A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often found in, or consists of, the chorus. A hook can, in general, be either melodic or rhythmic, and often incorporates the main motif for a piece of music.

Definitions

One definition of a hook is "a musical or lyrical phrase that stands out and is easily remembered". Definitions typically include some of the following: that a hook is repetitive, attention-grabbing, memorable, easy to dance to, and has commercial potential and lyrics. A hook has been defined as a "part of a song, sometimes the title or key lyric line, that keeps recurring". Alternatively, the term has been defined as

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It is hard to define what features make a hook appealing to listeners. While some melodic hooks include skips of a third or more to make the line more interesting, a hook can be equally catchy by employing rhythmic syncopation or other devices. A hook may also garner attention from listeners from other factors, such as the vocal timbre or instrumentation, as in the case of the Beach Boys' use of an unusual theremin-like instrument in "Good Vibrations". Some hooks become popular without using any unusual elements. For example, in the song "Be My Baby", performed by The Ronettes, the hook consists of the words "be my baby" over the conventional I-vi-IV-V chord progression of the chorus.

Use in market research

The hooks of songs may be used in market research to assist in gauging the popularity of a song by the recognizability of its hook. Often radio stations conduct "call out" either on the Internet, via telephone, or a music test (either online or in an in-person setting) to conduct surveys. Stations may use the services of a professional "hook service" or prepare the materials themselves. Hooks used are typically seven to ten seconds long.

See also

Lick

Vamp

Theme

Ostinato

Earworm

References

Category:Musical techniques

Name	Wiz Khalifa
Img alt	Wiz Khalifa holding a microphone
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Cameron Jibril Thomaz
Alias
Born	September 08, 1987Minot, North Dakota, United States
Origin	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper
Years active	2005–present
Label	Rostrum, Warner Bros., Atlantic
Associated acts	Curren$y, Snoop Dogg
Url	www.wizkhalifa.com

Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007. His eurodance-influenced single, "Say Yeah", received urban radio airplay, charting on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks charts in 2008. His single "Black and Yellow" has become a big hit in 2010, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Early life

Khalifa was born on September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota to a mother and a father serving in the military. Khalifa lived in Germany, England, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh where he attended Taylor Allderdice High School. He includes Camp Lo, The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony among his influences.

Career

Khalifa released his first mixtape, Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, in 2005. The mixtape led to his first full length album entitled Show and Prove in 2006. Khalifa was declared an "artist to watch" that year in Rolling Stone magazine.

In 2007, Khalifa signed to Warner Bros. Records and released two mixtapes through Rostrum Records: Grow Season, hosted by DJ Green Lantern and released on July 4, 2007, and Prince of the City 2, released on November 20, 2007. His debut Warner Bros. single "Say Yeah" reached number 25 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 music chart and number 20 on Billboard's Hot Rap Tracks. The song samples "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay. Khalifa's vocals from "Say Yeah" appear near the end of Pittsburgh mash up producer Girl Talk's 2008 album, Feed the Animals, over music from Underworld's "Born Slippy", Usher's "Love in This Club", and the Cure's "In Between Days". Khalifa appeared with The Game, David Banner and Play-n-Skillz at U92's Summer Jam at the USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah on August 2, 2008. Khalifa released the mixtapes Star Power in September 2008, and Flight School in April 2009 on Rostrum Records.

Khalifa parted ways with Warner Bros. Records in July 2009 after numerous delays in releasing his planned debut album for the label, First Flight. Khalifa stated to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that, "I learned a lot during my time there and matured as an artist during the process. I'm happy to be moving on with all of my material and having the chance to be in control of my next moves".

in New York City in April 2010.]] Continuing his association with Rostrum Records, Khalifa released the single "Teach U to Fly", and the mixtape How Fly, a collaboration with New Orleans rapper Curren$y, on August 9, 2009. Khalifa introduced a more melodic style on the mixtape, alternating between singing and rapping. He opened for Wu-Tang Clan member U-God at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. Khalifa released the mixtape Burn After Rolling on November 2, 2009, where he raps over familiar beats from other artists, including the songs "If I Were A Boy" and "Diva" by Beyoncé, "Walking on a Dream" by Empire of the Sun, "Luchini AKA This Is It" by Camp Lo, and "Best I Ever Had" by Drake. Khalifa released his second album, Deal or No Deal, on November 24, 2009.

Khalifa performed at Emo's in Austin, Texas in March 2010 as part of the 2010 South by Southwest Music Festival. He appeared on the cover of XXL magazine that same month, for the magazine's annual list of Top 10 Freshman, which included Donnis, J. Cole, Pill, Freddie Gibbs, and Fashawn. Wiz Khalifa was named 2010 "Rookie Of The Year" by "The Source", with alongside Rick Ross, "The Man Of The Year". He toured with rapper Yelawolf on a 20-date tour, the Deal Or No Deal Tour. Khalifa released the free mixtape Kush and Orange Juice for download on April 14, 2010. Due to Khalifa's devoted grassroots fan base, the mixtape became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter with the hash tag #kushandorangejuice, and "Kush and Orange Juice download” ranked No. 1 on Google’s hot search trends.

Citing music industry insiders, New York magazine wrote that Khalifa signed with Atlantic Records in April 2010, although the rapper didn't confirm it. He stated to AllHipHop in June 2010 that he was working on a new album, but was weighing his options and hadn't yet decided on a label to distribute it. Khalifa confirmed to MTV on July 30 that he was signing an Atlantic Records deal.

in August 2010.]] Khalifa was featured in a remix and video for the 2010 Rick Ross single "Super High", alongside Curren$y. He guested on the mixtape Grey Goose, Head Phones, and Thirsty Women by St. Louis rapper M.C, and was featured on the track "The Breeze (Cool)" on rapper Wale's August 2010 mixtape More About Nothing. Khalifa was named MTV's Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010, winning with nearly 70,000 votes, and beating out finalists Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Travis Porter, and Diggy Simmons.

