# People who deserve to have biographies written about them

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-deserve-to-have-biographies-written-about-them/763710>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 23, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-deserve-to-have-biographies-written-about-them/763710 "2016-08-23T02:13:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-deserve-to-have-biographies-written-about-them/763710/1 "2016-08-23T02:13:40Z")

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Is there any notable person, living or dead, that you really wish somebody would write a biography of? This could be someone who hasn’t had a bio written about them or somebody who is the subject of one that’s simply not very good. I can think of two people whose life stories I’d rush out to buy:

John D. McDonald (1916-1986) The progenitor of the immortal Travis McGee. Not only a splendid writer – I think he’s as good as Faulkner – he was involved in espionage during WWII. Somebody wrote a bio of him a few years ago (_The Red Hot Typewriter_, I think it was called) but it was an anemic effort. He deserves better.

Justine Johnstone (1895-1982) Astonishingly beautiful star of the Ziegfeld Follies and silent films. She abandoned showbiz to enroll in medical school and became a pathologist. She was part of the team that developed the IV drip and she conducted research into syphilis.

So, who are your candidates?

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-deserve-to-have-biographies-written-about-them/763710/2 "2016-08-23T02:37:42Z")

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Dexter Holland - lead singer of the Offspring. Dropped out of a PhD program in molecular biology to pursue his music career, then in his 40s went back to school part time to earn his PhD.

I like reading biographies of musicians, but a musician who pursues a PhD after becoming famous and successful, that would be really interesting to read.

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**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-deserve-to-have-biographies-written-about-them/763710/3 "2016-08-23T03:03:17Z")

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Er, make that John D. MacDonald.

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-deserve-to-have-biographies-written-about-them/763710/4 "2016-08-23T05:32:43Z")

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> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> Dexter Holland - lead singer of the Offspring. Dropped out of a PhD program in molecular biology to pursue his music career, then in his 40s went back to school part time to earn his PhD.
> 
> I like reading biographies of musicians, but a musician who pursues a PhD after becoming famous and successful, that would be really interesting to read.

Add Queen guitarist Brian May to that list.