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Been There, Done That: An Autobiography
Eddie on his ex-wives:
Debbie Reynolds: Debbie's whole life has been an act...When I left her for Elizabeth Taylor, she should have won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the wronged woman. [p. 83]
Elizabeth Taylor: If I had known that first night we spent together how our love was going to help destroy my career and, for a time, my life, if I had known how much pain my love for Elizabeth was going to bring me, I still wouldn't have hesitated. [p. 144]
Connie Stevens: I always wondered how she could work so hard, how she could accomplish to much. Then I took a couple of [her] pills... [p. 269]
Read the explosive memoir everyone's talking about!
Debbie Reynolds: Debbie's whole life has been an act...When I left her for Elizabeth Taylor, she should have won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the wronged woman. [p. 83]
Elizabeth Taylor: If I had known that first night we spent together how our love was going to help destroy my career and, for a time, my life, if I had known how much pain my love for Elizabeth was going to bring me, I still wouldn't have hesitated. [p. 144]
Connie Stevens: I always wondered how she could work so hard, how she could accomplish to much. Then I took a couple of [her] pills... [p. 269]
Read the explosive memoir everyone's talking about!
408 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Eddie Fisher
29 books4 followersEddie Fisher was an American singer and actor. He was the most successful pop singles artist during the first half of the 1950s, He sold millions of records and hosted his own TV show. Fisher divorced his first wife, actress Debbie Reynolds, to marry Reynolds' best friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor. He later married actress Connie Stevens. Fisher is the father of Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher with Reynolds, and Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher with Stevens. Fisher has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for recording and one for television.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 3, 2020
You know I read this once but I really shouldn't've and you shouldn't neither so, you know, like, just don't. Use the time you save in doing something better, like, you could hoover your cupboards or call your mother or you could marry someone or you could just read something better than this thing like say Lobster Boy or My Boyfriend Has Tentacles or really just about anything. I think I read it because I couldn't imagine anyone marrying Debbie Reynolds AND Elizabeth Taylor in one lifetime, never mind in one five year stretch. It beggars belief you know. Those two hotsy-totsies? Wow. Let's be clear about this: wow. But you know when you peer behind the glassy noses and the pompadour smiles you do find that (apart from Doris Day) these showbiz legends are mostly really creepy and they live in an equally creepy world where most everyone is like them, creepy. Except Doris Day. You know all those nice characters they appear to be in the movies? Well, here's something - THEY'RE NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL! Someone did tell me that once but I disregarded it as negative thinking - I told that person hey, look on the bright side for once. Maybe they are! But you know something, THEY'RE NOT. They're like mafia dons, they have people killed and everything. They could rub you out like an ant. It's true. Better not get on the wrong side of , say, Nicole Kidman. Yeah, you think Johnny Depp is so nice and sweet, giving all his vegetables to the less well-off and all, but he could have you taken out with ONE PHONE CALL. I'm not saying he would, you know, far be it from me to be libellous. But he could. One phone call.
Mind you, I would not say that grinding poverty and no talent makes you a better person. It doesn't. It has not made me a better person. Ask anyone. Also, I am not saying I would have been a better person had I had had the opportunity to marry either the late Debbie Reynolds or the late Elizabeth Taylor or both. I am just saying that I would have had a shot at it, which everyone should deserve in this life, don't you agree. I believe in a world where everybody should have the opportunity to marry Debbie Reynolds. Not just rich types. If that makes me a marxist then so be it.
If I had of married Debbie, I would hope that I would not of dumped her for Elizabeth, no matter how many come ons I got from those famous violet peepers.
Anyway, do not read this book.
Who would not totally marry Debbie Reynolds? I am betting all men and most women would marry Debbie Reynolds. Wild animals would probably marry Debbie Reynolds, if they were allowed. (I think in the future wild animals will be allowed to marry people, the way things are going.)
Mind you, I would not say that grinding poverty and no talent makes you a better person. It doesn't. It has not made me a better person. Ask anyone. Also, I am not saying I would have been a better person had I had had the opportunity to marry either the late Debbie Reynolds or the late Elizabeth Taylor or both. I am just saying that I would have had a shot at it, which everyone should deserve in this life, don't you agree. I believe in a world where everybody should have the opportunity to marry Debbie Reynolds. Not just rich types. If that makes me a marxist then so be it.
If I had of married Debbie, I would hope that I would not of dumped her for Elizabeth, no matter how many come ons I got from those famous violet peepers.
Anyway, do not read this book.
Who would not totally marry Debbie Reynolds? I am betting all men and most women would marry Debbie Reynolds. Wild animals would probably marry Debbie Reynolds, if they were allowed. (I think in the future wild animals will be allowed to marry people, the way things are going.)
May 17, 2020
Who was Eddie Fisher?
Eddie Fisher was drug addict, a womanizer and a generally bad person...but I kind of liked him anyway.
Eddie Fisher is mostly remembered for being in 2 of the most scandalous love triangles in Hollywood history. Before Brad, Jen and Angelina. There was Eddie, Debbie, and Elizabeth...and Eddie, Elizabeth, and Richard.