Khalifa appeared at the Soundset 2010 festival in May 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, alongside Method Man & Redman, Del the Funky Homosapien and Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Murs, Cage, and others. He also performed at the 2010 Rock the Bells festival, along with hip hop veterans Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, KRS-One, Jedi Mind Tricks and Slick Rick. Khalifa declined an invitation to tour with rapper Drake and launched his own "Waken Baken" tour, a 50-city national tour with rapper Yelawolf. The tour, scheduled to last from September to November 2010, has, as of October, sold out every venue. On November 2010, during his "Waken Baken" tour at East Carolina University, Wiz Khalifa was arrested for possession and trafficking of marijuana. He was then released the next morning after a $300K bail, and is looking to resume with his tour. Khalifa performed in a cypher during the 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards. He recited his verse from the song, "The Check Point", from his mixtape with Curren$y, How Fly. Khalifa released "Black and Yellow", his first single for Rostrum/Atlantic, produced by Stargate, which has received radio airplay. The single reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100; the title of the song refers to the colors of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Khalifa will release his debut album with Atlantic Records in 2011. He appeared with Curren$y on the track "Scaling the Building" on producer Ski Beatz' 2010 album, 24 Hour Karate School. Khalifa's fanbase is known as the Taylor Gang, named after his love of Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes.

Discography

;Studio albums

Show and Prove (2006)

Deal or No Deal (2009)

TBA (2011)

References

External links

Wiz Khalifa at MTV

Category:1987 births Category:Military brats Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:African American rappers Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:People from Minot, North Dakota Category:Rappers from Pennsylvania Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

Name	Murphy Lee
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Torhi Harper
Born	December 18, 1982
Origin	St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper
Years active	1993–present
Label	UC-Me EntertainmentDerrty Ent.Universal Records
Associated acts	St. Lunatics, Jermaine Dupri, Nelly, Diddy, Avery Storm
Url	Official site

Torhi Harper (born December 18, 1982 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States), better known by his stage name Murphy Lee, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper, best known as a member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics. Lee is also the cheif executive of his own label, U C Me Entertainment. He and his wife Melissa Garcia currently reside in St. Louis, MO.

Career

Murphy Lee formed the St. Lunatics with fellow rappers Nelly, Ali, Kyjuan, City Spud and Slo'Down. They scored a regional hit with the song "Gimmie What You Got", but the crew found it hard to get a record deal. Nelly secured a deal as a solo act, and released Country Grammar in 2000. After his appearances on Country Grammar, the St. Lunatics released their debut album Free City in 2001. A second St. Lunatics Who's The Boss was released in 2006. It isn't supported by the members as the music recording studio Fast Life released the CD because they owned the music. It is a CD of the group's 1996 songs, which are raps over the music of popular 90s songs. In 2002, he was featured on Jermaine Dupri's hit single "Welcome to Atlanta" remix. In 2003, his biggest hit came with "Shake Ya Tailfeather," featuring Nelly and P. Diddy, which appeared on the Bad Boys II soundtrack. That song would later win him a Grammy. Riding the success of "Shake Ya Tailfeather," Murphy Lee released his debut album Murphy's Law later that year. Murphy Lee released his second studio album, You See Me, on December 16, 2009 via his website "murphderrty.com".

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable" !align="center" rowspan=2|Year !align=center rowspan=2|Title !align=center colspan=2|Peak chart positions !align=center rowspan=2|RIAA certifications |- !width=40 align=center|US !width=40 align=center|US R&B;

Collaborations with St. Lunatics

2001: Free City (with St. Lunatics)

2006: Who's The Boss (with St. Lunatics)

2010: City Free (with St. Lunatics)

References

External links

Official Site

Official MySpace

Official UC-Me Entertainment Myspace Page

Category:African American rappers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Rappers from St. Louis, Missouri Category:St. Lunatics members Category:American vegetarians Category:1979 births Category:Living people

Name	Kelly Clarkson
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Kelly Brianne Clarkson
Background	solo_singer
Born	April 24, 1982Fort Worth, Texas
Origin	Burleson, Texas, United States
Genre	Pop rock, pop
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, actress
Instrument	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2002–present
Label	RCA Records
Url	www.KellyOfficial.com

Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson rose to fame after winning the first season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later represent the United States in the World Idol competition in 2003.

Clarkson has released four albums to date under RCA Records: her double-platinum debut album Thankful (2003), her multi-platinum second album Breakaway (2004) (which has won two Grammy Awards), My December (2007), and her latest album All I Ever Wanted (2009) (which was nominated for a Grammy Award). Her albums have sold over 10.5 million copies in the United States. Clarkson is the only American Idol contestant to have reached number one in the UK. She claimed number one on March 1, 2009, when "My Life Would Suck Without You" debuted number one on downloads alone. Clarkson is also ranked on the top 200 album sellers of the Nielsen SoundScan era at number 187.

Eleven of Clarkson's singles became Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Her single, "My Life Would Suck Without You", advanced from No. 97 to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in its first week of release, breaking the record for the largest leap to the top position in chart history.

Clarkson has toured extensively worldwide as a solo act. Performing in other versions of American Idol such as Pop Idol, Swedish Idol, Canadian Idol and Australian Idol. After Clarkson's appearance on the CMT Crossroads and her duet version of "Because of You" (2007) with Reba McEntire, they co-headlined the 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour (2008). Billboard named Clarkson the "most successful American Idol of all time", factoring in album sales, singles sales, and radio plays. Billboard ranked Clarkson the #14 artist of the 2000-10 decade.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Clarkson is the highest-selling Idol winner worldwide, with around 36 million singles and 23 million albums sold around the world.

