Avenue may refer to:

A common part of street names, often for roads with lines of trees on either side

A common name for any mediumly-high capacity road. See Dual carriageway

A GIS scripting language for ArcView 3.x

Avenue (archaeology), a specialist term in archaeology referring to lines of stones

Avenue (band), X-Factor UK contestants

Avenue (landscape), a straight route with a line of trees or large shrubs running along each side

Avenue (song), a 1992 single by British pop group Saint Etienne

Avenue of the Giants, a scenic highway in California

Avenue of the Saints, a 560-mile highway that connects St. Paul, Minnesota, and St. Louis, Missouri

Avenue Q, a musical

Avenue Road, a major north-south street in Toronto, Ontario

The Avenue, a Rugby Union stadium in Sunbury-on-Thames, England

On the Avenue a 1937 American musical film

See also

Heartache Avenue, a song by The Maisonettes

Avinu (disambiguation)

The Avenues (disambiguation)

Electric Avenue (disambiguation)

Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), a major avenue in New York City also known as Avenue of the Americas

Category:French loanwords

de:Allee ht:Avnu hu:Sugárút nl:Avenida ja:アヴェニュー

Coordinates	4°5′4″N39°39′40″N
Name	Eddy Grant
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Edmond Montague Grant
Birth date	March 05, 1948
Birth place	Plaisance, Guyana
Origin	London, England
Genre	Reggae
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards
Years active	1968–present
Label	Ice, Capitol }}

Eddy Grant (born Edmond Montague Grant, 5 March 1948) is a musician, born in Plaisance, Guyana.

When he was still a young boy, his parents emigrated to London, UK, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park. He had his first number one hit in 1968, when he was the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the group The Equals, with his self-penned song "Baby Come Back". The tune also later topped the UK Singles Chart again when covered by Pato Banton. Notably, he openly used his songwriting for political purposes, especially against the then-current apartheid regime of South Africa. The Clash recorded a version of "Police On My Back" for their Sandinista! set.

Musical achievements

In 1982, his solo recording of "I Don't Wanna Dance" spent three weeks at Number one in the UK Singles Chart. He scored a Top Ten album in the same year, with Killer on the Rampage. "Electric Avenue" was both a UK and US number 2 in 1983, selling over a million copies. Plus, a later remix of the song was a UK Top Ten hit again in 2001.

In 1984 Grant had a minor hit single in the US with his original song written to accompany the Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner film, Romancing the Stone. Despite being commissioned by the film's producers, all but the guitar solo would be cut from the film during its final edit. The song did not appear on its soundtrack. Grant released the song as a single with the original video that featured scenes from the film until it was re-edited without the Romancing the Stone clips.

His later single, "Gimme Hope Jo'anna", during the apartheid regime ("Joanna" stands for Johannesburg, South Africa) was a song about apartheid in that country, and was subsequently banned in South Africa. This song was later adapted for use on a commercial for Yop, a commercially available yogurt-based drink, with the altered non-political lyrics "give me Yop (me mama) when the morning come".

Other songs, such as "War Party" were also political protest songs. "The only decoration is the one upon the grave". "Living On The Front Line" was another. "They got me living on top of my existence, oh appreciating my resistance".

Ice Records

Grant set up his own recording company, Ice Records and the Coach House studio, but more recently has returned to the West Indies from London, choosing Barbados as a more realistic venue for a recording company, rather than his country of origin. He has also produced for the likes of Sting, Mick Jagger and Elvis Costello.

Discography

artist	Eddy Grant
studio	13
live	1
compilation	8
singles	18
soundtrack	}}

Studio albums

Year	Information	Chart positions
!width="35"	!width="35"	!width="35"
1977		* Label: Ice Records	-	-	-
1979	align="left"	* Label: Ice Records	-	-	-
1980		* Label: Ice Records	-	-	-
1981	align="left"	* Label: Ice Records	39	43	-
1982		* Label: Ice Records	7	9	10
1984	align="left"	* Label: Ice Records	-	-	64
1986		* Label: Ice Records / Portrait	-	-	-
1988		* Label: Parlophone / Blue Wave Records	-	24	-
1990		* Label: Capitol Records (US)	-	-	-
1992		* Label: Ice Records	-	-	-
1993		* Label: RAS	-	-	-
2001		* Label: Ice Records	-	-	-
2006	align="left"	* Label: Ice Records	-	-	-