Eddie Fisher had no self awareness what so ever. He tries to get the reader to understand why he hates his 1st wife Debbie Reynolds so much but all he succeeded in doing is convincing me to like her more. Its fairly obvious that his 2nd wife Elizabeth Taylor was the love of his life but he also seems to think that he was hers too. Which if you've read or watched anything about Elizabeth Taylor's many husbands than you'll know that Eddie Fisher is not fondly remembered by her.
I think I liked this book more than I thought I would because Eddie even when he tries to, never comes off sounding like the good guy. And you can tell that he believed that he was a good guy but NOPE!
I did finally learn why Eddie Fisher was originally famous he was a pop singer in the 1950's and he was extremely famous for a few years but now he's most famous for his ex wife's and for being the father of Carrie Fisher(Princess Leia). As famous as he might have been Eddie was delusional if he ever for one second thought he was better than Frank Sinatra.
FRANK SINATRA IS THE G.O.A.T!!
Never forget that.
Would I recommend this book?
Not really unless you're a Eddie Fisher fan or you want to know about every woman Eddie Fisher ever stuck his penis in because according to him there were a lot!
Eddie Fisher was drug addict, a womanizer and a generally bad person...but I kind of liked him anyway.
Eddie Fisher is mostly remembered for being in 2 of the most scandalous love triangles in Hollywood history. Before Brad, Jen and Angelina. There was Eddie, Debbie, and Elizabeth...and Eddie, Elizabeth, and Richard.
Eddie Fisher had no self awareness what so ever. He tries to get the reader to understand why he hates his 1st wife Debbie Reynolds so much but all he succeeded in doing is convincing me to like her more. Its fairly obvious that his 2nd wife Elizabeth Taylor was the love of his life but he also seems to think that he was hers too. Which if you've read or watched anything about Elizabeth Taylor's many husbands than you'll know that Eddie Fisher is not fondly remembered by her.
I think I liked this book more than I thought I would because Eddie even when he tries to, never comes off sounding like the good guy. And you can tell that he believed that he was a good guy but NOPE!
I did finally learn why Eddie Fisher was originally famous he was a pop singer in the 1950's and he was extremely famous for a few years but now he's most famous for his ex wife's and for being the father of Carrie Fisher(Princess Leia). As famous as he might have been Eddie was delusional if he ever for one second thought he was better than Frank Sinatra.
FRANK SINATRA IS THE G.O.A.T!!
Never forget that.
Would I recommend this book?
Not really unless you're a Eddie Fisher fan or you want to know about every woman Eddie Fisher ever stuck his penis in because according to him there were a lot!
April 17, 2011
Entertaining because you can tell Eddie Fisher has no idea of just how sleazy he is.
June 2, 2009
Well, good thing Eddie can sing, because even with assistance, he is not a writer! He is also quite conceited and nothing, nothing in his drama filled life is ever his fault. Ugh.
May 12, 2010
Who would've thought that Eddie Fisher, cheesy pop singer, pipsqueak Mouseketeer to the Rat Pack, speed freak and coke fool, AWOL daddy, discarded Liz Taylor boy toy, and husband from hell, could pen a memoir as entertaining as his talented daughter Carrie's? Granted, he has the help of autobiographer to the stars David Fisher (no relation), but still, it's startling how sleekly readable Fisher's misadventures are, and shocking that he comes off with raffish charm and a sense of humor.
Don't worry, there's not too much about Eddie's dull, madly successful singing career--he wasn't that interested in it either. He preferred women. Warning: as is the case with Robert Evans's comparably entertaining sex-and-drugs tell-all, The Kid Stays in the Picture, we can't know whether it's all true. Some of Eddie's alleged women have denied dalliance. Did he really get naked with Joan Collins ("the British Open") in Dean Martin's pool, screaming along with Dino and Brando until the cops came? Did he share Sue Lyon with Richard Burton and Judy Campbell with Sinatra, JFK, and Sam Giancana? (Eddie doubts Campbell's story that she passed documents from JFK to mobster Sam.) Did Jackie turn JFK onto amphetamine fiend Max Jacobson, the famed "Dr. Feelgood" who destroyed his own life and 30 years of Eddie's? Were Bob Hope's military-base shows really "sex tours"? His bitterness makes one doubt he gives first wife Debbie Reynolds ("the Iron Butterfly") a fair shake. Did Liz Taylor drive away, naked and hysterical, in her Cadillac when Eddie suggested she see a psychiatrist? Did Burton beat her, and did she try to steal My Fair Lady from her friend Audrey Hepburn? In a Munich suite once used by Mussolini to entertain Hitler, did Liz bite Eddie as he dug pills out of her mouth to save her life? Did Liz bed Rock Hudson and Montgomery Clift? Read Fisher and see what you believe.
