Network name	NPR
Network logo
Network type	Public radio network
Airdate	April 1971
Country	United States
Available	Global
Founded	1970
Key people	Kevin Klose, President Emeritus Vivian Schiller, President and Chief Executive OfficerMitch Praver, Chief Operating Officer
Foundation	February 24, 1970
Owner	National Public Radio, Inc.
Endowment	US$258 million
Revenue	US$159 million
Net income	US$18.9 million
Past names	Association of Public Radio StationsNational Educational Radio Network
Affiliations	World Radio Network
Website	npr.org

NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to 797 public radio stations in the United States of America. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. This act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which also created the Public Broadcasting Service in addition to NPR. A CPB organizing committee under John Witherspoon first created a Board of Directors chaired by Bernard Mayes. This Board then hired Donald Quayle to be the first President of NPR with studios in Washington D.C., 30 employees and 90 public radio stations as charter members.

NPR produces and distributes news and cultural programming. Individual public radio stations are not required to broadcast all NPR programs that are produced. Most public radio stations broadcast a mixture of NPR programs, content from rival providers American Public Media, Public Radio International and Public Radio Exchange, and locally produced programs. NPR's flagships are two drive time news broadcasts, Morning Edition and the afternoon All Things Considered; both are carried by most NPR member stations, and from 2002–2008 they were the second and third most popular radio programs in the country. In a Harris poll conducted in 2005, NPR was voted the most trusted news source in the U.S.

NPR manages the Public Radio Satellite System, which distributes NPR programs and other programming from independent producers and networks such as American Public Media and Public Radio International. Its content is also available on-demand via the web, mobile, and podcasts.

History

National Public Radio was founded on February 24, 1970. It replaced the National Educational Radio Network. NPR aired its first broadcast in April 1971, covering the United States Senate hearings on the Vietnam War. Shortly thereafter, the afternoon drive-time newscast All Things Considered began, on May 3, 1971, first hosted by Robert Conley. NPR was primarily a production and distribution organization until 1977, when it merged with the Association of Public Radio Stations. As a membership organization, NPR was then charged with providing stations with training, program promotion, and management, and with representing the interests of public radio before Congress and providing content delivery mechanisms, such as satellite transmission.

NPR suffered an almost fatal setback in 1983 when efforts to expand services created a deficit of nearly US$7 million. After a Congressional investigation and the resignation of NPR's president, Frank Mankiewicz, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting agreed to lend the network money in order to stave off bankruptcy. In exchange, NPR agreed to a new arrangement whereby the annual CPB stipend that it had previously received directly would be divided among local stations instead; in turn, those stations would support NPR productions on a subscription basis. NPR also agreed to turn its satellite service into a cooperative venture (the Public Radio Satellite System), making it possible for non-NPR shows to get national distribution. It took NPR approximately three years to pay off the debt.

On December 10, 2008, NPR announced that it would reduce its workforce by 7% and cancel the news programs Day to Day and News & Notes. The organization indicated this was in response to a rapid drop in corporate underwriting in the wake of the economic crisis of 2008.

Governance

NW in Washington, D.C.]]

NPR is a membership corporation. Member stations are required to be noncommercial or educational radio stations, have at least five full-time professional employees, operate for at least 18 hours per day, and not be designed solely to further a religious philosophy or be used for classroom programming. Each member station receives one vote at the annual NPR board meetings—exercised by its designated Authorized Station Representative ("A-Rep").

To oversee the day to day operations and prepare its budget, members elect a Board of Directors. This board is composed of ten A-Reps, five members of the general public, and the chair of the NPR Foundation. Terms are for three years and rotate such that some stand for election every year.

The original purposes of NPR, as ratified by the Board of Directors, are the following:

Provide an identifiable daily product which is consistent and reflects the highest standards of broadcast journalism.

Provide extended coverage of public events, issues and ideas, and to acquire and produce special public affairs programs.

Acquire and produce cultural programs which can be scheduled individually by stations.

Provide access to the intellectual and cultural resources of cities, universities and rural districts through a system of cooperative program development with member public radio stations.

Develop and distribute programs for specific groups (adult education, instruction, modular units for local productions) which may meet needs of individual regions or groups, but may not have general national relevance.

Establish liaison with foreign broadcasters for a program exchange service.

Produce materials specifically intended to develop the art and technical potential of radio.

, the Board of Directors of NPR included the following members:

;NPR Member Station Managers

Dave Edwards; Director/General Manager, WUWM, Milwaukee, Wisconsin - (Chair of the Board, NPR)

Steve Bass; President and Chief Executive Officer, Oregon Public Broadcasting

Bill Davis; President and CEO, Southern California Public Radio

Jose Fajardo; President & CEO, WMFE, Orlando, Florida

Betsy Gardella; President and CEO, New Hampshire Public Radio

Kit Jensen; Chief Operating Officer WVIZ/PBS & 90.3 WCPN Ideastream, Cleveland, Ohio

Jon McTaggart; Chief Operating Officer, Minnesota Public Radio

Greg Petrowich; Executive Director, WSIU Public Broadcasting, Carbondale, Illinois

Marita Rivero; Vice President and General Manager for Radio and Television, WGBH, Boston, Massachusetts

Roger Sarow; President, WFAE, Charlotte, North Carolina

;President of NPR

Vivian Schiller; President as of January 5, 2009

;Chair of the NPR Foundation

Antoine W. van Agtmael; Chair, NPR Foundation; Chairman and Chief Investment Officer, Emerging Markets Management, LLP

;Public Members of the Board

Carol A. Cartwright; President, Bowling Green State University

Eduardo A. Hauser; Chief Executive Officer, DailyMe, Inc. Daily Me

John A. Herrmann, Jr.; Vice Chairman, Lincoln International

Lyle Logan; Senior Vice President, Personal Financial Services

Howard H. Stevenson; Chair of the Board, NPR; Sarofim-Rock Professor of Business Administration at Harvard University

On March 6, 2008, Ken Stern left his position as CEO by mutual agreement, after having led NPR during its most lucrative decade. He was replaced on an interim basis by Dennis L. Haarsager.

Funding

In 2009, NPR revenues totaled $164 million, with the bulk of revenues coming from programming fees, grants, contributions and sponsorships. According to the 2009 financial statement, about 40% of NPR revenues come from the fees it charges member stations to receive programming. Typically, NPR member stations raise funds through on-air pledge drives, corporate underwriting, and grants from state governments, universities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In 2009, member stations derived 6% of their revenue from direct government funding, 10% of their revenue from federal funding in the form of CPB grants, and 14% of their revenue from universities. NPR receives no direct funding from the federal government. About 1.5% of NPR's revenues come from Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants.

During the 1970s and early 1980s, the majority of NPR funding came from the federal government. Steps were taken during the 1980s to completely wean NPR from government support, but the 1983 funding crisis forced the network to make immediate changes. Now more money to fund the NPR network is raised from listeners, charitable foundations and corporations instead.