Live albums

Live at Notting Hill (1981, Ice Records)

Compilation albums

All The Hits (1984, K-tel) UK #23 ! width="35"| GER ! width="35"| IRE ! width="35"| NL ! width="35"| NZ ! width="35"| US ! width="35"| US Dan ! width="35"| US R&B; |- | rowspan="2"| 1979 ! scope="row"| "Living on the Front Line" | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | align="left" rowspan="2"| Walking on Sunshine |- ! scope="row"| "Walking on Sunshine" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 86 | |- | 1980 ! scope="row"| "Do You Feel My Love" | 8 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 3 | — | — | — | align="left"| UK: Silver | align="left" rowspan="3"| Can't Get Enough |- | rowspan="2"| 1981 ! scope="row"| "Can't Get Enough of You" | 13 | 22 | 19 | — | 26 | — | — | — | |- ! scope="row"| "I Love You, Yes I Love You" | 37 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |- | 1983 ! scope="row"| "I Don't Wanna Dance" | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 53 | — | — | align="left"| UK: Silver | align="left" rowspan="3"| Killer on the Rampage |- | rowspan="3"| 1984 ! scope="row"| "Electric Avenue" | 2 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 32 | 2 | 6 | 18 | align="left"| UK: Silver US: Platinum |- ! scope="row"| "War Party" | 42 | 47 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | |- ! scope="row"| "Till I Can't Take Love No More" | 42 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | | align="left" rowspan="3"| Going for Broke |- | rowspan="2"| 1985 ! scope="row"| "Romancing the Stone" | 52 | 42 | — | — | 28 | 26 | 12 | — | |- ! scope="row"| "Boys in the Street" | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |- | rowspan="3"| 1988 ! scope="row"| "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" | 7 | 4 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | | align="left" rowspan="3"| File Under Rock |- ! scope="row"| "Harmless Piece of Fun" | 90 | — | — | 76 | — | — | — | — | |- ! scope="row"| "Put a Hold on It" | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |- | 1989 ! scope="row"| "Walking on Sunshine" (re-issue) | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | align="left"| The Best of Eddy Grant |- | rowspan="2"| 2001 ! scope="row"| "Electric Avenue" (remix) | 5 | 68 | 11 | 31 | — | — | 16 | — | | align="left" rowspan="2"| The Greatest Hits |- ! scope="row"| "Walking on Sunshine" (remix) | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |- | colspan="15" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |- |}

Other charted songs

Year	Single	Peak positions	Album
		! width="40"
1984	"Living on the Front Line"	47

See also

List of black Britons

List of disco artists (A-E)

List of Eastern Caribbean people

List of reggae musicians

Afro-Guyanese

Culture of Guyana

Music of Guyana

Caribbean music in the United Kingdom

References

External links

Ice Records

Biography from his own Ice Records label

Eddy Grant interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' June 2008

Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:Guyanese musicians Category:British male singers Category:British guitarists Category:British songwriters Category:English people of Guyanese descent Category:Guyanese emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:British singer-songwriters Category:British reggae musicians Category:Guyanese reggae singers

da:Eddy Grant de:Eddy Grant es:Eddy Grant fr:Eddy Grant it:Eddy Grant nl:Eddy Grant pl:Eddy Grant pt:Eddy Grant sv:Eddy Grant

Coordinates	4°5′4″N39°39′40″N
Name	Bruno Mars
Birth date	October 08, 1985
Birth place	Honolulu, Hawaii
Origin	Los Angeles, California,
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Peter Gene Hernandez
Instrument	Vocals, drums, guitar, keyboard, bass
Genre	Pop, alternative hip hop, soul, reggae fusion , contemporary R&B;
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active	2005–present
Label	Atlantic, Elektra
Associated acts	The Smeezingtons, B.o.B, Cee-Lo Green, Travie McCoy, Bad Meets Evil
Website	}}

Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age. After performing in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood, he decided to pursue a musical career and moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school. Mars began producing songs for other artists, joining production team The Smeezingtons.