He knew everbody:
Eddie Adams * Anna Maria Alberghetti Lucille Ball Joan Blondell Sid Charisse Joan Collins Joan Crawford Betty Davis Angie Dickerson * Marlene Dietrich * Mia Farrow Totie Fields Zsa Zsa Gabor Judy Garland Audrey Hepburn Abbie Lane * Hope Lange * Heddy Lamar Peggy Lee Janet Leigh Vivien Leigh Peggy Lipton *
Sue Lyon * Janes Mansfield Princes Margret Ann-Margret *
Penny Marshall Phyllis McGuire Ethel Merman Marilyn Monroe
Kim Novak * Margaret O'Brien Barbara Perkins Michelle Phillips * Stefanie Powers *Juliet Prowse * Debbie Reynolds (M) Eva Marie Saint Maria Schell Dianah Shore
Connie Stevens (M) Barbara Streisand Elizabeth Taylor (M) Lana Turner Gloria Vanderbuilt Mamie Van Doren * Natalie Wood Shelly Winters
Steve Allen Don Ameche Louis Armstrong Harry Belafonte Jack Benny Milton Berle Irving Berlin Marlon Brando Yul Brenner Dr. Ralph Bunche George Burns Richard Burton (Mark Anthony) Roy Calhoun Eddie Cantor Truman Capote Johnny Carson Jeff Chandler Van Cliburn Montgomery Clift Perry Como
Gary Cooper Frank Costello Noel Coward Bing Crosby Tony Curtis
Moe Dalitz (Desert Inn Vegas) Sammie Davis Jr Phil Donahue Kirk Douglas Earth, Wind & Fire Bob Evans Mel Ferrer Peter Finch Frankie Fontaine (Crazy Guggenheim) Henry Fonda SamGiancana John Gielgood George Gobel
Sam Goldwyn Stewart Granger Shecky Green Merv Griffin
Buddy Hackett George Hamilton Rex Harrison (Julius Ceasar) Hugh Hefner Bill Holden Bob Hope George Jessel Ingeman Johansson
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ '64) Quincy Jones Bobby Kennedy John Kennedy
Aly Khan Nakita Khruschev Ernie Kovacs Peter Lawford Jerry Lewis
Joe E. Lewis Mickey Mantle Rocky Marciano Dean Martin Graucho Marx Roddy McDowell Meatloaf David Niven Donald O'Connor Laurence Olivier Anthony Quinn Prince Radzivill George Raft Geraldo Rivera
Sugar Ray Robinson Jackie Robinson Pierre Salinger Artie Shaw Phil Silvers Paul Simon (Son-in-Law) Frank Sinatra Francis Cardinal Spellman Yves St. Laurent Ed Sullivan Tiny Tim Mike Todd President Truman Robert Wagner Jack Warner John Wayne Michael Wilding Walter Winchell Ted Williams Tennesee Williams
Don't worry, there's not too much about Eddie's dull, madly successful singing career--he wasn't that interested in it either. He preferred women. Warning: as is the case with Robert Evans's comparably entertaining sex-and-drugs tell-all, The Kid Stays in the Picture, we can't know whether it's all true. Some of Eddie's alleged women have denied dalliance. Did he really get naked with Joan Collins ("the British Open") in Dean Martin's pool, screaming along with Dino and Brando until the cops came? Did he share Sue Lyon with Richard Burton and Judy Campbell with Sinatra, JFK, and Sam Giancana? (Eddie doubts Campbell's story that she passed documents from JFK to mobster Sam.) Did Jackie turn JFK onto amphetamine fiend Max Jacobson, the famed "Dr. Feelgood" who destroyed his own life and 30 years of Eddie's? Were Bob Hope's military-base shows really "sex tours"? His bitterness makes one doubt he gives first wife Debbie Reynolds ("the Iron Butterfly") a fair shake. Did Liz Taylor drive away, naked and hysterical, in her Cadillac when Eddie suggested she see a psychiatrist? Did Burton beat her, and did she try to steal My Fair Lady from her friend Audrey Hepburn? In a Munich suite once used by Mussolini to entertain Hitler, did Liz bite Eddie as he dug pills out of her mouth to save her life? Did Liz bed Rock Hudson and Montgomery Clift? Read Fisher and see what you believe.