Early life

Kelly Brianne Clarkson was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in the small town of Burleson, a suburb of Fort Worth. She is the third and youngest child of Jeanne Rose, a first grade teacher, and Stephen Michael Clarkson. Clarkson's siblings include her older brother and sister, Jason and Alyssa. When Clarkson was six years old, her parents divorced after seventeen years of marriage. The family settled in Burleson, where Clarkson's mother married her second husband, Jimmy Taylor.

Clarkson's family struggled financially, and after her parents divorced, music became her refuge. Clarkson attended Pauline G Hughes Middle School and Burleson High School. She wanted to become a marine biologist but changed her mind after seeing the movie Jaws. In seventh grade, a teacher (Mrs. Cynthia Glenn) overheard her singing in a hallway and asked her to audition for the school choir; Clarkson told the teacher that she had never received professional vocal training.

In high school, Clarkson performed in musicals such as Annie Get Your Gun, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Brigadoon. She sang at her high school talent show, after which an audience member shared some inspiring words with her: "God has given you this gift. You've got to sing. You're destined to sing." Clarkson continued singing and soon started classical training, hoping that music would be her ticket to a college scholarship.

Upon high school graduation, Clarkson was offered full scholarships to The University of Texas at Austin, University of North Texas, and Berklee, but decided against college because she had "already written so much music and wanted to try it on her own," and she figured "you're never too old to go to college." Choking back tears, Clarkson performed the ballad "A Moment Like This", the song written for the winner of American Idol, which would subsequently appear on her debut album, Thankful. When released as a single in October 2002, it set a record on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart when it rose from number 52 to number one. This achievement was largely due to the impact from Idol as the CD single managed to sell 236,000 copies in its first week of sales in the U.S.; it spent five weeks at number one in Canada.

American Idol season 1 performances and results

{|class="wikitable" !Week # !Theme !Song choice !Original artist !Order # !Result |- |Audition |N/A |"Express Yourself "At Last" |MadonnaEtta James |rowspan="4"|N/A |rowspan="5"|Advanced |- |Top 121 |Hollywood round 1 |"Respect" |Aretha Franklin |- |Top 65 |Hollywood round 2 |"I Say a Little Prayer" |Dionne Warwick |- |Top 45 |Hollywood round 3 |"Save The Best For Last" |Vanessa L. Williams |- |Top 30 |Semifinal/Group 2 |"Respect" |Aretha Franklin |9 |- |Top 10 |Motown |"You're All I Need to Get By" ||Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell |8 |rowspan="7"|Safe |- |Top 8 |1960s |"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" |rowspan="2"|Aretha Franklin |rowspan="2"|5 |- |Top 7 |1970s |"Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" |- |Top 6 |Big Band |"Stuff Like That There" |Betty Hutton |6 |- |Top 5 |Burt Bacharach Love Songs |"Walk On By" |Dionne Warwick |1 |- |Top 4 |1980s1990s |"It's Raining Men""I Surrender" |The Weather GirlsCeline Dion |37 |- |Top 3 |Judges' ChoiceIdol's Choice |"Without You""Think Twice" |BadfingerCeline Dion |36 |- |cTop 2 |Finale |"A Moment Like This""Respect""Before Your Love" |Kelly ClarksonAretha FranklinKelly Clarkson |246 |Winner |}

World Idol performance and results

Lincoln Memorial on September 11, 2002 following her win on American Idol.]] In December 2003, a competition titled World Idol was held at the Pop Idol stage in London, gathering the winners of the first seasons of Idol series around the world. Clarkson was contractually obligated to participate, and placed second behind Norwegian Idol Kurt Nilsen. She performed Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman". She left immediately after the competition, later explaining to fans that she was not feeling well.

2003–04: Thankful

Shortly following the completion of the first season of American Idol, Clarkson was accused of working with a record company. American Idol's rules stated that a contestant was not allowed to compete on the program if they had been linked to a record company. However, she was cleared of all allegations, as she only had a contract in order to conduct demonstration work.

Following the release of "A Moment Like This", Clarkson's full-length debut album Thankful was released in North America by RCA Records on April 15, 2003. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA for sales of two million copies on December 8, 2003 and platinum by the CRIA for sales of 100,000 copies on February 10, 2004. Thankful peaked at number forty-one on the UK albums chart and at number 33 on the Australian albums chart.

Reviews for the album were generally favorable. However, several critics noted that her early achievement was established due to her performances on American Idol. Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for its vocal ability: "throughout this record, [Clarkson] makes it seem effortless and charming. She can croon, she can belt out a song, she can be sexy and sassy while still being graceful and as wholesome as the girl next door". Rachel Kipp of JS Online criticized Clarkson for not having the same personality on Thankful that she had on American Idol, and wrote: "on American Idol, Clarkson showcased a great voice and an endearing, 'aw-shucks' personality. That personality is missing on Thankful, and there lies the album's greatest fault". Kipp blamed the producers behind the album for not allowing Clarkson to be herself. Clarkson covered Danielle Brisebois' "Just Missed the Train" on the album.

"Miss Independent" was released as the second single from Thankful. It reached the top ten of the U.S. and Canadian singles charts, and earned Clarkson a 2004 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". When the single was released in the United Kingdom and Australia, it reached the top ten of the charts. "Low", the third single from Thankful, reached number two in Canada, but it was unable to make the top 40 of the U.S. chart. The final single, "The Trouble with Love Is", was not released in Canada, and it failed to chart in the U.S.. Clarkson attributed the under performance of both releases to poor management and relieved her manager Simon Fuller, who she felt was not completely focused on her career.

2004–06: Breakaway

Distancing herself from her American Idol image, Clarkson took more creative control with her second studio album Breakaway, and developed a more rock-oriented image. Clarkson co-wrote six of the songs with songwriters such as former Evanescence band members Ben Moody, David Hodges and producer Max Martin; the title track was co-written by punk-pop singer Avril Lavigne.

