Your Mother's Not a Virgin!: The Bumpy Life and Times of the Canadian Dropout Who Changed the Face of American Tv!

by John Barbour and John Barbour

Book Overview

A high school dropout at 15, and deported from Canada at 17, John Barbour is recognized as "the godfather of reality TV" for his role as the creator, producer, co-host, and writer of the trendsetting hit Real People. He won the first of his five Emmys as the original host of AM LA in 1970, where he interviewed controversial anti-war guests like Mohammed Ali, Cesar Chavez, and Jane Fonda. He was the first in America to do film reviews on the news, winning three more consecutive Emmys as KNBC's Critic-At-Large. He spent ten years as Los Angeles Magazine's most widely read and quoted critic and early in his career, he made stand-up comedy appearances on The Dean Martin Show, The Tonight Show, and others. In 1992 he wrote and directed the award-winning The Garrison Tapes, which Director Oliver Stone heralded as "the perfect companion piece to my movie, JFK." In 2017 he wrote and directed part two: The American Media and the Second Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which was applauded as "the definitive film on JFK and the rise of Fake News." In this highly entertaining, deeply informative autobiography, readers will discover what a multifaceted storyteller Barbour is.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1634242467
• ISBN13: 9781634242462
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: Trine Day
• Length: 738 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

John Barbour's life story is such a wonderful read which is a truthful inspirational walk down memor

This is John Barbour's life story from his childhood growing up in Canada to his brilliant career in Hollywood which culminated in his creating and hosting "Real People" which was a reality TV show ahead of its time back in the early 1980's. John's story is a wonderful ready because he is an extremely gifted writer who is honest and refreshing as a storyteller. The book is 700 plus pages but I can tell you once you begin reading it you will not want to put it down. I know of John from hearing him on Jeff Rense's radio show/podcast and he is such a witty character but I was not aware of how he paid his dues in Hollywood for many years before his breakthrough show "Real People" became a mega hit. Unfortunately for John, TV Executives would disturb his creative genius causing the show to end prematurely which he describes in great detail. You can't help but feel for him, an honest hard working man trying to navigate the shark infested waters of TV land trying to hone his craft and do his best work, in spite of numerous interferences and obstacles. Prior to Real People John was a brilliant stand-up comic who followed his dream of becoming a talk show host in the mold of Jack Paar and he could have been the best late-night host in history if given the freedom and platform to do so. He hosted shows in LA and Chicago briefly. He also was instrumental in telling Jim Garrison's story and created 2 brilliant documentaries about the JFK assassination that everyone should see.