If you’re like me, you are a reluctant sports fan unless it’s tennis. (I believe all sports should be able to be watched live while eating sushi and drinking high-end vodka, hence my eternal love for the US Open, but I digress.)  So it was with great trepidation that I got suckered into watch a NBA playoff game.  But between me zoning out and eating a delicious, creamy white bean dip,  a revelation happened. Basketball is really enjoyable to watch if you stop focusing on the game and instead start noticing THE GOD AWFUL, RIDICULOUS, LAME TATTOOS the players are sporting. My eyes, they bleedth.

This dropped me down a rabbit’s hole of tattoo Google searches.  Sadly, basketball players, while notorious, are not alone with their terrible, celebrity ink. There several categories of awful. Let’s go on a journey together.

First up, THE MUSICIAN.We get it, you’re a rocker. That doesn’t mean you need to have cliche tattoos but it seems like a prerequisite. My suggestion: play music, don’t put a crucified Jesus on your back.  After much research, the winner, however, was clear…Fred Durst, front man for Nu Metal band Limp Bizkit. Somehow I don’t think Kurt Cobain and Elvis want to hang out together…on Fred’s chest.

Runner up, boy band friendly Nick Lachey. If Zack Morris had a tattoo, this capri sun surely would have been it.  

Next category, THE HOOCH. These tattoos are meant to be titillating and are usually located in coy places near the breast, back of the neck, ankle or the lower back (affectionately known as the tramp stamp). The competition was fierce but in a tight race…Mena Suvari wins! Oh, honey. Lions and words of wisdom do not belong on the nap of your neck. Obviously, Mena had a very profound trip to the zoo. Next time I suggest a long journal entry. 

Runner up, Eve with her paw prints. Part of me sort of likes the sexah-ness of the look but mostly it looks like she’s got some schmutz on her front parts and I want her to wash it off.

Next category, CELEBRITY CHEFS.  This one was a doozy–too many to choose a winner. It seemed too easy to select a food-themed tattoo (there’s a lot of pork/white meat references out there) but then I stumbled upon Hell’s Kitchen contestant Tommy Stevens’ forehead and the decision was made for me. Straight from the artist’s needle to your plate.

And the final category of awful, BASKETBALL STARS. There are no words and so, I leave you with pictures.

Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Lifeby Justine Picardie

Richly illustrated with hundreds of color and black and white photos, Coco Chanel illuminates Chanel’s path from little-known seamstress to the aristocracy of style in this stunning look at the fashion icon.

Perfect Gift for anyone who loves Chanel in all it’s forms – clothes, perfume, jewelry, bags, shoes –as well as all those who loved Audrey Tautou‘s award-winning role of Gabrielle Chanel in the film Coco Before Chanel.

Buy Coco Chanel, read an excerpt or watch a video.

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern

The # 1 New York Times bestseller and inspiration for the hit CBS sitcom, $#*! My Dad Says, starring William Shatner, Justin Halpern’s memoir of his dad is laugh out loud hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. You’ll never think of little league, Denny’s or your dad the same way again.

Perfect gift for your Dad, for fans of the show and followers of Twitter.com/ShitMyDadSays.

Buy Sh*t My Dad Says or read an excerpt.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers: An Oral/Visual History by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

One of the biggest bands in the world, The Red Hot Chili Peppers finally bring fans an audacious look back at their thirty-year odyssey, in their own words and accompanied by over 300 photos.

Perfect gift for all RHCP fans, past and present, and those who can’t wait for their next album.

Buy The Red Hot Chili Peppers or read an excerpt.

The Tattoo Chronicles by Kat Von D

The New York Times bestselling follow-up to High Voltage Tattoo, The Tattoo Chronicles delves deep into Kat Von D‘s personal journals and notebooks to reveal one tumultuous year in the life of the star of TLC’s LA Ink and contains photos taken and drawings made by Kat herself as well as the stories behind some of the most meaningful tattoos Kat has ever created.

