Official name	City of New Orleans
Native name	Ville de La Nouvelle-Orléans
Other name	Orleans Parish
Settlement type	City and Parish
Nickname	"The Crescent City", "The Big Easy", "The City That Care Forgot", "Nawlins" and "NOLA" (acronym for New Orleans, Louisiana).
Website	nola.gov
Flag size	100px
Image seal	New Orleans City Seal.gif
Map caption	Location in the State of Louisiana
Pushpin map	USA
Pushpin map caption	Location in the United States
Coordinates region	US-LA
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision type2	Parish
Subdivision name
Subdivision name1
Subdivision name2	Orleans
Established title	Founded
Established date	1718
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Mitch Landrieu (D)
Area magnitude	1 E8
Unit pref	Imperial
Area total km2	907
Area total sq mi	350.2
Area land km2	467.6
Area land sq mi	180.6
Area water km2	439.4
Area water sq mi	169.7
Area metro km2	9,726.6
Area metro sq mi	3,755.2
Population as of	2008
Population total	336,644
Population metro	1,235,650(2009)
Population density km2	973
Population density sq mi	2518
Population blank1 title	Demonym
Population blank1	New Orleanian
Timezone	CST
Utc offset	-6
Timezone dst	CDT
Utc offset dst	-5
Latns	N
Coordinates	29°57′53″N90°4′14″N
Longew	W
Elevation m	-2 to 6
Elevation ft	-6.5 to 20
Postal code type
Area code	504

New Orleans ( or , locally or ; ) is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area, (New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner) has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population of 1,360,436 as of 2000.

The city is named after Philippe d' Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Regent of France, and is well known for its distinct French Creole architecture, as well as its cross cultural and multilingual heritage. New Orleans is also famous for its cuisine, music (particularly as the birthplace of jazz), and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The city is often referred to as the "most unique" city in America.

New Orleans is located in southeastern Louisiana, straddling the Mississippi River. The boundaries of the city and Orleans Parish () are coterminous. The city and parish are bounded by the parishes of St. Tammany to the north, St. Bernard to the east, Plaquemines to the south and Jefferson to the south and west. Lake Pontchartrain, part of which is included in the city limits, lies to the north and Lake Borgne lies to the east. New Orleans remained under Spanish control until 1801, when it reverted to French control. Nearly all of the surviving 18th century architecture of the Vieux Carré (French Quarter) dates from this Spanish period. (The most notable exception being the Old Ursuline Convent.) Napoleon sold the territory to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Thereafter, the city grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, Creoles, Irish, Germans and Africans. Major commodity crops of sugar and cotton were cultivated with slave labor on large plantations outside the city.

The Haitian Revolution of 1804 in what was then the French colony of St. Domingue established the second republic in the Western Hemisphere and the first led by blacks. Haitian refugees, both white and free people of color (affranchis or gens de couleur libres), arrived in New Orleans, often bringing slaves with them. While Governor Claiborne and other officials wanted to keep out more free black men, French Creoles wanted to increase the French-speaking population. As more refugees were allowed in Louisiana, Haitian émigrés who had gone to Cuba also arrived. Nearly 90 percent of the new immigrants settled in New Orleans. The 1809 migration brought 2,731 whites; 3,102 free persons of African descent; and 3,226 enslaved refugees to the city, doubling its French-speaking population. Many of these white francophones were deported by officials in Cuba in response to Bonapartist schemes in Spain.

During the last campaign of the War of 1812, the British sent a force of 11,000 soldiers in an attempt to capture New Orleans. Despite great challenges, the young Andrew Jackson successfully cobbled together a motley crew of local militia, free blacks, US Army regulars, Kentucky riflemen, and local privateers to decisively defeat the British troops, led by Sir Edward Pakenham, in the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815. The armies were unaware that the Treaty of Ghent had ended the war on December 24, 1814.

As a principal port, New Orleans played a major role during the antebellum era in the Atlantic slave trade. Its port handled huge quantities of commodities for export from the interior and imported goods from other countries, which were warehoused and then transferred in New Orleans to smaller vessels and distributed the length and breadth of the vast Mississippi River watershed. The river in front of the city was filled with steamboats, flatboats, and sailing ships. Despite its dealings with the slave trade, New Orleans at the same time had the largest and most prosperous community of free persons of color in the nation, who were often educated and middle-class property owners.

Dwarfing in population the other cities in the antebellum South, New Orleans had, consequently, the largest slave market. Two-thirds of the more than one million slaves brought to the Deep South arrived via the forced migration of the internal slave trade. The money generated by sales of slaves in the Upper South has been estimated at fifteen percent of the value of the staple crop economy. The slaves represented half a billion dollars in property, and an ancillary economy grew up around the trade in slaves for transportation, housing and clothing, fees, etc., estimated at 13.5 percent of the price per person. All of this amounted to tens of billions of dollars (2005 dollars adjusted for inflation!) during the antebellum period, with New Orleans as a prime beneficiary.

in the early 1890s.]]

According to historian Paul Lachance, “the addition of white immigrants to the white creole population enabled French-speakers to remain a majority of the white population until almost 1830. If a substantial proportion of free persons of color and slaves had not also spoken French, however, the Gallic community would have become a minority of the total population as early as 1820.” Large numbers of German and Irish immigrants began arriving at this time. The population of the city doubled in the 1830s and by 1840 New Orleans had become the wealthiest and third-most populous city in the nation.

The Union captured New Orleans early in the American Civil War, sparing the city the destruction suffered by many other cities of the American South.

In the 1850s white Francophones remained an intact and vibrant community, maintaining instruction in French in two of the city's four school districts. As the Creole elite feared, however, this changed with the Civil War; in 1862 French instruction in schools was abolished by Union general Ben Butler, and teaching of the language was forbidden in schools in 1868. By the end of the 19th century French usage in the city had faded significantly, although as late as 1945 one still encountered elderly Creole women who spoke no English.

During Reconstruction New Orleans was within the Fifth Military District of the United States. Louisiana was readmitted to the Union in 1868, and its Constitution of 1868 granted universal manhood suffrage. Due to the state's large African American population, many blacks held public office. In 1872, then-lieutenant governor P.B.S. Pinchback succeeded Henry Clay Warmouth as governor of Louisiana, becoming the first non-white governor of a U.S. state, and the last African American to lead a U.S. state until Douglas Wilder's election in Virginia, 117 years later. In New Orleans, Reconstruction was marked by the horrible Mechanics Institute race riot (1866) but also by the successful operation of a fully racially-integrated public school system. Meanwhile, the city's economy struggled to right itself after practically grinding to a halt upon the declaration of war in 1861, the nationwide Panic of 1873 conspiring to severely retard economic recovery.

Reconstruction ended in Louisiana in 1877, and white southern Democrats, the so-called Redeemers, succeeded in stripping power from the Republican Party and gradually circumscribing the only recently-acquired civil rights of African Americans. In New Orleans, the public schools were resegregated and remained so until 1960.

New Orleans' large community of well-educated, often French-speaking free persons of color (gens de couleur libres), who had not been enslaved prior to the Civil War, sought to fight back against the incipient forces of Jim Crow. As part of their ongoing campaign, they recruited one of their own, Homer Plessy, to test whether Louisiana's newly-enacted Separate Car Act was constitutional. Plessy duly boarded a commuter train departing New Orleans for Covington, Louisiana, sat in the car reserved for whites only and was arrested. The case spawned by this incident, Plessy v. Ferguson, was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896. The court, in finding that "separate but equal" accommodations were constitutional, strengthened by effectively consecrating the already-underway Jim Crow movement. The ruling was a key development in the nadir of race relations reached during this period.

Twentieth century

at Burgundy Street, looking lakewards (1900)]]

New Orleans reached its most consequential position as an economic and population center in relation to other American cities in the decades prior to 1860; as late as that year it was the nation's fifth-largest city and by far the largest in the American South. Though New Orleans continued to grow in size, from the mid-19th century onwards, first the emerging industrial and railroad hubs of the Midwest overtook the city in population, then the rapidly growing metropolises of the Pacific Coast in the decades before and after the turn of the 20th century, then other Sun Belt cities in the South and West in the post-World War II period surpassed New Orleans in population. Consequently, New Orleans has periodically mounted attempts to regain its economic vigor and pre-eminence over the past 150 years, with varying degrees of success.

By the mid-20th century, New Orleanians were observing with concern that the city was even ceding its traditional ranking as the leading urban area in the South. By 1950, Houston, Dallas and Atlanta had surpassed New Orleans in size, and 1960 witnessed Miami's eclipse of New Orleans, even as New Orleans' population was recorded as reaching its historic peak by the 1960 Census. Like most older American cities in this period, New Orleans' center city commenced losing inhabitants, though the New Orleans metropolitan area continued expanding in population - just never as rapidly as its metropolitan peers in the Sun Belt. While the port remained one of the largest in the nation, automation and containerization resulted in significant job losses. The city's relative fall in stature meant that its former role as banker and financial services provider to the South was inexorably supplanted by competing companies in its now-larger peer cities. New Orleans' economy was always more of a trade-based, commercial entrepot than manufacturing powerhouse, but the city's smallish manufacturing sector also shrank in the post-World War II period. Despite some economic development successes under the administrations of DeLesseps "Chep" Morrison (1946–1961) and Vic Schiro (1961–1970), metropolitan New Orleans' growth rate consistently lagged behind the more vigorous Sun Belt cities.

as viewed from Uptown (1991)]]

During the later years of Morrison's administration, and for the entirety of Schiro's, the city struggled to digest the ramifications of the legal enfranchisement of its sizable African-American population. New Orleans was very much at the center of the Civil Rights struggle. The SCLC was founded in the city, lunch counter sit-ins were held in Canal Street stores, and a very prominent and ugly series of confrontations occurred when the city attempted school desegregation, in 1960. That episode witnessed the first occasion of a black child attending an all-white elementary school in the South, when six year-old Ruby Bridges integrated William Frantz Elementary School in the city's Ninth Ward. The Civil Rights movement's success in realizing the desegregation of public facilities and schools, and the enfranchisement of the black voter, constituted the most significant event in New Orleans' 20th century history. Though legal equality was established by the end of the 1960s, a yawning gap in income levels and educational attainment persisted between the city's white and black communities. The effects of this gap were amplified by accelerating white flight, as the city's population grew poorer and blacker. New Orleans' political leadership, from 1980 onwards firmly in the hands of its African-American majority, struggled to narrow this gap by creating conditions conducive to the economic uplift of the black community.

New Orleans became increasingly dependent on tourism as an economic mainstay, arguably fatally so by the administrations of Sidney Barthelemy (1986–1994) and Marc Morial (1994–2002). Unimpressive levels of educational attainment, high rates of household poverty and rising crime became increasingly problematic in the later decades of the century,

New Orleans was vulnerable to flooding even before the city's footprint departed from the natural high ground near the Mississippi River. In the late 20th century, however, scientists and New Orleans residents gradually became aware of the city's increased vulnerability. In 1965, Hurricane Betsy killed dozens of residents, even though the majority of the city remained dry. The rain-induced flood of May 8, 1995 demonstrated the weakness of the pumping system. After that event, measures were undertaken to dramatically upgrade pumping capacity. By the 1980s and 90s, it was worrisomely clear that extensive, rapid and ongoing erosion of the marshlands and swamp surrounding New Orleans especially that related to the Mississippi River – Gulf Outlet Canal had left the city far more exposed to hurricane-induced catastrophic storm surges than it had ever before been in its history.

21st century

Hurricane Katrina

New Orleans was catastrophically impacted by the failure of the Federal levee system during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. By the time the hurricane approached the city at the end of August 2005, most residents had evacuated. As the hurricane passed through the Gulf Coast region, the city's federal flood protection system failed, resulting in the worst civil engineering disaster in American history. Floodwalls and levees constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers failed below design specifications and 80% of the city flooded. Tens of thousands of residents who had remained in the city were rescued or otherwise made their way to shelters of last resort at the Louisiana Superdome or the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. Over 1,500 people died in Louisiana and some are still unaccounted for. Hurricane Katrina called for the first mandatory evacuation in the city's history, the second of which came 3 years later with Hurricane Gustav.

Hurricane Rita

The city was declared off-limits to residents while efforts to clean up after Hurricane Katrina began. The approach of Hurricane Rita in September 2005 caused repopulation efforts to be postponed, and the Lower Ninth Ward was reflooded by Rita's storm surge.

Post-disaster recovery

The Census Bureau in July 2006 estimated the population of New Orleans to be 223,000; a subsequent study estimated that 32,000 additional residents had moved to the city as of March 2007, bringing the estimated population to 255,000, approximately 56% of the pre-Katrina population level. Another estimate, based on data on utility usage from July 2007, estimated the population to be approximately 274,000 or 60% of the pre-Katrina population. These estimates are somewhat smaller than a third estimate, based on mail delivery records, from the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center in June 2007, which indicated that the city had regained approximately two-thirds of its pre-Katrina population. In 2008, the Census Bureau revised upward its population estimate for the city, to 336,644. Most recently, 2010 estimates show that neighborhoods that did not flood are near 100% of their pre-Katrina populations, and in some cases, exceed 100% of their pre-Katrina populations.

