name	Fiona
pronunciation	)
gender	Female
meaning	white, fair
region	Scotland, England
origin	Gaelic (Latinised)
related names	Fiona, Fionnghal, Fíona
footnotes	}}

Fiona is a feminine given name. The name ''Fiona'' was invented, and first used, by the Scottish poet James Macpherson (1736–96), author of the ''Ossian'' poems, which he claimed were translations from ancient Gaelic sources (sources, when challenged, he never produced). The name was subsequently used as a pseudonym by William Sharp (1855–1905), who authored several romantic works under the name "Fiona Macleod". The name has since become popular in England and Scotland.

The name is considered to be a Latinised form of the Gaelic word ''fionn'', meaning "white", "fair". The name ''Fiona'' is also sometimes used as an Anglicisation of the Irish language name ''Fíona''. There is also a modern tendency to equate the authentic Scottish Gaelic feminine name ''Fionnghal'' with ''Fiona'' (note that it is possible that ''Fiona'' may have been based on ''Fionnghal'').

The name ''Fiona'' is rising in popularity particularly in German-speaking countries. ''Fiona'' was the 49th most popular name for baby girls born in 2008 in Germany. ''Fiona'' was tied for third place in the ranking of most popular names for baby girls born in the tiny principality of Liechtenstein in 2008. The name was the 347th most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2008, where it has ranked among the top 1,000 most popular names for girls since 1990 and among the top 500 since 1999. The name ''Fiona'' has been particularly popular for girls of Asian or Pacific Islander descent in New York City, where Fiona ranked as the ninth most popular name for girls from those groups in 2007.

Real people with this name

Fiona Apple, a singer

Fiona (Kim_Hill_(broadcaster)), New Zealand broadcaster

Fiona, a singer, born Fiona Flanagan

Fiona Bruce, BBC Newreader and Television presenter

Fiona Fairhurst, the inventor of the Speedo Fastskin swimsuit

Fiona Gubelmann, American actress

Fiona Hammond, an Australian water polo player

Fiona MacGillivray, Canadian singer with The Cottars

Fiona Mackenzie, Scottish Gaelic Singer

Fiona Mactaggart, British politician

Fiona May, a former British athlete who competed internationally for Italy

Fiona Millar, author and journalist

Fiona O'Donnell, Scottish politician

Fiona O'Driscoll, Irish camogie player

Fiona O'Loughlin, Australian stand-up comedian

Fiona O'Malley, Irish politician

Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Irish actor

Fiona O'Sullivan, Irish footballer

Fiona Phillips, a British journalist and broadcaster

Fiona Robinson, an Australian basketball and handball player

Fiona Ritchie, host of The Thistle and Shamrock on NPR

Fiona Sit, a Hong Kong Cantonese singer

Fiona Shaw, Irish actress

Fiona Xie, Singaporean television actress

Julia Fiona Roberts, an American actress (starring e.g. in Pretty Woman) born with middle name "Fiona".

Fictional characters

Fiona Belli, protagonist in the game ''Haunting Ground''

Fiona Carter in the BBC show ''Spooks''

Fiona "Fee" Cleary, matriarch of the Cleary family in the novel and mini-series ''The Thorn Birds''

Fiona Conneely, main character in ''The Secret of Roan Inish''

Fiona Coyne in the Canadian television series ''Degrassi: The Next Generation''

Fiona Flagstaff, character/spinosaurus in ''Dino Squad''

Fiona Fox in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' comic books by Archie Comics

Fiona Gallagher in the television drama ''Shameless''

Fiona Glenanne in the television show ''Burn Notice''

Fiona Hackworth in the book ''The Diamond Age''

Fiona Elisi Linette in the anime series ''Zoids''

Fiona McLaren, the main female character in the Broadway musical ''Brigadoon''

Fiona Volpe, an assassin in the film ''Thunderball''

Princess Fiona in the film ''Shrek'' and its sequels

Princess Fiona, sorceress in the ''Chronicles of Amber'' novels

Fiona in Lemony Snicket's ''A Series of Unfortunate Events''

Fiona, stepmother of Sam Montgomery in the 2004 film ''A Cinderella Story''

Fiona in the movie ''Eurotrip''

Fiona, main character in television series ''So Weird''

Fiona in Lois Lowry's novel ''The Giver''

Fiona, main character in the film ''Josie and the Pussycats''

Fiona in ''Kid vs. Kat''

Fiona, a playable character in the Free-to-play game ''Vindictus''

Fiona Cat, Huckle Cat's mother from ''The Busy World of Richard Scarry''

See also

List of Irish-language given names

Tropical Storm Fiona - a 2010 Atlantic storm

''Fiona pinnata'', marine mollusc, only member of the genus ''Fiona'' and family ''Fionidae''

Notes

Category:English feminine given names Category:Feminine given names Category:Scottish feminine given names Category:English given names invented by authors of fiction

de:Fiona (Begriffsklärung) fr:Fiona it:Fiona ja:フィオナ pt:Fiona fi:Fiona

Name	Fiona Apple
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart
Born	September 13, 1977Manhattan, New York, United States
Genre	Baroque popAlternative rockExperimental rock Jazz Fusion
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instrument	Piano, optigan, vocals
Years active	1996–present
Label	Epic
Website	Fiona-Apple.com }}

Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She released her debut album, ''Tidal'' in 1996 to commercial success. This was followed by critically acclaimed, but less commercially successful albums, ''When the Pawn...'' (1999) and ''Extraordinary Machine'' (2005). A perceived shelving of her third studio album was met with vocal protests from her fans, who campaigned against her record label in 2005. While her musical output has been praised and given her a "cult" following, she has also been noted for her erratic behavior early in her career. She received a Grammy Award for her single "Criminal" in 1998.

Early life and family

Born in New York City, Apple is the daughter of singer Diane McAfee and actor Brandon Maggart. Her older sister, Amber, sings cabaret under the stage name Maude Maggart. Her half brother Spencer is a director and directed the video for her single "Parting Gift". Her half brother Garett Maggart starred in the TV series ''The Sentinel''. In addition, her maternal grandparents were Millicent Green, a dancer with the George White's Scandals, a series of 1920s musical revues similar to the Ziegfeld Follies, and Johnny McAfee, a multireedist and vocalist of the big band era; her grandparents met while touring with Johnny Hamp and his orchestra. Apple was raped at the age of 12, a trauma she would later allude to in songs such as "Sullen Girl".