Underwriting spots vs. commercials

In contrast with commercial radio, NPR does not carry traditional commercials, but has advertising in the form of brief statements from major donors, such as Allstate, Merck, and Archer Daniels Midland. These statements are called underwriting spots, not commercials, and, unlike commercials, are governed by FCC restrictions; they cannot advocate a product or contain any "call to action". In 2009, corporate sponsorship made up 26% of the NPR budget.

Grants

On November 6, 2003, NPR was given over US$225 million from the estate of the late Joan B. Kroc, the widow of Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's Corporation. This was a record—the largest monetary gift ever to a cultural institution. For context, the 2003 annual budget of NPR was US$101 million. In 2004 that number increased by over 50% to US$153 million due to the Kroc gift. US$34 million of the money was deposited in its endowment. The endowment fund before the gift totaled $35 million. NPR will use the interest from the bequest to expand its news staff and reduce some member stations' fees. .

Production facilities and listenership

NPR's major production facilities have been based in Washington, D.C. since its creation. On November 2, 2002, a West Coast production facility, dubbed "NPR West", opened in Culver City, California. NPR opened NPR West to improve its coverage of the western United States, to expand its production capabilities (shows produced there include News & Notes and Day to Day), and to create a fully functional backup production facility capable of keeping NPR on the air in the event of a catastrophe in Washington.

According to a 2003 Washington Monthly story, about 20 million listeners tune into NPR each week. The average listener is 50 years old, and earns an annual income of US$78,000. As of 2006, NPR's listenership is 80% white and 20% non-white. While Arbitron tracks public radio listenership, they do not include public radio in their published rankings of radio stations.

NPR stations generally do not subscribe to the Arbitron rating service, and are not included in published ratings and rankings such as Radio & Records. However, NPR station listenership is measured by Arbitron in both Diary and PPM (people meter) markets. NPR stations are frequently not included in "summary level" diary data used by most advertising agencies for media planning. Data on NPR listening can be accessued using "respondent level" diary data. Additionally, all radio stations (public and commercial) are treated equally within the PPM data sets making NPR station listenership data much more widely available to the media planning community. Arbitron data is also provided by Radio Research Consortium, a non-profit corporation which subscribes to the Aribtron service and distributes the data to NPR and other non-commercial stations and on its website.

Digital Media

NPR has been dubbed as "leveraging the Twitter generation", because of their adaptation of the popular microblogging service as one of their primary vehicles of information. Of NPR’s Twitter followers, the majority (67%) still do listen to NPR on the radio. According to Mashable.com, in a survey of more than 10,000 respondents, NPR found that its Twitter (Twitter) followers are younger, more connected to the social web, and more likely to access content through digital platforms such as NPR’s website, podcasts, mobile apps and more. NPR has more than one Twitter account; its survey found that most respondents followed between two and five NPR accounts, including topical account, show-specific accounts and on-air staff accounts.

Programming

Programs produced by NPR

News and public affairs programs

NPR produces a morning and an afternoon news program, both of which also have weekend editions with different hosts. It also produces hourly news briefs around the clock. NPR formerly distributed the World Radio Network, a daily compilation of news reports from international radio news, but no longer does so.

All Things Considered, hosted by Robert Siegel, Michele Norris and Melissa Block

* Weekend All Things Considered

Morning Edition, hosted by Steve Inskeep and Renée Montagne

* Radio Expeditions (with the National Geographic Society)

Weekend Edition Saturday, hosted by Scott Simon

Weekend Edition Sunday, hosted by Liane Hansen

Talk of the Nation: public affairs call-in (host Neal Conan)

* Science Friday science issues call-in (host Ira Flatow)

Tell Me More: public affairs/interviews (host Michel Martin)

Cultural programming

All Songs Considered, hosted by Bob Boilen

In 2000, NPR co-produced and distributed 2000X, a Hollywood Theater of the Ear production of science fiction radio plays, presented as part of NPR Playhouse

Earplay, a radio drama anthology (1971–1981)

Jazz Profiles, hosted by Nancy Wilson, NPR Jazz

NPR World of Opera, hosted by Lisa Simeone

The Thistle & Shamrock, Celtic music hosted by Fiona Ritchie

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, a humorous news quiz produced by Chicago Public Radio and hosted by Peter Sagal

A Way With Words, a show that answers language questions produced by Wayword LLC and hosted by Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett

Programs distributed by NPR

News and public affairs

On Point, public affairs call-in program hosted by Tom Ashbrook (WBUR)

The Diane Rehm Show, public affairs call-in program hosted by Diane Rehm (WAMU)

Fresh Air, interviews with cultural news-makers hosted by Terry Gross (WHYY)

Latino USA, Latino issues hosted by Maria Hinojosa (KUT)

Justice Talking, legal issues hosted by Margot Adler (University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center)

On the Media, media issues hosted by Brooke Gladstone and Bob Garfield (WNYC)

American RadioWorks, provider of documentaries on Morning Edition and All Things Considered hosted by Ray Suarez (American Public Media)

America Abroad, international affairs program hosted by Ray Suarez (PRI and NPR Worldwide)

Cultural programs

Car Talk, humorous automotive advice hosted by Tom Magliozzi and Ray Magliozzi (WBUR)

From the Top, A program showcasing young Classical Musicians between the ages of 8-18

JazzSet, hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater (WBGO)

Only A Game, sports issues hosted by Bill Littlefield (WBUR)

Piano Jazz, hosted by Marian McPartland (South Carolina ETV Radio)

Says You!, word game show (WGBH)

Sunday Baroque, baroque period music hosted by Suzanne Bona (WSHU-FM)

The Business, film industry news hosted by Claude Brodesser KCRW)

World Cafe, a 2 hour music program featuring both recorded music and interviews and live in-studio performances, hosted by David Dye, (WXPN)

Engines of Our Ingenuity, hosted by John Leinhardt, (KUHF)

, hosted by Al Letson

Snap Judgment, hosted by Glynn Washington

Public radio programs not affiliated with NPR

Individual NPR stations can broadcast programming from sources that have no formal affiliation with NPR. If these programs are distributed by another distributor, a public radio station must also affiliate with that network to take that network's programming.

BBC World Service, world news produced by the BBC in the UK, distributed by Public Radio International

Pulse of the Planet, a daily 2-minute sound portrait of Planet Earth, hosted by Jim Metzner.

Earth & Sky, a clear voice for science, nature and people in a complex world, hosted by Deborah Byrd and Joel Block

Echoes, a daily program of ambient, new age, and electronic music hosted by John Diliberto

The Sound of Young America, interviews and comedy, hosted by Jesse Thorn, Los Angeles, CA, and distributed by Public Radio International.

Selected Shorts, dramatic readings hosted by Isaiah Sheffer, Symphony Space, (WNYC) and distributed by Public Radio International

Hearts of Space, a weekly program of Ambient, Space, and contemplative music hosted by Stephen Hill, San Rafael, CA.

Here and Now, news, current affairs and culture hosted by Robin Young (WBUR), distributed by Public Radio International

Jazz from Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis, hosted by Ed Bradley, Murray Street Productions

The Merrow Report, education issues hosted by John Merrow, Learning Matters Inc.