He knew everbody:
Eddie Adams * Anna Maria Alberghetti Lucille Ball Joan Blondell Sid Charisse Joan Collins Joan Crawford Betty Davis Angie Dickerson * Marlene Dietrich * Mia Farrow Totie Fields Zsa Zsa Gabor Judy Garland Audrey Hepburn Abbie Lane * Hope Lange * Heddy Lamar Peggy Lee Janet Leigh Vivien Leigh Peggy Lipton *
Sue Lyon * Janes Mansfield Princes Margret Ann-Margret *
Penny Marshall Phyllis McGuire Ethel Merman Marilyn Monroe
Kim Novak * Margaret O'Brien Barbara Perkins Michelle Phillips * Stefanie Powers *Juliet Prowse * Debbie Reynolds (M) Eva Marie Saint Maria Schell Dianah Shore
Connie Stevens (M) Barbara Streisand Elizabeth Taylor (M) Lana Turner Gloria Vanderbuilt Mamie Van Doren * Natalie Wood Shelly Winters
Steve Allen Don Ameche Louis Armstrong Harry Belafonte Jack Benny Milton Berle Irving Berlin Marlon Brando Yul Brenner Dr. Ralph Bunche George Burns Richard Burton (Mark Anthony) Roy Calhoun Eddie Cantor Truman Capote Johnny Carson Jeff Chandler Van Cliburn Montgomery Clift Perry Como
Gary Cooper Frank Costello Noel Coward Bing Crosby Tony Curtis
Moe Dalitz (Desert Inn Vegas) Sammie Davis Jr Phil Donahue Kirk Douglas Earth, Wind & Fire Bob Evans Mel Ferrer Peter Finch Frankie Fontaine (Crazy Guggenheim) Henry Fonda SamGiancana John Gielgood George Gobel
Sam Goldwyn Stewart Granger Shecky Green Merv Griffin
Buddy Hackett George Hamilton Rex Harrison (Julius Ceasar) Hugh Hefner Bill Holden Bob Hope George Jessel Ingeman Johansson
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ '64) Quincy Jones Bobby Kennedy John Kennedy
Aly Khan Nakita Khruschev Ernie Kovacs Peter Lawford Jerry Lewis
Joe E. Lewis Mickey Mantle Rocky Marciano Dean Martin Graucho Marx Roddy McDowell Meatloaf David Niven Donald O'Connor Laurence Olivier Anthony Quinn Prince Radzivill George Raft Geraldo Rivera
Sugar Ray Robinson Jackie Robinson Pierre Salinger Artie Shaw Phil Silvers Paul Simon (Son-in-Law) Frank Sinatra Francis Cardinal Spellman Yves St. Laurent Ed Sullivan Tiny Tim Mike Todd President Truman Robert Wagner Jack Warner John Wayne Michael Wilding Walter Winchell Ted Williams Tennesee Williams
August 24, 2021
One and a half stars.
Despite being filled with juicy celebrity gossip, I kept falling asleep while reading this book. It took me a while to get through it; I really gave it much more time and attention than it deserved. I think I was looking for some sort of introspection from the man, particularly regarding his children, but it really wasn't there.
He sure fell in love a lot though, and his love was truer and bluer than anyone else's - until it wasn't. He fell in love with so many beautiful women in his life, that I'm actually quite impressed he remembers them all, especially through the drug haze that dominated his life. While he is definitely complicit in his ongoing drug addiction, I think it's important to note that he was initially an innocent victim of the infamous Dr. Feelgood, a "doctor" who injected his patients with "vitamins" aka methamphetamine.
Of course, Elizabeth Taylor was the great love of his life, and he describes their marriage and subsequent divorce due to the attentions of a certain Mr. Burton (who is described as a cruel, selfish, drunken, sloppy, woman beater). I don't really understand why Fisher found Taylor so alluring - it seems she was drunk or high or in the hospital for the entirety of their marriage. He describes his role in that marriage, as that of her nurse, and he was relegated (happily it seems) to being nothing more than a glorified gopher who would buy her expensive trinkets. His relationship with Debbie Reynolds was actually far more interesting, and I would have liked to read more about that. At least she was alert and awake. But he detested her, describes her as driven and not authentic - always "on", although it doesn't appear as though she treated him any worse than Liz did. But he despised her anyway.
Not sure I recommend this book.
Despite being filled with juicy celebrity gossip, I kept falling asleep while reading this book. It took me a while to get through it; I really gave it much more time and attention than it deserved. I think I was looking for some sort of introspection from the man, particularly regarding his children, but it really wasn't there.
He sure fell in love a lot though, and his love was truer and bluer than anyone else's - until it wasn't. He fell in love with so many beautiful women in his life, that I'm actually quite impressed he remembers them all, especially through the drug haze that dominated his life. While he is definitely complicit in his ongoing drug addiction, I think it's important to note that he was initially an innocent victim of the infamous Dr. Feelgood, a "doctor" who injected his patients with "vitamins" aka methamphetamine.
Of course, Elizabeth Taylor was the great love of his life, and he describes their marriage and subsequent divorce due to the attentions of a certain Mr. Burton (who is described as a cruel, selfish, drunken, sloppy, woman beater). I don't really understand why Fisher found Taylor so alluring - it seems she was drunk or high or in the hospital for the entirety of their marriage. He describes his role in that marriage, as that of her nurse, and he was relegated (happily it seems) to being nothing more than a glorified gopher who would buy her expensive trinkets. His relationship with Debbie Reynolds was actually far more interesting, and I would have liked to read more about that. At least she was alert and awake. But he detested her, describes her as driven and not authentic - always "on", although it doesn't appear as though she treated him any worse than Liz did. But he despised her anyway.
Not sure I recommend this book.
December 25, 2019
Found this at a book sale. Since I adored Debbie and Carrie, I figured it was time to know something about Eddie. Kiss and tell everything! I almost stopped reading after the first few chapters. He had an exceptional ego and I tired of hearing about the “sound that came out of his throat”. He can sing, I will admit I did like his voice. I don’t ever recall hearing or reading anything about the man in any other celebrity accounts. However, I kept reading and rolling my eyes at his puffery. If he really bedded all the women he claimed too…it’s amazing he had time for anything else!
