Bob Spitz was born, lived, went to high school and college on the same street, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Once he strayed off the block, however, his life veered into diverse and fascinating realms. A longtime musician, Spitz moved to New York in 1971, where he met a promising young songwriter named Bruce Springsteen, whom he managed and occasionally played with for the next six years. In 1978, Spitz moved on to manage Elton John in America for Dick James, eventually retiring from the music business in 1980 to pursue his love of writing.
He is the author of seven books, including Barefoot in Babylon, the eye-opening documentary of the Woodstock Music Festival, and The Beatles, his definitive bestselling biography of the phenomenal supergroup. Spitz’s screenplay, The Silent Victim, was made into a movie he hopes no one ever sees. His articles have appeared in almost every major magazine, including The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, Esquire, GQ, Rolling Stone, Conde Nast Traveler, and O the Oprah Magazine.