Several major tourist events and other forms of revenue for the city have returned. Large conventions are being held again, such as those held by the American Library Association and American College of Cardiology. College football events such as the Bayou Classic, New Orleans Bowl, and Sugar Bowl returned for the 2006–2007 season. The New Orleans Saints returned that season as well, following speculation of a move. The New Orleans Hornets returned to the city fully for the 2007–2008 season, having partially spent the 2006–2007 season in Oklahoma City. New Orleans successfully hosted the 2008 NBA All-Star Game and the 2008 BCS National Championship Game. The city hosted the first and second rounds of the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. New Orleans and Tulane University will be hosting the Final Four Championship in 2012.

Major annual events such as Mardi Gras and the Jazz & Heritage Festival were never displaced or cancelled. Also, an entirely new annual festival, "The Running of the Bulls New Orleans," was created in 2007.

Geography

's Landsat 7]] New Orleans is located at (29.964722, −90.070556) on the banks of the Mississippi River, approximately upriver from the Gulf of Mexico. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 51.55%, is land.

The city is located in the Mississippi River Delta on the east and west banks of the Mississippi River and south of Lake Pontchartrain. The area along the river is characterized by ridges and hollows.

New Orleans was originally settled on the natural levees or high ground, along the Mississippi River. In fact, when the capital of French Louisiana was moved from Mobile, Alabama to New Orleans, the French colonial government cited New Orleans' inland location as one of the reasons for the move, as it would be less vulnerable to hurricanes. After the Flood Control Act of 1965, the United States Army Corps of Engineers built floodwalls and man-made levees around a much larger geographic footprint that included previous marshland and swamp. Whether or not this human interference has caused subsidence is a topic of debate. A study by an associate professor at Tulane University claims: beneath much of the Mississippi Delta has been highly stable for the past 8,000 years with negligible subsidence rates.}}

On the other hand, a report by the American Society of Civil Engineers claims that "New Orleans is subsiding (sinking)":

A recent study by Tulane and Xavier University notes that 51% of New Orleans is at or above sea level, with the more densely populated areas generally on higher ground. The average elevation of the city is currently between one and two feet (0.5 m) below sea level, with some portions of the city as high as at the base of the river levee in Uptown and others as low as below sea level in the farthest reaches of Eastern New Orleans.

In 2005, storm surge from Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic failure of the federally designed and built levees, flooding 80% of the city. A report by the American Society of Civil Engineers says that "had the levees and floodwalls not failed and had the pump stations operated, nearly two-thirds of the deaths would not have occurred". Since the beginning of the 20th century, it has been estimated that Louisiana has lost of coast (including many of its barrier islands), which once protected New Orleans against storm surge. Following Hurricane Katrina, the United States Army Corps of Engineers has instituted massive levee repair and hurricane protection measures to protect the city.

In 2006, Louisiana voters overwhelmingly adopted an amendment to the state's constitution to dedicate all revenues from off-shore drilling to restore Louisiana's eroding coast line. Congress has allocated $7 billion to bolster New Orleans' flood protection.

According to a study by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council, Levees and floodwalls surrounding New Orleans—no matter how large or sturdy—cannot provide absolute protection against overtopping or failure in extreme events. Levees and floodwalls should be viewed as a way to reduce risks from hurricanes and storm surges, not as measures that completely eliminate risk. For structures in hazardous areas and residents who do not relocate, the committee recommended major floodproofing measures—such as elevating the first floor of buildings to at least the 100-year flood level.

National protected areas

Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (part)

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park

Climate

|source 2 = HKO |date=August 2010 }}

The climate of New Orleans is humid subtropical (Koppen climate classification Cfa), with short, generally mild winters and hot, humid summers. In January, morning lows average around , and daily highs around . In July, lows average , and highs average . The lowest recorded temperature was on February 13, 1899. The highest recorded temperature was on August 22, 1980. The average precipitation is annually; the summer months are the wettest, while October is the driest month. Precipitation in winter usually accompanies the passing of a cold front.

Hurricanes pose a severe threat to the area, and the city is particularly at risk because of its low elevation, and because it is surrounded by water from the north, east, and south, and Louisiana's sinking coast. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, New Orleans is the nation's most vulnerable city to hurricanes. Indeed, portions of Greater New Orleans have been flooded by: Grand Isle Hurricane of 1909 , New Orleans Hurricane of 1915 , in 1956, Hurricane Betsy in 1965, Hurricane Georges in 1998, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Rita in 2005, and Hurricane Ike in 2008, with the flooding in Betsy being significant and in a few neighborhoods severe, and that in Katrina being disastrous in the majority of the city. in December 2008.]]

New Orleans experiences snowfall only on rare occasions. A small amount of snow fell during the 2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm and again on Christmas (December 25) when a combination of rain, sleet, and snow fell on the city, leaving some bridges icy. Before that, the last white Christmas was in 1964 and brought . Snow fell again on December 22, 1989, when most of the city received .

The last significant snow fall in New Orleans was on the morning of December 11, 2008.

Cityscape

running through the Central Business District of New Orleans in 2007.]] , New Orleans, in 2003, looking towards Canal Street]]

The Central Business District of New Orleans is located immediately north and west of the Mississippi River, and was historically called the "American Quarter" or "American Sector," and it includes Lafayette Square. Most streets in this area fan out from a central point in the city. Major streets of the area include Canal Street, Poydras Street, Tulane Avenue and Loyola Avenue. Canal Street functions as the street which divides the traditional "downtown" area from the "uptown" area.

Every street crossing Canal Street between the Mississippi River and Rampart Street, which is the northern edge of the French Quarter, has a different name for the "uptown" and "downtown" portions. For example, St. Charles Avenue, known for its street car line, is called Royal Street below Canal Street, though where it traverses the Central Business District between Canal and Lee Circle, it is properly called St. Charles Street. Elsewhere in the city, Canal Street serves as the dividing point between the "South" and "North" portions of various streets. In the local downtown means "downriver from Canal Street", while uptown means "upriver from Canal Street". Downtown neighborhoods include the French Quarter, Tremé, the 7th Ward, Faubourg Marigny, Bywater (the Upper Ninth Ward), and the Lower Ninth Ward. Uptown neighborhoods include the Warehouse District, the Lower Garden District, the Garden District, the Irish Channel, the University District, Carrollton, Gert Town, Fontainebleau, and Broadmoor. However, the Warehouse and the Central Business District, despite being above Canal Street, are frequently called "Downtown" as a specific region, as in the Downtown Development District.

Other major districts within the city include Bayou St. John, Mid-City, Gentilly, Lakeview, Lakefront, New Orleans East, and Algiers.

Architecture

, at 51 floors, stands as the tallest building in New Orleans and Louisiana.]] New Orleans is world-famous for its abundance of unique architectural styles which reflect the city's historical roots and multicultural heritage. Though New Orleans possesses numerous structures of national architectural significance, it is equally, if not more, revered for its enormous, largely-intact (even post-Katrina) historic built environment. Twenty National Register Historic Districts have been established, and fourteen local historic districts aid in the preservation of this tout ensemble. Thirteen of the local historic districts are administered by the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC), while one - the French Quarter - is administered by the Vieux Carre Commission (VCC). Additionally, both the National Park Service, via the National Register of Historic Places, and the HDLC have landmarked individual buildings, many of which lie outside the boundaries of existing historic districts.

Many styles of housing exist in the city, including the shotgun house (originating from New Orleans) and the bungalow style. Creole townhouses, notable for their large courtyards and intricate iron balconies, line the streets of the French Quarter. Throughout the city, there are many other historic housing styles: Creole cottages, American townhouses, double-gallery houses, and Raised Center-Hall Cottages. St. Charles Avenue is famed for its large antebellum homes. Its mansions are in various styles, such as Greek Revival, American Colonial and the Victorian styles of Queen Anne and Italianate architecture. New Orleans is also noted for its large, European-style Catholic cemeteries, which can be found throughout the city.

For much of its history, New Orleans' skyline consisted of only low- and mid-rise structures. The soft soils of New Orleans are susceptible to subsidence, and there was doubt about the feasibility of constructing large high rises in such an environment. The 1960s brought the World Trade Center New Orleans and Plaza Tower, which demonstrated that high rises could stand firm on New Orleans' soil. One Shell Square took its place as the city's tallest building in 1972. The oil boom of the early 1980s redefined New Orleans' skyline again with the development of the Poydras Street corridor. Today, New Orleans' high rises are clustered along Canal Street and Poydras Street in the Central Business District.

Culture and contemporary life

Tourism

New Orleans has many major attractions, from the world-renowned French Quarter and Bourbon Street's notorious nightlife to St. Charles Avenue (home of Tulane and Loyola Universities, the historic Pontchartrain Hotel, and many 19th century mansions), to Magazine Street, with its many boutique stores and antique shops.

, 2002]]

According to current travel guides, New Orleans is one of the top ten most visited cities in the United States; 10.1 million visitors came to New Orleans in 2004, and the city was on pace to break that level of visitation in 2005. Prior to Katrina, there were 265 hotels with 38,338 rooms in the Greater New Orleans Area. In May 2007, there were over 140 hotels and motels in operation with over 31,000 rooms.

A 2009 Travel + Leisure poll of "America's Favorite Cities" ranked New Orleans first in ten categories, the most first-place rankings of the 30 cities included. According to the poll, New Orleans is the best U.S. city as a spring break destination and for "wild weekends," stylish boutique hotels, cocktail hours, singles/bar scenes, live music/conerts and bands, antique and vintage shops, cafés/coffee bars, neighborhood restaurants, and people-watching. The city also ranked second for gay friendliness (behind San Francisco, California), friendliness (behind Charleston, South Carolina), bed and bath hotels and inns, and ethnic food. However the city was voted last in terms of active residents and near the bottom in cleanliness, safety, and as a family destination.

The French Quarter (known locally as "the Quarter" or Vieux Carré), which dates from the French and Spanish eras and is bounded by the Mississippi River, Rampart Street, Canal Street, and Esplanade Avenue, contains many popular hotels, bars, and nightclubs. Notable tourist attractions in the Quarter include Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market (including Café du Monde, famous for café au lait and beignets) and Preservation Hall. To tour the port, one can ride the Natchez, an authentic steamboat with a calliope, which cruises the Mississippi the length of the city twice daily. The city's many beautiful cemeteries and their distinct above-ground tombs are often attractions in themselves, the oldest and most famous of which, Saint Louis Cemetery, greatly resembles Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

Also located in the French Quarter is the old New Orleans Mint, a former branch of the United States Mint, which now operates as a museum, and The Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum and research center housing art and artifacts relating to the history of New Orleans and the Gulf South. The National World War II Museum, opened in the Warehouse District in 2000 as the "National D-Day Museum", is dedicated to providing information and materials related to the Invasion of Normandy. Nearby, Confederate Memorial Hall, the oldest continually operating museum in Louisiana (although under renovation since Katrina), contains the second-largest collection of Confederate memorabilia in the world. Art museums in the city include the Contemporary Arts Center, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) in City Park, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

New Orleans also boasts a decidedly natural side. It is home to the Audubon Nature Institute (which consists of Audubon Park, the Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium of the Americas, and the Audubon Insectarium), as well as gardens that include Longue Vue House and Gardens and the New Orleans Botanical Garden. City Park, one of the country's most expansive and visited urban parks, has one of the largest (if not the largest) stands of oak trees in the world.

There are also various points of interest in the surrounding areas. Many wetlands are in close proximity to the city, including Honey Island Swamp. Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery, located just south of the city, is the site of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans.

Entertainment and performing arts

.]] on the streets of New Orleans.]] The New Orleans area is home to numerous celebrations, the most popular of which is Carnival, often referred to as Mardi Gras. Carnival officially begins on the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as the "Twelfth Night". Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday"), the final and grandest day of festivities, is the last Tuesday before the Catholic liturgical season of Lent, which commences on Ash Wednesday.

The largest of the city's many music festivals is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Commonly referred to simply as "Jazz Fest", it is one of the largest music festivals in the nation, featuring crowds of people from all over the world, coming to experience music, food, arts, and crafts. Despite the name, it features not only jazz but a large variety of music, including both native Louisiana music and international artists. Along with Jazz Fest, New Orleans' Voodoo Experience ("Voodoo Fest") and the Essence Music Festival are both large music festivals featuring local and international artists.

Other major festivals held in the city include Southern Decadence, the French Quarter Festival, and the Tennessee Williams/ New Orleans Literary Festival.

In 2002, Louisiana began offering tax incentives for film and television production. This led to a substantial increase in the number of films shot in the New Orleans area and brought the nickname "Hollywood South." Films which have been filmed or produced in and around New Orleans include: Ray, Runaway Jury, The Pelican Brief, Glory Road, All the King's Men, Déjà Vu, Last Holiday, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and numerous others. In 2006, work began on the Louisiana Film & Television studio complex, based in the Treme neighborhood. Louisiana began to offer similar tax incentives for music and theater productions in 2007, leading many to begin referring to New Orleans as "Broadway South."

, famous New Orleans jazz musician]] New Orleans has always been a significant center for music, showcasing its intertwined European, Latin American, and African cultures. New Orleans' unique musical heritage was born in its pre-American and early American days from a unique blending of European instruments with African rhythms. As the only North American city to allow slaves to gather in public and play their native music (largely in Congo Square, now located within Louis Armstrong Park), New Orleans gave birth to an indigenous music: jazz. Soon, brass bands formed, gaining popular attraction that still holds today. The city's music was later significantly influenced by Acadiana, home of Cajun and Zydeco music, and Delta blues.