Eddie finally got REAL at the end of the book when he told of his drug addiction. And he did admit to not taking care of his career. Would I recommend this book? Hmmm….. it does provide laughs…and more than a few exaggerated truths.
Eddie finally got REAL at the end of the book when he told of his drug addiction. And he did admit to not taking care of his career. Would I recommend this book? Hmmm….. it does provide laughs…and more than a few exaggerated truths.
October 9, 2011
I have a soft spot for my biography's and I always seem to gravitate towards those actors/ singers from the early 90s. That's where the curiosity lies.
Eddie Fisher is disgustingly unashamed in the way he demeans and throws around names of famous friends. He exposes many secrets and hardly holds back when it comes to old flames, ex wives including Elizabeth Taylor. But the one who really get's it is Debbie Reynolds. Poor women.
Oh there are no boundaries in this bio and he lays it all on the table, but lets be honest. It's what makes the big bucks and I have to admire the guy for at least owning up to the shitty things he's done in life. Initially what intrigued me about the book was that this guy had married Elizabeth Taylor, and being a fan I hoped that I would have a more sense of familiarity with her, which I did, but not for the better. Shame. It seems that she was an amazing friend, but not much of a wife.
Eddie Fisher had a huge ego while at his peak, in fact, he claims to be the best musician that ever lived. Better than Elvis, better than Sinatra. Hmm someone getting carried away don't you think? But that's not the point, the point is that all the fame really got to his head. His priorities got all messed up and resulted in him being a crappy father. Not seeing his children at times for years.
I can't say that I like this man after reading his story. He was a shit father, husband and an all around pathetic excuse for a human being. Although he regrets some things, he hardly seems to care much for all that he's done, or hurt. Sometimes you get to know a person and realise, that hey, maybe they aren't a good person, and I think that's ok.
He loved women and he loved making love. These were the two things that through the highs and slows of his career were consistent. Things that he could hardly live without and things that couldn't be compromised. I have to say that there's something endearing in a man laying all his cards on the table. In not attempting to make himself this good doer and just being honest about his flaws. It's brave if not foolish, but still, it's brave.
He passed away last year. And although I still haven't forgiven him for the remarks he made about Marilyn Monroe *raises eyebrow* I will say that the man led a wonderful life despite the ups and downs. RIP young man. I'm sure your wife and old friends have been waiting you.
Eddie Fisher is disgustingly unashamed in the way he demeans and throws around names of famous friends. He exposes many secrets and hardly holds back when it comes to old flames, ex wives including Elizabeth Taylor. But the one who really get's it is Debbie Reynolds. Poor women.
Oh there are no boundaries in this bio and he lays it all on the table, but lets be honest. It's what makes the big bucks and I have to admire the guy for at least owning up to the shitty things he's done in life. Initially what intrigued me about the book was that this guy had married Elizabeth Taylor, and being a fan I hoped that I would have a more sense of familiarity with her, which I did, but not for the better. Shame. It seems that she was an amazing friend, but not much of a wife.
Eddie Fisher had a huge ego while at his peak, in fact, he claims to be the best musician that ever lived. Better than Elvis, better than Sinatra. Hmm someone getting carried away don't you think? But that's not the point, the point is that all the fame really got to his head. His priorities got all messed up and resulted in him being a crappy father. Not seeing his children at times for years.
I can't say that I like this man after reading his story. He was a shit father, husband and an all around pathetic excuse for a human being. Although he regrets some things, he hardly seems to care much for all that he's done, or hurt. Sometimes you get to know a person and realise, that hey, maybe they aren't a good person, and I think that's ok.
He loved women and he loved making love. These were the two things that through the highs and slows of his career were consistent. Things that he could hardly live without and things that couldn't be compromised. I have to say that there's something endearing in a man laying all his cards on the table. In not attempting to make himself this good doer and just being honest about his flaws. It's brave if not foolish, but still, it's brave.
He passed away last year. And although I still haven't forgiven him for the remarks he made about Marilyn Monroe *raises eyebrow* I will say that the man led a wonderful life despite the ups and downs. RIP young man. I'm sure your wife and old friends have been waiting you.
February 22, 2020
Well five stars means "amazing" and I have to say I was certainly amazed by this book. Couldn't put it down. Do read the paperback with the afterword where Eddie talks about the reaction the book got when first published. (Carrie and Todd quit speaking to him) Eddie's big star days were before my time, so I can't say myself if he exaggerates his fame level, but my mother verified it. Of course I've heard many stories about the "Cleopatra" shoot and Liz dumping him for Richard after he had dumped Debbie for Liz, etc, but never in this gloriously first hand gory detail! To die for. I am forced to admit that some of his claims have to be taken with a grain of salt, or maybe an entire pound, and no one is a bigger fan of Eddie then Eddie, but he does admits to his failings, which were numerous...oh whatever. It was just tremendously fun to read.