Forum, call-in panel discussion program, wide-ranging national and local topics hosted by Michael Krasny (KQED-FM).

Planetary Radio, space exploration radio program hosted by Mat Kaplan, The Planetary Society, Pasadena, CA

The People's Pharmacy, a call-in and interview program on personal health from WUNC in Chapel Hill, NC

Ask Dr. Science, nonsequitur science humor

StarDate, short segments relating to science and astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory hosted by Sandy Wood.

The Radio Reader, readings of recently released books

WireTap, comedy radio program hosted by Jonathan Goldstein of CBC Radio One and distributed by Public Radio International in the United States.

Philosophy Talk, everyday topics examined through a philosophical lens, hosted by Stanford philosophy professors John Perry and Ken Taylor, produced by Ben Manilla Productions.

This American Life

Many shows produced or distributed by Public Radio International—such as This American Life , Living on Earth and Whad'Ya Know?—are broadcast on public radio stations, but are not affiliated with NPR. PRI and NPR are separate production and distribution organizations with distinct missions, and each competes with the other for programming slots on public radio stations.

Public Radio Exchange also offers a national distribution network where a significant number of public radio stations go to acquire programs from independent producers. PRX provides a catalog of thousands of radio pieces available on-demand as broadcast quality audio files and available for streaming on the PRX.org website.

Most public radio stations are NPR member stations and affiliate stations of PRI, APM, and PRX at the same time. The organizations have different governance structures and missions and relationships with stations. Other popular shows, like A Prairie Home Companion and Marketplace, are produced by American Public Media, the national programming unit of Minnesota Public Radio. These programs were distributed by Public Radio International prior to APM's founding. Democracy Now!, the flagship news program of the Pacifica Radio network, provides a feed to NPR stations, and other Pacifica programs can occasionally be heard on these stations as well.

Additionally, NPR member stations distribute a series of podcast-only programs, such as Planet Money, On Gambling with Mike Pesca, Groove Salad, and Youthcast, which are designed for younger audiences.

Allegations of ideological bias

Allegations of liberal bias

A 2005 study conducted by researchers at UCLA and the University of Missouri found that Morning Edition leans left. At the time Morning Edition had a bias comparable to the The Washington Post and the CBS Morning Show, and was slightly more liberal than Time, Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. It found Morning Edition to be more liberal than the average U.S. Republican of the time of the study and more conservative than the average U.S. Democrat of the time. Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, a progressive media watchdog group, disputes the claim of a liberal bias.

Allegations of conservative bias

A December 2005 column run by NPR ombudsman and former Vice President Jeffrey Dvorkin denied allegations by some listeners that NPR relies heavily on conservative think-tanks. In his column, Dvorkin listed the number of times NPR had cited experts from conservative and liberal think tanks in the previous year as evidence. The totals were 239 for conservative think tanks, and 141 for liberal ones. He noted that while the number of times liberal think tanks were cited was less, in addition to think tanks the liberal point of view is commonly provided by academics.

In 2003, some critics accused NPR of being supportive of the invasion of Iraq.

Allegations of bias against Israel

NPR has been criticised for perceived bias in its coverage of Israel. The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), a pro-Israel American media monitoring organization based in Boston, has been particularly critical of NPR. CAMERA director Andrea Levin has stated, "We consider NPR to be the most seriously biased mainstream media outlet," a statement that The Boston Globe describes as having "clearly gotten under her target's skin."

Allegations of elitism and the status quo

A 2004 FAIR study concluded that "NPR’s guestlist shows the radio service relies on the same elite and influential sources that dominate mainstream commercial news, and falls short of reflecting the diversity of the American public."

Noam Chomsky has criticized NPR as being biased toward ideological power and the status quo. He alleges that the parameters of debate on a given topic are very consciously curtailed. He says that since the network maintains studios in ideological centers of opinion such as Washington, the network feels the necessity to carefully consider what kinds of dissenting opinion are acceptable. Thus, political pragmatism, perhaps induced by fear of offending public officials who control some of the NPR's funding (via CPB), often determines what views are suitable for broadcast, meaning that opinions critical of the structures of national-interest-based foreign policy, capitalism, and government bureaucracies (entailed by so-called "radical" or "activist" politics) usually do not make it to air.

Defenders' rebuttals

Supporters contend that NPR does its job well. A study conducted in 2003 by the polling firm Knowledge Networks and the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes showed that those who get their news and information from public broadcasting (NPR and PBS) are better informed than those whose information comes from other media outlets. In one study, NPR and PBS audiences had a more accurate understanding of the events in Iraq versus all audiences for cable and broadcast TV networks and the print media.

Controversies

Andrei Codrescu comments

On the December 19, 1995, broadcast of All Things Considered, NPR commentator Andrei Codrescu reported that some Christians believe in a "rapture" and 4 million believers will ascend to Heaven immediately. He continued, "The evaporation of 4 million who believe this crap would leave the world an instantly better place."

NPR subsequently apologized for Cordrescu's comments, saying, "Those remarks offended listeners and crossed a line of taste and tolerance that we should have defended with greater vigilance."

Nina Totenberg comments

In 1995 Nina Totenberg commented that if there was "retributive justice," former Sen. Jesse Helms would "get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his grandchildren will get it." Helms had strongly opposed funding for AIDS research and treatment, saying that "deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct" was to blame for it. NPR took no action over Totenberg's remarks.

Juan Williams comments

On October 20, 2010, NPR terminated Senior News Analyst Juan Williams's independent contract over comments which were referred to as "inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR". News reports indicate that this is in reference to remarks he made on the Fox News Channel where he concurred with statements suggesting that the United States was facing a "Muslim dilemma". He also said, "But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous." Furthermore, referring to comments made by a Pakistani immigrant who pleaded guilty to trying to plant a car bomb in Times Square, Williams said "He said the war with Muslims, America's war is just beginning, first drop of blood. I don't think there's any way to get away from these facts."

NPR CEO Vivian Schiller defended her choice by asserting that Williams has a history of making controversial comments in violation of NPR's ethics policy with comments made on Fox News news and in print newspapers. Earlier, he had said of US First-Lady Michelle Obama "she's got this Stokely Carmichael in a designer dress thing going." NPR's on-air contributors have been advised to limit their association with FOX. Williams had "been warned several times that [Bill] O’Reilly is a professional provocateur and to be careful."

After NPR announced his ouster, Alicia Shepard, NPR's ombudsman, admitted that the firing was poorly handled. She opined that Williams could have been given a chance to explain himself to NPR's management or been suspended pending review of his case. However, she ultimately agreed with NPR's decision. Although a number of prominent conservatives, including Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin, and Newt Gingrich have renewed long-standing calls that NPR lose Federal funding that it currently receives, donations from NPR listener-members during NPR's October fundraising drive remained unaffected in the first 3 days. FOX News granted Williams a new $2 million, three-year contract with an expanded role at their network. FOX has been heavily promoting the incident "with hourly reports about the controversy on both its news and opinion programs." Bill O'Reilly has accused NPR of bias in firing Williams.

