Client Number Zero: Joseph Brooks
MAY 23, 2011 TAGS:
An obit hit piece? Not exactly. But Jacob Bernstein's story on the tawdry, depressing life of the filmmaker Joseph Brooks (who also wrote 1977 number one hit "You Light Up My Life") and his suicide at the age of 73, reads like more like a "good riddance" than a "RIP."
Such post-mortem wrap ups like, "co-workers of Brooks went on to describe a man whose attitude eclipsed his talent, who was not the genius he believed himself to be," litter the piece. As do revelations that Brooks frequently abused escorts (supplied by Eliot Spitzer's favorite madame, Kristin Davis). He was subsequently charged with sexual abuse towards women he lured to his casting couch via false craigslist ads.
All very troubling. The tipping point, other than repeated professional failures (although Brooks does own an Oscar for Best Song), was Brooks' son's arrest for murder. Such a terrible lifestory. Set it to Debbie Boone's chart-topping version of Brooks' song, and it becomes just plain depressing. Happy Monday.
Looking Good in 1978...
Not So Much in 2010...
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