New Orleans' unique musical culture is further evident in its funerals. A spin on the tradition of military brass band funerals, traditional New Orleans funerals feature sad music (mostly dirges and hymns) on the way to the cemetery and happier music (hot jazz) on the way back. Such traditional musical funerals still take place when a local musician, a member of a club, krewe, or benevolent society, or a noted dignitary has passed. Until the 1990s, most locals preferred to call these "funerals with music", but visitors to the city have long dubbed them "jazz funerals".

Much later in its musical development, New Orleans was home to a distinctive brand of rhythm and blues that contributed greatly to the growth of rock and roll. An example of the New Orleans' sound in the 1960s is the #1 US hit "Chapel of Love" by the Dixie Cups, a song which knocked The Beatles out of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. New Orleans became a hotbed for funk music in the 1960s and 1970s, and by the late 1980s, it had developed its own localized variant of hip hop, called bounce music. While never commercially successful outside of the Deep South, it remained immensely popular in the poorer neighborhoods of the city throughout the 1990s.

A cousin of bounce, New Orleans hip hop has seen commercial success locally and internationally, producing Lil Wayne, Master P, Birdman, Juvenile, Cash Money Records, and No Limit Records. Additionally, the wave of popularity of cowpunk, a fast form of southern rock, originated with the help of several local bands, such as The Radiators, Better Than Ezra, Cowboy Mouth, and Dash Rip Rock. Throughout the 1990s, many sludge metal bands started in the area. New Orleans' heavy metal bands like Eyehategod, Soilent Green, Crowbar, and Down have incorporated styles such as hardcore punk, doom metal, and southern rock to create an original and heady brew of swampy and aggravated metal that has largely avoided standardization. Also in wide circulation is the Clarion Herald, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Greater New Orleans is the 54th largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the U.S., serving 566,960 homes. Major television network affiliates serving the area include:

4 WWL (CBS)

6 WDSU (NBC)

8 WVUE (Fox)

12 WYES (PBS)

20 WHNO (LeSEA)

26 WGNO (ABC)

32 WLAE (PBS)

38 WNOL (The CW)

42 KGLA (Telemundo)

49 WPXL (ION)

54 WUPL (MyNetworkTV)

Two radio stations that were influential in promoting New Orleans-based bands and singers were 50,000-watt WNOE-AM (1060) and 10,000-watt WTIX-AM (690). These two stations competed head-to-head from the late 1950s to the late 1970s.

WWOZ, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station, broadcasts, 24 hours per day, modern and traditional jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, brass band, gospel, cajun, zydeco, Caribbean, Latin, Brazilian, African, bluegrass, and Irish at 90.7 FM and at www.wwoz.org.

WTUL, a local college radio station (Tulane University), broadcasts a wide array of programming, including 20th century classical, reggae, jazz, showtunes, indie rock, electronic music, soul/funk, goth, punk, hip hop, New Orleans music, opera, folk, hardcore, Americana, country, blues, Latin, cheese, techno, local, world, ska, swing and big band, kids shows, and even news programming from DemocracyNow. WTUL is listener supported and non-commercial. The disc jockeys are volunteers, many of them college students.

Louisiana's film and television tax credits have spurred some growth in the television industry, although to a lesser degree than in the film industry. Many films and advertisements have in part or whole been filmed in the city, as have television programs such as in 2000, and in 2009 and 2010.

Food

, a landmark New Orleans beignet cafe established in 1862.]] New Orleans is world-famous for its food. The indigenous cuisine is distinctive and influential. From centuries of amalgamation of the local Creole, haute Creole, and New Orleans French cuisines, New Orleans food has developed. Local ingredients, French, Spanish, Italian, African, Native American, Cajun, and a hint of Cuban traditions combine to produce a truly unique and easily recognizable Louisiana flavor.

Unique specialties include beignets (locally pronounced like "ben-yays"), square-shaped fried pastries that could be called "French doughnuts" (served with café au lait made with a blend of coffee and chicory rather than only coffee); Po' boy and Italian Muffuletta sandwiches; Gulf oysters on the half-shell, fried oysters, boiled crawfish, and other seafood; étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, and other Creole dishes; and the Monday favorite of red beans and rice. (Louis Armstrong often signed his letters, "Red beans and ricely yours".) Another New Orleans specialty is the Praline (), a candy made with brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream, butter, and pecans.

Dialect

New Orleans has developed a distinctive local dialect of American English over the years that is neither Cajun nor the stereotypical Southern accent, so often misportrayed by film and television actors. It does, like earlier Southern Englishes, feature frequent deletion of the post-vocalic "r". This dialect is quite similar to New York City area accents such as "Brooklynese", to people unfamiliar with either ,. There are many theories regarding how it came to be, but it likely resulted from New Orleans' geographic isolation by water and the fact that the city was a major immigration port throughout the 19th century. As a result, many of the ethnic groups who reside in Brooklyn also reside in New Orleans, such as the Irish, Italians (especially Sicilians), and Germans, among others, as well as a very sizable Jewish community.

One of the strongest varieties of the New Orleans accent is sometimes identified as the Yat dialect, from the greeting "Where y'at?" This distinctive accent is dying out generation by generation in the city itself, but remains very strong in the surrounding parishes.

Less visibly, various ethnic groups throughout the area have retained their distinctive language traditions to this day. Although rare, Kreyol Lwiziyen is still spoken by the Creoles. Also rare, an archaic Louisiana-Canarian Spanish dialect is spoken by the Isleño people, but it can usually only be heard by older members of the population.

Sports

is often a symbol of New Orleans and its sports teams.]]

New Orleans' professional sports teams include the 2009 Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (NFL), the New Orleans Hornets (NBA), the New Orleans Zephyrs (PCL), and returning for the 2011 season, the New Orleans VooDoo (AFL). It is also home to the Big Easy Rollergirls, an all-female flat track roller derby team, and the New Orleans Blaze, a women's football team. A local group of investors began conducting a study in 2007 to see if the city could support a Major League Soccer team.

The Louisiana Superdome is the home of the Saints, the Sugar Bowl, and other prominent events. It has hosted the Super Bowl a record six times (1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002) and will host again in 2013. The New Orleans Arena is the home of the Hornets, VooDoo, and many events that are not large enough to need the Superdome. New Orleans is also home to the Fair Grounds Race Course, the nation's third-oldest thoroughbred track. The city's Lakefront Arena has also been home to sporting events.

Each year New Orleans plays host to the Sugar Bowl, the New Orleans Bowl and the Zurich Classic, a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. In addition, it has often hosted major sporting events that have no permanent home, such as the Super Bowl, ArenaBowl, NBA All-Star Game, BCS National Championship Game, and the NCAA Final Four. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon and the Crescent City Classic are two road running events held annually in the city.

Economy

on the Mississippi River in New Orleans]] near New Orleans]] New Orleans is home to one of the largest and busiest ports in the world, and metropolitan New Orleans is a center of maritime industry. The New Orleans region also accounts for a significant portion of the nation's oil refining and petrochemical production, and serves as a white collar corporate base for onshore and offshore petroleum and natural gas production. New Orleans is a center for higher learning, with over 50,000 students enrolled in the region's eleven two- and four-year degree granting institutions. A top 50 research university, Tulane University, is located in New Orleans' Uptown neighborhood. Metropolitan New Orleans is a major regional hub for the health care industry and boasts a small, globally-competitive manufacturing sector. The center city possesses a rapidly growing, entrepreneurial creative industries sector, and is, of course, renowned for its cultural tourism. Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) acts as the first point-of-contact for regional economic development and is slotted between Louisiana's Department of Economic Development and the various parochial business development agencies.

New Orleans came into being to act as a strategically-located trading entrepot, and it remains, above all, a crucial transportation hub and distribution center for waterborne commerce. The Port of New Orleans is the 5th-largest port in the United States based on volume of cargo handled, second-largest in the state after the Port of South Louisiana, and 12th-largest in the U.S., based on value of cargo. The Port of South Louisiana, also based in the New Orleans area, is the world's busiest in terms of bulk tonnage and, when combined with the Port of New Orleans, it forms the 4th-largest port system in volume handled. Many shipbuilding, shipping, logistics, freight forwarding and commodity brokerage firms either call metropolitan New Orleans home or maintain a large local presence. Examples include Intermarine, Bisso Towboat, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Trinity Yachts, Expeditors International, Bollinger Shipyards, IMTT, International Coffee Corp, Boasso America, Transoceanic Shipping, Transportation Consultants Inc., Dupuy Storage & Forwarding and Silocaf. The largest coffee-roasting plant in the world, operated by Folgers, is located in New Orleans East.

Like Houston, New Orleans is located in proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and the many oil rigs that lie just offshore. Louisiana ranks fifth in oil production and eighth in reserves in the United States. It is also home to two of the four Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) storage facilities: West Hackberry in Cameron Parish and Bayou Choctaw in Iberville Parish. Other infrastructure includes 17 petroleum refineries with a combined crude oil distillation capacity of nearly , the second highest in the nation after Texas. Louisiana's numerous ports include the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), which is capable of receiving ultra large oil tankers. Given the quantity of oil importing, Louisiana is home to many major pipelines supplying the nation: Crude Oil (Exxon, Chevron, BP, Texaco, Shell, Scurloch-Permian, Mid-Valley, Calumet, Conoco, Koch Industries, Unocal, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Locap); Product (TEPPCO Partners, Colonial, Plantation, Explorer, Texaco, Collins); and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Dixie, TEPPCO, Black Lake, Koch, Chevron, Dynegy, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, Dow Chemical Company, Bridgeline, FMP, Tejas, Texaco, UTP). Several major energy companies have regional headquarters in the city or its suburbs, including Royal Dutch Shell, Eni and Chevron. Numerous other energy producers and oilfield services companies are also headquartered in the city or region, and the sector supports a large professional services base of specialized engineering and design firms, as well as an office for the federal government's Minerals Management Service.

The city is the home to a single Fortune 500 company: Entergy, a power generation utility and nuclear powerplant operations specialist. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the city lost its other Fortune 500 company, Freeport-McMoRan, when it merged its copper and gold exploration unit with an Arizona company and relocated that division to Phoenix, Arizona. Its McMoRan Exploration affiliate remains headquartered in New Orleans. Other companies either headquartered or with significant operations in New Orleans include: Pan American Life Insurance, Pool Corp, Rolls-Royce, Newpark Resources, AT&T;, TurboSquid, iSeatz, IBM, Navtech, Superior Energy Services, Textron Marine & Land Systems, McDermott International, Pellerin Milnor, Lockheed Martin, Imperial Trading, Laitram, Harrah's Entertainment, Stewart Enterprises, Edison Chouest Offshore, Zatarain's, Waldemar S. Nelson & Co., Whitney National Bank, Capital One, Tidewater Marine, Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, Parsons Brinckerhoff, MWH Global, CH2M HILL, Energy Partners Ltd. and The Receivables Exchange.

Tourism is another staple of the city's economy. Perhaps more visible than any other sector, New Orleans' tourist and convention industry is a $5.5 billion juggernaut that accounts for 40 percent of New Orleans' tax revenues. In 2004, the hospitality industry employed 85,000 people, making it New Orleans' top economic sector as measured by employment totals.

The federal government has a significant presence in the area. NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility is located in New Orleans East and is operated by Lockheed Martin. It is a large manufacturing facility where the external fuel tanks for the space shuttles are produced. The Michoud facility lies within the enormous New Orleans Regional Business Park, also home to the National Finance Center, operated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Crescent Crown distribution center. Other large governmental installations include the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Command, located within the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Park in Gentilly, NAS New Orleans, the future headquarters for the Marine Force Reserves, slated for Federal City in Algiers and the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Top Employers

According to the City's 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 484,674 people, 188,251 households, and 112,950 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 215,091 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 67.25% African American, 28.05% White, 0.20% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. 3.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The last population estimate before Hurricane Katrina was 454,865, as of July 1, 2005. A population analysis released in August 2007 estimated the population to be 273,000, 60% of the pre-Katrina population and an increase of about 50,000 since July 2006. A September 2007 report by The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, which tracks population based on U.S. Postal Service figures, found that in August 2007, just over 137,000 households received mail. That compares with about 198,000 households in July 2005, representing about 70% of pre-Katrina population. More recently, the Census Bureau revised upward its 2008 population estimate for the city, to 336,644 inhabitants. Janet Murguía, president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza, stated that there could be up to 120,000 Hispanic workers in New Orleans. In June 2007, one study stated that the Hispanic population had risen from 15,000, pre-Katrina, to over 50,000.

A recent article released by The Times-Picayune indicated that the metropolitan area had undergone a recent influx of 5,300 households in the later half of 2008, bringing the population to around 469,605 households or 88.1% of its pre-Katrina levels. While the area's population has been on an upward trajectory since the storm, much of that growth was attributed to residents returning after Katrina. Many observers predicted that growth would taper off, but the data center's analysis suggests that New Orleans and the surrounding parishes are benefiting from an economic migration resulting from the global financial crisis of 2008–2009.

Religion

is a symbol of New Orleans.]] New Orleans is notably absent from the Protestant Bible Belt that dominates religion in the Southern United States. In New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast area, the predominant religion is Catholicism. Within the Archdiocese of New Orleans (which includes not only the city but the surrounding Parishes as well), 35.9% percent of the population is Roman Catholic. The influence of Catholicism is reflected in many of the city's French and Spanish cultural traditions, including its many parochial schools, street names, architecture, and festivals, including Mardi Gras.