After an internal investigation, Although they deemed Juan was terminated according to the terms of his contract, the board of directors decide to take certain measures due to "concerns regarding the speed and handling of the termination process". These measures included Ellen Weiss the Senior Vice President who fired Juan Williams stepping down on January 6, 2011 under what is believed to be substantial pressure from more senior management, and CEO Vivian Schiller not being awarded her 2010 bonus.

See also

American Public Media

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

BBC Radio

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

List of NPR personnel

List of NPR stations

Pacifica Radio

Public Broadcasting Service

Public Radio International

Public Radio Satellite System

References

External links

Official site

NPR demographics

Category:1970 establishments in the United States Category:Companies established in 1970 Category:National Public Radio Category:Podcasting companies Category:Publicly funded broadcasters Category:Sirius Satellite Radio channels Category:XM Satellite Radio channels Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients Category:Orphan initialisms

Name	Scott Simon
Birth date	March 16, 1952
Birth place	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Show	Weekend Edition Saturday
Network	National Public Radio
Timeslot	Syndication
Style	Presenter
Country	United States
Web	Program websitePersonal website

Scott Simon (born March 16, 1952) is an American journalist and the host of Weekend Edition Saturday on National Public Radio.

Life and career

Simon was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of comedian Ernie Simon and actress Patricia Lyons, and brother to a sister who died at a young age. He grew up in major cities across the United States and Canada, including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Montreal, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C.

Simon's first book, Home and Away: Memoir of a Fan, was published in the spring of 2000, and his second, Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball, was published in 2002. Simon has written a book – Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other: In Praise of Adoption – about his family's experiences. He is also the author of two novels: Pretty Birds (2005) and Windy City: A Novel of Politics (2008).

Simon has hosted BBC World News America, filling in for Matt Frei.[Authentication required.]

After September 11, 2001, Simon spoke and wrote in support of the "war on terror." Simon wrote an op-ed for the October 11, 2001 Wall Street Journal, "Even Pacifists Must Support This War." Simon questioned nonviolence at greater length in the Quaker publication Friends Journal in December 2001, provoking many angry letters, to which Simon replied in the May 2003 edition.

Family

Simon met French documentary filmmaker Caroline Richard during an NPR interview in 2000. They married September 10, 2000, in a mixed faith (Methodist, Quaker, and Jewish) service in Ridgefield, Connecticut, at the home of fashion designer Alexander Julian. and the second, Lina, in 2007. They consider themselves a Jewish family.

References

External links

NPR Biography on Scott Simon

Weekend Edition Saturday

Voices on Antisemitism Interview with Scott Simon from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Scott Simon's official website

Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:American journalists Category:American memoirists Category:American novelists Category:National Public Radio personalities Category:American Jews

Name	Salman Khan
Caption	Salman Khan at the Jaan-E-Mann and UFO tie-up party (2006).
Birthname	Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan
Birth place	Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Birthdate	December 27, 1965
Occupation	Film actortelevision presenter
Yearsactive	1988–present

Salman Khan (, }}, pronounced ; born Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan on 27 December 1965) is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in more than 80 Hindi films.

Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), for which he won a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He went on to star in some of Hindi cinema's most successful films of those times, such as Saajan (1991), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Judwaa (1997), Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998) and Biwi No.1 (1999), having appeared in the highest earning films of seven separate years during his career.

In 1999, Khan won a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his extended appearance in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), and since then has starred in several critical and commercial successes, including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Tere Naam (2003), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), No Entry (2005), Partner (2007), Wanted (2009) and Dabangg (2010), which has become the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time. Khan has thus established himself as one of the most prominent, leading, and successful actors of Hindi cinema.

Biography

Career

1980s

Salman Khan made his acting debut in the 1988 film Biwi Ho To Aisi where he played a supporting role. His first leading role in a Bollywood movie was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romantic family drama Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). The film went on to become one of India's highest grossing films. It also won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award, and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actor Award.

1990s

1990 saw only one film release starring Khan, , alongside southern actress Nagma. The film was a box office success, and was followed by another successful year in 1991 when he starred in three hit films, Patthar Ke Phool, Sanam Bewafa and Saajan. Despite these early successes, nearly all of his 1992-1993 releases resulted in box office failures. Apart from being a commercial success, the film was widely acclaimed and Khan was praised for his performance, earning his second nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare. Three more films released that year featured Khan, none of which making a significant impact on the box-office as was the case with the previously mentioned title. He did however win praise for his performance in Andaz Apna Apna, alongside co-star Aamir Khan, which has gained a cult status since its release. In 1995 he cemented his success with Rakesh Roshan's blockbuster Karan Arjun, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan. In 2002 he starred in the delayed release Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam which was semi-hit at the box office.

Khan's following releases failed at the box office until he made a comeback in 2003 with Tere Naam. The film was a major earner and his performance was praised by critics, with film critic Taran Adarsh noting, "Salman Khan is exceptional in a role that fits him to the T. He breathes fire in sequences that demand uneasiness. But beneath the tough exterior lies a vulnerable person and this facet in particular comes to the fore in the latter reels. His emotional outbursts are splendid..." He subsequently continued his success at the box office, with comedies like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and No Entry (2005). He next appeared in his first Hollywood movie, opposite American actress Ali Larter. Telling the love story of an Indian man and an American woman, the film was a major failure, both commercially and critically.

Khan starred in three films throughout 2008, all of which underperformed, though his second film of the year, Heroes, met with praise from critics.

Khan hosted the second season of 10 Ka Dum in year 2009 which turned out to be even more successful than his first season as host of the game show in year 2008. The show got very high TRPs for Sony Entertainment Television and according to reports, the show helped Sony TV regain its third position in the Indian television ratings.

Khan's first film of 2009, Wanted directed by choreographer turned director Prabhu Deva was declared a smash hit in its first weekend of release itself. The action film turned out to be a huge success. The movie got more recognition for its slick action sequences performed by the actor himself. In the same year, he appeared in two other films, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna and London Dreams, both of which were failures at the box office.

His first release of 2010, Anil Sharma's Veer underperformed at the box office. Khan's recent film, Dabangg produced by his brother Arbaaz Khan, was released on September 10, 2010. It made a record opening at the box office and was declared an all time blockbuster and the second-highest grossing Indian movie of all-time.

Personal life

Khan is the eldest son of screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Salma Khan (maiden name Sushila Charak). His stepmother is Helen, a former Bollywood actress, who has co-starred with him in (1996) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, and two sisters, Alvira and Arpita. Alvira is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri.

Khan finished his schooling through St. Stanislaus High School in Bandra, Bombay, as did his younger brothers Arbaaz and Sohail. Earlier, he studied at The Scindia School, Gwalior for a few years along with younger brother Arbaaz.

In 2004, he was voted seventh best-looking man in the world and the best looking man in India by People magazine, U.S. Khan has been involved in several charities during his career.

