Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chelsea Woodward
Associate Publicist
cwoodward@penguinrandomhouse.com
American Chopper Star Paul Teutul Jr. Shares Realities of Living Family Life on Reality TV Now Available in Paperback "At the very beginning of what we came to know as reality TV was American Chopper
—inspiring motorbike lovers all over the world with the beauty of what could be imagined into being on two wheels. Here's Paul Jr. telling his personal journey—still imagining, still building. Every man’s journey is his own, every man’s heart needs building from the inside." —
Russell Crowe, actor, film producer, musician Paul Teutul Jr. is one of the stars of the hit Discovery Channel show “American Chopper” where each week millions of viewers witness his volatile relationship with his father, Paul Teutul Sr., and his world-class expertise at designing one-of-a-kind motorcycles. In
The Build: Designing My Life of Choppers, Family, and Faith (Oct. 23, 2018, Trade Paperback, WaterBrook), Teutul
shares behind-the-scenes stories from the show’s early days and his life with intimate details of going from a troubled teenager to a worldwide reality TV star and a self-educated custom motorcycle designer.
Teutul’s life changed suddenly with the premiere of “American Chopper.” Audiences were so taken with the intense family dynamics and humorous antics that a full series featuring the Teutuls and their business Orange County Choppers followed, turning the American working class family into international celebrities. Along the way, viewers have been privy to not only Teutul’s creative genius in designing and building custom bikes but his difficult relationship with his father, which culminated in 2009 with Senior firing Junior.
Teutul started his own thriving business in 2009, Paul Jr. Designs, where he creates innovative motorcycle designs for corporate clients, film productions and nonprofits. In early 2018, Discovery Channel revived “American Chopper” for an eleventh season, where the father-son duo “set out reclaim their preeminent bike brands and – hopefully, rebuild some sort of relationship.”
Faith has become an instrumental part of Teutul’s life and a defining part of his journey toward health and healing. He cites conversations with viewers who have related to “American Chopper” because of their own difficult relationships with family members as his driving force behind writing
The Build. In
The Build, readers will find:
·
Teutul details his early family life with an alcoholic and volatile father and his own issues with substance abuse and rehab ·
He introduces family members not seen on the TV show, such as his mother who led him to faith ·
Teutul tells how getting fired by his father was one of the best things that could have happened him. ·
He reveals how he met his wife Rachael and tough decisions early in their relationship ·
A self-taught designer, Teutul offers encouragement to turn hidden talents into big dreams ·
Teutul shares how he created some of his most memorable designs, such as the Black Widow and the 9/11 Memorial bike
“A year after the show ended, I went through an emotional stage where I missed the show for the first time,” says Teutul. “I had spent half of my adulthood on television, but it was such a whirlwind that we didn’t have many opportunities to fully appreciate how special our experience was or what a phenomenon the show became. That emotional stage was a period of being able to reflect on our run and realize,
Wow, we really did that!”
The Build includes a 32-page photo insert with family photos and project pictures along with detailed information on Teutul’s design approach to some of his most significant projects. Motorcycle enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, designers and Teutul’s TV fans will all find inspiration in “Paulie’s” memorable and inspiring journey.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Paul Teutul Jr. has been molding metal into shape since the age of 12 when he began his apprenticeship at his father’s steel business. He is widely recognized as the chief designer and fabricator of some of the world’s most famous motorcycles. Teutul spent 10 years living his work and family life in front of the cameras for the hit television shows “American Chopper”
and “American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior.” Five years after its first run on Discovery Channel ended, “American Chopper” returned to screens for an eleventh season in 2018. Teutul started his career as cofounder of Orange County Choppers and now shares his creativity and unique approach to design through his work at Paul Jr. Designs.
Teutul and his wife Rachael and their son Hudson, live in Orange County, New York. For more information, visit www.pauljrdesigns.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/paulteutuljr/ (1.3 million followers)
Instagram: @paulteutuljr (100K followers)
Twitter: @WhereisPaul (170K followers)
PRAISE FOR THE BUILD
“Paul Jr’s book
The Build is a must-read. I respect his talent, but mostly I respect how he is living out his faith in the public eye. Paul’s candidness about his father is not to attack but to shine the light of truth on how a son is affected by his father. Thanks for writing this book, Junior!”
—
Todd Hoffman, “Gold Rush Todd”
Contact Publicist
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