New Orleans also famously has a presence of its distinctive variety of Louisiana Voodoo, due in part to syncretism with Roman Catholic beliefs, the fame of voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau, and New Orleans' distinctly Caribbean cultural influences. Although the exotic image of Voodoo within the city has been highly promoted by the tourism industry, there are only a small number of serious adherents to the religion.

New Orleans' pre-Katrina population of 10,000 Jews has now dropped to 7,000. In the wake of Katrina, all New Orleans synagogues lost members, but were able to re-open in their original locations, except for Congregation Beth Israel, the oldest and most prominent Orthodox synagogue in the New Orleans region. Beth Israel's building in Lakeview was destroyed by flooding, and it is currently in temporary quarters in Metairie.

Government

New Orleans has a mayor-council government. The city council consists of seven council members, who are elected by district and two at-large councilmembers. The current mayor, Mitch Landrieu, was elected on February 6, 2010 and assumed office on May 3, 2010. The Orleans Parish Civil Sheriff's Office serves papers involving lawsuits and provides security for the Civil District Court and Juvenile Courts. The Criminal Sheriff, Marlin Gusman, maintains the parish prison system, provides security for the Criminal District Court, and provides backup for the New Orleans Police Department on an as-needed basis.

The city of New Orleans and the parish of Orleans operate as a merged city-parish government. Before the city of New Orleans became co-extensive with Orleans Parish, Orleans Parish was home to numerous smaller communities. The original city of New Orleans was composed of what are now the 1st through 9th wards. The city of Lafayette (including the Garden District) was added in 1852 as the 10th and 11th wards. In 1870, Jefferson City, including Faubourg Bouligny and much of the Audubon and University areas, was annexed as the 12th, 13th, and 14th wards. Algiers, on the west bank of the Mississippi, was also annexed in 1870, becoming the 15th ward. Four years later, Orleans Parish became coextensive with the city of New Orleans, when the city of Carrollton was annexed as the 16th and 17th wards.

New Orleans' government is now largely centralized in the city council and mayor's office, but it maintains a number of relics from earlier systems when various sections of the city ran much of their affairs separately. For example, New Orleans has seven elected tax assessors, each with their own staff, representing various districts of the city, rather than one centralized office. A constitutional amendment passed on November 7, 2006, will consolidate the seven assessors into one by 2010. On February 18, 2010, Errol Williams was elected as the first city-wide assessor. The New Orleans government operates both a fire department and the New Orleans Emergency Medical Services.

Federal representation

The United States Postal Service operates post offices in New Orleans. The New Orleans Main Post Office is at 701 Loyola Avenue in the Central Business District.

Crime and safety

Crime has been recognized as an ongoing problem for New Orleans, although the issue is outside the view of most visitors to the city: as in other cities in the United States of comparable size, the incidence of homicide and other violent crimes is highly concentrated in certain impoverished neighborhoods, such as housing projects.

Across New Orleans, homicides peaked in 1994 at 86 murders per 100,000 residents. By 2009, despite a 17% decrease in violent crime in the city, the homicide rate remained among the highest in the United States, at between 55 and 64 per 100,000 residents.

The violent crime rate was also a key issue in the city's 2010 mayoral race. In January 2007, several thousand New Orleans residents marched through city streets and gathered at City Hall for a rally demanding police and city leaders tackle the crime problem. Mayor Ray Nagin said he was "totally and solely focused" on addressing the problem. Later, the city implemented checkpoints during late night hours in problem areas.

Education

Schools

New Orleans Public Schools (NOPS) is the name given to the city's public school system. Pre-Katrina, NOPS was one of the area's largest systems (along with the Jefferson Parish public school system). In the years leading up to Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans public school system was widely recognized as the lowest performing school district in Louisiana. According to researchers Carl L. Bankston and Stephen J. Caldas, only 12 of the 103 public schools within the city limits of New Orleans showed reasonably good performance at the beginning of the 21st century.

Following Hurricane Katrina, the state of Louisiana took over most of the schools within the system (all schools that fell into a nominal "worst-performing" metric); many of these schools, in addition to others that were not subject to state takeover, were subsequently granted operating charters giving them administrative independence from the Orleans Parish School Board, the Recovery School District and/or the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Presently, the majority of public school students in the NOPS system attend these independent public charter schools, the highest percentage in the nation.

The last few years have witnessed significant and sustained gains in student achievement, as outside operators like KIPP, the Algiers Charter School Network, and the Capital One - University of New Orleans Charter School Network have assumed control of dozens of schools. The most recent release of annual school performance scores (October 2009) demonstrated continued growth in the academic performance of New Orleans' public schools. If the scores of all public schools in New Orleans (Orleans Parish School Board-chartered, Recovery School District-chartered, Recovery School District-operated, etc.) are considered, an overall school district performance score of 70.6 results. This score represents a 6% increase over an equivalent 2008 metric, and a 24% improvement when measured against an equivalent pre-Katrina (2004) metric, when a district score of 56.9 was posted. Notably, this score of 70.6 approaches the score (78.4) posted in 2009 by the adjacent, suburban Jefferson Parish public school system, though that system's performance score is itself below the state average of 91.

In addition to a number of nationally-respected private secular schools, the Greater New Orleans area has approximately 200 parochial schools, the vast majority run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. The prevalence of decent-quality, affordable parochial school education has historically been both a cause and a consequence of metropolitan New Orleans' comparatively mediocre public school systems. Because so many middle class students have been enrolled in Catholic schools, middle class support for quality public education has long been comparatively weak. At the same time, the historically middling-to-poor quality of the region's public school systems, especially NOPS, has for years prompted middle class families to educate their children in private or parochial schools.

This longstanding pattern is changing, however, as the NOPS system is engaged in the most promising and far-reaching public school reforms in the nation, reforms aimed at decentralizing power away from the pre-Katrina school board central bureaucracy to individual school principals and independent public charter school boards, monitoring charter school performance by granting renewable, five-year operating contracts permitting the closure of those not succeeding, and vesting choice in parents of public schools students, allowing them to enroll their children in almost any school in the district.

Colleges and universities

.]] A large number of institutions of higher education exist within the city, including Tulane University and Loyola University New Orleans, the city's major private universities. These universities also administer the city's three professional schools, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University Law School and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. The University of New Orleans is a large public research university in the city. Dillard University, Southern University at New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana are among some of the leading historically black colleges and universities in the United States (Xavier being the only predominantly black Catholic university in the U.S.) Louisiana State University School of Medicine is the state's flagship public university medical school, which also conducts research. Our Lady of Holy Cross College, Notre Dame Seminary and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary are several smaller religiously affiliated universities. Other notable schools include Delgado Community College, the William Carey College School of Nursing, the Culinary Institute of New Orleans, Herzing College, and Commonwealth University.

Libraries

There are numerous academic and public libraries and archives in New Orleans, including Monroe Library at Loyola University, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University, the Law Library of Louisiana, and the Earl K. Long Library at the University of New Orleans.

The New Orleans Public Library includes 13 locations, most of which were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. However, only four libraries remained closed in 2007. The main library includes a Louisiana Division housing city archives and special collections.

Other research archives are located at the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Old U.S. Mint.

An independently operated lending library called Iron Rail Book Collective specializes in radical and hard-to-find books. The library contains over 8,000 titles and is open to the public. It was the first library in the city to re-open after Hurricane Katrina.

The Louisiana Historical Association was founded in New Orleans in 1889. It operated first at Howard Memorial Library. Then its own Memorial Hall was added to Howard Library. The design for the new building was undertaken by the New Orleans architect Thomas Sully.

Transportation

Streetcars

traveling down Canal Street]]

New Orleans has three active streetcar lines. The St. Charles line is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in America and each car is a historic landmark. The Riverfront line runs parallel to the river from Esplanade Street through the French Quarter to Canal Street to the Convention Center above Julia Street in the Arts District. The Canal Street line uses the Riverfront line tracks from the intersection of Canal Street and Poydras Street, down Canal Street, then branches off and ends at the cemeteries at City Park Avenue, with a spur running from the intersection of Canal and Carrollton Avenue to the entrance of City Park at Esplanade, near the entrance to the New Orleans Museum of Art.

The city's streetcars were also featured in the Tennessee Williams play, A Streetcar Named Desire. The streetcar line to Desire Street became a bus line in 1948. There are proposals to revive a Desire streetcar line, running along the neutral grounds of North Rampart and St. Claude, as far downriver as Poland Avenue, near the Industrial Canal.

Hurricane Katrina destroyed the power lines supplying the St. Charles Avenue line. The associated levee failures flooded the Mid-City facility storing the red streetcars which normally run on the Riverfront and Canal Street lines. Restoration of service has been gradual, with vintage St. Charles line cars running on the Riverfront and Canal lines until the more modern Czech-built red cars are back in service; they are being individually restored at the RTA's facility in the Carrollton neighborhood. On December 23, 2007, streetcars were restored to running on the St. Charles line up to Carrolton Avenue. The much-anticipated re-opening of the second portion of the historic route, which continues until the intersection of Carrolton Avenue and Claiborne Avenue, was commemorated on June 28, 2008.

Bicycling

The City's flat landscape, simple street grid, and mild winters, facilitate bicycle ridership, helping to make New Orleans 8th among U.S. cities in its rate of bicycle and pedestrian transportation, and 6th in terms of the percentage of bicycling commuters. Also, the City's bicyclists benefit from being located at the start of the Mississippi River Trail, a bicycle path that stretches from the City's Audubon Park to Minnesota. The first of the path, through Destrehan, Louisiana, is paved with a smooth macadam surface. Bicyclists looking to cross the River have free access to the City's ferries. Since the 2005 levee-breach, the City has actively sought to promote bicycling by constructing a $1.5 million bike trail from Mid-City to Lake Pontchartrain, and by adding over of bicycle lanes to various streets, including St. Charles Avenue. In 2009, Tulane University contributed to these efforts by converting the main street through its Uptown campus, McAlister Place, into a pedestrian mall opened to bicycle traffic. In 2010, work began to add a 3.1-mile (5 km) bicycle corridor from the French Quarter to Lakeview, and 14 miles (23 km) of additional bike lanes on existing streets. New Orleans has also been recognized as a place with an abundance of uniquely decorated and uniquely designed bicycles.

Buses

Public transportation in the city is operated by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority ("RTA"). There are many bus routes connecting the city and suburban areas. The RTA lost 200+ buses due to Hurricane Katrina, this would mean that there would be a 30-60 minute waiting period for the next bus to come to the bus stop, and the streetcars took until 2008 to return, so the RTA placed an order for 38 Orion VII Next Generation clean diesel buses, which arrived in July 2008. The RTA has these new buses running on biodiesel. The Jefferson Parish Department of Transit Administration operates Jefferson Transit, which provides service between the city and its suburbs.

Roads

New Orleans proper is served by Interstate 10, Interstate 610 and Interstate 510. I-10 travels east-west through the city as the Pontchartrain Expressway. In the far eastern part of the city, New Orleans East, it is known as the Eastern Expressway. I-610 provides a direct shortcut for traffic passing through New Orleans via I-10, allowing that traffic to bypass I-10's southward curve. In the future, New Orleans will have another interstate highway, Interstate 49, which will be extended from its current terminus in Lafayette to the city.

In addition to the interstate highways, U.S. 90 travels through the city, while U.S. 61 terminates in the city's downtown center. In addition, U.S. 11 terminates in the eastern portion of the city.

New Orleans is home to many bridges, the tolled Crescent City Connection is perhaps the most notable. It serves as New Orleans' major bridge across the Mississippi River, providing a connection between the city's downtown on the eastbank and its westbank suburbs. Other bridges that cross the Mississippi River in the New Orleans area are the Huey P. Long Bridge, over which U.S. 90 travels, and the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge, which carries Interstate 310.

The Twin Span Bridge, a five-mile (8 km) causeway in eastern New Orleans, carries I-10 across Lake Pontchartrain. Also in eastern New Orleans, Interstate 510/LA 47 travels across the Intracoastal Waterway/Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal via the Paris Road Bridge, connecting New Orleans East and suburban Chalmette.

The tolled Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, consisting of two parallel bridges are, at long, the longest bridges in the world. Built in the 1950s (southbound span) and 1960s (northbound span), the bridges connect New Orleans with its suburbs on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain via Metairie.

Airports

The metropolitan area is served by the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, located in the suburb of Kenner. New Orleans also has several regional airports located throughout the metropolitan area. These include the Lakefront Airport, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans (locally known as Callendar Field) in the suburb of Belle Chasse and "Southern Seaplane", also located in Belle Chasse. Southern Seaplane has a runway for wheeled planes and a water runway for seaplanes. New Orleans International suffered some damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina, but as of April 2007, it contained the most traffic and is the busiest airport in the state of Louisiana and the sixth busiest in the Southeast.