On 11 October 2007, Khan accepted an offer from Madame Tussauds wax museum in London to have a wax replica made of himself. His life-size wax figure was installed there on 15 January 2008, making him the fourth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.

Controversies

Legal troubles

On 28 September 2002, Salman was arrested for rash and negligent driving. His car had run into a bakery in Mumbai; one person who was sleeping on the pavement outside the bakery died and three others were injured in the mishap. Charges of culpable homicide were laid against him, but later dropped, and he was found not guilty. However, he will still have to stand trial for a series of lesser charges pertaining to the incident.

On 17 February 2006, Khan was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting an endangered species, the Chinkara. The sentence was stayed by a higher court during appeal. On 10 April 2006, Salman was handed a five year jail term for hunting the endangered Chinkara. He was remanded to Jodhpur jail, and remained there until 13 April when he was granted bail. On 24 August 2007, the Jodhpur sessions court, upheld the 5 year jail term for Khan in the Chinkara poaching case by turning down his appeal against the 2006 judgement. At the time of the hearing, he was busy with a shooting elsewhere, while his sister attended the proceedings. The day after, he was placed under police arrest in Jodhpur after a Rajasthan court upheld a prison sentence passed upon him for poaching. On 31 August 2007, Khan was released on bail from the Jodhpur Central jail where he spent six days.

Relationship troubles

His turbulent relationship with actress Aishwarya Rai was a well publicised topic in the Indian media, and had constantly filled gossip columns. After their break-up in March 2002, Rai accused him of harassing her. She claimed that Khan had not been able to come to terms with their break-up and was hounding her; her parents lodged a complaint against him.

In 2005, news outlets released what was said to be an illicit copy of a mobile phone call recorded in 2001 by the Mumbai police. It appeared to be a call in which he threatened his ex-girlfriend, Aishwarya Rai, in an effort to force her to appear at social events held by Mumbai crime figures. The call featured boasts of connections to organized crime and derogatory comments about other actors. However, the alleged tape was tested in the government's Forensic lab in Chandigarh, which concluded that it was fake.

Fatwas

In September 2007, a Muslim organisation issued a fatwa against Khan for attending a Ganesh puja. Stating that Islam prohibits idol worship, the organisation stated that unless Khan reads the kalma — the declaration of faith — all over again, he will not be considered a Muslim. In addition to that, Khan celebrated the Ganesh Mahotsav with his family in Bandra; they brought a Ganesh idol for one day for the sake of his stepmother, Helen. Khan was among the group who danced in the procession. His father responded by criticising the fatwa and stated that Salman had done nothing wrong.

Another fatwa was raised against Khan by a Muslim cleric in India, mufti Salim Ahmad Qasmi, for allowing Madame Tussauds in London to make a wax model of himself. The mufti said the statue is illegal and the Sharia forbids depictions of all living creatures. This created speculation in the press, as no fatwa was released against fellow Muslim, Shahrukh Khan who also has a wax model in the museum. Salman responded by saying, "These fatwas are becoming a joke".

The fatwa was raised upon Khan again in September 2008, for celebrating the Ganeshotsav Hindu ceremony at his home with the family. The fatwa was raised by the member of the Advisory Council, Jama Masjid, in New Delhi. On this occasion, his father, Salim, again questioned the fatwa and criticised those who raise it.

Awards and nominations

Filmography

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0; background:#f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; " |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Other notes |- | 1988 | Biwi Ho To Aisi | Vicky Bhandari | |- | 1989 | Maine Pyar Kiya | Prem Choudhary | Winner, Filmfare Best Male Debut Award Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | 1990 | | Saajan Sood | |- |rowspan="5"| 1991 | Sanam Bewafa | Salman Khan | |- | Patthar Ke Phool | Inspector Suraj | |- | Kurbaan | Akash Singh | |- | Love | Prithvi | |- | Saajan | Akash Varma | |- |rowspan="4"| 1992 | Suryavanshi | Vicky/Suryavanshi Vikram Singh | |- | Ek Ladka Ek Ladki | Raja | |- | Jaagruti | Jugnu | |- | Nishchaiy | Rohan Yadav/Vasudev Gujral | |- | rowspan="2" | 1993 | Chandra Mukhi | Raja Rai | |- | Dil Tera Aashiq | Vijay | |- |rowspan="4"| 1994 | Andaz Apna Apna | Prem Bhopali | |- | Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...! | Prem Niwas | |- | Chaand Kaa Tukdaa | Shyam Malhotra | |- | Sangdil Sanam | Kishan | |- |rowspan="2"| 1995 | Karan Arjun | Karan Singh/Ajay | Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Veergati | Ajay | |- |rowspan="4"| 1996 | Majhdhaar | Gopal | |- | | Raj | |- | Jeet | Raju | Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award |- | Dushman Duniya Ka |Special appearance | |- |rowspan="4"| 1997 | Judwaa | Raja/Prem Malhotra | |- | Auzaar | Inspector Suraj Prakash | |- | Dus | Captain Jeet Sharma | Incomplete film |- | Deewana Mastana | Special appearance as Prem Kumar | |- |rowspan="5"| 1998 | Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya | Suraj Khanna | Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai | Suraj Dhanrajgir | |- | Sar Utha Ke Jiyo | | Special appearance |- | Bandhan | Raju | |- | Kuch Kuch Hota Hai | Aman Mehra | Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardSpecial appearanceShort snippet seen in the 2006 movie Outsourced ( and ) |- |rowspan="6"| 1999 | Jaanam Samjha Karo | Rahul | |- | Biwi No.1 | Prem | Nominated, Filmfare Best Comedian Award |- | Sirf Tum | Special appearance as Prem | |- | Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam | Sameer Rafillini | Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Hello Brother | Hero | |- | | Prem | |- |rowspan="5"| 2000 | Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge | Raja Oberoi | |- | Chal Mere Bhai | Prem Oberoi | |- | Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega | Raj/Romi | |- | Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke |Special appearance as a truck driver | |- | Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye | Prem Kapoor | |- | 2001 | Chori Chori Chupke Chupke | Raj Malhotra | |- |rowspan="3"| 2002 | Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge | Veer Singh Thakur/Ali | |- | Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam | Suraj | |- | Yeh Hai Jalwa | Raj 'Raju' Saxena/Raj Mittal | |- |rowspan="4"| 2003 | Love at Times Square | | Special appearance (song) |- | Stumped | | Special appearance (song) |- | Tere Naam | Radhe Mohan | Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Baghban | Special appearance as Alok Raj | Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award |- |rowspan="4"| 2004 | | Inspector Arjun Ranavat | |- | Mujhse Shaadi Karogi | Sameer Malhotra | |- | Phir Milenge | Rohit Manchanda | |- | Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa | Rishabh | |- |rowspan="4"| 2005 | | Aditya | |- | Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? | Dr. Samir Malhotra | |- | No Entry | Prem | Nominated, Filmfare Best Comedian Award |- | Kyon Ki | Anand | |- |rowspan="4"| 2006 | Saawan... The Love Season | Special appearance as Bhagwan's Messenger | |- | Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar | Ayaan | |- | Jaan-E-Mann | Suhaan | |- | Baabul | Avinash Kapoor | |- |rowspan="5"| 2007 | | Rahul | |- | Partner | Prem Love Guru | |- | | Prem | English language film |- | Om Shanti Om | Special appearance as himself in song Deewangi Deewangi | |- | Saawariya | Imaan | |- |rowspan="4"| 2008 | God Tussi Great Ho | Arun Prajapati | |- | Hello | Special appearance as himself | |- | Heroes | Balkar Singh/Jassvinder Singh | |- | Yuvvraaj | Deven Yuvvraaj | |- |rowspan="4"| 2009 | Wanted | Radhe / Rajveer Shikhawat | |- | Main Aurr Mrs Khanna | Samir Khanna | |- | London Dreams | Mannu (Manjit Khosla) | |- | Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani | Special appearance himself | |- |rowspan="4"| 2010 | Veer | Veer | |- | Prem Kaa Game | Special appearance as The Sutradhaar (Narrator) | |- | Dabangg | Inspector Chulbul Pandey (Robinhood Pandey) | Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Tees Maar Khan | Special appearance in song "Wallah Re Wallah" | Special appearance |- |rowspan="3"| 2011 | Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai | | Post-production |- |Ready | Prem | Filming |- | My Love Story | | Pre-production |}