After an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, Mars signed with Atlantic Records in 2009. He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B, and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy. He also co-wrote the hits "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha, "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan. In October 2010, he released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Anchored by the worldwide number one singles "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade", the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. He was nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards, winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way You Are".

Mars' music is noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, and contains elements of many different musical genres. He has worked with an assortment of artists from different genres; Mars acknowledges the influences that his collaborations have had on his own music. As a child, he was highly influenced by artists such as Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson and would often impersonate these artists from a young age. Mars also incorporates reggae and Motown inspired sounds into his work. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times referred to Mars as "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop."

Life and career

1985–2008: Early life and beginnings

Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez and raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, by parents Bernadette "Bernie" and Pete Hernandez, of Filipino and Puerto Rican descent. His mother emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child and his father moved to the island from Brooklyn, New York. Mars' parents met while performing in a show, where his mother was a hula dancer and his father played percussion. At the age of two, he was nicknamed "Bruno" by his father, because of his resemblance to chubby professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino. Mars was one of six children and came from a musical family who exposed him to a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B;. From a young age, he was impersonating and performing songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations. At age four, Mars began performing five days a week with his family's band, The Love Notes, in which he became known on the island for his impersonation of Presley.

In 1990, Mars was featured in MidWeek as "Little Elvis", going on to have a cameo in the film Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992. He later reflected on the influence Presley had on his music, saying, "I watch the best. I'm a big fan of Elvis. I'm a big fan of 1950s Elvis when he would go on stage and scare people because he was a force and girls would go nuts! You can say the same thing for Prince or The Police. It's just guys who know that people are here to see a show, so I watch those guys and I love studying them because I'm a fan." In 2010, he also acknowledged his Hawaiian roots and musical family as an influence, saying, "Growing up in Hawaii made me the man I am. I used to do a lot of shows in Hawaii with my father's band. Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments. My uncle's an incredible guitar player, my dad's an incredible percussionist, my brother's a great drummer, he actually plays in our band. I've just been surrounded by it." In 2003, shortly after graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High School at the age of seventeen, Mars moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career. He adopted his stage name from the nickname his father gave him, adding "Mars" at the end because "I felt like I didn't have [any] pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I'm from Mars."

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Mars signed to Motown Records in 2004, in a deal that "went nowhere". However, Mars' experience with Motown proved to be beneficial to his career when he met songwriter and producer Philip Lawrence, who was also signed to the label. Mars, Lawrence, and engineer Ari Levine began writing songs together, and formed the production team The Smeezingtons. In 2006, Lawrence introduced Mars to his future manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck. After hearing him play a couple of songs on the guitar, Bay-Schuck wanted to sign him immediately, but it took about three years for Atlantic records to finally sign Mars to the label. In the meantime, Bay-Schuck hired Mars and the Smeezingtons to write and produce songs for the label's artists. According to Bay-Schuck in an interview with HitQuarters, Mars had stated that although his ultimate goal was to be a solo artist, he was willing to write and produce for other artists, both to help improve his songwriting and help him discover the type of artist he ultimately wanted to be. Bay-Schuck credits this as a period of "self-discovery" that contributed significantly to Mars' later success.

2009–present: Commercial success and Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Before becoming a successful solo artist, Hernandez was an acknowledged music producer, writing songs for Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston, and Flo Rida. He also co-wrote the Sugababes' hit song "Get Sexy" and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7. His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement's second studio album Animal, featured on the track "3D". He was also featured on pastor and hip hop artist Jaeson Ma's debut single "Love" in August 2009. He reached prominence as a solo artist after being featured on and co-writing B.o.B's "Nothin' on You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire"; both songs peaked within the top ten of many charts worldwide. He said of them, "I think those songs weren't meant to be full-sung songs. If I'd sung all of "Nothin' on You", it might've sounded like some '90s R&B;." Following this success, Mars released his debut extended play (EP), titled It's Better If You Don't Understand, on May 11, 2010. The EP peaked at the 99th position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single, "The Other Side", featuring singers Cee-Lo Green and B.o.B. Mars collaborated with Green once more in August 2010 by co-writing his single "Fuck You!". He performed a medley of "Nothin' on You" and "Airplanes" with B.o.B and Hayley Williams at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.

Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released digitally on October 4, and saw its physical release on October 5, 2010. The lead single, "Just the Way You Are", was released on July 19, 2010, and has reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as well as several other charts worldwide. The music video was released on September 8, 2010. The second single, "Grenade", was released September 28, 2010, and has also seen successful international chart performance. In the United States, Doo-Wops & Hooligans debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 for the week of October 13, 2010, selling 55,000 copies. The album also received generally positive reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly Leah Greenblatt praised Mars for his "instant-access melodies" and "sly snatches of dance-floor swagger", but noted weaknesses in songs deviant from his conventional pop and soul genres. He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010 and co-headlined with McCoy on a European tour starting October 18, 2010.

On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine. When talking to a police officer, Mars reportedly stated that what he did was "foolish" and that "he has never used drugs before". Mars pled guilty to felony drug possession, and in return for his plea, the charges will be erased from his criminal record as long as he pays a $2,000 fine, does 200 hours of community service and completes a drug counseling course.

Musical style

Mars' music has been noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, including pop, rock, reggae, R&B;, soul, and hip hop. Although Mars has been referenced as "soft" because of his penchant for using a falsetto voice, his co-producer Philip Lawrence says, "What people don't know is there's a darker underbelly to Bruno Mars." Mars himself says, "I blame that on me singing to girls back in high school." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called him "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop, with a light, soul-influenced voice that’s an easy fit in a range of styles, a universal donor." Mars was initially influenced by R&B; artists such as Keith Sweat, Jodeci and R. Kelly, as well as 1950s rock 'n' roll and Motown. In high school, he began listening to classic rock groups such as The Police, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles. All of these genres of music have influenced Mars' musical style; he observed that "It’s not easy to [create] songs with that mixture of rock and soul and hip-hop, and there’s only a handful of them." Mars also stated that he is a fan of Alicia Keys, Jessie J, Jack White and The Saturdays.

In addition, Mars claims that his work with other artists influenced his musical style, saying that "'Nothin' on You' had a Motown vibe, 'Billionaire' was a reggae acoustic guitar-driven song, though one of my favorites is the Cee-Lo [Green] song ['Fuck You!']. I don't think anyone else could've sung that song. And there's 'Just the Way You Are.' If you know my story, you know I love all different genres of music." He cites doo-wop as a major influence on his music, referring to the genre as "just straightforward love songs – so charming and simple and romantic." In addition, Mars states that growing up in Hawaii influenced his music, giving the songs a reggae sound. He explains that "In Hawaii some of the biggest radio stations are reggae. The local bands are heavily influenced by Bob Marley. That music brings people together. It's not urban music or pop music. It's just songs. That's what makes it cross over so well. The song comes first." Lyrically, many of Mars' songs have been described as "feel-good", carefree, and optimistic, however, darker subjects are addressed in songs such as "Grenade", "Liquor Store Blues", and "Talking to the Moon", which detail failed relationships and self-destructive behavior.

Discography

Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010)

Tour

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Official website

Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:American male singers Category:American musicians of Filipino descent Category:American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American reggae musicians Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Elektra Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from Hawaii Category:Musicians from Los Angeles, California Category:People from Honolulu, Hawaii Category:Pseudonymous musicians Category:Reggae fusion artists

az:Bruno Mars bg:Бруно Марс ca:Bruno Mars cs:Bruno Mars da:Bruno Mars de:Bruno Mars et:Bruno Mars es:Bruno Mars fa:برونو مارس fo:Bruno Mars fr:Bruno Mars ko:브루노 마스 hr:Bruno Mars ilo:Bruno Mars id:Bruno Mars it:Bruno Mars he:ברונו מארס ka:ბრუნო მარსი lv:Bruno Mars hu:Bruno Mars mk:Бруно Марс my:ဘရူနို မား(စ်) nl:Bruno Mars ja:ブルーノ・マーズ no:Bruno Mars pl:Bruno Mars pt:Bruno Mars ro:Bruno Mars ru:Бруно Марс simple:Bruno Mars sk:Bruno Mars sr:Bruno Mars fi:Bruno Mars sv:Bruno Mars tl:Bruno Mars th:บรูโน มาร์ส tr:Bruno Mars vi:Bruno Mars yi:ברונא מארס zh:布鲁诺·马尔斯

Coordinates	4°5′4″N39°39′40″N
name	The Kings
background	group_or_band
origin	Vancouver, BC, Canada
genre	Rock, pop
years active	1977–present
current members	David Diamond Mister Zero Peter Nunn Sonny Keyes Peter Kadar Todd Reynolds
past members	Gary Craig Greg Chritchley Josh Broadbent Marty Cordrey Max Styles Randall Coryell Rich Roxborough Whitey Glan Atilla Turi
notable instruments	}}

The Kings are a Canadian band formed in the 1970s, best known for their 1980 North American hit "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide".