Rail

The city is served by rail via Amtrak. The New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal is the central rail depot, and is served by three trains: the Crescent, operating between New Orleans and New York City; the City of New Orleans, operating between New Orleans and Chicago; and the Sunset Limited, operating through New Orleans between Orlando and Los Angeles. From late August 2005 to the present, the Sunset Limited has remained officially a Orlando-to-Los Angeles train, being considered temporarily truncated due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina. At first (until late October 2005) it was truncated to a San Antonio-to-Los Angeles service; since then (from late October 2005 on) it has been truncated to a New Orleans-to-Los Angeles service. As time has passed, particularly since the January 2006 completion of the rebuilding of damaged tracks east of New Orleans by their owner, CSX Transportation, the obstacles to restoration of the Sunset Limited's full route have been more managerial and political than physical.

]]

With the strategic benefits of both a major international port and one of the few double-track Mississippi River crossings, the city is served by six of the seven Class I railroads in North America: Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway, Kansas City Southern Railway, CSX Transportation and Canadian National Railway. The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad provides interchange services between the railroads.

Recently, many have proposed extending New Orleans' public transit system by adding light rail routes from downtown, along Airline Highway through the airport to Baton Rouge and from downtown to Slidell and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Proponents of this idea claim that these new routes would boost the region's economy, which has been badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina, and serve as an evacuation option for hospital patients out of the city.

Algiers Ferry

The Canal Street Ferry connects the heart of New Orleans with the neighborhood of Algiers Point on the other side of the Mississippi River, and also services Gretna, Louisiana through a separate route.

Caracas, Venezuela Durban, South Africa Innsbruck, Austria Juan-les-Pins, France Maracaibo, Venezuela Matsue, Shimane, Japan Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Nicknames

The city's several nicknames are illustrative: Crescent City alludes to the course of the Lower Mississippi River around and through the city. The Big Easy was possibly a reference by musicians in the early 20th century to the relative ease of finding work there. It also may have originated in the Prohibition era, when the city was considered one big speak-easy due to the inability of the federal government to control alcohol sales in open violation of the 18th Amendment. The term was used by local columnist Betty Gillaud in the 1970s to contrast life in the city to that of New York City. The name also refers to New Orleans' status as a major city, at one time "one of the cheapest places in America to live." The City that Care Forgot has been used since at least 1938, and refers to the outwardly easy-going, carefree nature of many of the residents.

America's Most Interesting City appears on welcome signs at the city limits.

Hollywood South is a reference to the large number of films, big and small, shot in the city since 2002. Since 2005 the nickname has also frequently been applied to Shreveport, in northwestern Louisiana, which became an important location for movie and television production after Hurricane Katrina displaced shooting in New Orleans.

The Northernmost Caribbean City is a reference from The Boston Globe, as well as other travel guides due in part to the similarities of culture with the Caribbean islands.

See also

Hurricane on the Bayou (film)

Île d'Orléans, Louisiana

List of National Historic Landmarks in Louisiana

List of people from New Orleans, Louisiana

Mississippi Suite, the fourth movement is an orchestral portrayal of Mardi Gras of the streets of the French Quarter

New Orleans in fiction

Orléans, France

USS Orleans Parish (LST-1069)

References

External links

Official Website of the City of New Orleans

Official Tourism Website of the City of New Orleans

New Orleans travel guide by Wikitravel

History of New Orleans

New Orleans Collection, 1770–1904 from the New-York Historical Society

New Orleans PodCasting – Listen to the voices that are rebuilding New Orleans

A sampling of New Orleans music including jazz, R&B;, rock and roll, funk, and brass band

New Orleans Cemeteries aka "The Cities of the Dead"

Army Corps of Engineers' New Orleans Risk and Reliability Report – Interactive map showing flood risk

Geology and Hurricane-Protection Strategies in the Greater New Orleans Area Louisiana Geological Survey publication on geology of New Orleans

Live Emergency Scanner Feeds Online

Who's Killing New Orleans? - City Journal

New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival

Category:Populated places established in 1718 Louisiana Category:Greater New Orleans Category:Cities in Louisiana Category:Port settlements in the United States Category:Populated places in Louisiana with African American majority populations Category:Parish seats in Louisiana Category:Dry areas below sea level Category:Polders Category:Populated places on the Mississippi River Category:Louisiana parishes on the Mississippi River

Name	Johnny Horton
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	John Gale Horton
Alias	The Singing Fisherman
Born	April 03, 1925
Died	November 05, 1960 Milano, Texas, United States
Origin	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre	Country music, Folk music, Rockabilly
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1950–1960
Notable instruments	Guitar

John Gale "Johnny" Horton (April 3, 1925–November 5, 1960), was an American country music singer who was most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which launched the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s. With them, he had several major crossover hits, most notably in 1959 with "The Battle of New Orleans" which won the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. The song won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award and in 2001 ranked No. 333 of the RIAA's "Songs of the Century". In 1960, Horton had two other crossover hits with "North to Alaska", in John Wayne's hit film, North to Alaska; and "Sink the Bismarck". Horton was also a rockabilly singer, and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Biography

Early life

Horton was born in Los Angeles to John and Claudia Horton, the youngest of five siblings but raised in the town of Rusk in East Texas. His family trekked back and forth from California often as migrant fruit pickers. They often returned to the Rusk/Gallatin area in Texas. After graduation from Gallatin High School in 1944, he attended the Methodist-affiliated Lon Morris College (then called Lon Morris Junior College) in Jacksonville, Texas, on a basketball scholarship. He later attended Seattle University and also briefly attended Baylor University, although he did not graduate from any of these institutionns.

Thereafter, he worked in California and Alaska. He returned to Texas and won a talent contest hosted by then-radio announcer Jim Reeves at the Reo Palm Isle club in Longview, the seat of Gregg County, and soon starred in the popular Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport. He remained a Hayride member until his death.

After graduating in 1944, he went to Lon Morris Junior College in Jacksonville, Texas on a basketball scholarship. Johnny soon went back to California where he found work in the mail room of Hollywood's Selznick Studio. It was here that he met his future wife, secretary Donna Cook.

Johnny and elder brother Frank briefly pursued the study of geology at Seattle in 1948 but both dropped out after a few weeks. He went to Florida, then back to California before Johnny left for Alaska to find gold. It was during this period that he began writing songs. He joined Frank in Seattle, headed south to Los Angeles, then after Frank married, left for Texas. Following much prompting from his sister Marie, he entered a talent contest in Longview, sponsored by radio KGRI of Henderson. Hosted by station disc jockey and future country music star Jim Reeves, Johnny took first prize - an ashtray on a pedestal. Encouraged by the contest, Johnny headed back to California, bought some western clothes and entered talent contests.

Horton came to the attention of entrepreneur Fabor Robinson, whose first job as manager was to land him a spot on Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree on KXLA-TV in Pasadena. During his early guest spots he worked with the likes of Merle Travis and Tennessee Ernie Ford. The station then gave him a regular half hour Saturday night spot billed as the Singing Fisherman where he sang and showed off his casting skills with a fishing rod. Around this time he also hosted Hacienda Party Time on KLAC-TV in Los Angeles. During 1950 he is rumored to have appeared in two movies with Gary Cooper, The Story Of Will Rogers and Distant Drums.

A mixture of Horton's TV appearances and Robinson's contacts landed him a couple of singles on the small Cormac label. The first coupled Plaid And Calico with Done Rovin' and the second Coal Smoke, Valve Oil And Steam and Birds And Butterflies. The label then folded and Robinson acquired the masters and started his own Abbott Records. By mid '52, ten Horton singles had been issued but none hinted at cracking the country charts. They were, for the main part, run-of-the mill, western style songs lacking any sparkle but providing a vital role in developing his vocal styling.

Following marriage to Donna and a honeymoon in Palm Springs, he moved back east to be near the Louisiana Hayride where he was now scheduled to appear on a regular basis. Another move was also completed when Robison persuaded Mercury Records A&R; man Walter Kilpatrick to land the fisherman. Things at the new label started promisingly with "First Train Headed South" b/w "{I Wished for an Angel) The Devil Sent Me You" (Mercury 6412), but despite good reviews in the trade papers and high profile gigs on the Hayride, nothing happened.

Horton was married twice. His first marriage, to Donna Cook, ended in a divorce granted in Rusk. In September 1953, he married Billie Jean Jones. Jones was the widow of country music star Hank Williams, to whom she had been married for the two and a half months prior to his death. With Billie Jean, Johnny had two daughters, Yanina (Nina) and Melody. Billie Jean's daughter, Jerry, was also part of the family.

Louisiana Hayride

In September '52, he acquired a full-time band in the Rowley Trio from Nederland, Texas. Featuring Jerry Rowley on fiddle, his wife Evelyn on piano and sister Vera (Dido) on bass or guitar, they were working at KFDM in Beaumont following some gigs backing Lefty Frizzell. Whilst playing in Beaumont, Horton and Robison heard the Trio and were sufficiently impressed to offer them a job touring. They started off driving Johnny to their engagements, but he kept stopping to fish and hunt, so they soon bought him his own car with which he met them at the various venues. The new foursome recruited steeler Bob Stegall but still called themselves "The Singing Fisherman and the Rowley Trio", before changing it to "Johnny Horton and the Roadrunners".

The Louisiana Hayride had been running for over four years when Johnny joined its family, and in this time had helped/launched/resurrected many careers including that of Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Webb Pierce and Bob Luman. It was to prove a vital springboard for Horton who was, by now, a Shreveport resident. His marriage didn't survive the increasing touring and Donna moved back to Los Angeles. Johnny was open to a reconciliation, but was unwilling to go back to the West Coast. In August Louisiana Hayride welcomed back Hank Williams, only 28, but banished from Nashville's Grand Ole Opry apparently for what some viewed as his drunkenness and unreliability. On Sunday, October 19, Williams married Billy Jean Jones, the daughter of a local policeman, in front of a paying audience at New Orleans' Municipal Auditorium. On one occasion during the time Billy Jean and Hank were married, Johnny Horton talked to the couple backstage, and at that meeting, Hank predicted that Billy Jean would one day marry Johnny.

By New Year's Eve, Hank Williams was dead. He had died in the back seat of a Cadillac heading to a show in Canton, Ohio. Horton and the Rowleys were driving home from a gig when they heard the news on the radio. They were in Milano, Texas and it was there following a show at Austin's Skyline Club (same venue as Williams' last show) that Johnny Horton was killed.

Married with Billie Jean

By the summer of '53, Johnny and Billie Jean were an item and they tied the knot on 26 September. They lived off Johnny's gig money, his newly established writers-contract with American Music of Los Angeles and the settlement Billie Jean had eked out of the Williams estate. Horton and Robison had by now parted company, following a row which revolved in part around Horton's frustration at the amount of energies Robison was spending on new boy Jim Reeves. Stegall had left, to be replaced by Dick and Betty Lou Spears, but before long the Rowleys left. He starting using pick-up bands together with Billie Jean's brothers Alton and Sonny Jones. The career had stalled and he became so disillusioned that he got a regular job working in a fishing tackle shop, playing only on the weekend at the Hayride. Even this ceased in November '54, with Johnny going out of the business all together. His last session for Mercury on 23 September didn't even generate a single and the two year hiatus had been a strange period with songs ranging from answer songs like "Back to My Back Street" to "Train With a Rhumba Beat". The best seller was "All for the Love of a Girl" (Mercury 70227) which sold around 35-45,000 copies.

It was at this time that country music was starting to struggle for breath, under the stranglehold of the new rockin' sounds which were starting to infiltrate the scene. Led by a young truck driver from Memphis, Elvis Presley, rockabilly was becoming more common both on record and on country bills, with the Hayride one of the most forward looking in this respect. It was here that Horton first saw Elvis, and apparently he was immediately taken by the singer and the style.

A couple of months passed, a few more hairs fell from his balding head and more than a few dollars passed over shop counters. Sick of kicking his heels, Horton turned to Hayride stalwart Tillman Franks for some inspiration. Five years older than Horton, Franks had played bass for Webb Pierce, managed the Carlisles and Jimmy and Johnny, worked as a booking agent, a car salesman in Houston and served in the police force. He too was between jobs when Horton appeared, "I hadn't worked in four or five weeks when Johnny Horton come to the door. He was broke too. He and Billie Jean had spent the money they got after Hank died, and she'd told him to get his ass out and make some more. He said "If I can get Tillman Franks to manage me, I'll get to number one". He came to my house on Summer Street, and I told him that I just didn't like the way he sang. He said, "No problem. I'll sing any way you want me to". And he was serious!".

They'd already met in Mississippi, when Horton had toured with the Carlisles. By mid '55 Franks had taken over the management, and following the end of the Mercury contract, his first job was to line up a new label. After contacting Webb Pierce, who in turn talked to Jim Denny at Cedarwood and Troy Martin at Golden West Melodies, a one year contract with Columbia was forthcoming. Cedarwood and Golden West Melodies would both get publishing on two songs per session as part of the deal. With no advance and a session due in Nashville, the skint duo had to borrow David Houston's dad's car for the journey, with the promise that they'd try to get Houston a contract while they were there.

First big hit

On the way to the session, Horton and Franks stopped off in Memphis at Elvis' house, leaving with ten dollars (they were too broke to get gas) and the loan of Bill Black on slap bass. Tillman Franks had reservations about his own playing and he wanted the sound to be special, his boy had been in many a studio, and now was the time to deliver. On January 11, 1956, Johnny Horton entered the Bradley Barn Studio with Bill Black and two of Nashville's top pickers, Grady Martin and producer Owen Bradley's brother, Harold. With his career in need of a kick start, this session used jump leads! The first song tackled was the mid tempo rockabilly of I'm A One Woman Man, penned by Horton and Franks. Suddenly there was an urgency to the vocals, no doubt inspired by he picking of Martin. Howard Crockett (Hausey) had played Honky Tonk Man to Horton and Franks and after a quick rewriting of the tune, they split the credits 3 ways. It was the second song cut that day and it was as fine a vocal performance that he ever gave, the whole thing driven along by more trademark Grady Martin picking.

Don Law and Franks sat in the control room, knowing they were witnessing the transformation of a one time hillbilly singer. By midnight they'd wrapped up two more uptempo corkers in I'm Ready If You're Willing and I Got A Hole In My Pirogue.

Horton and Franks were pushing for Honky Tonk Man to be the lead-off single but strangely Don Law didn't believe in the song, and it was only after the intervention of Jim Denny that Law relented and issued it with I'm Ready If You're Willing on the flip side. Live shows were arranged to push the single with the band featuring Franks on bass and a teenager from Minden, Louisiana, Tommy Tomlinson on guitar.

The single was reviewed in the March 10th issue of Billboard, who said of Honky Tonk Man, "The wine women and song attractions exert a powerful hold on the singer, he admits. The funky sound and pounding beat in the backing suggest the kind of atmosphere he describes. A very good jukebox record." Of the b-side it read "Horton sings out this cheerful material with amiable personality. This ever more popular stylist ought to expand his circle of fans with this one." Indeed he did, and by May the record had climbed to the number 9 spot in the C&W; Jockey chart, as well as number 14 in the Best Seller chart.

Things were still tight financially for a while and Johnny decided to set up a fake ticket agency whereby he phoned the citizens of Alexandria, Louisiana selling tickets under the name Earl Baker, with Billie Jean delivering them the next day. Franks thought that Billie Jean was pocketing some of the money so he and Johnny checked her out. Franks was wrong, she was accounting for every penny, so when he apologised, she said "Goddamn, Tillman, if I wanted money, I'd go out and whore it".

On a more kosher level, Franks took over the Hayride bookings, setting up packages around the south. Johnny was tied to a contract for his Monday night appearances on television station KLTV in Tyler, Texas, which restricted how far afield he could tour. He needed to get out of it, so on one of the shows, when it was time to read a commercial for Hol-Sum Bread, he announced "Friends, we are proud to be here, and proud to be sponsored by Hol-Sum Bread. Tillman Franks my manager eats Hol-Sum Bread, and I eat it too. What I like about Hol-Sum Bread is that it's never touched by hand. That's right, they mix it with their feet". After the show, the station owner called him and said she'd be happier if he left the station. Now he was free to travel, and he started earning up to $500 a night.

On May 23 they headed back to Music City for a second session. Grady Martin again led the proceedings with Ray Edenton replacing Harold Bradley and Floyd Lightnin' Chance ably standing in on double bass. They kicked off at seven p.m. with the shuffling authority of Take Me Like I Am before moving onto the Horton-Hausey composition Sugar-Coated Baby. It's one of those mid-tempo tracks that Horton was to excel at, playful vocals and Martin's bass string guitaring driving it along. Claude King's I Don't Like I Did was another such song, but even better. The fourth cut was Autry Inman's salute to the opposite sex, Hooray For That Little Difference. Again it was another shuffler which gave the session four nice songs but nothing to grab you like the previous visit had.

This was emphasized when the follow up single (Columbia 21538) had I Don't Like I Did on the b-side but the header was I'm A One Woman Man from the January session. Billboard enthused that One Woman.. was a "Smart and polished job" adding that Horton was ".singing with a light, airy touch. Guitar work is just as convincing, adding up to listenable, commercial stuff".

By August Columbia and Franks were getting the sniff of big things and on 4th, they ran an advert in Billboard claiming their "Sensational New Artist". Goes on a spree with his newest two-sided hit". The accompanying photo did nothing for the image of a rocker, showing him looking middle aged with a cowboy hat to hide his ever receding hair. The push continued with a higher profile tour of west Texas starting in El Paso with Johnny Cash, Faron Young and Roy Orbison. Booked by the infamous Bob Neal Stars Inc. of Memphis, the package moved up to Ontario, Canada for six dates commencing on the 18th, culminating in Detroit.

Billboard's first issue in September noted that "Somewhat like his last hit - Honky Tonk Man - this release (I'm A One Woman Man) started off rather quietly, but has gradually become a powerful chart contender. This week it made an appearance on the Houston territorial chart and was selling well in Nashville, Dallas, Durham and Birmingham". Within a week or so he was rewarded with a second country hit, this time peaking at #7 on the Jockey chart and #9 on both the Best Seller and Jukebox charts.

On Sunday October 14, following shows throughout Florida, Horton played in Memphis again for Bob Neal, this time with Johnny Cash, Faron Young, Sonny James, Roy Orbison and the Teen-Kings and Charlene Arthur. They continued around Tennessee until the 23rd, before moving on to New Mexico and west Texas.It must have been a confident crowd that arrived at Bradley's Barn on November 12. Only two songs were cut, the unissued Over Loving You and the exquisite rockabilly of I'm Coming Home. From the pens of Horton and Franks, the beat was meatier than anything he'd previously cut and with Bill Black back on bass duties and Grady Martin again plucking brilliant, the exuberance of Horton's vocals summed up the songs excitement.

Not surprisingly I'm Coming Home was released with great anticipation with I Got A Hole In My Pirogue on the flip (Columbia 40813). Released as the same time as the Johnny Burnette Trio's Lonesome Train (Coral 61758) and Rosco Gordon's Cheese And Crackers (Sun 257), Billboard predicted that "the singer, has material in I'm Coming Home that could give him his biggest record to date. He is cast in a down home blues item here that gets in the blood after about eight bars. Horton's vocal against this twangy backing makes a terrific impression. "Pirogue" is a rockabilly type novelty of great appeal. It's hard to see how this can miss becoming a gold mine". On 9 February, Billboard noted that "not only Southern markets are doing good business with this, but Northern cities report that both country and pop customers are going for this in a big way. It was again a hit in the country charts (#11 Jockey, #15 Best Seller) but it somehow failed to click in the pop charts. What did the kids want for their pocket money! The kids in Cincinnati could have spent their money seeing Horton, Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins in a mouth-watering show at the Music Hall on February 8th.

He loved fishing as much as, if not more than, singing and was once billed as "The Singing Fisherman." His favorite fishing holes were in the Piney Woods of East Texas and in northern Louisiana. His other passion was spiritualism and he was devoted to the writings of Edgar Cayce.

Premonitions of his death

All was not well, as Johnny kept having premonitions of his death. He had started telling friends and family that he would soon die at the hands of a drunk. He asked his sister to pray and care for Billie Jean and their girls, and he had his mother visit for the week. He canceled his scheduled attendance at the premiere of North To Alaska and tried to back out of his next gig, a club date at the Skyline club in Austin, Texas on November 4. A big star, which he had now become, should never have been playing such a engagement for such little reward ($800), but the common consensus is that he was broke again, and together with Franks' medical bills for his recent hernia operation, any money was welcome.

Death

]]

Tommy Tomlinson flew in from Nashville where he was cutting a duet album with Jerry Kennedy (Tom and Jerry). Johnny used the morning to make arrangements to go duck hunting with Claude King once he'd returned from Austin and he also phoned Johnny Cash for a chat. Cash was stoned and didn't take the call, and has always regretted it. That afternoon, as he went to collect Franks, he kissed Billie Jean goodbye in the same spot Hank had done seven years earlier, and cuddled his two daughters. Against his wife's wishes, Franks got out off his sick bed and off they headed for Austin.

When they got to the Skyline, Horton stayed in his dressing room, convinced that a drunk would kill him if he hung around the bar. After the show, they started the journey back to Shreveport. Tomlinson was in the back, observing that Horton was driving too fast - Franks was asleep in the front. About 2AM, near Milano, Texas they were crossing a bridge when a truck came at them, hitting both sides of the bridge before plunging into Horton's Cadillac. He had practised avoiding head-on collisions, by driving into verges, but on the narrow bridge he'd had no opportunity. He was still breathing when he was pulled out of the Caddie but died on the way to hospital. The nineteen year old truck driver, James Davis was intoxicated. Johnny Horton had, in fact, died at the hands of a drunk. It is believed that a sun visor rod had pierced Horton's skull. Franks suffered head injuries and young Tomlinson had multiple leg fractures and nine months later, had to have his left leg amputated. Ironically, Davis was virtually unscathed.

Tillman's preacher brother Billy, held the funeral service on November 8, with Billie Jean becoming a widow for the second time at the age of 28. Johnny Cash read Chapter 20 from the Book of John having flown in on a chartered plane, still trying to come to terms with his grief and guilt.

Columbia released various singles and a greatest hits album and on October 5, 1964, Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three overdubbed a splendid "Rock Island Line" and "I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Livin'" to Horton's demos. Other such sessions were held throughout the sixties for album release. "Sleepy-Eyed John" hit the country charts in April '61, rising to #9 and a year later "Honky Tonk Man" was reissued, reaching #11. In February '63 he made his last appearance in the charts (to date) with "All Grown Up" peaking at a respectable 26.

An unfounded rumor was that Horton was on his way to Dallas to meet actor Ward Bond on the night of the crash about a role on the NBC-TV series Wagon Train. Bond was attending a football game in Dallas and died of a heart attack several hours after Horton died. Horton, however, was on his way from Austin to Shreveport, Louisiana, not Dallas. A Horton did appear on Wagon Train—actor Robert Horton.

Horton is buried in the Hillcrest Cemetery in Haughton, east of Bossier City in northwestern Louisiana.

Legacy

Horton will forever be remembered for his major contribution to both country and rockabilly music. When Johnny Cash, a good friend of Horton's, learned about the accident he said, "[I] locked myself in one of the hotel's barrooms, and cried." Cash also dedicated his rendition of "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)" to Horton on his album Personal File: "Johnny Horton was a good old friend of mine."

Horton was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and posthumously inducted into the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame in Ferriday, Louisiana.

Some racist songs are incorrectly associated with Horton. These songs are actually by "Johnny Rebel".

Discography

Albums

Singles

As per a box set of his work, here is a complete singles discography.

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 01 - I'm A One Woman Man

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 02 - Honky Tonk Man

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 03 - I'm Ready If You're Willing

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 04 - I Got A Hole In My Pirogue

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 05 - Take Me Like I Am

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 06 - Sugar-Coated Baby

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 07 - I Don't Like I Did

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 08 - Hooray For That Little Difference

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 09 - I'm Coming Home

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 10 - Over-Loving You

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 11 - She Knows Why

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 12 - Honky Tonk Mind (The Woman I Need)

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 13 - Tell My Baby I Love Her

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 14 - Goodbye Lonesome, Hello Baby Doll

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 15 - I'll Do It Everytime

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 16 - You're My Baby

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 17 - Let's Take The Long Way Home

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 18 - Lover's Rock

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 19 - Honky-Tonk Hardwood Floor

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 20 - The Wild One

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 21 - Everytime I'm Kissng You

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 22 - Hot In The Sugarcane Field

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 23 - Lonesome And Heartbroken

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 24 - Seven Come Eleven

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 25 - I Can't Forget You

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 26 - Wise To The Ways Of A Woman

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 27 - Out In New Mexico

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 28 - Tetched In The Head

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 29 - Just Walk A Little Closer

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 30 - Don't Use My Heart For A Stepping Stone

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 31 - I Love You Baby

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 1 / 32 - Wise To The Ways Of A Woman

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 01 - Counterfeit Love

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 02 - Mister Moonlight

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 03 - All Grown Up

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 04 - Got The Bull By The Horns

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 05 - When It's Springtime In Alaska

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 06 - Whispering Pines

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 07 - The Battle Of New Orleans

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 08 - All For The Love Of A Girl

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 09 - Lost Highway

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 10 - Sam Magee

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 11 - Cherokee Boogie

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 12 - The Golden Rocket

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 13 - The Battle Of New Orleans (British Version)

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 14 - Joe's Been A-Gittin' There

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 15 - The First Train Headin' South

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 16 - Got The Bull By The Horns

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 17 - Sal's Got A Sugerlip

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 18 - Words

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 19 - Johnny Reb

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 20 - Sal's Got A Sugarlip

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 21 - Ole Slew Foot

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 22 - I'm Ready If Your Willing

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 23 - Take Me Like I Am

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 24 - They Shined Up Rudolph's Nose

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 25 - The Electrified Donkey

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 26 - The Same Old Tale The Crow Told Me

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 27 - Sink The Bismarck

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 28 - Sink The Bismarck

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 29 - The Same Old Tale The Crow Told Me

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 30 - All Grown Up

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 2 / 31 - Got The Bull By The Horns

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 01 - Ole Slew Foot

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 02 - Miss Marcy

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 03 - Sleepy Eyed John

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 04 - The Mansion You Stole

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 05 - They'll Never Take Her Love From Me

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 06 - The Sinking Of Reuben James

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 07 - Jim Bridger

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 08 - The Battle Of Bull Run

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 09 - Snow-Shoe Thompson

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 10 - John Paul Jones

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 11 - Comanche (The Brave Horse)

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 12 - Young Abe Lincoln

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 13 - O'Leary's Cow

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 14 - Johnny Freedom

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 15 - Go North!