Perfect gift for fans of LA Ink and lovers of tattoos.

Buy The Tattoo Chronicles, read an excerpt or watch a video.

How to Beat Up Anybodyby Judah Friedlander

An instructional and inspirational Karate book by the World Champion and star of 30 Rock, Judah Friedlander. Learn how to beat up street gangs, attackers with weapons, ninjas, dinosaurs, and gangs of street ninjas with weapons riding on dinosaurs! With over 500 photographs, this is a book that could quite possibly save your life.

Perfect gift for fans of 30 Rock and anyone wanting to survive.

Buy How to Beat Up Anybody, read an excerpt or watch a video.

Harry Potter Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley

The official, behind the scenes guide to ALL the Harry Potter Films, including the recently released Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Volume 1 AND the upcoming Volume 2, Harry Potter Film Wizardy shows fans why Yule Ball ice sculptures never melt, where Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts are really “minted,” how to get a Hippogriff to work with actors, the inspiration behind Hogwarts castle, and why Dementors move the way they do.

Perfect gift for all Harry Potter fans.

Buy Harry Potter Film Wizardry, read an excerpt or watch a video.

The Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide by Matt Groening

At 1,200 pages, this cromulent compendium provides a comprehensive synopsis of every episode for the past twenty years, including every couch gag, every “D’oh” and “Mmm…” Homer has ever muttered, every song ever sung by citizens of Springfield, over 400 character profiles and lots more stuff you may have missed!

Perfect gift for all Simpsons fans.

Buy The Simpsons World or read an excerpt.

Designs on Film by Cathy Whitlock

Open the curtain on movie magic and explore the set designs of the biggest films in movie history including The Wizard of Oz’s yellow brick road, Cleopatra‘s ancient Egypt, the Dakota apartment building in Rosemary’s Baby, Norma Desmond’s “white elephant of a place” from Sunset Boulevard and the vast world of Pandora from Avatar.

Perfect gift for fans of classic films and those interested in behind the scenes details of their favorite films.

Buy Designs on Film or read an excerpt.

The Art of Classic Rock by Rob Roth

For many, the items lovingly cataloged in the pages of The Art of Classic Rock will evoke nostalgic memories of their youth—of blazing lights, drifting smoke and of the all-pervading power of their favorite rock concerts.

Perfect gift for fans of classic rock, especially the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Queen, Alice Cooper and Elton John, as well as fans of album and music poster art.

Buy The Art of Classic Rock, read an excerpt or watch a video.

Al Jaffee’s Mad Life by Mary-Lou Weisman

A biography of Al Jaffee, creator of the massively popular MAD magazine “fold-in” delves deep into the artist’s life and brings readers from the shtetls of Lithuania to the streets of New York and deep inside the world of the top cartoonists of the 20th century, fully illustrated by Jaffee himself.

Perfect gift for fans of MAD magazine and readers interested in 20th century America.

Buy Al Jaffee’s Mad Life, read an excerpt or watch a video.

The Lost Rolling Stones Photographs by Larry Marion

A revealing look at the earliest days of the legendary Rolling Stones, captured in a collection of personal, never-before-seen photographs—the largest single trove of such important rock images ever uncovered—shot as the band were on the brink of international stardom.

Perfect gift for all fans of The Rolling Stones and readers of Keith Richards’s memoir Life.

Buy The Lost Rolling Stones Photographs or read an excerpt.

“I am struck with the moments of these photos, the feelings of the times they were taken, and where we were at on our beautiful and happy-sad journey. It’s pretty fucking heavy, actually, like thinking how much we have changed over the years, and all the different dynamics of our lives that shaped us, and also realizing so clearly that nothing has changed at all—we’re all still just trying to get it on, make something great. It is all here, nothing can hide: all the honesty, the pretense, the courage and one-of-a-kind-ness, the unbridled joy, the melancholy, and the shields we put up to shelter our scared, vulnerable little selves.” —Flea

Please note:

• Only those in possession of a bracelet will be granted admittance the day of the signing. 
• A limited number of bracelets will be available at Barnes & Noble: The Grove at Farmer’s Market beginning on Wednesday, November 3 at 9:00 am PST.
• The band will only be signing copies of The Red Hot Chili Peppers: An Oral/Visual History. No albums or memorabilia, please.
• The signing will begin promptly at 12:00 pm PST. Please arrive early.
• Photography and audio/video recording devices are not allowed within the venue.