Television presenter

10 Ka Dum (Season 1 & 2)

Bigg Boss (Season 4)

See also

List of Indian Actors

List of people from Madhya Pradesh

References

Further reading

External links

Category:1965 births Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian television presenters Category:Indian Muslims Category:People from Indore Category:Hindi film actors Category:Living people Category:Scindia School alumni Category:Bigg Boss

Name	Lady Gaga
Img alt	Portrait of a young, pale-skinned Caucasian female with blond hair
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
Born	March 28, 1986New York City, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, piano, synthesizer, keytar
Genre	Pop, dance
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, performance artist, record producer, dancer, businesswoman
Years active	2005–present
Label	Def Jam, Cherrytree, Streamline, Kon Live, Interscope
Url

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American pop singer-songwriter. She began performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side in 2003 and enrolled at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She soon signed with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. During her early time at Interscope, she worked as a songwriter for fellow label artists and captured the attention of Akon, who recognized her vocal abilities, and signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.

Gaga came to prominence following the release of her debut studio album The Fame (2008), which was a commercial success and achieved international popularity with the singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". The album reached number one on the record charts of six countries, accomplished positions within the top-ten worldwide, and topped the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart while simultaneously peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Achieving similar worldwide success, the follow-up EP The Fame Monster (2009), produced a further two global chart-topping singles "Bad Romance" and "Telephone" and allowed her to embark on a second global headlining concert tour, The Monster Ball Tour, just months after having finished her first, The Fame Ball Tour. Her second studio album, Born This Way, is scheduled for release in 2011.

Inspired by glam rock artists like David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson, Gaga is well-recognized for her outré sense of style as a recording artist, in fashion, in performance and in her music videos. Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements including two Grammy Awards, amongst twelve nominations; two Guinness World Records; and the estimated sale of fifteen million albums and fifty-one million singles worldwide. Billboard named her as the Artist of the Year in 2010 and ranked her as the 73rd Artist of the 2000s decade. Gaga has been included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world as well as Forbes' list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world. Forbes also placed her at number seven on their annual list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.

Life and career

1986–2004: Early life

Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in New York City on March 28, 1986, the eldest child of Joseph Germanotta, an internet entrepreneur, and Cynthia (née Bissett). She learned to play piano from the age of four, went on to write her first piano ballad at 13 and began performing at open mike nights by age 14. Gaga was raised a Roman Catholic. At the age of 11, Gaga attended Convent of the Sacred Heart, a private all-girls Roman Catholic school on Manhattan's Upper East Side, but has stressed that she does not come from a wealthy background, saying that her parents "both came from lower-class families, so we've worked for everything – my mother worked eight to eight out of the house, in telecommunications, and so did my father."

An avid thespian in high school musicals, Gaga portrayed lead roles as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. She described her academic life in high school as "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined" but also "a bit insecure" as she told in an interview, "I used to get made fun of for being either too provocative or too eccentric, so I started to tone it down. I didn’t fit in, and I felt like a freak." Acquaintances dispute that she did not fit in school. "She had a core group of friends; she was a good student. She liked boys a lot, but singing was No. 1," recalled a former high school classmate. Referring to her "expressive, free spirit", Gaga told Elle magazine "I'm left-handed!"

At age 17, Gaga gained early admission to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and lived in a NYU dorm on 11th Street. There she studied music and improved her songwriting skills by composing essays and analytical papers focusing on topics such as art, religion, social issues and politics. Gaga felt that she was more creative than some of her classmates. "Once you learn how to think about art, you can teach yourself," she said. By the second semester of her sophomore year, she withdrew from the school to focus on her musical career. Her father agreed to pay her rent for a year, on the condition that she re-enroll for Tisch if she was unsuccessful. "I left my entire family, got the cheapest apartment I could find, and ate shit until somebody would listen," she said. Shortly after, her former management company introduced her to songwriter and producer RedOne, whom they also managed. The first song she produced with RedOne was "Boys Boys Boys", She also started the Stefani Germanotta Band with some friends from NYU. They recorded an extended play of their ballads at a studio underneath a liquor store in New Jersey, becoming a local fixture at the downtown Lower East Side club scene. Music producer Rob Fusari, who helped her write some of her earlier songs, compared some of her vocal harmonies to that of Freddie Mercury. He explained,

She was known thereafter as Lady Gaga. The pair began playing gigs at downtown club venues like the Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End, and the Rockwood Music Hall, with their live performance art piece known as "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue." Billed as "The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rockshow", their act was a low-fi tribute to 1970s variety acts. In August 2007, Gaga and Starlight were invited to play at the American Lollapalooza music festival. The show was critically acclaimed, and their performance received positive reviews.

Fusari sent the songs he produced with Gaga to his friend, producer and record executive Vincent Herbert. Herbert was quick to sign her to his label Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records, upon its establishment in 2007. She credited Herbert as the man who discovered her, adding "I really feel like we made pop history, and we're gonna keep going." While Gaga was writing at Interscope, singer-songwriter Akon recognized her vocal abilities when she sang a reference vocal for one of his tracks in studio. He then convinced Interscope-Geffen-A&M; Chairman and CEO Jimmy Iovine to form a joint deal by having her also sign with his own label Kon Live Distribution Gaga continued her collaboration with RedOne in the recording studio for a week on her debut album The album peaked at number one in United Kingdom, Canada, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland, and the top-five in Australia, the United States and fifteen other countries. Worldwide, The Fame has sold over fourteen million copies. Its lead single "Just Dance" topped the charts in six countries – Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States – and later received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording. The following single "Poker Face" was an even greater success, reaching number-one in almost all major music markets in the world, including the United Kingdom and the United States. It won the award for Best Dance Recording at the 52nd Grammy Awards, over nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The Fame was nominated for Album of the Year; it won the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album. Although her first concert tour happened as an opening act for fellow Interscope pop group, the reformed New Kids on the Block, she ultimately headlined her own worldwide concert tour, The Fame Ball Tour, which was critically appreciated and began in March 2009; culminating in September of that year. The cover of the annual "Hot 100" issue of Rolling Stone in May 2009 featured a semi-nude Gaga wearing only strategically placed plastic bubbles. She was nominated for a total of nine awards at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, winning the award for Best New Artist, while her single "Paparazzi" won two awards for Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects. In October, Gaga received Billboard magazine's Rising Star of 2009 award. She attended the Human Rights Campaign's "National Dinner" the same month, before marching in the National Equality March for the equal protection of LGBT people in all matters governed by US civil law in Washington, D.C.