October 24, 2016
Before reading this book I don't remember ever hearing Eddie Fisher sing. I had heard his name and knew about his scandal when he left Debbie Reynolds and married Elizabeth Taylor. Other than that I didn't know much. I now know more than I ever wanted to know about Eddie Fisher, especially his addictions to drugs and sex. I don't know if half of the stuff in here is true but if it is WOW famous people can get away with a lot of sinful behaviors and have it hushed up by the media. Interesting that I read this at this time in US history when the election is only two weeks away. He did seem to eventually learn the treasures he had in his children.
January 25, 2020
I love reading about old hollywood. After reading Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking," I was compelled to read her father's autobiography. Eddie Fisher was a famous singer/actor and hung around with the Rat Pack. He speaks about his life, the women, the fame, the drugs. He talks about Sinatra, Dean Martin, Marilyn, Audrey, Debbie Reynolds (ex-wife), Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few. I love old movies and adore Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. Having a few of my favorites shed in a different light was sad, but I enjoyed reading it.
Want to read
January 20, 2009Carrie enticed me to read this memoir in Wishful Drinking, first by referring to it as a novel, and second by informing us that all his elderly stoner dad tells us here is the quality of the sex he's had in his life, along with detailed descriptions of the bodies involved. Since two of them are Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor, hell, I'll read it!
November 1, 2008
Lots of salacious gossip in this autobiography. Not too many people remember Eddie Fisher, shame, as he was a fine singer.
This book is riveting from start to finish. Eddie doesn't hold back.
This book is riveting from start to finish. Eddie doesn't hold back.
October 28, 2010
crazy, fanatical eddie fisher, rip.
October 19, 2023
Yeah, no, I haven't read this, but I would like to, but not at the current price. Well, you might ask, why am I here? Therein lies a tale.
All week long I have the theme song from Johnny Yuma on repeat in my head. But I don't really know the words, so I go on the interweb and look them up. But I find out it was sung by the one and only Johnny Cash. So I look up Johnny Cash on Wikipedia. Apparently, Cash was influenced by traditional Irish music as sung by Dennis Day on the Jack Benny radio program. (Really?) But I get confused (I confess I was drinking), and I thought Arthur Godfrey had fired Dennis Day on the air. (No, that was Julius La Rosa.) But in trying to get a bead on that, I discover that Eddie Fisher (really?) in his autobiography Been There, Done That accuses Godfrey of anti-semitism. Eddie Fisher of Debbie Reynolds/Elizabeth Taylor fame wrote an autobiography? So, I go to goodreads to find out if it's worth reading. (I don't know, but the reviews are certainly worth reading.) And here I am.
God help me.
All week long I have the theme song from Johnny Yuma on repeat in my head. But I don't really know the words, so I go on the interweb and look them up. But I find out it was sung by the one and only Johnny Cash. So I look up Johnny Cash on Wikipedia. Apparently, Cash was influenced by traditional Irish music as sung by Dennis Day on the Jack Benny radio program. (Really?) But I get confused (I confess I was drinking), and I thought Arthur Godfrey had fired Dennis Day on the air. (No, that was Julius La Rosa.) But in trying to get a bead on that, I discover that Eddie Fisher (really?) in his autobiography Been There, Done That accuses Godfrey of anti-semitism. Eddie Fisher of Debbie Reynolds/Elizabeth Taylor fame wrote an autobiography? So, I go to goodreads to find out if it's worth reading. (I don't know, but the reviews are certainly worth reading.) And here I am.
God help me.
June 17, 2019
From his humble beginnings, to a meteoric rise, to a bittersweet denouement, I wish Eddie Fisher had done better. His talent was dwarfed by his love for women, drugs, and more women and drugs. Part cautionary tale, part Hollywood wish-fulfillment, Fisher's autobiography paints him as a real person, flawed and simply caught up in a storm of extraordinary talent and instant gratification.
February 6, 2021
After reading Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, and Todd Fisher’s memoirs last year, my completionist side decided to check out Eddie Fisher’s book too. And, oh, what a read it was: I believe it has officially knocked Don’t Hassel the Hoff off of its pedestal for the cringiest, least self-aware, occasionally unintentionally hilarious celebrity autobiography that I have had the…not pleasure, exactly, because it certainly wasn’t that, but the experience of reading.
Been There, Done That is poorly written, egocentric, sleazy, and often offensive. However, it has a trashy appeal that’s similar to celebrity tabloid magazines. A lot of autobiographies tend to play things rather politely or affect a faux-humble modesty, but Fisher doesn’t bother with any of that: he is self-centered, and he is rude, and he is nasty toward many of his exes (none more so than Debbie Reynolds) and objectifying and gross about even the ones he likes. The sheer audacity on display—especially after you pass the first few chapters where Fisher rises to fame, when he then spirals off into talking about the many, many women he has slept with—is mesmerizing. I have no doubt that most, if not all, of Fisher’s stories are lies (or maybe they’re “truth” to him, but his view of reality seems deeply distorted), but I won’t deny that the tacky, tell-all approach made those stories highly entertaining, even if I hated myself for being entertained by them.