Apple was introduced to the music industry in 1994 when she gave a demo tape containing the songs "Never Is a Promise", "Not One of Those Times", and "He Takes A Taxi" to her friend who was the babysitter of music publicist Kathryn Schenker. Schenker then passed the tape along to Sony Music executive Andy Slater. Apple's contralto voice, piano skills and lyrics captured his attention, and Slater signed her to a record deal.

Career

1996–1998: ''Tidal''

In 1996, Apple's debut album, ''Tidal'', was released by Work. The album sold 2.7 million copies and was certified three times platinum in the U.S. "Criminal", the third single, became a hit and the song reached the top forty on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song's controversial Mark Romanek-directed music video — in which a scantily-clad Apple appeared in a '70s-era tract house — played on MTV. Apple later said: "I decided if I was going to be exploited, then I would do the exploiting myself." Other singles from ''Tidal'' included "Shadowboxer," "Sleep to Dream," and "Never Is a Promise." In 1997, while accepting MTV Video Music Award for "Best New Artist" for her song ''Sleep to Dream'', Apple said: 'This world is bullshit, and you shouldn't model your life on what we think is cool, and what we're wearing and what we're saying'. ''The New Yorker'' and NYRock characterized her MTV Award show speech as ungrateful and "ridiculous". Apple was unapologetic saying: "I just had something on my mind and I just said it. And that's really the foreshadowing of my entire career and my entire life. When I have something to say, I'll say it." Apple responded to these criticisms in an article in ''Rolling Stone'' in January 1998.

During this period, Apple also made recordings of The Beatles' "Across the Universe" and Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love" for the soundtrack of the film ''Pleasantville''. She later canceled the last twenty-one dates on a tour in support of her album due to "personal family problems".

1999–2003: When the Pawn

Apple's second album, ''When the Pawn...'', was released in 1999. Its full title is a poem Apple wrote after reading letters that appeared in ''Spin'' regarding an article that had cast her in a negative light in an earlier issue. The title's length earned it a spot in the ''Guinness Book of Records'' for 2001. However, as of October 2007, it is no longer the longest album title, as Soulwax released ''Most of the Remixes'', a remix album whose title surpasses ''When the Pawn...''s length by 100 characters. ''When the Pawn'' was cultivated during Apple's relationship with film director Paul Thomas Anderson. ''When the Pawn...'', which was produced by Jon Brion, used more expressive lyrics, experimented more with drum loops, and incorporated both the Chamberlin and drummer Matt Chamberlain. The album received a positive reception from publications such as ''The New York Times'' and ''Rolling Stone''. It did not fare as well commercially as her debut, though it was an RIAA-certified platinum album and sold 1 million copies in the U.S. The album's lead single, "Fast as You Can", reached the top 20 on ''Billboard'''s Modern Rock Tracks chart and became Apple's first Top 40 hit in the UK. The videos for two follow-up singles, "Paper Bag" and "Limp" (directed by then-boyfriend Anderson), received very little play.

After performing for 40 minutes in a set hampered by equipment issues to 3,000 fans at the New York City Roseland Ballroom, a frustrated Apple left the stage without returning. Her performance saw Apple appearing distraught at the sound quality, apologizing numerous times for the sound and crying. The incident was described by AOL as "music's most infamous on-stage meltdown". After completing a concert tour in support of her second album in 2000, Apple relocated to Los Angeles. During her hiatus, Apple contemplated retiring from her recording career. In spring 2002 Apple and Jon Brion, her longtime friend and producer on ''When the Pawn'', met for their weekly lunch meeting. Brion reportedly "begged" Apple to make another album. Apple agreed, and Brion went to Apple's label, Epic Records, with strict stipulations (including no deadline), which the label eventually agreed to. A tentative November 2002 release date was then set.

Apple sang with Johnny Cash on a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water" that ended up on his album ''American IV: The Man Comes Around'' and was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals". She also collaborated with Cash on Cat Stevens's "Father and Son", which was included in his 2003 collection ''Unearthed''.

2005–2007: Extraordinary Machine

Apple's third album, ''Extraordinary Machine'', was originally produced by Jon Brion. Recording sessions began in 2002 at Ocean Way studios in Nashville, Tennessee, but later moved to the Paramour Mansion in Los Angeles. Work on the album continued until 2003, and in May of that year it was submitted to Sony executives. In 2004 and 2005, tracks were leaked on the Internet in MP3 format and played on U.S. and international radio. Subsequently, MP3s of the entire album went online. Although a website distributing the album was quickly taken offline, it soon reached P2P networks and was downloaded by fans. A fan-led campaign supported the album's official release. Mike Elizondo, who had previously played bass on ''Pawn'', was brought back as co-producer to complete the tracks he had begun with Brion and Apple. ''Spin'' later reported the following: "Fans erroneously thought that Apple's record label, Epic, had rejected the first version of ''Extraordinary Machine''... in reality, according to Elizondo, Apple was unhappy with the results, and it was her decision to redo the record, not her label's." In August 2005, the album was given an October release date. Production had been largely redone "from scratch" by Elizondo and was co-produced by Brian Kehew. Two of the eleven previous leaked tracks were relatively unchanged, and one new song was also included.

Despite suggestions that the album had caused a rift between Brion and Apple, they regularly perform together at Largo, a club in Los Angeles, including a joint appearance with Elizondo on bass just before the news broke of an official release. ''Extraordinary Machine'' debuted at number seven and was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Pop Vocal Album". It was eventually certified gold and sold 462,000 copies in the U.S., though its singles ("Parting Gift", "O' Sailor", "Not About Love" and "Get Him Back") failed to enter any ''Billboard'' charts. Apple went on a live tour to promote the album in late 2005.

In June 2006, Apple appeared on the joke track "Come Over and Get It (Up in 'Dem Guts)" by comedian Zach Galifianakis. Galifianakis previously appeared in the music video for Apple's "Not About Love". Apple recorded a cover of "Sally's Song" for the 2006 special edition release of the soundtrack for the Tim Burton film ''The Nightmare Before Christmas''. In May 2006 Apple paid tribute to Elvis Costello on VH1's concert series ''Decades Rock Live'' by performing Costello's hit "I Want You"; her version was subsequently released as a digital single. Apple toured the East Coast during August 2007 with Nickel Creek.

