This is the story of one baby boomer, born of a Catholic day-worker mom and a dock worker dad, one of four kids growing up in the city of the Angels at a time when black people were still called Negroes; a boy who happened to be named after an eccentric white celebrity with a lot of money; a child who never acknowledged that the odds of becoming a success were against him, who had a belief in himself that was as strong a motivator as religious faith. His was a childhood in the early 50's and 60's that could almost be described as carefree, for it was a time when families stayed together, when neighbors knew each other, when kids played in the street without fear, and adventure in simple things was right around the corner. This is about a man whose goal was to leave a mark, a man who avoided the path of least resistance in search of his version of freedom. It took him from the streets of Los Angeles to Vietnam, to Beverly Hills, and back.

Some biographies are about famous people. Others are stories just wanting to be told. This is one of those.