NEW YORK, NY (October 13, 2010) – It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today a deal to publish the memoir of rock ’n’ roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis in 2012.

The book was acquired at auction by Cal Morgan, Vice President and Editorial Director of It Books. The agent was Erin Hosier of the Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency.

One of the greatest showmen of all time, Jerry Lee Lewis is one of the founding pioneers of rock—and his life story is at least as dramatic as his famously outrageous performances. From his childhood in Louisiana and his evangelical upbringing (Jimmy Lee Swaggart was his double first cousin) to his expulsion from Bible college in Texas, Lewis always knew he was going to be a star. In this long-awaited memoir, he will share a lifetime of untold stories, from his early years at Sun Records, where he lit up the music charts in 1957 with the back-to-back hits “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire”; to his longtime friendships with Sun stablemates Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and others; to the scandal that scuttled his first UK tour and jeopardized his career; to his triumphant comeback in the late 1960s, when he became the #1 Country Music star in America; to the cycles of excess and tragedy that dogged him for decades—to his present-day comeback with a pair of hit CDs, Last Man Standing and Mean Old Man. The result will be a truly no-holds-barred memoir—a rock epic if ever there was one.

“I have spent my life listening to those who know so little say so much about me and my life,” said Lewis. “I am ready to say a whole lot about why I lived my life the way I did. People can read it, burn it, or never give it another thought. Either way the truth is about to be told, and I’m the only man still standing who can touch it.”

“Mr. Lewis personifies the American story, in all its richness and contradiction,” said Morgan. “He’s a man of astonishing natural talent, profound belief, and indomitable spirit. What a thrill to have the chance to work with him on this unforgettable book.”

Jerry Lee Lewis was the first person inducted in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, at its opening ceremony in 1986. His original recording of “Great Balls of Fire” was elected to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” received this honor in 1999. He has garnered countless honors, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Rolling Stone ranked him one of their Top 25 Greatest Artists of All Time, and he is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Lewis has had 14 #1 Hits, 47 Top 20 hits, and 10 Golden Records. In 2010, actor Levi Kreis won a Tony Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Lewis in the hit Broadway show Million Dollar Quartet. At the age of 75, Lewis is currently on tour in support of his latest CD, Mean Old Man, a deluxe 18-track collection of duets and collaborations with some of the greatest musicians in rock and country music.

About It Books: Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern, Getting the Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald, Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by Cherie Currie, I Love Your Style by Amanda Brooks, Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand and Satiristas by Paul Provenza and Dan Dion.  Upcoming publications include Blow by Blow by Detmar Blow with Tom Skyes, The Red Hot Chili Peppers by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, How to Beat Up Anybody by Judah Friedlander, True Whit by Whitney Port, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss and Al Jaffee’s Mad Life by Mary Lou Weisman. It Books is an imprint HarperCollinsPublishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.

In his memoir, Adler shares the shattering untold truth of GNR and his own personal struggles with addiction, as seen on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. Adler bares it all in My Appetite for Destruction including:

