Product Description
by Kent Hesselbein (Illustrator), Stanley J. St Clair (Author)
There are numerous reasons why persons in the public eye change their names (or have it done for them). For instance, why did Rudolf Walter Wanderone, Jr. and James A. Moore, Jr. both take the names of fictional characters that they claimed were based on them and how did doing so change their lives forever? At least 20 featured stars who took stage names were from Jewish immigrant families. Many were impoverished; some were abused; several were forced to work as young children to help pay bills. Many were from broken homes, and some never knew their biological fathers, often being placed in foster care. One worked as a prostitute, one a bootlegger, and one was a drug dealer. Several were jailed. One was expelled from school and many were dropouts. How did these broken individuals make it to the top of their fields? It took grit, encouragement, and likely, a new name. These are the stories of popular actors, singers, dancers, authors, sports figures, magicians, entrepreneurs, and broadcasters, each determined to create a public persona which he or she felt was worthy of his or her audience.
Author Biography
Stanley J. "Stan" St. Clair is the author of numerous books and the owner of St. Clair Publications found online at stclairpublications.com. Many thousands of copies of St. Clair Publications books have sold, and continue to do so, around the world. He retired from a long career as an insurance agent and manager, and in addition to a designation of LUTCF from the National Association of Life Underwriters in Washington, DC, he holds a degree in Religious Education from Covington College and Theological Seminary in Georgia. He was featured in the 2007-2008 Cambridge Who's Who, Honors Edition, and the International Who's Who in Poetry in 2004. Stan has traveled extensively around the globe, has met a number of dignitaries and counts well-known authors among his friends. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in McMinnville, Tennessee, USA. Stan had four children, one of whom is now deceased, one stepdaughter, fourteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