Prior to writing this review, I had never heard Eddie Fisher sing (which is pretty funny, given all of the claims that he makes about his great voice and being the biggest star in the world), and I have to say that the man’s voice might be his only positive quality. I guess I’ll give him credit for not always painting himself as an innocent victim: sure, a lot of the anecdotes are way more pro-Eddie than they probably deserve to be, but he does admit that he was a bad father, squandered his career, and only really cared about drugs and sex. (He’s thoroughly unapologetic about his badness, but at least he puts it on the table.) But, no, he is not an endearing individual. Still, if you want to read a truly sensationalist and sordid piece of insanity and narcissism, Been There, Done That absolutely delivers. It’s a terrible book, but it’s certainly one that you will never forget—truly in a league of its own.
Been There, Done That is poorly written, egocentric, sleazy, and often offensive. However, it has a trashy appeal that’s similar to celebrity tabloid magazines. A lot of autobiographies tend to play things rather politely or affect a faux-humble modesty, but Fisher doesn’t bother with any of that: he is self-centered, and he is rude, and he is nasty toward many of his exes (none more so than Debbie Reynolds) and objectifying and gross about even the ones he likes. The sheer audacity on display—especially after you pass the first few chapters where Fisher rises to fame, when he then spirals off into talking about the many, many women he has slept with—is mesmerizing. I have no doubt that most, if not all, of Fisher’s stories are lies (or maybe they’re “truth” to him, but his view of reality seems deeply distorted), but I won’t deny that the tacky, tell-all approach made those stories highly entertaining, even if I hated myself for being entertained by them.
Prior to writing this review, I had never heard Eddie Fisher sing (which is pretty funny, given all of the claims that he makes about his great voice and being the biggest star in the world), and I have to say that the man’s voice might be his only positive quality. I guess I’ll give him credit for not always painting himself as an innocent victim: sure, a lot of the anecdotes are way more pro-Eddie than they probably deserve to be, but he does admit that he was a bad father, squandered his career, and only really cared about drugs and sex. (He’s thoroughly unapologetic about his badness, but at least he puts it on the table.) But, no, he is not an endearing individual. Still, if you want to read a truly sensationalist and sordid piece of insanity and narcissism, Been There, Done That absolutely delivers. It’s a terrible book, but it’s certainly one that you will never forget—truly in a league of its own.
March 12, 2017
This was a fascinating read for Eddie's plain, open discussion of his descent into meth and cocaine addiction starting with the shots from Max Jacobson. Eddie names many fellow client with Dr. Feelgood and names the many women (and only women, he stresses) he had assignations with from his several wives to Ann-Margret, German-born model Renata Boeck, etc. Other than placing himself at the pinnacle from of the transition from golden throat and big band era (Sinatra, etc.) to group era (Beatles, etc.), not so much is about his artistic career. This is part of Eddie's honesty, he marks his many hits as confection lacking in longevity and bemoans that he didn't build a catalog of songs with more credibility. Each chapter is about 30 pages long with repetitions, chronological inconsistencies and a lack of content grouping. It rather has the fell of an unedited, brisk rant from a meth addict, which I guess it is.
October 22, 2014
Well this was an interesting biography. I had to keep looking up all the people that were mentioned since I'm not as familiar with this era of movie stars, and I also did a little research on some of the people mentioned after completing the book. If you know anything about Eddie Fisher (I didn't), then I hope you are prepared to learn that he is a narcissist. He did love Elizabeth Taylor, that much is clear, but this book didn't give me a good impression of him at all.
December 16, 2015
Only read this because I got interested in the making of Cleopatra (the film). A gauche tell-all for sure, but it was his story to tell. Now off to watch Carrie Fisher's rebuttal film, the dismally reviewed "These Old Broads" starring Debbie Reynolds and Liz Taylor in her last film performance.
February 23, 2016
Checked into a VRBO and found this book on a shelf in the bedroom. It was like finding a Twinkie in a forgotten drawer. I had to read it - well, just the juicy parts. It was bad - lots of talk about how women found him irresistible. The major scandals weren't new to me, but I didn't know about Eddie's drug use.
March 5, 2017
Includes actual lists of people he slept with, turned down, was better or more famous than, or who clamored to work with him. Includes details about romantic relationships no one should ever give. But it's so entertaining. His humor toward himself regarding the Richard Burton situation was so amusing. A full life, indeed.
March 23, 2016
Lots of sleaze in this book. Yuck.
July 1, 2016
Deliciously gossipy, especially about the Liz, Eddie, Richard triangle.
January 22, 2017
I think this book should have been titled Been There, Hit That. My mom wanted me to read this so we could discuss it. Yuck.
February 24, 2019
A teen idol's descent into amphetamine/cocaine Hell. Nobody is spared in Fisher's tell all book. How could he be such an unmerciful kiss-and-tell? He was desperate for money.
The better parts of this lurid account is gossip from a Hollywood party A-lister. Some of the gossip is actually important. He was buddies with both JFK and LBJ, whose interest in him was basically as a babe magnet. [He doesn't come out and say he set up trysts.] He was also best buddies with Chicago Mafia don Sam Giancana who shared the same mistress with Kennedy. Mixed in all this chicanery is Doctor Feelgood [amphetamines].
