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Will.i.am: The Unauthorized Biography
' The Unauthorized Biography' traces the rise to fame and fortune of William James Adams, Jr. (stage name Will.i.am). The book explores his troubled childhood and shows how his early love of flamboyant dress and his talent to rap saved him from the sad fates that befell many of his friends and neighbours. Bringing the story up to date, it reveals the truth behind his self-confessed 'freak out' in 2008, his mixed fortunes as a manager, his relationship with pop princess Cheryl Cole and his eventful first series as a judge on 'The Voice'. His role on this show has propelled Will.i.am to ever more remarkable stature, playing a key role at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert, a stint carrying the Olympic torch and working alongside NASA on a project designed to inspire children to get involved in science. He has also been praised for his philanthropic work, most recently donating the majority of his earnings from 'The Voice' to the Prince's Trust. This is the perfect book for fans of this enigmatic individual, at last revealing the truth behind the shades...
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2012
10 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Danny White
41 books5 followersWilford Daniel (Danny) White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys and an American football coach in the Arena Football League. He has been the color commentator for Cowboys games on Compass Media Networks' America's Team Radio Network since the 2011 season.
A graduate of Westwood High School in Mesa, Arizona, he didn't receive a lot of notice while being the starter at quarterback, because back then he was a better baseball prospect.
Frank Kush, then the football head coach at Arizona State University, helped convinced Bobby Winkles, the school's baseball coach, to sign White to a scholarship with the provision that he would also play punter for the football team. During those early years Kush gave him a chance to improve his skills as a quarterback, which eventually would lead him to become the starter midway through his sophomore season, ending up throwing for 6 touchdowns in a game against the University of New Mexico.
White went on to have a stellar career as a quarterback and punter, compiling a 33-4 record, winning 3 Fiesta Bowls, setting 7 NCAA passing records and being named All-America in 1973, when he lead the nation's second rated total offense. He finished with 6,717 passing yards, 64 touchdowns, 42 interceptions and averaged 41.7 yards per punt.
Besides having his jersey retired, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the State of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame and the Arizona State University Hall of Fame. In 2000 he was named Arizona Athlete of the Century by the Arizona Republic.
A graduate of Westwood High School in Mesa, Arizona, he didn't receive a lot of notice while being the starter at quarterback, because back then he was a better baseball prospect.
Frank Kush, then the football head coach at Arizona State University, helped convinced Bobby Winkles, the school's baseball coach, to sign White to a scholarship with the provision that he would also play punter for the football team. During those early years Kush gave him a chance to improve his skills as a quarterback, which eventually would lead him to become the starter midway through his sophomore season, ending up throwing for 6 touchdowns in a game against the University of New Mexico.
White went on to have a stellar career as a quarterback and punter, compiling a 33-4 record, winning 3 Fiesta Bowls, setting 7 NCAA passing records and being named All-America in 1973, when he lead the nation's second rated total offense. He finished with 6,717 passing yards, 64 touchdowns, 42 interceptions and averaged 41.7 yards per punt.
Besides having his jersey retired, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the State of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame and the Arizona State University Hall of Fame. In 2000 he was named Arizona Athlete of the Century by the Arizona Republic.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 26, 2017
Like any writer of an unauthorized biography the author, Danny White, did not have the advantage of direct access to will.i.am (William James Adams). However, unless you avidly follow the news about Will.i.am - and know his story well - it provides interesting insights into the character of the man behind the image. The book makes a good, uplifting read.
The last decade has seen Will.i.am's music, via the Black Eyed Peas, be continuously amongst the best sellers. Black Eyed Peas have become a cultural icon providing much of the sound track for the lives of many people. The book also goes into some of the cultural changes which allowed Will and the Black Eyed Peas become such a phenomena.
It takes real brilliance to come up with a track like Where is the Love and not make it sound preachy and give it such wide international appeal. To make such hard hitting statements as linking the CIA to terrorism and to do so with such a light touch is an impressive feat. Perhaps it is no surprise to find that the track's had major success outside the USA first as people outside the USA are more accustomed to having mixed views about the role of the CIA in world politics.
Will's success as a mentor for other artists is not only due to his brilliant grasp of current musical trends. He seems to be a 'self belief machine' who inspires others to believe in themselves - as his band mate Taboo testifies in his biography. Will helped Taboo pull through a time of major self doubt early in his career.
If you wonder whether will.i.am us still true to his original values you can find some reassurance from his story. Superficially at least he seems to have drifted away from the vales of "Where is the Love?" to the more doubtful values of "Where is the party?". However, Will seems to be a genuinely decent and sensitive guy. He kept going despite having a long uphill battle to keep expressing a positive message in his music. Black Eyed Peas were about 'peace and love' when most Hip Hop bands were doing a lot of heavy aggressive raps and gangsta posturing.
Will and the Black Eyed Peas would have hardly generated such continual interest from their audience of they only stuck to tunes like with an overtly 'positive' message. Audiences can be fickle - especially young audiences - and people would soon tire of them if Will.i.am and his band kept with the same message all the time. They obviously needed to keep things fresh and they have managed to do that amazingly well. Their message still seems to be pro-life, though more in the form of an upbeat celebration, than explicitly positive lyrics. It is curious that their video for one of their major hits, I Got a Feeling, even with its party atmosphere had scenes of people being sick and looking waisted - as if it were a tongue-in-cheek versions of some government anti-alcohol abuse adverts. Will.i.am was at one point very worried about his band mate Taboo's heavy abuse of alcohol and drugs. The odd mix of scenes in the video (from party animals at play to somebody throwing up) may have been Will's light and playful way of putting across a serious message.