Breakaway was released by RCA Records on November 30, 2004. The album debuted within the U.S. top five and Canadian top ten, but sales were initially low in comparison to Thankful. The singles from Breakaway were very successful, and the album become only the fourth album in history to stay in the Billboard 200 top 20 for a consecutive year, as well as being certified six times platinum in the U.S. in late 2007 and five times platinum in Canada in May, 2006. In Australia, the album reached number two and spent 52 weeks in the top ten and was certified six times platinum. Breakaway spent 103 weeks on the Billboard 200, and was the tenth best selling album of 2006 in the U.S..

Breakaway received different responses from critics; Rolling Stone commented that "on Kelly Clarkson's second album, ... she embraces her rock side rather than the pop pageantry that put her on top of the American Idol heap". TeenInk noted the strength of her vocals on Breakaway, and praised the change from pop music to contemporary rock: "[Clarkson] retains the incredible power and beauty of her voice while switching to rock". Stylus magazine also enjoyed Clarkson's foray into rock music, however, she was called out because of her American Idol image, which reviewer Charles Merwin believed she had yet to lose. He praised the non-singles and wrote that they "maintain a quality high". Allmusic called the album "a nice, low-key relief". , Australia.|thumb|left]] "Breakaway" served as the original song for (2004) and achieved considerable success across the world; it became Clarkson's third top-ten single in the U.S. and fourth top-ten single in Canada. It reached number ten in Australia, and number 22 in the UK. The second single, "Since U Been Gone", which was produced by Max Martin, became the most successful release from the album. It reached number two in the U.S. and the top five across the world. It also earned Clarkson her first Grammy Award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance"; she won a second award for "Best Pop Vocal Album".

The third and fourth single releases, "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "Because of You", also followed with chart success. The video for "Because of You" won the 2006 MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, her second consecutive win in that category (following "Since U Been Gone"). Clarkson was the most-played artist of 2006 on American radio, despite releasing only one single in the entire year, "Walk Away" (the fifth single from Breakaway). She was also the most radio-broadcasted artist of 2006 in Australia and "Because of You" was the third most broadcast song of the same year, despite being released in 2005.

In 2005, Clarkson made a performance during the 2005 NBA All-Star Weekend as part of the festivities leading up to the All-Star Game Later that year, she performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons She also performed that spring as part of the 2005 NCAA Final Four festivities in St. Louis, Missouri.

Clarkson performed during the festivities of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. In mid 2006, Clarkson lent Ford Motor Co. a song titled "Go", written by Clarkson and Rhett Lawrence ("Miss Independent"). The song was used in the company's advertising campaign in 2006, "Bold Moves" and the song, along with its music video, was made available free at Ford's AddictedtoKelly.com website (now defunct).

2006–08: My December

During her tour in Europe in 2006, Clarkson began writing songs for her third album, My December. The first single from My December was "Never Again", which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number eight. Clarkson released "Sober" as the second single. She returned to American Idol for the season 6 finale, performing "Never Again" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry during a Beatles medley.

Clarkson parted with her management, The Firm, in June 2007, amid low radio airplay for "Never Again" and low ticket sales for her then-upcoming tour. Clarkson would then sign with Starstruck Entertainment, run by Narvel Blackstock — the husband of Reba McEntire – on July 2, 2007. The same month, Live Nation announced that the tour—her first nationwide arena tour—had been canceled due to underwhelming ticket sales, to be rescheduled after the release of the My December album at smaller, more intimate concert environments. Clarkson reinstated plans to tour the U.S. during 2007, with a much smaller tour than the one she canceled in June. She began her My December Tour in October 2007 in venues significantly smaller than those previously booked. The August 2007 issue of Blender included a feature on Clarkson and her new album, as well as her music label woes.

My December was released in the U.S. on June 26, 2007. The album debuted at number two in the U.S. with 291,000 albums sold, a slightly higher debut than Clarkson's previous album, Breakaway, which debuted at number three. In Canada, the album was awarded a platinum certification for shipments of more than 100,000 copies. My December was certified platinum in December 2007 by the RIAA. It has sold more than three million copies worldwide.

In April 2007, Clarkson appeared on Idol Gives Back charity show aimed at raising money for tackling poverty, hunger and AIDS in Africa, as well as the Hurrican Katrina appeal. Clarkson noted that she was in a dispute with her record label bosses and executives as to which song to perform on the event; Clarkson refusing to perform her new single "Never Again" viewing it as simple self-promotion through a charitable event. She is quoted as saying,

She opted to perform Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain". After the performance, the audience who watched Clarkson perform live gave her a standing ovation. American Idol judge Simon Cowell described her as "incredible", saying, "When you let her [Clarkson] come back on the show it makes everybody else look like an amateur." On July 7, 2007, Clarkson performed on the American leg of Live Earth. Clarkson was the celebrity coach for Canadian Idol during its Top 5 week of the fifth season, aired on the CTV network on August 20, and she performed on the results show the next night. Clarkson also performed at the 2007 NFL opening kickoff where she sang the national anthem and songs from My December. Clarkson also performed in the halftime show for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets game on Thanksgiving Day.

In addition to her roles as spokeswoman for the acne treatment Proactiv as well as Vitaminwater, Clarkson partnered with NASCAR for the 2007 season. She appeared in televised advertising spots, performed at pre-race concerts, promoted NASCAR Day, and appeared at the Champions' Banquet in December. In April 2008, Clarkson participated in a Papal Youth Rally at the campus of St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie in Yonkers, New York performing a mini-concert for those in attendance. This was the Papal Visit of Pope Benedict XVI. She performed Schubert's "Ave Maria" for the Pope later in the day following the Pope's speech. Clarkson, raised a Baptist, was said to be honored by the invitation and appreciative of the rosary given to her and her band by the Pope, who were invited over by the Pope immediately following the performance for the rosary honor.