Recording history

The Kings were formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Oakville, Ontario in the late 1970s. The original lineup included David Diamond (bass, lead vocals), Sonny Keyes (keyboards, vocals), Max Styles (drums), and Mister Zero (guitar) with Mister Zero and David Diamond serving as the main songwriters with contributions from Sonny Keyes. The Kings were originally known as WhistleKing and rehearsed, performed club gigs, and wrote a considerable number of songs for more than three years.

In early 1980 the band went into Nimbus 9 Studio in Toronto to record their first album. While recording, renowned producer Bob Ezrin visited the studio, listened to the band, and liked what he heard. Together they created the album The Kings Are Here featuring the hit "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide". Two other singles followed and the band began touring extensively with Bob Seger, Jeff Beck, The Beach Boys and Eric Clapton. During 1980, their rising commercial fortunes culminated in an appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and the closing spot at the major Heatwave festival in August.

Amazon Beach, the 1981 follow-up to The Kings Are Here, produced little in the way of sales, and the band was soon dropped from their label Elektra Records. The Kings soldiered on and released the EP "R.S.V.P" and the live album Party Live '85 on their own Dizzy label, while continuing to tour Canada and the US throughout the remainder of the 1980s. Max Styles left the band in approximately 1982.

Comebacks

The late 1980s were a difficult period for The Kings as they lost their drummer and their record label. As it were, the group was on the verge of a major revival as the single "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" became a huge radio hit in Chicago getting major play on all of the main rock stations: Classic rock WCKG, Alternative rock WXRT, and Mainstream Rock WLUP, as well as Top 40 powerhouse WLS-AM. The unavailability of the Kings records led Chicago DJ Bob Stroud of WLUP to record his own version of the single with his band Rockestra . Elektra Records unfortunately remained unaware of the burgeoning hit and never reissued the single or album.

The single "Parting Of The Ways" appeared on Bullseye Records compilation Unsigned, Sealed and Delivered in 1991. This comeback prompted The Kings to return to the studio to record Unstoppable produced by John Punter, David Diamond and Mister Zero in 1993. Unstoppable produced several hits in Canada including "Lesson To Learn", "Shoulda Been Me", "Tonight I Got You", "Parting Of The Ways", and the title track "Unstoppable". A phone call in 1999 from Mister Zero to Alan Fletcher at Warner Canada led to the green light needed for Warner to re-issue The Kings Are Here..and More which allowed fans to get their hit "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" on CD, which was fully remastered from the original 2 track tapes by Zero . ...and More also contained a few re-mixed tracks from Unstoppable and two previously unreleased tracks -"If The Stars Come Out Tonight" and "Right To The Top". A remixed and more mature version of "If The Stars Come Out Tonight" appeared on Because Of You released in 2003. Combined original sales and cd sales have passed the platinum mark in Canada but no certification is allowed because of the bonus tracks on the cd, which are the only way the band makes money from that project.

Throughout the remainder of the 1990s, The Kings continued to tour and play live shows around Toronto, but Sonny Keyes' role with The Kings diminished and only Mister Zero and David Diamond remain as permanent members from the original lineup. Sonny Keyes continued to contribute when called upon by Zero and Diamond.

Drummer Atilla Turi and keyboard players Peter Nunn and Rich Roxborough joined Mister Zero and David Diamond on the 2003 Bullseye Records release "Because Of You" (Josh Broadbent - Diamond's son - was also recruited into The Kings to contribute his vocals). "Because Of You" would be The Kings' strongest effort to date with Harry Hess recording alongside producers Zero and Diamond. A video was made for the title track, "It's Up To You" and "The Fools Are In Love" was re-mixed from the Amazon Beach release. Sonny Keyes co-wrote "A Way You'll Never Be" with Mister Zero.