2008-present

In 2008, Apple recorded a duet titled "Still I" with Christophe Deluy. In 2009, Apple covered "Why Try to Change Me Now" and "I Walk A Little Faster" for ''The Best Is Yet to Come - The Songs of Cy Coleman''. In January 2010 Fiona Apple and Jon Brion performed together at "Love and Haiti, Too: A Music Benefit", a charity concert for the people hurt by the Haiti earthquake. Fiona sang a cover of "(S)he's Funny That Way", composed by Neil Moret, lyrics by Richard Whiting, which is often associated with the singer Billie Holiday. In June 2010, Fiona released a song titled "So Sleepy" produced by Jon Brion written by children involved with the non-profit organization 826LA. The song will be included on a compilation album released by the organization titled ''Chickens in Love''. Apple collaborated with Margaret Cho on her album ''Cho Dependent'', which was released on August 24, 2010.

In late 2010, ''Billboard'' magazine reported that Apple would be releasing a new album in the spring of the next year, with a few people claiming to have heard the new material.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions								! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"
		1996	style="text-align:left;"			* First studio album	* Release date: July 23, 1996	* Label: Clean Slate/[[Epic Records">Music recording sales certifications
! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"
1996	style="text-align:left;"			* First studio album	* Release date: July 23, 1996	* Label: Clean Slate/[[Epic Records	15	1	—	43	22	48	21		RIAA>US: 3× Multi-Platinum	CRIA>CAN: Platinum
1999				* Second studio album	* Release date: November 9, 1999	* Label: Clean Slate/Epic Records	13	—	46	54	—	—	32		* US: Platinum
2005				* Third studio album	* Release date: October 4, 2005	* Label: Epic Records	7	—	—	53	—	—	61		* US: Gold

Extended plays

! Year	! EP details
2006	''iTunes Originals – Fiona Apple''			* First extended play	* Release date: February 14, 2006	* Label: iTunes

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
		style="text-align:left;"	21	4	17	—
	—	—	—	—
		—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	style="text-align:left;"
1999		—	20	29	33
		—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—
2005		—	—	—	—
		—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—
2007		—	—	—	—

Other contributions

"Across the Universe" (Lennon/McCartney) - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture ''Pleasantville'' (1998, Sony), lead vocalist

"Please Send Me Someone to Love" (Percy Mayfield) - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture ''Pleasantville'' (1998, Sony), lead vocalist

''Magnolia'' (1999, New Line Cinema) - "additional instruments and odd pieces of musical business by jon brion and fiona apple" as stated in the film's credits

"Bridge over Troubled Water" (Paul Simon) - duet with Johnny Cash from ''American IV: The Man Comes Around'' (2002)

"Father and Son" (Cat Stevens) - duet with Johnny Cash from ''Unearthed'' (2003)

"Frosty the Snowman" - from ''Christmas Calling'' (2003)

"It's Only A Paper Moon" with Maude Maggart - available as a bonus track on some editions of Maggart's 2005 album "With Sweet Despair"

"I Want You" (Elvis Costello) - live version from VH1's Live for Decades Rock Live!, released as an iTunes single (2006)

"Sally's Song" (Catherine O'Hara) - from ''Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas'' Special Edition Soundtrack (2006)

"Why Try to Change Me Now" (Cy Coleman) - recorded for the "Then Was Then and Now Is Now: A Tribute to Cy Coleman" CD/LP

"Angel Eyes" - a snippet of the song is available at Largo Film

"Still I" - a duet with Christophe Deluy, hear a snippet of the song available on Christophe Deluy's blog

"I Walk a Little Faster" (Cy Coleman) - recorded for "The Best Is Yet to Come" CD/LP

"Loveless" (David Garza) - track available from Garza's "Dream Delay"

"So Sleepy" included on a compilation album released by the organization 826LA, titled ''Chickens in Love''.

"Hey Big Dog" (Margaret Cho) from ''Cho Dependent'' (2010)

"Everyday" (Buddy Holly) with Jon Brion from ''Rave On Buddy Holly'' (June 2011)

Music videos

Year	!Song	Director	!Album
			style="text-align:left;"

Awards and nominations

References

Inline

External links

Fiona Apple at Sony Music

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:American contraltos Category:American female singers Category:American female pop singers Category:American jazz pianists Category:American jazz singers Category:American pop pianists Category:American pop singers Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American rock pianists Category:American rock singers Category:American vegans Category:American singer-songwriters Category:English-language singers Category:Feminist musicians Category:Female rock singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:People from Manhattan Category:Musicians from New York Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:Women in jazz

ca:Fiona Apple cs:Fiona Apple de:Fiona Apple es:Fiona Apple fa:فیونا اپل fr:Fiona Apple ko:피오나 애플 it:Fiona Apple he:פיונה אפל hu:Fiona Apple nl:Fiona Apple ja:フィオナ・アップル no:Fiona Apple pl:Fiona Apple pt:Fiona Apple ro:Fiona Apple ru:Эппл, Фиона simple:Fiona Apple sk:Fiona Apple fi:Fiona Apple sv:Fiona Apple tr:Fiona Apple vi:Fiona Apple

name	Fiona Sit
tradchinesename	薛凱琪
simpchinesename	薛凯琪
pinyinchinesename	xue1 kai3 qi2
jyutpingchinesename	sit3 hoi2 kei4
origin	Hong Kong
ancestry	Foshan, Guangdong, China
birth date	August 11, 1981
birth place	Hong Kong
occupation	Singer, actress
genre	Cantopop
label	Warner Music
yearsactive	2004 – present
website	http://www.fiona-sit.com.hk
awards	}}

Fiona Sit Hoi-Kei (born August 11, 1981) is a female singer and actress from Hong Kong.

Biography

Fiona Sit attended Island School and studied Creative Media in City University of Hong Kong until 2004. She used to be a part-time model to shot for some adverts and magazines.

Owing to her uncle Peter Wong, who was Senior management in Capital Artists, she had an opportunity to have a test and finally signed a deal with Warner Music Hong Kong to be her artist.