2008–10: All I Ever Wanted

Clarkson's fourth album, All I Ever Wanted, was released on March 10, 2009. During recording of the album, Clarkson worked closely with producer-songwriters Ryan Tedder, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Howard Benson, among others. In its first week of sales, it sold 255,000 copies in the U.S., debuting at number one on the Billboard 200; it stayed at number one for two weeks. All I Ever Wanted received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Album". Clarkson was placed eighth on Billboard Magazine's Top Female Artists of 2009 and ninth on Billboard Magazine's Top Hot Artists of 2000s. She was ranked second on Billboard Magazine's Best of 2000s: Pop Song Artist, behind Pink.

The first single from All I Ever Wanted, "My Life Would Suck Without You", entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 97 and rose to number one the following week; this broke the record for the largest leap to the top spot, formerly held by Britney Spears' "Womanizer". It was Clarkson's first number one on the UK singles chart. The album's second single, "I Do Not Hook Up", peaked at number 20 in the U.S., and the third single, "Already Gone", reached number thirteen. The fourth single was "All I Ever Wanted". Clarkson performed as one of many guests for the return of VH1 Divas in September 2009.

Clarkson was announced as one of the VH1 Save the Music Foundation ambassadors for 2009–2010. She began her 32-date All I Ever Wanted tour in October, following a string of summer concerts around the United States. Clarkson toured all over the world with the album, reaching territories such as Europe, South Africa, Oceania and Asia.The fall tour shows were performed in arena/theater type venues, with the summer tour being performed in outdoor amphitheatres. Her Indonesia show was initially sponsored by tobacco company Djarum, but after complaints from some fans and anti-tobacco groups, the promoter removed the sponsor. The tour ended in May 2010 in China.

2010–present: Fifth studio album

In November 2009, Clarkson gave an interview to MTV.com saying that she was currently writing songs for her fifth studio album, and hoped for a late 2010 release. After numerous posts made by Clarkson via Twitter, she stated that Howard Benson is producing possible songs for the record. Benson produced songs for Clarkson’s previous album All I Ever Wanted. Clarkson announced via Twitter that her fifth album will probably be released in the beginning of 2011, she believes that the lead single will be out in January 2011 and that two duets may be on the album. Then on October 23, she tweeted she was working with Greg Kurstin. In December 2010, Clarkson debuted a new song entitled "You Still Won't Know What It's Like" at A Night for Hope in Nashville. On 13 January, Clarkson revealed through Facebook that her 5th studio album was supposedly to be released in March.

Collaborations

Clarkson performed "What Hurts the Most" with Rascal Flatts at the ACM Awards in 2006 and returned again to sing a duet with Reba McEntire in 2007. This was her second performance on a country music award show, even though she is in the pop/rock genre. Along with her performance with Rascal Flatts, Clarkson also performed "Cigarettes", with the country duo The Wreckers during one of their shows in Texas.

Building on her country music status, Clarkson and Reba McEntire, who first met after Clarkson won the first season of American Idol, recorded an hour-long CMT Crossroads special at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium on February 22, 2007. It aired on CMT and Palladia (then known as MHD) on June 24, 2007. Previously, Clarkson was a performer on CMT's Giants: Reba McEntire. where she sang McEntire's hit song "Why Haven't I Heard From You", introduced Dolly Parton, and later also sang Reba's hit "Does He Love You" with Martina McBride. Clarkson also appeared on an episode of McEntire's sitcom Reba, that aired on January 14, 2007.

At the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 16, 2007, Clarkson and McEntire sang a duet of Clarkson's own 2005 single, "Because of You", which also became the lead single from McEntire's album of all-star duets. The music video for this version of the song later debuted on June 20, 2007. This collaboration with McEntire earned Clarkson a CMA Award nomination for "Musical Event of the Year" in 2007 and a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Country Collaboration With Vocal" in 2008. Additionally, the song was featured on Now That's What I Call Country, which was released in August 2008.

Clarkson was a surprise guest at the 2007 CMA Music Festival in Nashville on June 7, 2007, where she performed "Does He Love You" and "Because of You" with Reba McEntire during the internationally-renowned annual event. The performance of "Because of You" was taped and aired as part of the "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock" television special that aired on ABC on July 23, 2007.

On January 17, 2008, Clarkson embarked on the 2 Worlds, 2 Voices Tour 2008, a co-headlining tour with Reba McEntire.

On May 18, 2008, Clarkson performed on stage at the Academy of Country Music Awards All-Star Jam with Reba McEntire and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn. The All-Star jam is the final event of the week taking place immediately after the awards show. Clarkson was not announced ahead of time for an appearance.

On August 23, 2010, it was announced that Clarkson had recorded a duet called "Don't You Wanna Stay" with country star Jason Aldean for Aldean's upcoming album, My Kinda Party. They performed the song at the 2010 CMA Awards on November 10, 2010.

Film career

Soon after the first season of American Idol ended, Clarkson starred with Idol runner-up Justin Guarini in the movie From Justin to Kelly (2003). The film was poorly received by critics and grossed only $5 million at the North American box office, less than half its reported budget. Clarkson has mentioned in interviews that she is shocked when people send her scripts after From Justin to Kelly, often citing contractual obligation as her sole reason for involvement in the film. Clarkson was quoted telling People, "I knew when I read the script it was going to be real, real bad, but when I won, I signed that piece of paper and I could not get out of it." The script was written by Kim Fuller, Simon Fuller's brother.

She played Brenda Lee in the television drama American Dreams and appeared in the sitcom Reba. She also participated in sketch comedy on MADtv (2002) and Saturday Night Live (2005).

Musicianship and artistry

Clarkson's vocal talents and abilities have been met with praise from critics and celebrities alike. On an interview with Good Morning America, Simon Cowell was asked of the then six American Idol winners, who he thought had the best voice. Cowell immediately answered that Clarkson did "by a mile", noting that she was "up there" with other great singers such as Celine Dion.