A reunion of the original lineup of The Kings occurred in the winter of 2001 with Max Styles and Sonny Keyes joining their old mates for Alan Frew's (Glass Tiger) children benefit concert for Camp Trillium in Toronto. They played the benefit concert again in 2002.

In late 2005 The Kings had a full length reunion concert in Toronto which was filmed for inclusion in the DVD documentary being assembled by Mister Zero. The first part of this film to be seen is the incredible video for This Beat Goes On/Switchin' to Glide, released October 2006, which gets thousands of plays on youtube.

Another focus for The Kings was to put as many songs as possible on iTunes, thus having the catalog available worldwide instantly. The album The Kings Anthology One is the latest addition, 12 songs from different eras including never before heard epic rockers from Whistleking.

In to 2008, The Kings continue to play live shows across southern Ontario and, from time to time, the northern United States. The Kings are also finishing new songs for their next studio album.

Lineups

The Kings 1977 - 1982 # David Diamond (vocals, bass) # Mister Zero (guitar) # Sonny Keyes (keyboards) # Max Styles (drums)

The Kings 1982 - 1999 # David Diamond (vocals, bass) # Mister Zero (guitar) # Sonny Keyes (keyboards) #Peter Nunn (1994) (keyboards) #Marty Cordrey, Whitey Glan, Gary Craig, Randall Coryell, Greg Chritchley, Atilla Turi (drums) #Josh Broadbent (vocals) The Kings 1999 - 2005 # David Diamond (vocals, bass) # Mister Zero (guitar) # Atilla Turi (drums) # Peter Nunn (keyboards) # Rich Roxborough (keyboards) # Josh Broadbent (vocals)

The Kings 2005–present # David Diamond (vocals, bass) # Mister Zero (guitar) # Atilla Turi (drums) # Peter Nunn (keyboards) # Sonny Keyes (keyboards) # Peter Kadar (keyboards) #Josh Broadbent (vocals) #Todd Reynolds (Drums)

Discography

The Kings Are Here album (Elektra, 1980)

Amazon Beach album (Elektra, 1981)

R.S.V.P [4-Song EP] (Dizzy, 1982)

Party Live '85 live album (Dizzy, 1985)

Parting Of The Ways single (1991)

Unstoppable CD (Dizzy, 1993)

Unstoppable [W/This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide added] CD (Griffin, 1995)

The Kings Are Here..and More CD (Warner, 2000)

The Kings Are Here/Amazon Beach (2 on 1 CD, Wounded Bird, 2003)

Because Of You CD (2003)

Anthology One CD (2006)

See also

Canadian rock

Music of Canada

References

External links

Official website

Bullseye Records

The Kings: Anatomy of a One-Hit Wonder DVD review

Category:Canadian rock music groups Category:Musical groups from Vancouver

Coordinates	4°5′4″N39°39′40″N
name	The Script
background	group_or_band
origin	Dublin, Ireland
genre	Pop rock, soul
years active	2001–present
label	Phonogenic, RCA, Epic
associated acts	mytown (1996-2001)
website
current members	Danny O'DonoghueMark SheehanGlen Power }}

The Script are an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin. Based in London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic, the band released their eponymous debut album in August 2008. Their music has been featured in video games and the popular television programs 90210, Ghost Whisperer, The Hills, Waterloo Road, EastEnders and The Vampire Diaries.

Biography

Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan met in a club in The Liberties area of Dublin, Ireland near the Guinness brewery, gravitating to each other through a shared liking of music, and in particular a love of American black music. "At that time, MTV only came on in Dublin after midnight, it was the fuzzy channel, and for my generation black culture was just a wave through us all," explains Sheehan. "It wasn't about gangs and guns; it was fashion and fun, singing and dancing."