|alt= Profile of a young blond woman. Her hair falls in waves up to her shoulders. She wears a purple leotard with visible sequins attached. Ample bosom, arm and leg are visible.]] Written over the course of 2008–09, The Fame Monster, a collection of eight songs, was released in November 2009. Each song, dealing with the darker side of fame from personal experience while she travelled the world, is expressed through a monster metaphor. Its first single "Bad Romance" topped the charts in eighteen countries, while reaching the top-two in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. In the US, Gaga became the first artist in digital history to have three singles (along with "Just Dance" and "Poker Face") to pass the four million mark in digital sales. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance while its accompanying music video was nominated for Best Short Form Music Video. The album's second single "Telephone", which features singer Beyoncé, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and became Gaga's fourth UK number-one single while its accompanying music video, although controversial, was met mostly positive reception from contemporary critics: praising her for "the musicality and showmanship of Michael Jackson and the powerful sexuality and provocative instincts of Madonna." Her following single "Alejandro" paired Gaga with fashion photographer Steven Klein for a music video similarly as controversial – critics complimented its idea and dark nature, but the Catholic League attacked Gaga for her use of blasphemy. Despite the controversy surrounding her music videos, they have made Gaga one of the first artists to gain over one billion viral views on video-sharing website YouTube. Musically, The Fame Monster has also received abundant success. Equating to the amount of Grammy nominations her debut received, The Fame Monster garnered a total of six – among them Best Pop Vocal Album and her second-consecutive nomination for Album of the Year. The success of the album allowed Gaga to embark on her second headlining worldwide concert tour, The Monster Ball Tour, just weeks after the release of The Fame Monster and months after having finished her first. Upon finishing in May 2011, the critically acclaimed and commercially accomplished concert tour will have ran for over one and a half years. Additionally, Gaga has performed other songs from the album at international events like the 2009 Royal Variety Performance where she sang "Speechless", a power ballad, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II; the 52nd Grammy Awards where her opening performance consisted of the song "Poker Face" and a piano duet of "Speechless" in a medley of "Your Song" with Elton John; and the 2010 BRIT Awards where a performance of an acoustic rendition of "Telephone" followed by "Dance in the Dark" dedicated to the late fashion designer and close friend, Alexander McQueen, supplemented her hat-trick win at the awards ceremony.

Barbara Walters chose Gaga as one the "10 Most Fascinating People of 2009" for her annual ABC News special. When interviewed by the journalist, Gaga dismissed the claim that she is intersex as an urban legend. Responding to a question on this issue, she stated, "At first it was very strange and everyone sorta said, 'That's really quite a story!' But in a sense, I portray myself in a very androgynous way, and I love androgyny." Excited about bringing back Polaroid and "combining it with the digital era", Gaga was named Chief Creative Officer for a line of imaging products for the international optic company in January 2010 with the intent of creating fashion, technology and photography products. Her production team, Mermaid Music LLC, was sued in March by Rob Fusari; claiming that he was entitled to a 20% share of its earnings. Gaga's lawyer, Charles Ortner, described the agreement with Fusari as "unlawful" and declined to comment, however, five months later, the New York Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit. In April, Gaga was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of the year. While giving an interview to The Times, Gaga hinted at having Systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly referred to as lupus, which is a connective tissue disease. She later confirmed with Larry King that she does not have lupus but "the results were borderline positive".

2010–present: Born This Way

Gaga's second studio album and third major release Born This Way, whose title was announced during her acceptance speech for Video of the Year at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, will be released on May 23, 2011. Its arrival will follow the release of its lead single on February 13, 2011. These dates were tweeted by Gaga at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day, 2011. Described as "a marriage of electronic music with major [...] metal or rock 'n' roll, pop, anthemic style melodies with really sledge-hammering dance beats", Born This Way will be Gaga's third release in three years. She stated, "It came so quickly. I've been working on [the album] for months, and I feel very strongly that it's finished right now. Some artists take years. I don't. I write music every day." With two tracks already confirmed by Gaga – one she has been performing during The Monster Ball Tour, she has referred to the album as "the greatest" of the decade about "what keeps us up at night and what makes us afraid." Likening Born This Way to "bad kids going to church" that are "having fun on a high level", Gaga characterized her new music as "something so much deeper than a wig or lipstick or a fucking meat dress" and upon hearing it, Akon remarked that she will take music to the "next level."

Lending her vocal talent elsewhere, Gaga also paired with Elton John to record an original duet for the soundtrack to the forthcoming animated Disney feature film Gnomeo and Juliet. The song, titled "Hello, Hello", is scheduled for release in February 2011.

Musical style and influences

Gaga has been influenced by glam rock artists such as David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop music artists such as Madonna, Britney Spears and Michael Jackson. The Queen song "Radio Ga Ga" inspired her stage name, "Lady Gaga". She commented: "I adored Freddie Mercury and Queen had a hit called 'Radio Gaga'. That's why I love the name [...] Freddie was unique – one of the biggest personalities in the whole of pop music."

Gaga's vocals have drawn frequent comparison to those of Madonna and Gwen Stefani, while the structure of her music is said to echo classic 1980s pop and 1990s Europop. While reviewing her debut album The Fame, The Sunday Times asserted "in combining music, fashion, art and technology, Lady GaGa evokes Madonna, Gwen Stefani circa 'Hollaback Girl', Kylie Minogue 2001 or Grace Jones right now." Similarly, The Boston Globe critic Sarah Rodman commented that she draws "obvious inspirations from Madonna to Gwen Stefani... in [her] girlish but sturdy pipes and bubbly beats." Though her lyrics are said to lack intellectual stimulation, "[she] does manage to get you moving and grooving at an almost effortless pace." Music critic Simon Reynolds wrote that "Everything about Gaga came from electroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s, just ruthlessly catchy naughties pop glazed with Auto-Tune and undergirded with R&B;-ish beats.

Gaga has identified fashion as a major influence. Her love of fashion came from her mother, who she stated was "always very well kept and beautiful." Entertainment Weekly put her outfits on its end of the decade "best-of" list, saying, "Whether it's a dress made of Muppets or strategically placed bubbles, Gaga's outré ensembles brought performance art into the mainstream."