Reflecting back on Clarkson's performance during the Idol Gives Back special, Jeff Beck described Clarkson as having a "soul voice" that "demands attention".

After attending a rehearsal for American Idol's season six finale (in which Clarkson was scheduled to perform), Blender magazine described Clarkson's voice as follows:

Arion Berger of Rolling Stone has said of Clarkson that "her high notes are sweet and pillowy, her growl is bone-shaking and sexy, and her midrange is amazingly confident for a pop posy whose career is tied for eternity to the whims of her American Idol overlords."

Dr. Luke, a songwriter and producer of some of Clarkson's hits stated that "She has powerful lungs. She's like the Lance Armstrong of vocal cords."

Discography

Thankful (2003)

Breakaway (2004)

My December (2007)

All I Ever Wanted (2009)

Filmography

(acting roles only) {|class="wikitable" |- style="text-align:center;" ! style="background:#b0c4de;" | Year ! style="background:#b0c4de;" | Title ! style="background:#b0c4de;" | Role ! style="background:#b0c4de;" | Episode ! style="background:#b0c4de;" | Awards |- |rowspan=4|2002 ||Sabrina the Teenage Witch ||rowspan=2| as an extra (uncredited) || || |- |That '80s Show || "Valentine's Day" (S1, Ep2) || |- |Issues 101 ||Crystal (as an extra) || Theatrical Film || |- |MADtv ||Herself / Skits || Season 8, Ep 1 || |- |rowspan=2|2003 ||From Justin to Kelly ||Kelly Taylor|| Theatrical Film || Nominated - Razzie Award for Worst ActressNominated - Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple (with Justin Guarini) |- |rowspan=2| American Dreams ||rowspan=2| Brenda Lee || "And Promises To Keep" || |- |rowspan=2|2004 || "Tidings of Comfort and Joy" || |- |King of the Hill ||Herself / Dawn|| || |- | rowspan=2|2005 || Saturday Night Live ||Herself / Skits / Musical Guest|| Host – Jason Bateman || |- |Damage Control ||Herself||Season 1, Ep. 1 || |- |2007 ||Reba ||Kelly|| "As We Forgive Those" || |- |2009 || Saturday Night Live ||Herself / Musical Guest|| Host – Tracy Morgan || |}

Tours

Awards

References

Footnotes

Further reading

Jenkins, Debi. A profile of Kelly Clarkson—From Burleson, Texas to American Idol (2003). Local Celebrity. Retrieved February 11, 2006.

"Hooman interviews Kelly". KLLC Radio Alice 97.3. May 25, 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2006. ("[Clarkson's] parents were together for seventeen years, and then all of a sudden, something went wrong".) Phares, Heather. [ "Kelly—Biography"]. Allmusic. Retrieved February 11, 2006.

Lamb, Bill. "Kelly Clarkson—Profile". About.com. Retrieved February 11, 2006.

Phares, Heather. "Kelly Clarkson—Biography". Yahoo LAUNCHcast. Retrieved February 11, 2006.

International charting information. Top40-Charts.com. Retrieved February 12, 2006.

Kelly Gets Cocky. Idol winner fires Simon Fuller. PopSugar.com. Blog Archives. Retrieved February 25, 2006.

. E! Online. [Some films defy criticism.] Retrieved May 4, 2006.

Croatto, Pete. From Justin to Kelly. [Watching From Justin to Kelly, one question looms over the entire production: Why was this movie made?] Retrieved May 4, 2006.

External links

RCA Records — Kelly Clarkson

KellyClarkson.com — Official Fan club

Category:1982 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Actors from Texas Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Welsh descent Category:American people of Greek descent Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American Idol winners Category:American pop singers Category:American record producers Category:American Christians Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Texas Category:People from Fort Worth, Texas Category:RCA Records artists Category:English-language singers

Name	Jermaine Dupri
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jermaine Dupri Mauldin
Alias	J.D.
Born	September 23, 1972
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Label	So So Def Recordings, Island Urban Music, TAG Records
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	1984–present
Occupation	Producer, songwriter, rapper

Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972; although some sources say 1973 but his debut album called Life in 1472 refers to the year of Dupri's birth, 1972), better known simply as Jermaine Dupri or J.D., is an American record producer, rapper and songwriter.

Biography

Using his father's "connections" to start a career dancing for the likes of Diana Ross when he was not yet in his teens, Jermaine Dupri had already moved on to performing and producing by the time he reached 7. He made his first production effort for the female rap trio Silk Tymes Leather. Although the group was unable to produce a successful album, Jermaine received attention for his efforts and made strong contacts within the industry. He later formed the teen duo Kris Kross (Chris Kelly and Chris Smith) after meeting the boys at a local mall in 1991. The group's first album, Totally Krossed Out, was released in 1992 and went multi-platinum due to their singles "Jump" and "It's a Shame".

After he established his new record label So So Def Recordings, his next big break would come in 1993 in the form of Xscape, a female R&B; group he discovered during a festival in Atlanta and signed to So So Def Recordings. After signing, they released their debut Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha and went platinum. During the same year, on Yo! MTV Raps he met Chicago rapper Shawntae Harris, A.K.A Da Brat through Kris Kross, signed her to his label So So Def Recordings, and released her debut Funkdafied (1994). It went platinum making her the first female hip hop artist to sell 1,000,000 units. Dupri subsequently built on this success through working with other R&B; artists such as Boyz II Men, as well as R&B; singers Mariah Carey, Luther Vandross and Babyface, achieving multi-millionaire status for himself by the age of 24. His finances were not hindered by a distribution deal made with Columbia Records in 1993. Since its inception, over 20 gold and platinum records have accumulated on So So Def's studio walls. He met Jagged Edge through Xscape band member Kandi Burrus, who at the time was dating one of the members, in 1996.