Career

Music

After joining Warner Music Group in 2003, Sit first plugged her debut song "XBF" and "Madonna's kiss", catching attention from audience. Sit released her first album ''F Debut'' on 8 April 2004. It became a best-seller in Hong Kong, being certified gold for sales in excess of 25,000 copies. The album contained the hit ballad "XBF" (short for ex-boyfriend) and another hit "Keanu Reeves Reply". The song "Keanu Reeves Reply" reached #1 in the four medium.

She published her debut Photobook ''F-Trip'' and sold with her limited set of "Fileee Doll", later sold it in Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong. It became sellout after four days.

Due to the success of ''F Debut'', Warner Music Hong Kong released ''F Debut AVCD'' on 5 May 2004. ''F Debut AVCD'' including her famous song "Keanu Reeves Reply" and another version which featuring Arron Kwok as Mr.K replied Miss F.

As she became more well-known in entertainment industry, she shot many adverts in the year, such as Toshiba and Sagem.

Though Sit has just reached 23 years old, she gained the most awards in the year-end ceremony from Hong Kong Music Platforms as a newcomer. In the ''Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation'', she triumph over other singers to win the #7 for "Keanu Reeves Reply" and became the first newcomer who entered the top 10 song in 903 Music Platform. She has won a number of awards, including a gold award for best female newcomer at the Hong Kong Music Awards, as well as a gold award for the song "Keanu Reeves' Reply." she was also intituled the ''Best Selling Newcomer'' by IFPI.

On 7 January 2005, Warner Music released a single named ''886''. It included songs such as "Pumpkin Wagon" and "886", which is a short term of ''Byebye'' in Cantonese ICQ language. The single was a huge success and it was sold out within 3 weeks.

Warner Music released her second album, ''Funnygirl'', on 21 April 2005. "Blackie and Me"and "A Boy Just Like You" reached #1 on 903, RTHK and TVB's JSG Solid Gold programme. Also, ''Funnygirl'' was the top 5 best sellers in the year and was classified gold. Its success resulted in the release of ''Funnygirl (2nd Edition)'', which included a DVD with her music videos, including the #1 single "A Boy Like You".

Her third album, ''Me|Me (Fiona Sit album)'', was another CD+DVD combination released on 23 December 2005. It included #1 songs "There is a bird" and "Finding Unicorn", and the song "Love", which was featured in the film ''Embrace Your Shadow'', which Sit starred in. The DVD was a live concert footage of her "903 Fiona 0811" performance, which was her debet concert held in HITEC on 29 December 2005.

In the year-end ceremony, she was not only won a number of awards, but she also entered the best five female singers in 903 Music Platform and TVB's JSG Music Platform with Kelly Chen, Joey Yung, Miriam Yeung and Denise Ho.

In 2006, Sit raised some controversy with her video clip for "Tong But Lut" as it hold great resemblance to the video clip of "ourselves" by Japanese superstar Ayumi Hamasaki. Her song "Dear Fiona" is a Cantonese version of the song ''Tomorrow's Way'' by Yui. However, this song still made #1 from four major medium.

Sit's official fan club, Club F was established on 11 August 2006 in conjunction with her 25th birthday. Her 4th album "Electric Angel" was released on the same day as well. 200 fans attended the first gathering, which was held in a Chinese restaurant in Wan Chai. The second edition was later released on December 22, 2006. It included 11 songs and some extra materials.

After Electric Angel, Sit went over to Taiwan in order to improve her Mandarin skills. In order to keep her fanbase (Hong Kong artists usually release 1 to 2 albums per year to keep up their popularity), Warner released her first compilation, ''"F" Best'', on 12 June 2007. This album includes 3 new songs with 15 selected songs from her previous albums. The album also includes a DVD containing a short film and some MVs of her songs. In addiction, a special edition of "F" Best was sellout in one month.

After training in Taiwan in one year, Sit made her debut Mandarin album ''It's My Day'' which was released on 18 April 2008. The album is recorded in Taiwan and also in Singapore. It features songs such as ''I don't need Tiffany'', which refers to the jewelry company and a duet with Khalil Fong, ''Overcoming Memories''. "It's My Day" was the first plugged song in Taiwan while "Alice's first Time" was the first plugged song in Hong Kong. This Mandarin album made Sit became the best five seller in the year in Hong Kong and became famous in Taiwan.

On 19 December 2008, Sit released another Cantopop album Smile (Fiona Sit album). It included the songs in her drama "Last Smile, First Tear" and two #1 songs, "Sweet" and "The few seconds without breath".

Sit released an EP ''Read Me'' on 16 October 2009, which included four new canton pop songs and two mandarin songs. Besides, her first plugged song "Tramcar" and third plugged song "Mu Rong Xue" reached #1 in two medium programme.

In the first day of 2010, Sit was first won the #3 Copper Female Award in 903 year-end ceremony.

On 18 July 2011, Sit released her new EP ''August Girl'' lately. It was a new style of Fiona Sit as the thematic song "The August Issue", two versions of "Word Flower", #1 song "Lip Stick", gimmick song "Before Taking off the Straps" and two mandarin songs. She was cooperated with a team of top songwriters including Khalil Fong, Wyman Wong, Hanjin Tan, Edward Chan, and Abrahim Chan.

TV series

Sit was being a guest role in the TVB series Hearts of Fencing in 2003.

In 2005 Sit went on to film her first Hong Kong TVB series The Academy as a female police trainee. To match the character's circumstances, Fiona cut her hair short. In contrast to her past success, fans responded negatively towards this change in her image, and were wary of her future career decisions. She followed with a cameo performance on On The First Beat. Sit also featured in a weight loss product TV commercial, in which she performed a dance routine. These two events were mocked in the Hong Kong media, and cut into her fanbase.

But, she won the ''Best Female newcomer'' in 2006 Next TV ceremony.

In late 2006, Sit went to China and shot a drama by Derek Tung, who was 2 Young's director. Therefore, she can only be a guest star in TVB series "On The First Beat". The series called C'est La Vie, Mon Chéri, she cooperated with Chinese actor Aloys Chen. It released after filming and played by TVB in 2008.

In 2007, she performed an internet drama hosted by Moov, with other singers like Endy Chow and Zarahn. From 2008 to 2009, she was acted as a guest role in two TVB series "Dressage To Win" and "ICAC Investigators 2009".

In 2010, Sit shot another mandarin series "Liao Zhai 3" and "Hua Pi". From January to April 2011, she shot her second mandarin fashionable costume series "White Lies".