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 16 - North To Alaska

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 17 - North To Alaska

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 18 - I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Livin'

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 19 - Rock Island Line

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 20 - Hank And Joe And Me

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 21 - The Golden Rocket

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 22 - A-Sleeping At The Foot Of The Bed

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 23 - I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Livin'

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 24 - Old Blind Barnabas

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 25 - Evil Hearted Me

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 26 - Hot In The Sugarcane Field

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 27 - You Don't Move Me Baby Anymore

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 28 - The Gosh-Darn Wheel

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 29 - Broken Hearted Gypsy

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 3 / 30 - The Church By The Side Of The Road

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 01 - The Vanishing Race

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 02 - Broken Hearted Gypsy

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 03 - That Boy Got The Habit

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 04 - Hot In The Sugarcane Field

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 05 - You Don't Move Me Baby Anymore

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 06 - The Church By The Side Of The Road

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 07 - I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Livin'

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 08 - Take It Like A Man

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 09 - Hank And Joe And Me

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 10 - The Golden Rocket

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 11 - Old Blind Barnabas

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 12 - Empty Bed Blues

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 13 - Rock Island Line

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 14 - Shake, Rattle And Roll

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 15 - A-Sleeping At The Foot Of The Bed

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 16 - Old Dan Tucker

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 17 - The Gosh Darn Wheel

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 18 - From Memphis To Mobile

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 19 - Back Up Train

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 20 - Schottische In Texas

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 21 - Take It LIke A Man

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 22 - That Boy Got The Habit

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 23 - My Heart Stopped, Trembled And Died

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 24 - Alley Girl Ways

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 25 - How You Gonna Make It

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 26 - Witch Walking Baby

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 27 - Down That River Road

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 28 - Big Wheels Rollin'

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 29 - I Got A Slow Leak In My Heart

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 30 - You Don't Move Me Baby Anymore

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 31 - What Will I Do Without You

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 32 - Janey

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 33 - Streets Of Dodge

Johnny Horton 1956-1960 - Vol 4 / 34 - Give Me Back My Picture And You Can Keep The Frame

Notes

References

Escott, Colin. (1998). "Johnny Horton". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 247–8.

External links

The Handbook of Texas Online: Johnny Horton

Rockabillyhall.com

Geocities.com

RCS-discography.com

Rockabilly.nl

Johnny Horton's Gravesite

TSHAonline.org

Category:1925 births Category:1960 deaths Category:American country musicians Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:Road accident deaths in Texas Category:People from Texas Category:People from Shreveport, Louisiana Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Lon Morris College alumni Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Abbott Records artists

Name	Joan Jett
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Joan Marie Larkin
Alias	Joan Jett
Born	September 22, 1958
Origin	Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Genre	Rock, hard rock, punk rock
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	1975–present
Label	Blackheart RecordsEpic RecordsBoardwalk RecordsMCA RecordsCBS/SonyWarner Bros. Records
Associated acts	The Runaways, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Url	Joan Jett Official Site
Notable instruments	Gibson Melody Maker

Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.

She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular recordings including "Crimson and Clover," "I Hate Myself for Loving You," "Do You Want to Touch Me," "Light of Day," "Love Is All Around," "Bad Reputation," and "Little Liar."

Her musical and songwriting approach is heavily influenced by the hard-edged, hard beat-driven rhythms common to many rock bands of her native Philadelphia, often featuring lyrics surrounding themes of lost love, criticisms of insincerity, the quest for authenticity, the struggles and resolutions of the American middle class. She has 3 albums that have been certified Platinum or Gold, and she has been referred to as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" many times during her career. In Venus Zine's 2010 "Queen of Rock" feature, Jett won the Readers' Pick in an online poll ahead of Stevie Nicks and Ann Wilson.

Early life

Joan Jett was born at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She moved to Rockville, Maryland, in 1967 where she attended Randolph Junior High and Wheaton High School. In her teens, Jett would sneak out at night to go to concerts with friends. She got her first guitar for Christmas from her father at the age of 13, and she mostly spent time after that writing songs. She also became involved with a bartender at a club from the town, at which point her family then re-located to West Covina, a suburb of Los Angeles, providing Jett the opportunity to pursue her musical endeavors. In Los Angeles, Joan interacted with some of her idols, including Suzi Quatro, one of the first female rock musicians who played an instrument. As reflected in the film The Runaways about Jett's beginnings, Quatro was vital to Joan's career, and Joan adopted many of Suzi's qualities including her shag haircut and style. Jett would quietly wait in the lobby of various hotels that Suzi was staying in during her US tours, just to catch a glimpse of her. She wore wooden platform shoes with "Suzi Quatro" carved into the side. Her favorite night spot was Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco. Joan was further introduced to the glam-rock style she so adored

While The Runaways were popular in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada and South America, they could not garner the same level of success in the U.S. After Currie and Fox left the band (to be replaced by bassist Vicki Blue and later, Laurie McAllister), the band released two more albums: Waitin' for the Night and And Now... The Runaways. Altogether they produced five albums from 1975 until they disbanded in spring of 1979.

Soon after, Jett produced The Germs' first and only album (GI). Jett and Laguna released it independently on their new Blackheart Records label, which they started with Laguna's daughter's college savings. Laguna remembers, "We couldn't think of anything else to do, but print up records ourselves," and that's how Blackheart Records started.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

With Laguna's assistance, Jett formed the Blackhearts. She placed an ad in the L.A. Weekly "looking for three good men." John Doe of X sat in on bass for the auditions held at S.I.R. studios in Los Angeles. He mentioned a local bass player, Gary Ryan, who had recently been crashing on his couch. Ryan was part of the L.A. punk scene and had played bass with local artists Top Jimmy and Rik L. Rik. He had been a fan of the Runaways and Jett for years. Jett recognized him at the audition and he was in. Ryan in turn recommended guitarist Eric Ambel, who was also at the time part of Rik L. Rik. The final addition to the original Blackhearts was drummer Danny "Furious" O'Brien, formerly of the infamous San Francisco band The Avengers. This line-up played several gigs at the Golden Bear and Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood before embarking on their first European tour which consisted of an extensive tour of the Netherlands, and a few key shows in England including the Marquee in London.

Upon returning to the States, Jett, Ryan, and Ambel moved to Long Beach, New York. O'Brien stayed behind in England to pursue other interests. Auditions were set up and Lee Crystal, formerly of The Boyfriends and Sylvain Sylvain, became the new drummer. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts then toured throughout the US and built quite a following in New York. Jett and Laguna soon used their personal savings to press up copies of the Joan Jett album and set up their own system of independent distribution, sometimes selling the albums out of the trunk of Laguna's Cadillac at the end of each concert. Laguna was unable to keep up with demand for her album. Eventually, old friend and founder of Casablanca Records, Neil Bogart, made a joint venture with Laguna and signed Jett to his new label, Boardwalk Records and re-released the Joan Jett album as Bad Reputation. After a year of touring and recording, The Blackhearts recorded a new album entitled I Love Rock 'n Roll for the label. Ambel was replaced by local guitarist Ricky Byrd during the recording.

With Byrd on guitar, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts recorded their hit album. The new single was a re-recording of the title track, "I Love Rock 'n Roll," which in the first half of 1982 was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in a row. It is Billboard’s #28 song of all time.

A string of Top 40 hits followed, as well as sellout tours with The Police, Queen, and Aerosmith, among others. Jett was the second American act of any kind to perform behind the Iron Curtain, after Blood, Sweat & Tears in Romania in 1969. She was among the first English-speaking rock acts to appear in Panama and the Dominican Republic.

After receiving her own MTV New Year's Eve special, Jett beat out a number of contenders to appear in the movie Light of Day with Michael J. Fox. Bruce Springsteen wrote the song "Light of Day" especially for her, and her performance was critically acclaimed. It was about this time that Ryan and Crystal left the Blackhearts. They were soon replaced by the powerful rhythm section of Thommy Price and Kasim Sulton. Later that year, Jett released Good Music, which featured appearances by The Beach Boys, The Sugarhill Gang and singer Darlene Love.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts became the first rock band to perform a series of shows at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway, breaking the record at the time for the fastest ticket sell-out. Her next release, Up Your Alley, went multi-platinum and was followed by The Hit List, which was an album consisting of cover songs. During this time, Jett co-wrote the song "House of Fire," which appeared on Alice Cooper's 1989 album Trash.

Her 1991 release Notorious, which featured The Replacements' Paul Westerberg and former Billy Idol bassist Phil Feit, was the last with Sony/CBS as Jett switched to Warner Brothers. A CD single of "Let's Do It" featuring Jett and Westerberg was also released during this time and appeared in the song credits for the movie Tank Girl. In 1993, Jett and Laguna released Flashback, a compilation of various songs on their own Blackheart Records.

Jett produced several bands prior to releasing her debut and her label Blackheart Records released recordings from varied artists such as thrash metal band Metal Church and rapper Big Daddy Kane.

The press touted Jett as the "Godmother of Punk" and the "Original Riot Grrrl." In 1994, the Blackhearts released the well-received Pure and Simple, which featured tracks written with Babes in Toyland's Kat Bjelland, L7's Donita Sparks and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna.

Later years

Jett returned to producing for the band Circus Lupus in 1992 and again, in 1994, for Bikini Kill. This recording was the New Radio EP for which she also played and sang back-up vocals. The Riot Grrrl movement started in the 1990s, with Bikini Kill as a representative band, and many of these women credited Jett as a role model and inspiration.

Near the end of the 1990s she worked with members of the punk band The Gits, whose lead singer and lyricist, Mia Zapata, had been raped and murdered in 1993. Jett and Springsteen appeared together on stage for the first time and played "Light Of Day". Jett, overcome with emotion, declared it one of the greatest moments in her career.

In 2004, Jett and Laguna produced "No Apologies" by Warped Tour favorite The Eyeliners, after signing them. Jett also guested on the track "Destroy" and made a cameo appearance in the music video.

In 2005, Jett discovered Cleveland punk rockers The Vacancies. She and Laguna signed the band and produced their second album, A Beat Missing or a Silence Added (reaching the top 20 in CMJ Music Charts) and their third album in 2007, Tantrum.

In 2005, she was recruited by Steven Van Zandt to host her own radio show on Van Zandt's Underground Garage radio channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. She hosted a four-hour show titled Joan Jett's Radio Revolution, broadcast every Saturday and Sunday. The program moved from Sirius 25 to Sirius 28 shortly before being canceled in June 2008.

In 2005, Jett and Laguna celebrated the 25th anniversary of Blackheart Records with a sellout show at Manhattan's Webster Hall, which featured their groups The Eyeliners and The Vacancies as openers to the headlining act, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

In June 2006, Joan Jett released her album, Sinner, on her own label, Blackheart Records. To support the album, the band appeared on the 2006 Warped Tour and on a fall 2006 tour with Eagles of Death Metal. Various other bands like Antigone Rising, Valient Thorr, The Vacancies, Throw Rag and Riverboat Gamblers were to have joined the tour for a handful of dates each.

Jett sang a duet with Chase Noles on "Tearstained Letters," a song on the Heart Attacks' 2006 album, Hellbound and Heartless.

A Joan Jett video with Paul, Paul Jr. and Mikey Teutul of the Learning Channel show American Chopper aired on January 14, 2007. The making of that video was presented in a segment of the show that aired on The Learning Channel on February 22, 2007. In late June, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts performed at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, following a Florida Marlins baseball game.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts headlined the Albuquerque, New Mexico Freedom Fourth celebration on July 4, 2007, with an estimated crowd of 65,000 in attendance at the annual outdoor event.

In November 2007, Jett and the Blackhearts appeared with Motörhead and Alice Cooper in a UK arena tour, that leg constituting a "reconciliation" of sorts with Jett's former personal manager, Toby Mamis, now the co-manager of Alice Cooper, and Jett opened eight American shows on Aerosmith's 2007 World Tour.

Following The Dave Clark Five's induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, on March 10, 2008, Jett, as part of the ceremony, closed the program with a performance of the DC5's 1964 hit "Bits and Pieces." She was introduced by actor Tom Hanks, who said, "Ladies and gentlemen — at one time, if I had been lucky, one of the most beautiful 'Mrs. Tom Hanks' you can imagine, but I'm not complainin' — Joan Jett!"

Jett and the Blackhearts appeared on several dates of the True Colors Tour 2008. in the summer of 2008. She opened for Def Leppard in August.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts play in 2010 Sundance Film Festival, at Harry-O's. For The Runaways promotion, also attending at Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning.

On April 24, 2010, it was announced on Green Day's official website that Jett will be supporting them on their summer European tour.

In June 2010, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts opened for Green Day on their UK tour along side acts such as Frank Turner and Paramore.

The group is the opening act for Aerosmith's Sept. 2010 Canadian tour.

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts are part of the lineup for Australia's The Falls Music & Arts Festival December 29 through January 1 in Australia.

Current projects

In 1997 Joan Jett was featured on the We Will Fall: The Iggy Pop Tribute record. She performed a cover of the Johnny O'Keefe song "Wild One" (or "Real Wild Child").