In 1998, Jermaine Dupri surpassed all of his prior commercial ventures with his involvement in the release of Destiny Child's eponymous debut album. The same year, he began work on his own music career with the albums The Party Continues and Jermaine Dupri Presents Life In 1472: The Original Soundtrack. The same year, he met 10 or 11 year old rapper Lil Bow Wow through one of his influences, Snoop Dogg, when signed to Death Row Records. He signed him to his So So Def Recordings and got to work. Then in 2000, they released his debut Beware of Dog, which was certified double platinum. After releasing Doggy Bag (2001) for him, the two broke up their relationship before releasing Unleashed (2003), but certified it gold. Many believe Dupri was his biggest source to his career, so they went back on track and became close again.. The deal with Columbia was terminated in 2002, and in 2003 Dupri switched to Arista Records. Jermaine worked on Mariah Carey's recent Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You.

Discography

Life in 1472 (1998)

Instructions (2001)

TBA (2011)

References

External links

Official website

Jermaine Dupri at Beatbuggy

Jermaine Dupri's Official Youtube

Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:African American record producers Category:American music industry executives Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from North Carolina Category:People from Asheville, North Carolina Category:Rappers from North Carolina Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:So So Def artists

Name	Jason Hook
Birth name	Thomas Jason Grinstead
Landscape	Yes
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Genre	Heavy metal, groove metal, thrash metal, alternative metal, hard rock, shock rock, glam metal, pop rock
Born	October 03, 1970Toronto, Canada
Instrument	Guitar
Occupation	Guitarist, musician, producer, songwriter
Label	Firm Music, EMI
Associated acts	Five Finger Death Punch, Alice Cooper, Bulletboys, Vince Neil Band, Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff

Jason Hook (born Thomas Jason Grinstead on October 3, 1970 in Toronto, Canada) is a Canadian guitarist, record producer, songwriter and session musician.

Biography and Career

Jason Hook started his music career at the early age of 6 in Toronto Canada with private guitar lessons. Jason's early experience in formal music training also included drums, piano and violin. Jason spent many years in Canada honing his craft and was eventually signed to Elektra with his band Monkeyhead. Later Jason relocated to Los Angeles as a session musician as well as a stint in the hard rock band BulletBoys. In 2000 he was hired by pop singer Mandy Moore as the guitarist in her live lineup; also serving as the session guitarist recording tracks for her. Hook became a highly coveted session player in the LA circuit and he went on to tour and record with acts like the Vince Neil Band, and Alice Cooper. In 2007 Hook released his debut instrumental hard rock/metal album Safety Dunce. It garnered industry praise and an L.A. music award for "Best Instrumental Record" of 2007. Hook recorded his second solo release American Justice in 2007 which featured guest appearances from Alice Cooper, members of Five Finger Death Punch and Phil Demmel from Machine Head. "American Justice" is still pending release.

In early 2009, it was announced that Hook was joining heavy metal band, Five Finger Death Punch, replacing guitarist Darrell Roberts. On September 22, 2009 Hook and his band mates released War Is The Answer which landed them a number 7 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.

References

External links

Jason Hook's official website

The Five Finger Death Punch Official Website

References

Category:Living people Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:1970 births

Huey Percy Newton (February 17, 1942 – August 22, 1989) was a political and urban activist whom founded the Afro-American Association and co-founded the Black Panther Party for Self Defense.

Early life

Newton was born in Monroe, Louisiana, the youngest of seven children to Armelia Johnson and Walter Newton, a sharecropper and Baptist lay preacher. His parents named him after former Governor of Louisiana Huey Long.

In 1945, the family settled in Oakland, California. The Newton family was destitute, and often relocated throughout the San Francisco Bay Area throughout Newton's childhood. Despite this, he contended that his family was close-knit and that he never went without food and shelter as a child. Growing up in Oakland, Newton claimed that "[he] was made to feel ashamed of being black."

As a teenager, he was arrested several times for minor offenses, and by age 14, had been arrested for gun possession and vandalism. Newton supported himself in college by burglarizing homes in the Oakland and Berkeley Hills areas, and committing other petty crimes. Newton once claimed he studied law to become a better criminal.

Founding of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense

As a student at Merritt College in Oakland, Newton became involved in politics in the Bay Area. He joined the Afro-American Association, became a prominent member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Beta Tau chapter, and played a role in getting the first African-American history course adopted as part of the college's curriculum. He read the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Frantz Fanon, Malcolm X, Mao Zedong, and Che Guevara. It was during his time at Merritt College that Newton and Bobby Seale organized the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in October 1966. Based on a coin toss, Seale became Chairman and Newton became Minister of Defense.

The Black Panther Party was an African-American left-wing organization working for the right of self-defense for African-Americans in the United States. The Party achieved national and international impact and renown through their deep involvement in the Black Power movement and in politics of the 1960s and 1970s, as the intense anti-racism of the time is today considered one of the most significant social, political and cultural currents in United States history. The group's "provocative rhetoric, militant posture, and cultural and political flourishes permanently altered the contours of American Identity."

Accusation of murder

Newton was accused of murdering Oakland Police Department officer John Frey. Frey had stopped Newton before dawn on October 28, 1967, and attempted to disarm and discourage the Panther patrols. After fellow officer Herbert Heanes arrived for backup, shots were fired, and all three were wounded. Heanes testified that the shooting began after Newton was under arrest, and one witness testified that Newton shot Frey with Frey's own gun as they wrestled. No gun on Frey or Newton was found. Frey was shot four times and died within the hour, while Heanes was left in a serious condition with three bullet wounds. With a bullet wound to the abdomen, Newton staggered into the Kaiser Hospital in Oakland. He was admitted, however was alarmed to find himself handcuffed to his bed. Newton also recalls in his book, The Huey P. Newton Reader, vague images of being operated on in the hospital while police were interrogating him.

Charged with murdering Frey, Newton was convicted in September 1968 of voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 2–15 years in prison. In May 1970, the California Appellate Court reversed the conviction and ordered a new trial. After two subsequent mistrials, the California Supreme Court dropped the case. Newton lived in exile in Cuba from 1974 to 1977, along with many other African American activists and other Panthers who were seeking political asylum.

In January 1977, Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones visited Newton in Havana. After Jones fled to Jonestown, Guyana, Newton spoke to Temple members in Jonestown via telephone patch supporting Jones during one of the Temple's earliest "White Nights." Newton's cousin, Stanley Clayton, was one of the few residents of Jonestown to escape the 1978 tragedy, during which more than 900 Temple members were ordered by Jones to commit suicide. Later, Newton's widow, Frederika Newton, would discuss her husband's often-ignored academic leanings on C-SPAN's "American Perspectives" program on February 18, 2006, mentioning that Newton earned a Ph.D. from UC Santa Cruz in 1980. His doctoral dissertation was entitled "War Against the Panthers: A Study of Repression in America."

Death

On August 22, 1989, Newton was fatally shot on the 1400 block of 9th street in West Oakland by a 24-year-old Black Guerilla Family member, Tyrone Robinson. Robinson was convicted of the murder in August 1991 and sentenced to 32 years for the crime. Official accounts claimed Robinson was a known drug dealer in Oakland.

In popular culture

There are many references to Huey Newton in popular music, including in the songs "Changes" by Tupac Shakur, "Welcome To The Terrordome" by Public Enemy, "Queens Get The Money" by Nas, "Sunny Kim" by Andre Nickatina, "Just A Celebrity" by The Jacka, "Same Thing" by Flobots, "Dreams" by The Game, "You Can't Murder Me" by Papoose, "Police State" by Dead Prez, "Propaganda" by Dead Prez "We Want Freedom" by Dead Prez, "Malcolm, Garvey, Huey" by Dead Prez, "SLR" by Lupe Fiasco, "Bill Gates Freestyle" by Fabolous feat. Paul Cain, "Huey Newton" by Wiz Khalifa & Currensy and "My Favorite Mutiny" by The Coup. In the comic strip and cartoon show The Boondocks, the main character Huey Freeman, a ten year-old African-American revolutionary, is named after Newton; another reference comes when Freeman starts an independent newspaper, dubbing it the Free Huey World Report. In 1996, A Huey P. Newton Story was performed on stage by veteran actor Roger Guenveur Smith. The one-man play later was made into an award-winning 2001 film directed by Spike Lee.

Bibliography

Brown, Elaine. A Taste of Power. (Anchor Books: 1993) ISBN 0-385-47107-6.

Foner, Philip S. (editor) The Black Panthers Speak - The Manifesto of the Party: The First Complete Documentary Record of the Panther's Program (Dial, 1970)

"People of the state of California, plaintiff & respondent, vs. Huey P. Newton, defendant and appellant: Appellant's opening brief" (ERIC reports)

Hilliard, David and Keith and Kent Zimmerman. Huey: Spirit of the Panther (Thunder's Mouth Press, 2006)

Jeffries, Judson L. Huey P. Newton, The Radical Theorist (University of Mississippi Press, 2002)

Pearson, Hugh. Shadow of the Panther: Huey P. Newton and the Price of Black |Power in America (Addison Wesley, 1994)

Seale, Bobby. Seize the Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton (Random House, 1970)

Obituary in The New York Times by Dennis Hevesi, (August 23, 1989). "Huey Newton Symbolized the Rising Black Anger of a Generation"

Books, articles, and oral histories by or with Huey P. Newton

Huey Newton Speaks oral history by Huey P. Newton (Paredon Records, 1970)

Huey!: Listen Whitey! protest songs/spoken word by Huey P. Newton; produced by American Documentary Films; released by Folkways Records (1972)

To Die for the People: The Writings of Huey P. Newton Toni Morrison (Editor) (Random House, 1972)

Revolutionary Suicide with J. Herman Blake (Random House, 1973; republished in 1995 with introduction by Blake)

Insights and Poems by Huey P. Newton, Ericka Huggins 1975)

War Against the Panthers: A Study of Repression in America by Huey P. Newton (Harlem River Press, 1996: the published version of Newton's PhD thesis)

The Huey P. Newton Reader David Hilliard and Donald Weise (Editors) (Seven Stories Press, 2002)

Essays from the Minister of Defense by Huey P Newton

The Genius of Huey P. Newton by Huey P. Newton

The original vision of the Black Panther Party by Huey P Newton

Huey Newton talks to the movement about the Black Panther Party, cultural nationalism, SNCC, liberals and white revolutionaries by Huey P Newton

Huey Spirit of the Panther by David Hillard with Keith and Kent Zimmerman (Thunder's Mouth Press)

To Die for the People by Huey Newton (City Lights Publishers, 2009)

See also

Black Panther Party

Bobby Seale

Cointelpro

George Jackson

Soledad Brothers

Angela Davis

Elaine Brown

Political prisoner

New Left

White Panther Party

References

External links

Video interview on African American History Channel

Online audiorecordings and video of Huey Newton via UC Berkeley Black Panther site

1968 interview with Newton

Newton Discography on Folkways

A Huey P. Newton Story, Official Film Site

A Huey P. Newton Story, directed by Spike Lee, as shown on PBS

Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation

Black Panther Tours

Huey P. Newton's doctoral dissertation

The Women's Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements: Speech given by Huey Newton

Newton's 2009 publication from City Lights, To Die for the People

Category:1942 births Category:1989 deaths Category:1989 murders in the United States Category:People from Monroe, Louisiana Category:African Americans' rights activists Category:American agnostics Category:American murder victims Category:American revolutionaries Category:Anti-fascists Category:Black Panther Party members Category:American communists Category:American socialists Category:American sociologists Category:COINTELPRO targets Category:People murdered in California Category:Deaths by firearm in California Category:Murdered African-American people Category:American philosophers Category:African American philosophers Category:20th-century African-American activists Category:Maoist theorists