Film

On 28 April 2005, Sit debut film ''2 Young''showed. The film cast by Derek Tung, cooperated with Jaycee Chan. She received full of praise from audience and many famous people. After a month, 2 Young became 10 million in box office and Sit became a 10 million female actress.

Owing to the success of 2 Young, she filmed another movie ''Embrace Your Shadow'', it showed in September. It was cast by Joe Ma and cooperated by Taiwan famous actor Dylan Kuo. It was a challenge for Fiona Sit because the character was reversed to 2 Young.

In 2006, Sit was nominated to Hong Kong Hong Kong Film Awards and Taiwan Golden Horse Awards "Best Necomer Award" by her debut show "2 Young". Although she lose to Jay Chow, her acting has already admitted by a number of entertainers. She also got other nominations of "Best Necomer" and "Best Actress" hosted by different entrepreneurship for 2 Young. Later, she filmed another movie "Love Undercover 3" directed by Joe Ma, which showed in June and earning a nice box office.

In 2007, she was being an emcee for Asian Film Awards. She was later filmed "Wonder Woman" directed by Barbara Wong and cooperated with Gigi Leung. In 2009, Sit filmed two films "La Comédie humaine" and "Break Up Club". Sit was a girl named Flora in "Break Up Club" and cooperated with Jaycee Chan again, she was another girl named Skylove in "La Comédie humaine" and cooperated with Wong Cho-lam.

In the year of 2010, "Break Up Club" showed in June and "La Comédie humaine" showed in July. Among the two, "Break Up Club" obtained 10 million box office and Sit gained a great success from her performance in "Break Up Club" as she won the ''Best Actress'' in "Vietnam's film festival". Later, as her stand out performance, she won another film awards in Hong Kong both, like the "Best Actress" hosted by Mingpao, Yahoo!, and Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild. Sit was also gained a nomination of "Best Actress" from Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011.

Due to her success in entering the market, she filmed another movies and its showed in 2011, such as "The Way We Were" and "The Fortune Buddies".

2008 bottle attack incident

On 23 February 2008, a 27 year-old male fan named Lin threw a bottle of herbal tea at Sit as she was on stage during a charity event in Mong Kok, resulting in an injury to her forehead. The man was detained by security guards and later arrested. The bottle also caused minor injury to a staff member of the event. Sit, fearing her eye had been injured, reportedly broke into tears before being taken to Kwong Wah Hospital.

Discography

''F Debut'' (CD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2004

''886'' (CD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2005

''Funny Girl'' (CD/DVD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2005

''Me'' (CD/DVD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2005

''Electric Angel'' (CD/VCD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2006

''"F" Best (Special edition)'' (CD/DVD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2007

''It's My Day'' (CD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2008

''Smile'' (CD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2008

''Read Me'' (CD/DVD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2009

''August Girl'' (CD/DVD) - Warner Music Hong Kong - 2011

Concerts

903 Hit Four Fiona 0811 Concert(熱火樂團) (2005)

903 Hit Four Concert(熱火樂團熱火四俠) (2005) (Shawn Yue, Wilfred Lau and Kary Ng)

903 Live Concert Fiona Sit X Stephanie Cheng (拉闊演奏廳) (2006)

Roadshow Live Fiona Sit Concert (2007)

903 id club (音樂游擊) 1st section Fiona Sit X Sammy Moving (2007)

903 Live Concert Fiona Sit(拉闊變奏廳) 2ng section (2008)

Khalil Fong X Fiona Sit Awesome Concert (San Francisco & Los Angeles) (2010)

903 Live Concert (拉闊擂台) 2nd section Fiona Sit X Dear Jane {Dear Fi} (2010)

Khalil Fong & Fiona Sit Live in Australia 2010（Sydney & Adelaide & Melbourne） (2010)

Fiona Sit MOOV LIVE 2011 (2011)

Filmography

Movies

''2 Young'' (早熟)" - Leading Actress (2005)

''Embrace Your Shadow'' (摯愛) - Leading Actress (2005)

''My Name Is Fame'' (2006)

''Love Undercover 3'' (新紮師妹3) - Leading Actress (2006)

''Simply Actors'' (2007)

''Wonder Women'' (女人本色)" - Supporting Actress (2007)

''Pandora's Booth'' (時光‧倒流的話) - Leading Actress (2007)

''Break Up Club'' (分手說愛你) - Leading Actress (2010)

''La Comédie humaine'' - Leading Actress (2010) Entered into the 2010 Hong Kong International Film Festival

''The Way We Were'' - Leading Actress (2011)

''The Fortune Buddies'' - Leading Actress (2011)

Television series

TVB series ''Hearts of Fencing'' (當四葉草碰上劍尖時) - Guest Role (2003)

TVB series ''The Academy'' (學警雄心 ) - Leading Actress (2005)

TVB series ''The Zone'' - Guest Role in TBA (2005)

TVB series ''Colours of Love'' (森之愛情) - co star. (2007)

TVB series ''On the First Beat'' - Cameo Appearance (2007)

Mandarin series ''C'est La Vie, Mon Chéri'' (新不了情) - Leading Actress (2008)

TVB series ''Dressage To Win'' (盛裝舞步愛作戰 - Mental Patient (2008)

TVB series ''ICAC Investigators 2009'' (廉政行動2009) - (2009)

Mandarin series '']]'' (聊齋3) - (2010)

Mandarin series ''[['' (畫皮) - (2010)

Mandarin series '']]'' (白色謊言) - (2011)

Drama

[[CRHK ''Sammy Kitty Drama Akapi'' (亞卡比槍擊事件) - Leading Actress (2005)

CR2 ''Special Student''(超凡學生) - Leading Actress (2005)

Malaysia (雀仔情緣) - Leading Actress (2005)

CRHK ''Love Park'' (戀愛樂園) - Leading Actress (2006)

Moov (情歌自選台) - Leading Actress (2007)

Last Smile First Tear - Leading Actress (2008)

Chinese University (戀愛嘉年華) - Leading Actress (2009)

Painted Skin TV Drama Series - Leading Actress (2011)

Awards

2010

Vietnam International Film Festival Best Actress Award for "Break Up Club"

2007

TVB " Jade Solid Gold" Best Choice Award, second round- Next Time

2006

(Hong Kong)