Mark and Danny were formerly part of a band that had formed in 1996 called mytown. Striking up a songwriting and production partnership, O'Donoghue and Sheehan's talent was recognized early, and, to their astonishment, they found themselves invited to Canada to collaborate with some of their production heroes, including such legends of modern R&B; as Dallas Austin, Montell Jordan and Teddy Riley. They were based in the US for many years, but moved back to Dublin where they recruited Glen Power for their new band. He had been playing sessions from the age of fifteen, using the money to work on a solo project in his home. But that went on hold when his collaboration with Mark and Danny produced three songs in one week. The band signed to Phonogenic in 2005, and released an EP on Last.FM. The band's influences include a diverse group of artists that include U2, The Police, The Neptunes, Timbaland, and Van Morrison, all of which contribute to their distinct sound. O'Donoghue also made a reference to Amy Winehouse and Stevie Wonder while discussing his personal voice while singing. They have worked on a few collaborations with Amy Winehouse and Denzel Washington, varying styles and genres. He stated that the instrument he attempts to imitate is a violin, based on the string arrangements of Stevie Wonder, while Amy Winehouse is similar to a saxophone.

Danny and Mark started making demos for other artists, but when they met drummer Glen Power, the objective changed. The pair had never heard Power play, but they made a connection that motivated Sheehan to invite Glen on a working holiday to Los Angeles. In one week, the trio produced three songs. "It was like I found my home playing with these guys," says Glen. "I had never had a chance with any other band to express myself with such freedom." "Individually, we all had our own talents, but together it just went to another level," according to Danny.

In the beginning years of the band, Mark Sheehan's mother fell terminally ill, causing a lot of stress on the band and members, but it also had a positive effect on Sheehan's writing. With such strong emotional tension, the songwriter found new lyrics every day. Sheehan said that "That was the time when it finally came home to me how important music was to me, 'cause in my darkest moments that's what got me through." After Sheehan's mother's passing, ten months after her diagnosis, Danny's father died four months later of a heart attack. Even with such trying moments in their early years, the band was able to rise out of it, albeit with somewhat bleak lyrics in several songs, as commented by Danny when referencing "We Cry": "There is not a lot of hope in the song, cause not everybody's life is full of hope. There's not always roses at the end."

The Script (2008–2010)

The Script performed "We Cry" for the first time on BalconyTV in Dublin on 13 September 2007. The band claimed that BalconyTV was the "first TV they ever did" and credited Michael Hunter as the "push we needed to propel us" when they won Best Band at the DanishTV Music Video Awards 2009 in the Pepper Club Dublin on 20 June 2008. At the awards the band said the award was their "first ever". The Script released their debut single "We Cry" on 14 April 2008. "We Cry" received "Single of the Day" on RTÉ 2FM, Today FM and by Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 1, where many radio presenters heavily supported the band. The single peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, giving the band their first top 20 single. The track also performed well on the Irish Singles Chart, peaking at number 9 and giving the band their first top ten single in their home country. The single reached number 2 in Ireland, Denmark, and the UK. The band released their debut album, The Script, on 11 August 2008. Following the success of "The Man Who Can't Be Moved", the album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one with sales of 20,240 copies where it stayed for eleven weeks. The album spent three weeks in the top ten and was the eighteenth best selling album in the UK of 2008. The album also entered the Irish Albums Chart at number one, holding the top spot for five weeks. It had, as of January 2009, spent 2 wks. in the top 10. The Irish office of Sony BMG music presented the group with their first multi-platinum disc for over 600,000 sales of their debut album, The Script.

The band's third single, "Breakeven", was released in Ireland on 21 November 2008 and in the UK on 29 December 2008. The single was an instant success on the Irish Singles Chart. After entering the chart at number forty, it spent one week before entering the top ten at number ten giving the Script their third top ten single in Russia. The single has, to date, spent 4 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 21. The band's fourth single "Talk You Down" was released in March 2009.

On 9 November The Script received an award at the World Music Awards for 'Best Selling Irish Act' of 2008 and on 19 February 2010, they won 'Best Live Performance' at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards. The band has confirmed that they plan to write a track for Leona Lewis's second album. In December 2008, the band were confirmed to be supporting Take That at their concert at Croke Park on 13 June 2009. The band played at the Cheerio's Childline concert on the opening night of Dublin's 02. They played among big stars Enrique Iglesias, Anastacia, Westlife and many more.

On 7 April 2009 the band was confirmed to be supporting U2 on their third concert at Croke Park, which took place on 27 July 2009. On 29 April 2009, the band announced that their next single would be Before The Worst, to be released on 15 June 2009. On 17 and 18 July 2009, The Script opened for Paul McCartney at the historic first concerts at New York's Citi Field and for U2 at Dublin's Croke Park.

