LOS ANGELES -- Norman Lear, Cindy Crawford, Berry Gordy, Bill Maher and the Rev. Jesse Jackson are among the stars offering tributes to Hugh Hefner in a special edition of Playboy hitting newsstands this week.
"Celebrating Hef" chronicles the Playboy magazine founder's life in words and photos, with the celebrity essays highlighting Hefner's support for civil rights and First Amendment freedoms. It includes many previously unpublished photos from the Playboy archives -- most of Hefner, though a few images show naked Playmates.
Gordy calls him "a true activist."
Comedian Richard Lewis characterized Hefner's death in September at 91 as leaving "an eternal flame for freedom of speech and resistance against the elements of our society that want to burn down the house."
