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Bill Marx is the son of the beloved Hapro Marx- actor, philanthropist, musical prodigy, and speaker at the Algonquin round table. Growing up in the footsteps an entertainment legend can do mysterious things. For Harpo's son, Bill, it opened worlds of opportunity, magnetically pulling in interesting, talented people and providing a loving home. "He was a force of nature. He was elemental," Bill Marx said about his dad. Bill Marx was adopted by Harpo and his wife, Susan Fleming, in 1938 from the Children's Home Society in Los Angeles. Within a few short years, he would be joined by adopted siblings Alexander, James and Minnie. And he's OK with that. In fact, he's better than OK with it. "It's a privilege," Marx said in an interview between sets at a performance at Vicky's of Santa Fe in Indian Wells. "I love that I don't have to tell everyone how great I am. I can get up there and talk about an icon. People come to see me first because of my relationship with my dad, and then they get to know me," he said. Bill's musical gifts came from his environment and, by a twist of fate, from his genes, coming from his birth mother. He grew up watching Harpo's amazing talent as a self-taught harpist. There were also the years of piano lessons, study at Julliard and the hard-knocks school of experience. Bill's autobiography, "Son of Harpo Speaks!" was published by Bear Manor Media in 2007. Bill has also released an audio version of the book. After the audio book is completed, Marx quipped, "Then I'm going to pursue a life of crime." Bill, who now lives in Rancho Mirage, has made quite a name for himself in his 50-plus years as a composer and pianist, but the name he'll always be connected with is his dad's.

(Text excerpted from an article by Jennifer Dean, The Press Enterprise. Photos by Amanda Lucidon)