Commercial Radio - " Supreme Song " – The Seventh: Little Canyon 1234

TVB " Jade Solid Gold" Best Choice Award, second round- Tong But Lut

TVB "Jade Solid Gold" First round golden song - Finding Unicorn

Next Media Television Award- New Artiste

Next Media Television Award- Most Charming New Star

Yahoo! Most popular artist's Blog Award (Mainland China) Guangzhou radio "Gold Song, Gold Chart" Most Famous Female Artist

Guangzhou Radio "Golden Chart Award" All-round Artist (outside mainland china region)

Guangzhou Radio "Golden Chart Award" Most Famous Female Artist (outside mainland china region)

Guangzhou Radio "Golden Chart Award" Golden songs - Tong But Lut

2005

(Hong Kong)

Roadshow Popular Singer

Roadshow Hit Song – Little Dark and Me

Commercial Radio - " Supreme Song " – The Fifth: Little Dark and Me

TVB "Jade Solid Gold" – " Top Ten Gold Songs Award " – Boy Likes You

Metro Radio " Entertainment Television Award " - Super TV New Actress

Outstanding Website Award – Activities Promotion Ambassador

TVB "Jade Solid Gold" First round golden song – Little Dark and Me

Metro Hit Radio "Karaoke Hit Song" – Little Dark and Me

Metro Hit Radio – Popular Singer

Metro Hit Radio "Awards from 4 Stations" – Remarkable Performance – Gold Award

(Mainland China)

9 + 2 Music Pioneer Award New Female Singer Gold Award

Sprite China Original Music Chart " My Favourite Idol Award (Hong Kong) "

Sprite China Original Music Chart " Great Advancement Singer Award "

The third session of Southeast Power Music Award - Most promising future female singer in Hong Kong Region

Yue-Gang Future Super Star Award – Future Super Star

2004

(Hong Kong)

Metro Hit Radio "New Female Artiste"

Metro Hit Radio "My Favorite New Female Artiste"

Metro Hit Radio Original Music Award – Reply from Keanu Reeves

TVB "Jade Solid Gold"– "Most Favorite New Artiste"– Gold Award

Metro Hit Radio Best Lyric – Reply from Keanu Reeves

Commercial Radio "New Female Artiste"– Gold Award

Commercial Radio "The Excellent Performance Award presented by four Media Organizers" Bronze Award.

Commercial Radio - "Supreme Song"– The Seventh: Reply from Keanu Reeves

RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award "Ten Best Song" - Reply from Keanu Reeves

RTHK "Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award " New Female Artiste– Gold Award

Yahoo! Music Chart Top Ten Songs - Reply from Keanu Reeves

Yahoo! Potential New Comers

IFPI The Best Sales Artist, New Comer, Female

Road Show MV Direct Voting: Best new artist

PM Magazine – Cross inter-media female artist

TVB Golden Kid Songs Award "Top 10 Kid Songs" - Ugly Ducking Swam Lake

TVB "Jade Solid Gold " First round golden song – Reply from Keanu Reeves

TVB "Jade Solid Gold " First round new singer – Top new singer in three consecutive weeks

TVB "Jade Solid Gold " Second round golden song – 886

(Mainland China)

Guangzhou Radio "Golden Chart Award" – Queen of New Female Singer

Guangzhou Radio "Golden Chart Award" Golden Song - Reply from Keanu Reeves

Guangdong Radio Music Pioneer Award "Most Famous New Female Singer" – Gold Award

Southern City Daily Newspaper and Radio Guangdong "the 5th Year Chinese Music Media Award" – The Best New Artist

Guangzhou "the 2nd Year Music King Final Award – Most Promising New Artist

Guangzhou "the 2nd Year Music King Final Award" Golden Song - Reply from Keanu Reeves

Advertisement appearances

2010

Wyeth milk powder tv advert

PUMA

2009

Levi's new Levi's Indigo advert

Catalog summer advert

2008

Mona Lisa wedding advert

L'Oréal Garnier Skin Appliances Representative(HK)

Netvigator advertisement

Levi's "Luxury" (HK)

2007

Rabbit Brand Kannasalbe Ace Ointment and Kissahoney-A Lotion TV advertisement

PCCW

2006

Youth Anti-drugs Ambassador (organized by RTHK 2 Teen Power and Narcotics Division)

Netvigator advertisement

Occupational Safety and Health Ambassador (organized by RTHK 2 Teen Power and Occupational Safety and Health Council)

Yi Zhi Chun advertisement King To Nin Jiom Pei Pa kao spokesperson MOOV advertisement

2005

Star of Famine

40th Hong Kong Brands & Product Expo – Ambassador

La Vallee Skin Appliances Representative

3C Digital Chain Store Representative

Toshiba Laptop computer advertisement 05

2004

AMO Blink contact lens products, eye care products endorsement

SucoStop Slimming Tablets Product Endorsement

Rabbit Brand Kannasalbe Ace Ointment and Kissahoney-A Lotion TV advertisement

Toshiba Laptop computer advertisement

2003

Sagem Mobile phone advertisement

YOHO Town Property Outdoor Billboard

Coke-Cola TV advertisement

2002

Nestle Yogurt advertisement

AIWA MD advertisement

Motorola TV advertisement

Bank of China Y' N Card TV advertisement

2001

HSBC TV advertisement

Vita TV advertisement

Notes

External links

Official website

Fiona album lyrics w/pinyin and english translation

Official Blog

Category:Cantopop singers Category:Hong Kong actors Category:Hong Kong singers Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the City University of Hong Kong

ja:フィオナ・シット th:ซู ข่ายฉี wuu:薛凱琪 zh-yue:薛凱琪 zh:薛凱琪

name	Elvis Costello
background	solo_singer
birth name	Declan Patrick MacManus
alias	D.P. CostelloThe ImposterLittle Hands of ConcreteNapoleon DynamiteD.P.A. MacManusDeclan Patrick Aloysius MacManus
born	August 25, 1954Paddington, London, England
instrument	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums
genre	Singer-songwriterPunk rockPub rockNew Wave
occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
years active	1970–present
label	Stiff, Radar, F-Beat, Demon, Columbia, Warner Bros., Mercury, Island, Deutsche Grammophon, Lost Highway, Verve, HearMusic, Rykodisc, Rhino, Hip-O
associated acts	The Attractions, The Imposters, Diana Krall, Burt Bacharach, Brodsky Quartet, Nick Lowe, Madness
website	Elvis Costello.com
notable instruments	Fender JazzmasterFender Telecaster }}

Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader than that of most popular songs. His music has drawn on many diverse genres; one critic described him as a "pop encyclopedia," able to "reinvent the past in his own image".

