About the Author

Michael Kay was born in the Bronx and has lived the dream of being the New York Yankees announcer for the past thirty years--the first ten on radio and the last twenty with the YES Network. He's also the host of one of the top-ranked radio shows in New York City, The Michael Kay Show on ESPN NY radio, as well as the Emmy Award-winning YES Network interview show CenterStage. Before he entered broadcasting, Michael was a writer with the New York Post and then the Daily News (New York). He lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with his wife, television news anchor Jodi Applegate, and their two children.

Reviews

"An impressive range of sports and entertainment stars sit down for friendly chats. [CenterStage is] a greatest-hits collection, some of it revealing, all of it impressive in its breadth and wattage. It's entertaining to spend time with so many stars."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Michael Kay is one of the best broadcasters in the business. Turns out he's one heck of an author, too. CenterStage is an entertaining book and definitely should be high on your reading list."
--Alex Rodriguez, Three-Time American League MVP

"Revealing, entertaining, and emotional. With Kay serving as host, CenterStage has long been must-see T.V. It should come as no surprise then that this compilation of his most memorable encounters is a must-read book."
--Jack Curry, YES Network studio analyst and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher

"CenterStage is another example of why Michael Kay is one of the truly gifted interviewers in the history of our industry. His ability to make all of these sports and entertainment giants feel so comfortable is extraordinary. I bet some felt afterward that maybe they became too comfortable. It's just one captivating interview after another. A mesmerizing book."
--Mike Breen, play-by-play commentator for NBA on ABC and lead announcer for New York Knicks games on MSG Network

"If you ever wanted to know what makes musicians, actors, and star athletes tick, Michael Kay has done the work for you....Kay deftly peels back the facade of celebrity to reveal the fears, hopes, and emotions of the people we thought we knew. CenterStage is a fun read that sparkles with interesting nuggets."
--Tom Verducci, senior baseball writer at Sports Illustrated and coauthor, with Joe Torre, of The Yankee Years

"The deft, unscripted turns of phrase Michael Kay often delivers in big moments are a testament to a writer's regard for the beauty and importance of words well-chosen....Over the years, Michael Kay has delivered plenty of good television. Much of it on CenterStage. The proof of that is on the pages that follow."
--from the Foreword by Bob Costas

"CenterStage doesn't just allow readers to glimpse the souls of the rich and famous, it's a how-to for any aspiring journalist learning the craft of the Q-and-A."
--Bob Klapisch, coauthor of New York Times bestseller Inside the Empire

"Fabulous...On display in CenterStage is a Who's Who of pop culture--from John McEnroe to Jon Bon Jovi, from Sir Charles to Sly Stallone, and including dozens more--and by the time you finish you'll really feel you personally know them."
--Jon Heyman, insider for MLB Network and former writer for Sports Illustrated

"Kay inspires the biggest and most private stars to talk to him and his audience, as if he's talking to a confidant in a bar...Better than anyone, he humanizes celebrities--and his riveting series of CenterStage interviews will show you how he does it."
--Ian O'Connor, New York Times bestselling author of Belichick and The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter

"Michael Kay never lost the essential gifts of curiosity and inquisitiveness that separate pedestrian interviews from powerful ones. Gathered here is the best of his best, and it is a splendid read from start to finish."
--Mike Vaccaro, sports columnist for the New York Post