The band's bonus track and B-side "Live Like We're Dying" was re-recorded by American Idol 2009 winner Kris Allen as the first single off his self-titled album. Allen's version of "Live Like We're Dying" was digitally released for download on 21 September 2009.

On 2 December 2009 the band's single "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" was featured as a remix on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show during the Enchanted Forest segment.

On 16 April 2010, their first U.S. single "Breakeven" was certified Platinum by the RIAA (the Recording Industry Association of America), selling over one million copies in the U.S. and has since peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 2010. The band performed a headline tour in the United States that kicked off in San Diego on 11 October 2010 at the House of Blues and ended on 7 November 2010 at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts. On 21 May 2010, they appeared live on NBC's Today Show as part of the show's outdoor Toyota Concert Series.

Science & Faith (2010–present)

The Script announced a new album and single on their website on Monday, 19 July 2010. The first single from album Science & Faith, "For the First Time", was released in the UK on 20 August 2010 and the album followed on 13 September 2010. In the United States, "For the First Time" was released on iTunes on 8 November 2010, with "Science & Faith" was released on 18 January 2011. The song was first released in the United States on AOL Music on 29 September 2010. "For the First Time" has entered the UK charts at #5 and moved up to #4 the following week and entered the Irish charts at #1. The music video features Bono's daughter Eve Hewson. Science & Faith entered the Irish Album Chart and the UK album chart at #1.

The Script recorded their album in London, and vocalist Danny O'Donoghue says that the economic crisis in Ireland is "a microcosm for the rest of the world." He talks about people being stripped of everything that they own and how it inspired the band to write the songs for the new album. Danny says, "We're dealing with complex emotions in the simplest of ways, that's what we battle with in these songs." The subject matter might sound bleak at first, but Science & Faith is about optimism. "With Irish people, no matter how bad things get, you always pick yourself up and carry on."

On Friday, 24 September at 9:00am tickets for The Script's three nights at The O2 Dublin, two nights at The Odyssey, Belfast & two at The INEC, Killarney went on sale and sold out in less than 40 minutes, with over 60,000 tickets sold. On 1 October at 9:00am tickets for The Script arena tour in March 2011 went on sale. The tickets for all 12 arenas around the UK sold out in 5 days. They also announced that they would play a "Homecoming" concert at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. This is part of the Science & Faith Tour and will be their biggest headline show to date.

The Script also took part in Children in Need 2010. The Script will be participating in the VH1 Best Cruise Ever and sailing to Cozumel 28 April-2 May 2011. The Script took part in BRMB's live 2010 with acts such as The Saturdays, Mark Ronson and Mcfly. The Script were nominated for Best International Act at the 2011 Brit Awards. The Script announced that they will perform at: Pinkpop festival, V festival, Oxegen, Isle of Wight Festival, T in the park, Thetford Forest Show, iTunes Festival, Skanderborg Festival, Sudoeste Festival, Tennents ViTal.

The Script also played to the biggest indoor crowd of 18,300 people at The Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg South Africa 24 June 2011.

They later went on to play their official biggest crowd ever on 2 July 2011 in Dublin's Aviva Stadium, and performed to a sold-out crowd of 50,000 people. The Coronas and Tinie Tempah were support acts on the night.

Discography

;Studio albums

2008: The Script

2010: Science & Faith

Tours and shows

Science & Faith Tour

iTunes Festival 2011

Awards and Nominations

! Year !! Award !! Category !! Result
2008		Best Selling Irish Act
2009		Best Irish Band
2009	Best Album - The Script
2009	Best Irish Pop Act
2010	Best Live Performance
		Choice Music Group

References

External links

The Script at MySpace

The Script at Billboard.com

The Script on BalconyTV – Music With Nothing

BBC Talking Shop: The Script by Neil Smith, 17 April 2008 at ITV

BBC Music Club: The Script

The Script CD review in MTVMexico.com

Talk You Down Review at Daily Music Book

The Script Interview in the Virgin Red Room

Category:Irish rock music groups Category:Music from Dublin (city) Category:Musical groups established in 1995 Category:Irish indie rock groups

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