The Harder They Fall
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Chuck Negron (b. June 8, 1942)
From his humble beginnings in the Bronx, Chuck Negron became a household name in the late sixties and early seventies as a lead singer in Three Dog Night, one of the most successful rock bands ever. His career started with his first music recording at the age of fifteen, with The Rondells. From 1969 to 1974, Three Dog Night sold nearly 50 million records, including the hit singles “Joy to the World,” “Old Fashioned Love Song,” “One,” and “Mama Told Me (Not to Come).” Negron now performs solo for audiences around the country.
Richard Pryor (December 1, 1940–December 10, 2005)
Born Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III in Peoria, Illinois, Richard Pryor grew up in poverty, raised in his grandmother’s brothel. Comedy became his outlet, and Pryor began his career in the 1960s as a clean-cut imitation of Bill Cosby. In the early 1970s, he transformed his image to become the first black comedian to humorously depict African Americans as an underclass, and to do it before an integrated audience. No longer clean-cut, Pryor portrayed characters from the streets with honesty and insight. In 1977, he starred in NBC’s The Richard Pryor Show. His film credits include Stir Crazy, Wild in the Streets, and Superman III. Pryor is best known for his live performances and record albums.
Jim Ramstad (b. May 6, 1946)
Minnesota congressman Jim Ramstad was first elected to congress in 1990. He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the Health Subcommittee, and the Trade Subcommittee. He co-chairs the Law Enforcement Caucus and the Medical Technology Caucus. Ramstad, known for his efforts to ensure that people with a substance abuse problem or a mental health issue have access to treatment, was named “Legislator of the Year” by the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Counselors in 1998 and the National Mental Health Association in 1999. He was born in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack (b. November 20, 1941)
Dr. John, one of the most distinctive voices in jazz and popular music, embodies the rich musical heritage of his hometown of New Orleans. His hit songs include “Right Place, Wrong Time” and “Such a Night.” Born Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., the musician in 1968 created Dr. John, the “Night Tripper,” a psychedelic medicine-man persona suited to the times and linked to the cult and voodoo culture of the Crescent City.
Nile Rodgers (b. September 19, 1952)
Voted in 1996 by Billboard magazine as “Top Producer in the World,” Nile Rodgers began his prolific music career at Sesame Street and then by playing guitar in the house band at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. In 1977, he and musical partner Bernard Edwards formed the “supergroup” Chic, and “Dance, Dance, Dance,” the first single off their debut album, became an instant hit. “Everybody Dance,” “Le Freak,” and “Good Times” quickly followed suit. Rodgers has produced music from the leading artists of the seventies and eighties, including Sister Sledge, Madonna, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, and Eric Clapton. In July 2002, Rodgers founded the We Are Family Foundation to promote tolerance and multiculturalism and to support victims of intolerance.
Grace Slick (b. October 30, 1939)
In the 1960s, Grace Slick became an icon as the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane and later Jefferson Starship. Her strong vocals (“White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love”), her striking looks, and her bold irreverence garnered much attention. Slick began her music career with The Jefferson Airplane in 1966 and retired from rock and roll in 1989. She is now a successful painter. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Slick grew up in San Francisco.
Paul Williams (b. September 19, 1940)
A gifted and prolific lyricist and composer, Paul Williams wrote some of the most famous songs of the seventies. His hits include “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “Evergreen,” “An Old Fashioned Love Song,” “Rainbow Connection,” and the theme song for The Love Boat. Born in Bennington, Nebraska, the Oscar-, Grammy-, and Golden Globe–winning songwriter is also an actor, most known for his role as Little Enos in the Smokey and the Bandit movies. He’s also provided voice-overs for several animated series, including the role of Penguin in Batman: The Animated Series. A devoted father, Williams considers his children, Cole and Sarah, to be his best work.
Franz Wright (b. March 18, 1953)
Franz Wright is winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for poetry for Walking to Martha’s Vineyard. His searing yet luminous poems have been noted for their ability to “heal through expression.” Wright’s books of poetry include The Beforelife, Ill Lit, and Rorschach Test. He has received the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry, as well as grants and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Whiting Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Born in Vienna, Austria, Wright is the son of poet James Wright, and grew up in the Northwest, the Midwest, and northern California. He and his wife, Elizabeth, a translator, live in Waltham, Massachusetts.
About the Authors
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Gary Stromberg and Jane Merrill are also the coauthors of Feeding the Fame: Celebrities Tell Their Real-Life Stories of Eating Disorders and Recovery.
Gary Stromberg cofounded Gibson & Stromberg, a large and influential public-relations firm of the seventies. He represented such luminaries as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Muhammad Ali, Barbra Streisand, Boyz II Men, Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, The Doors, Earth, Wind & Fire, Elton John, Three Dog Night, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Stromberg coproduced the motion pictures Car Wash and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. He currently runs The Blackbird Group, a small public-relations firm in Westport, Connecticut, where he serves on the board of directors of Positive Directions, a center for prevention and recovery. His daughter is in high school and his son is a film student in college.
Jane Merrill has written on popular history, art, style, and relationships for dozens of popular magazines, including Cosmopolitan, New York, The New Republic, Penthouse, Town & Country, American Health, Redbook, Connoisseur, Gallery, The Christian Science Monitor, and Vogue. She has written several books on diverse topics, including bilingual education, beauty, child rearing, jewelry, and China (for young people). In the nineties, she switched to ghostwriting and research for several of the most noted writers in America. She has three master’s degrees from Harvard and Columbia, has worked and lived in Iran and France, and has raised four children—a corporate attorney, MIT scientist, Naval mechanic, and college student.
Contributor Lewis Lapham is generally regarded as one of America’s finest essayists. The former editor of Harper’s Magazine and now its national correspondent, he is the founder and editor of the new journal Lapham’s Quarterly.
Contributor Stephen Davis is the best-selling chronicler of musical luminaries. Among the subjects of his best-selling biographies are Jim Morrison, the Rolling Stones, and Aerosmith.
Hazelden Foundation, a national nonprofit organization founded in 1949, helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. Built on decades of knowledge and experience, Hazelden’s comprehensive approach to addiction addresses the full range of individual, family, and professional needs, including addiction treatment and continuing care services for youth and adults, publishing, research, higher learning, public education, and advocacy.
A life of recovery is lived “one day at a time.” Hazelden publications, both educational and inspirational, support and strengthen lifelong recovery. In 1954, Hazelden published Twenty-Four Hours a Day, the first daily meditation book for recovering alcoholics, and Hazelden continues to publish works to inspire and guide individuals in treatment and recovery, and their loved ones. Professionals who work to prevent and treat addiction also turn to Hazelden for evidence-based curricula, informational materials, and videos for use in schools, treatment programs, and correctional programs.
Through published works, Hazelden extends the reach of hope, encouragement, help, and support to individuals, families, and communities affected by addiction and related issues.
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