I'd never guessed how much sex was (is?) the main currency in Hollywood and how the industry was so booze and drugs intense.
"This person [Bette Davis] was a washed-out, ugly drunk who would sit there making drool eyes at me while talking to Debbie [Reynolds]."
Guys like Montgomery Clift were drunk on the set half the time.
"Few people had any idea how diabolical these drugs were . . . using Dexedrine to lose weight . . to stay awake to study for tests."
What gets old is his on-and-on kiss-and-tell locker room style bragging. Adulteries, girlfriend sharing. (In reaction, many of his lovers have publicly challenged his claims.) My question is where are the abortions? sexual failures? VD? But I sure have lost respect for lots of female movie stars!
His first two wives (Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor) are negatively detailed at length. Taylor was the love of his life and too heavy into booze, pills, and adultery. He spent too much time taking care of her and not enough time on his singing career.
He has more humility when it comes to his downward career spiral.
"I played colleges . . . park band shells . . . benefits for bizarre diseases . . . really seedy clubs. I was terribly embarrassed to have to work in some of these places."
Reading level: easy.
The better parts of this lurid account is gossip from a Hollywood party A-lister. Some of the gossip is actually important. He was buddies with both JFK and LBJ, whose interest in him was basically as a babe magnet. [He doesn't come out and say he set up trysts.] He was also best buddies with Chicago Mafia don Sam Giancana who shared the same mistress with Kennedy. Mixed in all this chicanery is Doctor Feelgood [amphetamines].
I'd never guessed how much sex was (is?) the main currency in Hollywood and how the industry was so booze and drugs intense.
"This person [Bette Davis] was a washed-out, ugly drunk who would sit there making drool eyes at me while talking to Debbie [Reynolds]."
Guys like Montgomery Clift were drunk on the set half the time.
"Few people had any idea how diabolical these drugs were . . . using Dexedrine to lose weight . . to stay awake to study for tests."
What gets old is his on-and-on kiss-and-tell locker room style bragging. Adulteries, girlfriend sharing. (In reaction, many of his lovers have publicly challenged his claims.) My question is where are the abortions? sexual failures? VD? But I sure have lost respect for lots of female movie stars!
His first two wives (Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor) are negatively detailed at length. Taylor was the love of his life and too heavy into booze, pills, and adultery. He spent too much time taking care of her and not enough time on his singing career.
He has more humility when it comes to his downward career spiral.
"I played colleges . . . park band shells . . . benefits for bizarre diseases . . . really seedy clubs. I was terribly embarrassed to have to work in some of these places."
Reading level: easy.
Read
March 23, 2022I remember Eddie well because that was my era. But I was a fan of “The Voice.”. Most of the celebrity biogs are panegyrics and rarely give us the nitty-gritty. Exceptions are few. Cary Grant’s homosexuality and Bing’s neglect of one family while he disappeared for long periods. Where did he go to do what? Eddie’s autobiography tells all. At least that’s the magnet. Question is: Were you “blessed” with an extraordinary talent and in that milieu how would you behave, as a man, with sexy women dropping to their knees to fellatio you? Not many men that I’ve come across in 90 years. Women are the sexual movers and shakers and, according to my dad (39 encounters), worse than men.
So I liked the read and highly recommend the book if you’re open minded and enjoy gossip. And what about Kitty Kelly’s biog of Sinatra? What a brute! Yet I still play him – and I have Eddie on at the moment.
So I liked the read and highly recommend the book if you’re open minded and enjoy gossip. And what about Kitty Kelly’s biog of Sinatra? What a brute! Yet I still play him – and I have Eddie on at the moment.
October 24, 2021
A well written and riveting read! I couldn't put the book down despite reservations about the accuracy of Eddie fishers narration and opinions regarding people and many incidents. Nonetheless he gives a very candid account of his relationships especially sexually. Yet what I liked about this book was that he boldly and honestly admits to his love/obsession with Elizabeth Taylor along with his guilt regarding his children. Overall, it was nice to read about episodes of their lives like I had no idea that Elizabeth Taylor had had so many health issues. It also gives insight to the 50s Hollywood culture and scandals about celebrities which we would never hear about today.
February 23, 2019
There is something fascinating about this man who rocketed to super stardom as a singer in the 1950s and now is almost completely defined by the women in his life. Oh yeah that guy who left Debbie Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor. Didn't he marry Connie Stevens too? Or, Oh yeah that guy who's Carrie Fisher's dad.
I'm not sure if he wrote this book to illuminate his side of the story or simply to brag about all the women he slept with, maybe both? It was sort of like watching a train wreck and not being able to look away.
I'm not sure if he wrote this book to illuminate his side of the story or simply to brag about all the women he slept with, maybe both? It was sort of like watching a train wreck and not being able to look away.
August 26, 2019
I didn't know much about Eddie Fisher, but boy did I ever upon completion of this book! I found he was really a pretty trashy person. But if you like gossipy, Hollywood-y type of books, you will enjoy this.
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