• His childhood: As a young teen Steven was lured into a private party where he was sexually assaulted and beaten. Never before has this shocking, harrowing tale been told. Steven emerged a less trusting, but wiser 14 year-old. He reveals how he discovered a way to learn how to play from some of the best rock drummers in the world.
• His love life: One of Steven’s lovers, thinking Steven was leaving her, tried to commit suicide by jumping out a fifth-floor window. And his first wife went out with one of her girlfriends one night, never to return…
• His health: Steven delves into the brutal depression and humiliation borne of his botched suicide attempts, his drug-related heart attacks, and the debilitating stroke that caused him muscular paralysis and permanently slurred speech.
• His band-mates: How Slash, against all reason, reached out to help Steven one last time after the rest of Guns N’ Roses had given up on him. How Duff snubbed Steven, humiliating him in front of thousands of fans at Farm Aid. And what Slash and Axl Rose did to Steven that can never, ever be forgotten.
• His heroics: How Steven discovered a seemingly unconscious and non-responsive Nikki Sixx all alone, and saved his life.
• …and his endless antics: How Steven managed to earn the seething wrath of Axl Rose, Eddie Van Halen and Rod Stewart. And incredible accounts of how Guns N’ Roses’ endless partying made virtually every night a gamble on whether they’d make it to the stage or to the morgue.

*Expires October 27, 2010.

NEW YORK, NY (June 24, 2010) – It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today a deal to publish Sammy Hagar’s autobiography in 2011. Hagar, the multi-platinum Red Rocker, is best known as the bombastic front man of Van Halen, one of the biggest-selling rock groups in history, and the lead singer of the hard rock group, Chickenfoot.

The book was acquired by Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Development for HarperCollins from Frank Weimann, President of The Literary Group International. Senior Editor Matt Harper will edit the book.

Hagar will provide readers with incredible behind-the-scenes stories from his multi-platinum career, including his rise as a solo artist and his eleven years with Van Halen, after the controversial departure of original lead vocalist David Lee Roth. During Hagar’s time with Van Halen, the band released four consecutive No. 1 albums.  From worldwide stadium concerts tours to private jets, Hagar enjoyed the trappings of fame and success with Van Halen until he was, as he puts it, “unceremoniously fired.”  Hagar later thrived as a solo act, leading his band, the Cabo Wabos, before returning triumphantly to Van Halen for an historic reunion tour after which he set off on his own once again.

“I’ve been writing this book my whole life,” says Hagar. “It’s time to put it between two covers.”

Honest and compelling, Hagar’s account spares no one, least of all himself. Hagar’s autobiography reveals the inside story of one of rock music’s most recognizable voices, from his humble beginnings in the town of Fontana, California, to his incredible business success with Cabo Wabo Tequila and the Cabo Wabo Cantinas.  The book will be co-authored by Joel Selvin, longtime pop music writer for the San Francisco Chronicle.

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About It Books:

Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern, Getting the Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald, Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by Cherie Currie, I Love Your Style by Amanda Brooks, and Satiristas by Paul Provenza and Dan Dion.  Upcoming publications include Blow by Blow by Detmar Blow with Tom Skyes, The Red Hot Chili Peppers by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, How to Beat Up Anybody by Judah Friedlander, True Whit by Whitney Port, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss and Al Jaffee’s Mad Life by Mary Lou Weisman. It Books is an imprint HarperCollinsPublishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NWS, NWSLV).

It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.

PUBLICITY CONTACT: Alberto G. Rojas, Senior Director of Publicity, 212-207-7891; alberto.rojas@harpercollins.com

YOURITLIST.COM CONTACT: youritlist@harpercollins.com

IT BOOKS CONTACT: itbooks@harpercollins.com

So it was just a matter of time before this trifecta of love came together.

It was just recently announced that Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be joining Green Day on their European tour this summer. The thought of Billy Joe singing “I Love Rock’n'Roll,” of Joan singing “Longview,” I’m just hoping Joan decides to stick around for the US leg of the tour. Or at the very least the August 14^th show at PNC in Jersey so I can see if for myself.

Joan Jett and The Black Hearts Join Green Day:

- June 2 in Denmark
- June 4 in Oslo
- June 5 in Gothenburg
- June 8 in Helsinki
- June 11 in Munich
- June 12 in Austria
- June 16 in Manchester
- June 19 in London
- June 21 in Glasgow
- June 23 in Dublin with Paramore