Early life

Costello was born Declan Patrick MacManus in St Mary's Hospital, London, the son of Lillian Ablett and Ross MacManus, a musician and bandleader. He is of Irish heritage. Costello lived in Twickenham, attending Hounslow Secondary Modern School, which is now St Mark's Catholic Secondary School, in neighbouring Hounslow. With a musically inclined father (who was a jazz trumpeter and sang with The Joe Loss Orchestra), Costello's first broadcast recording was alongside his dad in a television commercial for R. White's Lemonade (''I'm a Secret Lemonade Drinker''). His father wrote and sang the song; Costello provided backing vocals. The advertisement won a silver award at the 1974 International Advertising Festival.

Costello moved with his Liverpool-born mother to Birkenhead in 1971. There, he formed his first band, a folk duo called Rusty, with Allan Mayes. After completing secondary school at St. Francis Xavier's College, he moved back to London where he next formed a band called Flip City, which had a style in the pub rock vein. They were active from 1974 through to early 1976. Around this time, Costello adopted the stage name D.P. Costello. His father had performed under the name Day Costello, and Elvis has said in interviews that he took this name as a tribute to his father.

To support himself, he worked at a number of office jobs, most famously at Elizabeth Arden – immortalised in the lyrics of "I'm Not Angry" as the "vanity factory" – where he worked as a data entry clerk. He worked for a short period as a computer operator at the Midland Bank computer centre in Bootle. He continued to write songs, and began actively looking for a solo recording contract. On the basis of a demo tape, he was signed to independent label Stiff Records. His manager at Stiff, Jake Riviera, suggested a name change, combining Elvis Presley's first name and Costello, his father's stage name.

Career

1970s

Costello's first single for Stiff was "Less Than Zero," released on 25 March 1977. Two months later, his debut album, ''My Aim Is True'' (1977), was released to moderate commercial success (No. 14 in the UK and, later, Top 40 in the US) with Costello appearing on the cover in what became his trademark oversize glasses, bearing some resemblance to Buddy Holly. Stiff's records were initially distributed only in the UK, which meant that Costello's first album and singles were initially available in the US as imports only. In an attempt to change this, Costello was arrested for busking outside a London convention of CBS Records executives, protesting that no US record company had yet seen fit to release his records in the United States. Costello signed to CBS's Columbia Records label in the US a few months later.

The backing for Costello's debut album was provided by American West Coast band Clover, a country outfit living in England whose members would later go on to join Huey Lewis and the News and The Doobie Brothers. Later in 1977, Costello formed his own permanent backing band, The Attractions, consisting of Steve Nieve (born Steve Nason; piano), Bruce Thomas (bass guitar), and Pete Thomas (drums; unrelated to Bruce Thomas). Growing antipathy between Costello and Bruce Thomas contributed to the Attractions' first split in 1986, and the rift was exacerbated by what Costello felt was his unflattering portrayal in Thomas' 1990 book ''The Big Wheel''. Despite this, the original group reunited for the 1994 album ''Brutal Youth'' and toured together over the next two years, but split for good in 1996, although Nieve and Pete Thomas continued to back Costello through various touring and recording lineups and as of 2011 are still members of his current backing group The Imposters. The split between Costello and Bruce Thomas appears permanent, however; Bruce made a brief appearance with his former bandmates when the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, but when Costello was asked why Bruce did not play with them at the event, he reportedly replied, "I only work with professional musicians."

Costello released his first major hit single, "Watching the Detectives," which was recorded with Nieve and the pair of Steve Goulding (drums) and Andrew Bodnar (bass), both members of Graham Parker's backing band The Rumour (whom he had used to audition for The Attractions).

On 17 December 1977, Costello and The Attractions appeared as the musical guest act on the episode of ''Saturday Night Live'' as a last minute fill-in for the Sex Pistols. Scheduled to play "Less Than Zero," he surprised the SNL crew by abruptly stopping the song mid-intro, and launching into "Radio Radio." Following a whirlwind tour with other Stiff artists – captured on the ''Live Stiffs'' album, notable for Costello's recording of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David standard "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" – the band recorded ''This Year's Model'' (1978). Some of the more popular tracks include the British hit "(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea" and "Pump It Up." His U.S. record company saw Costello as such a priority that his last name replaced the word Columbia on the label of the disc's original pressing. The Attractions' first tour of Australia in December 1978 was notable for controversial performance at Sydney's Regent Theatre when, angered by the group's failure to perform an encore after their brief 35-minute set, audience members destroyed some of the seating.

A tour of the U.S. and Canada also saw the release of the much-bootlegged Canadian promo-only ''Live at the El Mocambo'', recorded at a Toronto rock club, which finally saw an official release as part of the ''2½ Years'' box set in 1993. It was during the ensuing United States tour that Costello met and developed a relationship with former ''Playboy'' model Bebe Buell (mother of Liv Tyler and later the partner of Todd Rundgren). Their on-again-off-again courtship would last until 1984 and would allegedly become a deep well of inspiration for Costello's songwriting.

In 1979, he released his third LP ''Armed Forces'' (originally to have been titled ''Emotional Fascism'', a phrase that appeared on the LP's inner sleeve). Both the album and the single "Oliver's Army" went to #2 in the UK, and the opening track "Accidents Will Happen" gained wide television exposure thanks to its innovative animated music video, directed by Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton. Costello also found time in 1979 to produce the debut album for 2 Tone ska revival band, The Specials.

Costello's standing in the U.S. was bruised for a time when in March 1979, during a drunken argument with Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett in a Columbus, Ohio Holiday Inn bar, the singer referred to James Brown as a "jive-ass nigger", then upped the ante by pronouncing Ray Charles a "blind, ignorant, nigger". Costello apologised at a New York City press conference a few days later, claiming that he had been drunk and had been attempting to be obnoxious in order to bring the conversation to a swift conclusion, not anticipating that Bramlett would bring his comments to the press. According to Costello, "it became necessary for me to outrage these people with about the most obnoxious and offensive remarks that I could muster." In his liner notes for the expanded version of ''Get Happy!!'', Costello writes that some time after the incident he had declined an offer to meet Charles out of guilt and embarrassment, though Charles himself had forgiven Costello saying "Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper." Costello worked extensively in Britain's Rock Against Racism campaign both before and after the incident. The incident inspired his ''Get Happy!!'' song "Riot Act."