Critical reception of Gaga's music, fashion sense and persona are mixed. Her status as a role model, trailblazer and fashion icon is by turns affirmed and denied. Gaga's albums have received mostly positive reviews, Her role as a self-esteem booster for her fans is also lauded, as is her role in breathing life into the fashion industry. Her performances are described as "highly entertaining and innovative"; in particular, the blood-spurting performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards was described as "eye-popping" by MTV. She continued the "blood soaked" theme in The Monster Ball Tour, in which she wore a revealing leather corset and is "attacked" by a performer dressed in black who gnaws on her throat, causing "blood" to spurt down her chest, after which she lies "dying" in a pool of blood. Her performances of that scene in Manchester, England triggered protests from family groups and fans in the aftermath of a local tragedy, in which a taxi driver had murdered 12 people. "What happened in Bradford is very fresh in people's minds and given all the violence which happened in Cumbria just hours earlier, it was insensitive," said Lynn Costello of Mothers Against Violence. Chris Rock later defended her flamboyant, provocative behavior. "Well, she's Lady Gaga," he said. "She's not 'Lady Behave Yourself.' Do you want great behavior from a person named Gaga? Is this what you were expecting?" She later returned to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards wearing a dress which was supplemented by boots, a purse and a hat—each fabricated from the flesh of a dead animal. The dress, named Time magazine's Fashion Statement of 2010 and more widely known as the "meat dress", was made by Argentinian designer Franc Fernandez and received divided opinions—evoking the attention of worldwide media but invoking the fury of animal rights organization PETA. Gaga, however, later denied any intention of causing disrespect to any person or organization and wished for the dress to be interpreted as a statement of human rights with focus upon those in the LGBT community.

Gaga's treatment of her fans as "Little Monsters" has inspired criticism, due to the highly commercial nature of her music and image. Camille Paglia wrote a cover story "Lady Gaga and the death of sex" on September 12, 2010, in The Sunday Times in which she asserts that Gaga "is more an identity thief than an erotic taboo breaker, a mainstream manufactured product who claims to be singing for the freaks, the rebellious and the dispossessed when she is none of those."

Public image

Contrary to her outré style, the New York Post described her early look as like "a refugee from Jersey Shore" with "big black hair, heavy eye makeup and tight, revealing clothes." She has another six known tattoos, among them a peace symbol, which was inspired by John Lennon whom she stated was her hero, Towards the end of 2008, comparisons were made between the fashions of Gaga and fellow recording artist Christina Aguilera that noted similarities in their styling, hair, and make-up. Comparisons continued into 2010 when Aguilera released the music video of her single "Not Myself Tonight". Critics noted similarities between the song and its accompanying music video with Gaga's video for "Bad Romance". There have also been similar comparisons made between Gaga's style and that of fashion icon Dale Bozzio from the band Missing Persons. Some have considered their respective images to be strikingly parallel although fans of Missing Persons note that Bozzio had pioneered the look more than thirty years earlier.

Gaga's influence on modern culture and society has provoked the University of South Carolina into offering a full-time course titled "Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame" in the objective of unravelling "the sociologically relevant dimensions of the fame of Lady Gaga with respect to her music, videos, fashion, and other artistic endeavors".

Philanthropy

Besides her career in music, Gaga has enhanced her repertoire as a philanthropist who has contributed to various charities and humanitarianism works.

Although declining an invitation to record a benefit song, Gaga held a concert of The Monster Ball Tour following the 2010 Haiti earthquake and dedicated it to the country’s reconstruction relief fund. This concert, held at the Radio City Music Hall, New York, on January 24, 2010, donated any received revenue to the relief fund while, in addition, all profits from sales of products on Gaga’s official online store on that same day were donated. Gaga announced that an estimated total of $500,000 was collected for the fund.

Gaga also contributes in the fight against HIV and AIDS with the focus upon educating young women about the risks of the disease. In collaboration with Cyndi Lauper, Gaga joined forces with MAC Cosmetics to launch a line of lipstick under their supplementary cosmetic line, Viva Glam. Titled Viva Glam Gaga and Viva Glam Cyndi for each contributor respectively, all net proceeds of the lipstick line were donated to the cosmetic company’s campaign to prevent HIV and AIDS worldwide. In a press release, Gaga declared, "I don't want Viva Glam to be just a lipstick you buy to help a cause. I want it to be a reminder when you go out at night to put a condom in your purse right next to your lipstick."

, October 11, 2009|alt=A blond woman speaking on a kiosk. She wears a white shirt and black glasses. Behind her, the balcony of a building is visible.]] Gaga attributes much of her early success as a mainstream artist to her gay fans and is considered to be a rising gay icon. Early in her career she had difficulty getting radio airplay, and stated, "The turning point for me was the gay community. I've got so many gay fans and they're so loyal to me and they really lifted me up. They'll always stand by me and I'll always stand by them. It's not an easy thing to create a fanbase." She thanked FlyLife, a Manhattan-based LGBT marketing company with whom her label Interscope works, in the liner notes of The Fame, saying, "I love you so much. You were the first heartbeat in this project, and your support and brilliance means the world to me. I will always fight for the gay community hand in hand with this incredible team." One of her first televised performances was in May 2008 at the NewNowNext Awards, an awards show aired by the LGBT television network Logo, where she sang her song "Just Dance". In June of the same year, she performed the song again at the San Francisco Pride event.

After The Fame was released, she revealed that the song "Poker Face" was about her bisexuality. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she spoke about how her boyfriends tended to react to her bisexuality, saying "The fact that I'm into women, they're all intimidated by it. It makes them uncomfortable. They're like, 'I don't need to have a threesome. I'm happy with just you'." She proclaimed that the October 11, 2009, National Equality March rally on the national mall was "the single most important event of her career." As she exited, she left with an exultant "Bless God and bless the gays," At the rally, she performed a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" declaring that "I'm not going to [play] one of my songs tonight because tonight is not about me, it's about you." She changed the original lyrics of the song to reflect the death of Matthew Shepard, a college student murdered because of his sexuality. In September 2010, she spoke at a rally in favor of repealing the US military's Don't ask, don't tell policy, which prohibits lesbian, gay and bisexual people from serving openly, and released an online video urging her fans to contact their Senators in an effort to get the policy overturned. Editors of The Advocate commented that she had become the "fierce advocate" for gays and lesbians that future president Barack Obama had promised to be during his campaign.

Discography

The Fame (2008)

The Fame Monster (2009)

Born This Way (2011)

Tours

The Fame Ball Tour (2009)

The Monster Ball Tour (2009–11)

Awards and nominations

See also

Honorific nicknames in popular music

List of best-selling music artists

References

Further reading

External links

Year in Gaga: A Provocative 2010 — slideshow by Life magazine

Category:1986 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American dance musicians Category:American electronic musicians Category:American female pop singers Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Bisexual musicians Category:BRIT Award winners Category:English-language singers Category:Feminist artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Interscope Records artists Category:Keytarists Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:New York University alumni Category:Singers from New York Category:Sony/ATV Music Publishing artists Category:Wonky Pop acts