Harold (Hal) Thau has represented dozens of popular and talented singers, musicians, actors, comedians and entertainers over the past 40 years. As the business manager of such high-profile people like actor John Malkovich, comedian Jackie Mason and jazz great Duke Ellington, Hal conveys to his readers how he manages more than finances, but actual lives. "You can't separate the flow of money from the accounting of the lives of these people," says Thau, "many of whom are fragile behind the stage lights."

For the last two decades, Hal has also served as a well-known and respected theatre producer, working with rising stars like Gary Sinise, Dennis Quaid and John Belushi to produce critically acclaimed productions of True West , Glengarry Glen Ross, and numerous others. He reveals his life story — and the story of a more innocent era, New York City in the '50s and '60s — and the stories of those with whom he shared a career in show business in the new book from Applause, Bronx To Broadway (00314561).

Rich in colorful inside stories of show business personalities, he provides a treasury of reminiscences of his star-studded clientele. Particularly poignant is his heartwarming portrait of John Denver — who he calls "the borther I never had and always longed for" — and his insights into the legend and legacy of this "true American hero." He met Denver when the famed singer was an unknown performer without a record, and was always there for him. He attended Denver's first, and second wedding, shared in all of Denver's awards and adulation and delivered one of the eulogies at his funeral. Two years ago he served as co-producer for the CBS television movie, "Take Me Home: The John Denver Story" and this year marked the opening of his nationally touring production of "Almost Heaven: Songs and Stories of John Denver" which premiered in Denver. It is planned to run on Broadway next year.

In all the time Thau worked with stars such as Joni Mitchell, Stiller & Meara, Harvey Fierstein and Neil Young, he never once had a formal business contract with any of his clients, saying, "Business is done with a handshake. Trust is more important than a contract." Read the lifestory of Hal Thau, an upstanding businessman and a fine man, in Bronx to Broadway.