Will.i.am, despite his wealth and fame, often ends up "just friends" with women. I suspect his sensitivity causes him to suffer from Nice Guy Syndrome, a phenomena I've written about elsewhere which is where a guy gets on really well with women as friends, but often gets stuck in platonic relationships with them.
Will's refusal to be a tortured artists and his liking for corporate sponsorship have not endeared him to everyone. Even his but he seems to take that in his stride.
One odd thing is that's Will.i.am suffers heavily from tinnitus to the extent that he says 'I don't know what silence sounds like anymore". It is reckoned that music is one of the few ways he can cover up the sound of tinnitus and relax. However, he does have a habit of listening to music very, very loudly. Is its just me, or could there be a connection? Listening to music very loud, getting tinnitus, turning up the music to cover the tinnitus.... Maybe... Just maybe a connection...;)
Will also seems to be a bit of a workaholic. I hope someone turns him on to some technology that would help him calm down. Something like HeartMaths' Inner Balance device might really help him. http://amzn.com/B00BLGDKF4
If you are an avid follower of Will.i.am and then Black Eyed Peas and have kept up with all the news about them then not much in this book will surprise you. However if like me you find em intriguing and want to fill in the details then this book does the job and is fun to read. This book is recommended to anyone who wants to know more about will without having to scour the net to do so.
Since will.i.am seems to collaborate with just about everyone - I want to say I am real sick player (I think that is the cool way to say it) of super mega electro house bagpipes ... And the grooves I lay down with are really... dope.... At least I think that's the word they use...
The last decade has seen Will.i.am's music, via the Black Eyed Peas, be continuously amongst the best sellers. Black Eyed Peas have become a cultural icon providing much of the sound track for the lives of many people. The book also goes into some of the cultural changes which allowed Will and the Black Eyed Peas become such a phenomena.
It takes real brilliance to come up with a track like Where is the Love and not make it sound preachy and give it such wide international appeal. To make such hard hitting statements as linking the CIA to terrorism and to do so with such a light touch is an impressive feat. Perhaps it is no surprise to find that the track's had major success outside the USA first as people outside the USA are more accustomed to having mixed views about the role of the CIA in world politics.
Will's success as a mentor for other artists is not only due to his brilliant grasp of current musical trends. He seems to be a 'self belief machine' who inspires others to believe in themselves - as his band mate Taboo testifies in his biography. Will helped Taboo pull through a time of major self doubt early in his career.
If you wonder whether will.i.am us still true to his original values you can find some reassurance from his story. Superficially at least he seems to have drifted away from the vales of "Where is the Love?" to the more doubtful values of "Where is the party?". However, Will seems to be a genuinely decent and sensitive guy. He kept going despite having a long uphill battle to keep expressing a positive message in his music. Black Eyed Peas were about 'peace and love' when most Hip Hop bands were doing a lot of heavy aggressive raps and gangsta posturing.
Will and the Black Eyed Peas would have hardly generated such continual interest from their audience of they only stuck to tunes like with an overtly 'positive' message. Audiences can be fickle - especially young audiences - and people would soon tire of them if Will.i.am and his band kept with the same message all the time. They obviously needed to keep things fresh and they have managed to do that amazingly well. Their message still seems to be pro-life, though more in the form of an upbeat celebration, than explicitly positive lyrics. It is curious that their video for one of their major hits, I Got a Feeling, even with its party atmosphere had scenes of people being sick and looking waisted - as if it were a tongue-in-cheek versions of some government anti-alcohol abuse adverts. Will.i.am was at one point very worried about his band mate Taboo's heavy abuse of alcohol and drugs. The odd mix of scenes in the video (from party animals at play to somebody throwing up) may have been Will's light and playful way of putting across a serious message.
Will.i.am, despite his wealth and fame, often ends up "just friends" with women. I suspect his sensitivity causes him to suffer from Nice Guy Syndrome, a phenomena I've written about elsewhere which is where a guy gets on really well with women as friends, but often gets stuck in platonic relationships with them.
Will's refusal to be a tortured artists and his liking for corporate sponsorship have not endeared him to everyone. Even his but he seems to take that in his stride.
One odd thing is that's Will.i.am suffers heavily from tinnitus to the extent that he says 'I don't know what silence sounds like anymore". It is reckoned that music is one of the few ways he can cover up the sound of tinnitus and relax. However, he does have a habit of listening to music very, very loudly. Is its just me, or could there be a connection? Listening to music very loud, getting tinnitus, turning up the music to cover the tinnitus.... Maybe... Just maybe a connection...;)
Will also seems to be a bit of a workaholic. I hope someone turns him on to some technology that would help him calm down. Something like HeartMaths' Inner Balance device might really help him. http://amzn.com/B00BLGDKF4
If you are an avid follower of Will.i.am and then Black Eyed Peas and have kept up with all the news about them then not much in this book will surprise you. However if like me you find em intriguing and want to fill in the details then this book does the job and is fun to read. This book is recommended to anyone who wants to know more about will without having to scour the net to do so.
Since will.i.am seems to collaborate with just about everyone - I want to say I am real sick player (I think that is the cool way to say it) of super mega electro house bagpipes ... And the grooves I lay down with are really... dope.... At least I think that's the word they use...
February 20, 2024
A real insight into Will.i.am from him growing up in a tough area and how he overcame all the gang culture and drug addictions that he was surrounded by and was never tempted by any of it. How he has become a hard working, caring individual. Great story.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews