Matthew Burke articles

Not many celebrities come from roots as humble as Dolly Parton. Her family home had one bedroom, and she played music with a homemade guitar. As she rose to fame, Parton did everything she could to stand out from the others—including undergoing extensive plastic surgery. But she’s never made a secret of this. What is in fact secret is the story behind her bizarre and furtive relationship with her husband. And sadly, it seemed as though the way she pushed herself in her final years had devastating consequences.

Country music maverick Waylon Jennings may have been a good ol’ boy, but he was also a fighter who battled his demons, the law, the Nashville establishment—and one gut-wrenching event that would change his life forever.

There was truly nobody like David Letterman. The longest reigning late-night host in history, Letterman was quick-witted, irreverent, and hilarious. But it wasn't all laughs—for David Letterman, fame came at a terrible price. So what was Dave's life like behind the curtain? Why did Oprah hate him for so long? What made him walk off the set in the middle of a live taping? Dive in and learn more about the rebel of late-night.

Sure, Jane Birkin has the GOAT of all handbags named after her—but that’s just a minor blip in an extraordinary life that was as daring and unconventional as her style.

Leonard Cohen was much like one of his own poems: seductive, haunting, and almost impossible to pin down. Beneath his famous fedora and tidy suits lurked a gravelly-voiced chaotic genius: a trust-fund “starving artist,” a womanizing Zen monk, and a perfectionist folk singer who almost lost his mind writing the world-conquering “Hallelujah”. The truth of his life was stranger and far more tumultuous than any lyric he ever penned.

As the Who’s ear-splitting bassist, John Entwistle earned the nickname “Thunderfingers”. But his strong-headedness also earned him the nickname “The Ox”—and fueled a stubborn fixation with going it solo.

Rock Hudson dominated the silver screen in the Golden Age of Hollywood—but the heartthrob spent his entire life covering up a huge secret.

On June 5, 1975, Pink Floyd were working at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios when an unfamiliar man appeared without warning. He was heavyset, his head and eyebrows were shaved, and he carried a plastic shopping bag. Nobody in the room seemed to know why he was there.

These TV shows have become icons over the years, revolutionizing the medium and captivating viewers everywhere.