Wendy's Got the Heat

Front Cover
Atria Books, 2003 - Biography & Autobiography - 262 pages
Known as a "shock jock diva" and "a radio gossip guru," Wendy Williams has had a following in the nation's number one media market, New York City, and across the nation from the time she became a top-rated radio personality and "It Girl" in the mid-1990s. Whether she's doing color commentary for the VH1 Fashion Awards or giving advice on her daily drive-time show on New York's WBLS, her fans know that "Wendy's Got the Heat."

She's the kind of media personality that artists love -- because she builds them up -- and fear -- because she can bring them down. She's interviewed many of the biggest names in entertainment -- including Jennifer Lopez, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, and many more -- and is known for her ability to disarm and get them to reveal their secrets. Known also as the "biggest mouth in New York," she is candid as well in discussing her own drama-filled life -- including her public struggles to recover from drug addiction, her miscarriages, being forced out of her job, and rehired to a top spot in radio.

Her story begins in a conservative middle-class black family in predominately white Ocean Township, New Jersey, far from the glitz and grit of urban and hip-hop culture. Her family sent her to college more with the intention of seeing her become a respected journalist, wife, and mom than launch a successful career in one of the most male-dominated and competitive media industries of all. Now, it's Wendy's turn to talk about herself; a chance to laugh, cry, and reflect on the woman she was to becoming the woman she is now, the "Queen of Urban Radio."

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About the author (2003)

Wendy Williams received a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in journalism from Northeastern University. She has a successful career in radio, which includes a radio show called The Wendy Williams Experience. Her debut book, Wendy's Got the Heat, is about her triumph over adversity including her experiences with sexism, racism, drugs, and weight. Some of her other works include The Wendy Williams Experience about the radio industry and the novel Drama Is Her Middle Name.