer, having a successful book is like capturing lightning in a bottle. Celebrity-biographer Mark Bego has just had lightning strike three times with three No. 1 bestsellers on amazon.com.
His just-released title, “Supreme Glamour”
“Mary Wilson has been one of my dearest and closest friends since I first met her in 1975,” says Bego.
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“When she first described the full-color, coffee table book that she wanted to do, which became “Supreme Glamour,” I instantly knew it could be a hit.
“In addition to being a deluxe photographic look back at the musical, cultural, and fashion trend-setting significance of ‘The Supremes,’ it is also a fresh retelling of ‘The Supremes’ saga.”
The book couldn’t be more timely. Wilson is back in the spotlight as a contestant on TV’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
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The Detroit-born Bego, 67, takes it all in stride.
“I am so happy and grateful to have this happen to me at this time in my career. When I think that my first two books, ‘Barry Manilow’ and ‘The Captain & Tennille’ were published back in 1977, I never thought that such a winning streak would occur four decades later,” he said.
Bego is one of the most prolific celebrity authors. He’s written 65 published books, including biographies of Madonna
He also scored with his Top Ten, 2017 celebrity cookbook, “Eat Like a Rock Star,” a collection of recipes from noted artists like Monkee Micky Dolenz, Marilyn McCoo of The Fifth Dimension, and Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones. The book includes 40 celebrity suggestions.
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Bego’s books are more than hagiography. He’s broken ground with fresh insights of such stars as Debbie Gibson
“Part of this business is in predicting who will the next big thing.”
In the Gibson and Madonna books, he was able to deliver heretofore untold stories about the superstars.
It was magazine writing that first propelled Bego in the public eye.
He wrote for music industry trades like Billboard and Record World, freelanced for US and Celebrity, and was the nightlife columnist for Cue magazine, at the time was one of New York’s most influential magazines.
His stories focused on concerts, reviews and interviews with Cher, Donna Summer and Rod Stewart.
“It was there that I got the bug to do celebrity-biographies,” says Bego.
An early bio of closeted gay ’50s movie star Rock Hudson
“From there on, there was no looking back,” he says.
He’s also done a colorful biography of himself, called “Paperback Writer” that is due for an update in the next year or so.
“Whenever I was interviewed about my career I would tell my stories about interviewing Aretha Franklin at her house, or living with Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night while writing his autobiography, or traveling with Mary Wilson to Monaco to party with Prince Albert.
“After being told several times that I should write my own story, I did,” he said.
A regular TV, cable and radio talk show contributor on pop culture, Bego has established himself as one of the more credible and likable sources about today’s pop culture trends.
In a recent issue of Us magazine, he’s quoted in an article about ’50s screen siren Marilyn Monroe.
Bego’s sense of timing continues with his upcoming Elton John biography, titled “Rocket Man.”
“I had dozens of interviews with several of the key people in Elton’s life, including people he slept with, did drugs with and who played key roles in his career,” Bego says.
“I love Elton, and I have been following his career since ‘Three Dog Night’ gave him his first U.S. exposure via their cover version of his early song ‘Lady Samantha.’ I think even Sir Elton himself is going to love this book!”
Could Bego’s current trifecta of No 1’s soon become a quartet?
“That is the excitement of this business. I have waited my whole career for a winning streak like this, and I could not be happier!”