Jett was an executive producer for the film The Runaways, which chronicled the Runaways' career. Floria Sigismondi, who directed videos for Marilyn Manson, the White Stripes and David Bowie, wrote and directed. Production of the movie began filming around Twilight's Kristen Stewart filming schedule (i.e. of the sequels and ). Stewart played Joan Jett in the film. In order to prepare for the role, Stewart met Jett around the 08/09 New Year. In an interview, Stewart revealed that she hopes to be able to sing some of the songs in the film. The film explores the friendship and falling out between Jett and Runaways lead singer, Cherie Currie, played by Dakota Fanning, and premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 24, 2010.

March saw the release of a 2-CD Greatest Hits album with 4 newly rerecorded songs, 3 of which are Runaways hits, and one a track from her I Love Rock 'N' Roll album. March 2010 also saw the release of a hardcover biography and picture book, spanning her career from the Runaways to the present day. She is also touring in Lewiston Idaho's "Rockin on the River" music festival.

Other work

Jett, a sports fan, has remained actively involved in the sports world. Her cover of "Love is All Around" (the theme song of The Mary Tyler Moore Show) became an anthem in women's sports and was used by the NCAA to promote the Women's Final Four, as well as the song "Unfinished Business" which was never commercially released. "Love Is All Around" went into radio play and became the number one requested song without an existing (support) CD. Jett supplied theme songs for the ESPN X-Games premiere and has contributed music to all their games since. At Cal Ripken Jr.'s request, she sang the national anthem, at the Baltimore Orioles game in which he tied Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played. The melody for her song "I Hate Myself For Loving You" is used as the theme music for NBC Sunday Night Football with re-worked lyrics and retitled "Waiting All Day For Sunday Night". Jett has also been a consistent supporter of the US Armed Forces, has toured for the USO for over 20 years, and even played West Point. On May 15, 2006, Jett visited the Pentagon, and many photographs were taken with personnel.

Satire

In 1983, musical satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic released a parody of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (originally recorded by Arrows in 1977 and re-recorded by Jett in 1982) entitled "I Love Rocky Road", changing the singer's passion for rock music with that for ice cream. Yankovic's parody covered Jett's version completely, save for her guitar riffs which were replaced by Yankovic's accordion.

The comic strip Bloom County included a character named Tess Turbo. Her band was The Blackheads.

Film, stage and television appearances

Jett's first appearance on film is in the 1981 live concert film Urgh! A Music War, performing "Bad Reputation" with the Blackhearts at The Ritz in New York City. She made her acting debut in 1987, co-starring with Gena Rowlands and Michael J. Fox in the Paul Schrader film Light of Day.

The 1999 show Freaks and Geeks used the song "Bad Reputation" as the opening theme.

In 2000, Jett appeared in the Broadway production of The Rocky Horror Show in the role of Columbia. That same year, Jett appeared on Walker Texas Ranger as an ex-CIA agent turned assassin hired to kill Walker and Alex.

In 2002, Jett appeared in the film By Hook or by Crook in the role of News Interviewee.

From 2000 to 2003, to support work by first time filmmakers and the indie film business, Jett hosted a showcase of new film and video shorts, Independent Eye, for Maryland Public Television.

In 2008, Jett made a cameo appearance in Darren Lynn Bousman's rock opera/file Repo! The Genetic Opera as the guitarist in Shilo's room during the piece "Seventeen".'' In February 2008, she made a cameo appearance in Jimmy Kimmel's popular video skit, "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck".

On July 13, 2008, she appeared in the episode "" as a rock and roll talk show host who is murdered.

On March 9, 2010, she appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Accompanied by the Blackhearts, she performed "Cherry Bomb".

On March 24, 2010, she appeared as a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman. Accompanied by the Blackhearts, she performed "Bad Reputation".

Politics

in 2010.]] Jett supported Howard Dean in the 2004 election because of his position on the War in Iraq and gay marriage.

Accolades and awards

Jett was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in October 2006. In 2003, Jett was named in the Rolling Stone greatest 100 guitarists of all time at number 87. She was one of only two women in this list, the other being Joni Mitchell at number 72. Jett is listed as one of Blender's "hottest women of rock" 21 years after she started The Runaways. Joan Jett is honored by Gibson with a signature model of her Melody Maker, which is a white double cutaway with one zebra humbucker and "kill" toggle switch. Jett bought her guitar from Eric Carmen, following the breakup of The Raspberries.

Discography

Studio Albums as Joan Jett

Joan Jett (1980)

Bad Reputation (1981)

Studio Albums (With the Blackhearts)

I Love Rock 'n' Roll (1981)

Album (1983)

Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth (1984)

Good Music (1986)

Up Your Alley (1988)

Notorious (1991)

Pure and Simple (1994)

Sinner (2006)

Cover Albums

The Hit List (1990)

Collaboration Albums

Evil Stig (with The Gits) (1995)

Fan Club Albums

1979 (1995)

Japan-only Release

Naked (2004)

References

External links

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Joan Jett And The Blackhearts Bad Reputation Nation

Blackheart Records

VH1 Joan Jett biography at VH1.com

;Interviews

Interview: Joan Jett on Sinner

Joan Jett Interview on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos

Joan Jett interview from PETA2

Joan Jett interview with SPIN

Joan Jett interview with The Beachcomber

Category:1958 births Category:1970s singers Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Living people Category:American female guitarists Category:American female singers Category:American mezzo-sopranos Category:American punk rock singers Category:American vegans Category:Female punk rock singers Category:Feminist artists Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Rhythm guitarists Category:The Runaways members Category:Third-wave feminism

Name	Arlo Guthrie
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Bob
Birth date	July 10, 1947
Birth place	Coney Island, New York, U.S.
Instrument	guitarharmonicapiano
Genre	Folk, blues
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1967–present
Label	Rising Son Records
Associated acts	ShenandoahPete Seeger
Url	Official Website

Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice. One of Guthrie's better-known works is "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", a satirical talking blues song of about 18 minutes in length.

Early life

Arlo Guthrie was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of folk singer and composer Woody Guthrie and his wife Marjorie Mazia Guthrie. His sister is Nora Guthrie. His mother was a one-time professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of the Committee to Combat Huntington's disease, the disease that took her husband's life in 1967. His maternal grandmother was renowned Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt. Arlo Guthrie received religious training for his bar mitzvah from Rabbi Meir Kahane, who would go on to form the Jewish Defense League. "Rabbi Kahane was a really nice, patient teacher," Guthrie later recalled, "but shortly after he started giving me my lessons, he started going haywire. Maybe I was responsible." Guthrie attended Woodward School in Clinton Hill Brooklyn 1st through 8th grades and later graduated from the Stockbridge School, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1965, and briefly attended Rocky Mountain College. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Westfield State College, in 2008.

As a singer, songwriter and lifelong political activist, Guthrie carries on the legacy of his legendary father. He was awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience award on September 26, 1992.

"Alice's Restaurant"

His most famous work is "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", a talking blues song that lasts 18 minutes and 34 seconds in its original recorded version. Guthrie has pointed out that this was also the exact length of one of the famous gaps in Richard Nixon's Watergate tapes. He has been known to spin the story out to forty-five minutes in concert. The Alice in the song is Alice Brock, who now runs an art gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

The song, a bitingly satirical protest against the Vietnam War draft, although Guthrie stated in a 2009 interview with Ron Bennington that Alice's Restaurant is more an "anti-stupidity" song than an anti-war song, is based on a true incident. In the song, Guthrie is called up for a draft examination, and rejected as unfit for military service as a result of a criminal record — consisting in its entirety of a single arrest, court appearance, fine and clean-up order for littering and creating a public nuisance on Thanksgiving Day in 1965, when Arlo was eighteen years old. On the DVD commentary for the film, Guthrie states that the events as presented in the song are true to real-life occurrences.

For a short period of time after its release in 1967, "Alice's Restaurant" was heavily played on U.S. college and counter-culture radio stations. It became a symbol of the late 1960s and for many it defined an attitude and lifestyle that were lived out across the country in the ensuing years. Many stations across the States have made playing "Alice's Restaurant" a Thanksgiving Day tradition.

A 1969 film, directed and co-written by Arthur Penn, was based on the story. In addition to acting in this film, also called Alice's Restaurant, Guthrie has had minor roles in several movies and television series. Guthrie's memorable appearance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival was documented in the Michael Wadleigh film Woodstock. He told the New York Times Magazine that he is a Republican because, "We had enough good Democrats. We needed a few more good Republicans. We needed a loyal opposition."

Legacy

Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Guthrie often sings songs of protest against social injustice. He collaborated with poet Adrian Mitchell to tell the story of Chilean folk singer and activist Víctor Jara in song. He regularly performed with folk legend Pete Seeger, one of his father's longtime partners.

In 1991, Guthrie bought the church that had served as Alice and Ray Brock's former home in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and converted it to the Guthrie Center, an interfaith meeting place that serves people of all religions.

Family

Guthrie and his wife Jackie reside in the Town of Washington, Massachusetts. Guthrie's son Abe Guthrie and his daughters Sarah Lee Guthrie and Cathy Guthrie have also become musicians. Annie Guthrie writes songs and performs, and also takes care of family touring details. Sarah Lee performs and records with her husband Johnny Irion. Cathy plays ukulele in Folk Uke, a group she formed with Amy Nelson, the daughter of Willie Nelson. Abe Guthrie was formerly in a folk-rock band called Xavier, and now tours with his father. Abe Guthrie's son, Krishna, is a drummer and toured with Arlo Guthrie on his European tour in 2006 and plays guitar for the 2009-2010 Tour. Krishna plays drums in another local band and aspires to be the lead of his own band some day. Arlo Guthrie is a grandfather of Abe's son Krishna and daughter Serena, Annie's son Shiva Das (Mo) and daughter Jacklyn, Sarah Lee's daughters Olivia Nora and Sophia Irion and Cathy's daughter Marjorie Maybelle Midwood.

He is third cousin to Canadian composer and musician Jan Randall.

Discography

Alice's Restaurant (1967)

Arlo (1968)

Running Down the Road (1969)

Alice's Restaurant Soundtrack (1969)

Washington County (1970)

Hobo's Lullaby (1972)

Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys (1973)

Arlo Guthrie (1974)

Together In Concert (1975)

Amigo (1976)

The Best of Arlo Guthrie (1977)

One Night (1978)

Outlasting the Blues (1979)

Power Of Love (1981)

Precious Friend (1982)

Someday (1986)

All Over the World (1991)

Son of the Wind (1992)

2 Songs (1992)

More Together Again (1994)

Alice's Restaurant - The Massacree Revisited (1996)

Mystic Journey (1996)

(1997)

"BanjoMan - a tribute to Derroll Adams" (2002)

Live In Sydney (2005)

In Times Like These (2007)

32¢ Postage Due (2008)

''Tales Of '69 (2009)

In Fiction

Arlo Guthrie is mentioned in Tim Winton's novel The Riders - shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1995. A character in the novel overhears locals in the small Irish town of Shinrone, recount the night Arlo Guthrie came to play. The actual event occurred in February 1988, when Arlo played the local gymnasium in Shinrone, County Offaly. The concert was organised by a local postman, Tom Stapleton.

Appearances as himself

Hylands hörna (episode # 4.4) January 31, 1970

Woodstock (1969) (also known as Woodstock 25th Anniversary Edition and as Woodstock, 3 Days of Peace & Music)

The Dick Cavett Show September 8, 1970

Arthur Penn 1922-: Themes and Variants (1970) (TV)

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson playing "Himself" August 17, 1972

The Muppet Show (episode # 4.8) June 19, 1979

The Weavers: (1982)

Woody Guthrie: Hard Travelin' (1984)

Farm Aid '87 (1987) (TV)

A Vision Shared: A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly (1988)

Woodstock: The Lost Performances (1990)

Woodstock Diary (1994) (TV)

The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1994) (TV)

The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 6 (1995) (TV) (also known as My Generation)

This Land Is Your Land: The Animated Kids' Songs of Woody Guthrie (1997)

Healthy Kids (1998) (TV series)

The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack (2000)

Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955–1970) (2000) (TV)

Last Party 2000 (2001) (also known as The Party's Over)

Pops Goes the Fourth! (July 4, 2001)

NPR's Talk of the Nation radio broadcast (Nov. 14, 2001)

*St. James Infirmary and The City Of New Orleans

Singing in the Shadow: The Children of Rock Royalty (2003)

Get Up, Stand Up (2003) (TV series)

From Wharf Rats to the Lords of the Docks (2004)

Isn't This a Time! A Tribute Concert for Harold Leventhal (2004)

1968 with Tom Brokaw (2007)

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song (2008) (American Masters PBS TV special)

References

Lee, Laura, Arlo, Alice & Anglicans: The Lives of a New England Church (Berkshire House Publishers, 2000; W.W. Norton, 2000 paperback ISBN 1-58157-010-4)

Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities' Mass Moments: "Arlo Guthrie Convicted of Littering," November 28, 1965"

"Youths Ordered to Clean Up Rubbish Mess": contemporaneous news article reprinted in This is the Arlo Guthrie Songbook p. 39 (offline)

Footnotes

External links

Official Website

Arlo Guthrie's Rising Son Records

Audio 2007 Interview on the Horace J. Digby Report, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Audio from April 2007 interview

The Guthrie Center

World Music Central "Arlo Guthrie"

YouTube video of Alice's Restaurant

YouTube video of the Motorcycle Song

Clark Center Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 7:30pm

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:People from Brooklyn Category:American folk singers Category:Jewish composers and songwriters Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American male singers Category:Jewish singers Arlo Category:Massachusetts Republicans