Bio Specials

Born Kevin Knipfing, James first planned on a career in sports, but those plans changed when he joined a community theater to alleviate a bad case of the summertime blues.

He was the breakout star of Saturday Night Live, winning over audiences with his cool, laidback persona and razor sharp wit. He went on to star in some of the biggest comedy hits of the 80's--including Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Fletch.

He captured the hearts of millions, as a result of his starring as highway patrol officer Frank Poncherello in the highly successful television series, CHiP's. He also appeared in numerous television and motion pictures.

Already a music star in Australia, Kiwi Keith Urban made the move to Nashville, Tennessee in 1992 to further his career in country music.

Amazing life of the "master of the macabre", whose stories have terrified readers and movie fans worldwide. Tracks King's life from his days as a Maine school teacher, his prolific work as author of Cujo, The Shining, Carrie, Misery.

Jeff Dunham's specials on Comedy Central have earned record ratings including his 2008 Christmas special which drew 6.6 million viewers and was at the time the most watched telecast in the network's history. According to Pollstar, he has been the top-grossing touring comedian in the world for the last two years and in the US for the last three.

A high-school dropout and self-proclaimed surfer chick from San Diego, Tawny Kitaen made her way to Hollywood in 1980 with dreams of becoming an actress. She landed her first starring role in the 1983 erotic-adventure The Perils of Gwendoline, and followed that up in 1984 with a starring role opposite Tom Hanks in the mainstream Hollywood comedy, Bachelor Party.

Profile of the wild daredevil who became a star with the "Jackass" franchise, famously introducing himself to TV viewers when he swallowed and regurgitated a live goldfish on air. But fame came at a heavy price and put him on a downward spiral that led to a threatened suicide in 2008. Now three years sober and with his biography, "Professional Idiot," coming out, Steve-O is hopefully a new man.

He didn't invent rap, but Russell Simmons is, perhaps more than any other individual, responsible for the genre's astonishing success. This intimate BIO profile spotlights the founder of Def Jam Records who helped to bring black, hip-hop culture into the American mainstream.

In the heyday of Vegas, The Rat Pack were kings. Go back in time with BIO to the exact moment Frank Sinatra met the other members of the pack: Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Then, take an intimate look at the five men who mesmerized an entire generation of Americans and continue to fascinate a new generation today.

In the heyday of Vegas, The Rat Pack were kings. Go back in time with BIO to the exact moment Frank Sinatra met the other members of the pack: Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Then, take an intimate look at the five men who mesmerized an entire generation of Americans and continue to fascinate a new generation today.

Aretha Franklin is arguably the greatest female singer of the 20th century, but obtaining the crown of `The Queen of Soul' did not come easy. Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. She was the fourth of five children, and her father, the Reverend L Von Franklin was on his way to becoming one of America's most celebrated preachers.

Tina Turner is undoubtedly one of greatest rock performers of all time. She has performed around the world, acted in several blockbuster films, and contributed songs to many others. But it is her personal life story that makes her achievements that much greater, her transformation from a young, abused wife to rock goddess that makes Tina Turner such an amazing cultural icon

Whitney Elizabeth Houston, known as The Voice, is one of the most successful pop stars of all time with some 170 million records sold. Signed by the legendary Clive Davis, she scorched the charts with such hits as "You Give Good Love," "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," and "Greatest Love of All." But her personal life has been a mess.

Although she's set to marry England's Prince William in "the wedding of the century," Kate Middleton is an unlikely choice for royal bride since a commoner hasn't married an heir to the throne for 350 years.

Charlie Sheen: Bad Boy on the Edge takes viewers through the long career of Charlie Sheen, who seemed to teeter on the edge of oblivion after recently being fired from the hit series Two and a Half Men. Interviews with close friends, journalists, and drug rehab experts fuel the debate: is Sheen in control, off the rails or simply on the brink of a major disaster?

Viewed by some as one of Tinsletown's brightest stars, and by others as a pariah. He's managed to stay on top despite public scandals and outspoken views. Mel Gibson is true Hollywood Icon. From blockbuster action films and successful comedies to critically acclaimed dramas, Gibson has made his mark as a sexy leading man with an edge. But that "edge" comes with a price.

Matthew McConaughey was on the way to becoming a lawyer when he picked up the inspirational book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, and decided his real future lay in screen acting. A chance meeting with a casting director in an Austin bar secured his first real film role.

When he called himself "a skinny kid with a funny name" at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, his political star was already on the rise. By the time he decimated the competition in 2004 race for the Illinois Senate, he was the bona fide golden child of a Democratic party desperately in need of a winner.

This profile of the young comic traces Chappelle's story from his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio to his 2005 escape to South Africa. Find out how the young boy who once idolized the comedy of Bill Cosby became famous for racially provocative and envelope-pushing comedy.

The Wahlberg brothers, Mark and Donnie, have taken Hollywood by storm, transitioning from pop music sensations to establishing themselves as successful actors in both television and film. Raised in the rough neighborhood of Dorchester in Boston, the Wahlberg brothers used a combination of street smarts and hard work to become forces to be reckoned with in the entertainment world.

Paula Abdul is accustomed to the spotlight. With the phenomenal success of American Idol, there are more Paula Abdul fans than ever.

Shania Twain's "not just a pretty face." The singer/songwriter revolutionized country music with her drop-dead looks, sultry voice and spirited lyrics. The provocative performer also shattered stereotypes by flaunting her taut midriff instead of her big hair. But Shania's path to mega-stardom was filled with heartaches and hunger. She grew up impoverished in Northern Canada.

Rick Springfield has sold fifteen million records and after nearly thirty years in show business, he still performs with the reckless abandon of a twenty-something rock star. Springfield's hit song, "Jesse's Girl" became the anthem of the 1980's-- a time when his feathered hair, tightly-suited body and boyish face became hallmarks of the era.