Acknowledgments

We are indebted to many. First, we wish to thank all the interviewees. They generously gave their valuable time to share their wisdom and experience, with the hope of aiding other performers. In particular, Dr. Maya Angelou deserves special credit. She agreed to be interviewed before any other celebrities had participated, taking a leap of faith that we wouldn’t waste her valuable time. Her kindness, along with that of all the other performers, enabled us to interview an impressive group of artists; as one came aboard, others seemed to follow more readily.

We would also like to thank our publisher, Chaz Bufe, who encouraged us to write this book. Countless other people deserve our special gratitude, including Charlotte Behre, Daniel Behre, Debbie Behre, Leah Behre Miskimen, Patricia Behre, Walter Block, Jon Boyle, Pat Bruens, Burton Butler, Janice Edelstein, Steve Farber, Ross Grossman, Claribel Meserve, Marty Nemko, Nando Pelusi, Roberta Rosen, David Ramsay Steele, Jerome Tarshis, and Emmett Velten. Finally, and most significantly, we would like to thank our mentor Albert Ellis, the genius behind the advice we give here. Dr. Ellis and his wife, Debbie Joffe Ellis, generously agreed to our interviewing him in the last days of his inspiring life. May his trail blazing teachings benefit struggling artists forever.

Thank you to the editors and board members of the Albert Ellis Tribute Book Series for selecting Stage Fright as a Series title. (The editors and board members are listed below.)

General Editors: Albert Ellis Tribute Book Series

• Bill Knaus, EdD, Founder of Rational Emotive Education. Former Director of Training, Institute for Advanced Study in Rational Emotive Therapy.
• Jon Carlson, PsyD, EdD, ABPP Distinguished Professor, Governors State University and a proponent of Adlerian psychotherapy.
• Elliot D. Cohen, PhD, Professor, Indian River State College; Adjunct Professor, Florida State University College of Medicine; and founder, Logic-Based Therapy.

Albert Ellis Tribute Book Series Honorary Board

A Final Word from Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis—Wife of Dr. Albert Ellis

Early one Saturday morning, in May 2006, my husband was rushed to the emergency room of a major New York hospital with severe pneumonia—only hours after giving his famous Friday Night Workshop. Doctors attempted to prepare me for his imminent death, but through determination he survived for more than a year and two months after that prediction. Doctors constantly expressed amazement and admiration for Al’s fighting spirit. Throughout that time Al was in and out of hospital, and in a facility for rehabilitation in between the hospital stays. While he was becoming increasingly frail, and health complications kept arising, he was determined to work and to help others until he absolutely could not. And that is what he did.

It was during this period that he answered the questions of Mick Berry and Dr. Michael Edelstein for this interview, and he continued to contribute to the well-being of people in other ways as well. Students would come to his bedside, and he would conduct workshops. He would speak to journalists. He attended to correspondence by dictating letters for me to send. He was an outstanding model of applying his approach and philosophy in order to not succumb to obstacles—and hence he kept on living a courageous, constructive and contributing life till his severely failing health was at a level that prevented that.

Countless people continue to fight and eliminate their fears, and in so doing experience happier and healthier lives, by applying Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and remembering the example of the remarkable Dr. Albert Ellis. That is what he would want.