Costello is also an avid country music fan and has cited George Jones as his favourite country singer. In 1977, he appeared in Jones' duet album ''My Very Special Guests'', contributing "Stranger in the House," which they later performed together on an HBO special dedicated to Jones.

1980s

The soul-infused ''Get Happy!!'' would be the first, and—along with ''King of America'' – possibly most successful, of Costello's many experiments with genres beyond those he is normally associated with. The single, "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" was an old Sam and Dave song (though Costello increased the tempo considerably). Lyrically, the songs are full of Costello's signature word play, to the point that he later felt he had become something of a self-parody and toned it down on later releases; he has mockingly described himself in interviews as "rock and roll's Scrabble champion." His only 1980 appearance in North America was at the Heatwave festival in August near Toronto.

In 1981, the band released ''Trust'' amidst growing tensions within the band, particularly between Bruce and Pete Thomas. In the U.S., the single "Watch Your Step" was released and played live on Tom Snyder's ''Tomorrow'' show, and received airplay on FM rock radio. In the UK, the single "Clubland" scraped the lower reaches of the charts; follow-up single "From a Whisper to a Scream" (a duet with Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze) became the first Costello single in over four years to completely miss the charts. Costello also co-produced Squeeze's popular 1981 album ''East Side Story'' (with Roger Bechirian) and also performed backing vocals on the group's hit single "Tempted".

Following ''Trust'', Costello released ''Almost Blue'', an album of country music cover songs written by the likes of Hank Williams ("Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do?)"), Merle Haggard ("Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down") and Gram Parsons ("How Much I Lied"). The album was a tribute to the country music he had grown up listening to, especially George Jones. It received mixed reviews. The first pressings of the record in the UK bore a sticker with the message: "WARNING: This album contains country & western music and may cause a radical reaction in narrow minded listeners." ''Almost Blue'' did spawn a surprise UK hit single in a version of George Jones' "Good Year for the Roses" (written by Jerry Chesnut), which reached #6.

''Imperial Bedroom'' (1982) marked a much darker sound, due in part to the production of Geoff Emerick, famed for engineering several Beatles records. ''Imperial Bedroom'' remains one of his most critically acclaimed records, but again failed to produce any hit singles. Costello has said he disliked the marketing pitch for the album. The album also featured Costello's song "Almost Blue"; jazz singer and trumpeter Chet Baker would later perform and record a version of this song.

In 1983, he released ''Punch the Clock'', featuring female backing vocal duo (Afrodiziak) and a four-piece horn section (The TKO Horns), alongside The Attractions. Clive Langer (who co-produced with Alan Winstanley), provided Costello with a melody which eventually became "Shipbuilding," which featured a trumpet solo by Chet Baker. Prior to the release of Costello's own version, a version of the song was a minor UK hit for former Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt.

Under the pseudonym The Imposter, Costello released "Pills and Soap," an attack on the changes in British society brought on by Thatcherism, released to coincide with the run-up to the 1983 UK general election. ''Punch the Clock'' also generated an international hit in the single "Everyday I Write the Book," aided by a music video featuring lookalikes of the Prince and Princess of Wales undergoing domestic strife in a suburban home. The song became Costello's first Top 40 hit single in the U.S. Also in the same year, Costello provided vocals on a version of the Madness song "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" released as a B-side on the single of the same name.

Tensions within the band - notably between Costello and bassist Bruce Thomas—were beginning to tell, and Costello announced his retirement and the break-up of the group shortly before they were to record ''Goodbye Cruel World'' (1984). Costello would later say of this record that they had "got it as wrong as you can in terms of the execution". The record was poorly received upon its initial release; the liner notes to the 1995 Rykodisc re-release, penned by Costello, begin with the words "Congratulations!, you've just purchased our worst album". Costello's retirement, although short-lived, was accompanied by two compilations, ''Elvis Costello: The Man'' in the UK, Europe and Australia, and ''The Best of Elvis Costello & The Attractions'' in the U.S.

In 1985, he appeared in the Live Aid benefit concert in England, singing the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" as a solo artist. (The event was overrunning and Costello was asked to "ditch the band".) Costello introduced the song as an "old northern English folk song," and the audience was invited to sing the chorus. In the same year Costello teamed up with friend T-Bone Burnett for the single "The People's Limousine" under the moniker of The Coward Brothers. That year, Costello also produced ''Rum Sodomy & the Lash'' for the Irish punk/folk band The Pogues.

By 1986, Costello was preparing to make a comeback. Working in the U.S. with Burnett, a band containing a number of Elvis Presley's sidemen (including James Burton and Jerry Scheff), and minor input from the Attractions, he produced ''King of America'', an acoustic guitar-driven album with a country sound. Around this time he legally changed his name back to Declan MacManus, adding Aloysius as an extra middle name. Costello retooled his upcoming tour to allow for multiple nights in each city, playing one night with The Confederates (James Burton et al.), one night with The Attractions, and one night solo acoustic. In May 1986, Costello performed at Self Aid, a benefit concert held in Dublin that focused on the chronic unemployment which was widespread in Ireland at that time.

Later that year, Costello returned to the studio with the Attractions and recorded ''Blood and Chocolate'', which was lauded for a post-punk fervour not heard since 1978's ''This Year's Model''. It also marked the return of producer Nick Lowe, who had produced Costello's first five albums. While ''Blood and Chocolate'' failed to chart a hit single of any significance, it did produce what has since become one of Costello's signature concert songs, "I Want You." On this album, Costello adopted the alias Napoleon Dynamite, the name he later attributed to the character of the emcee that he played during the vaudeville-style tour to support ''Blood and Chocolate''. (The pseudonym had previously been used in 1982, when the B-side single "Imperial Bedroom" was credited to Napoleon Dynamite & The Royal Guard, and was later appropriated by the 2004 film ''Napoleon Dynamite''). In 1989, Costello, with a new contract with Warner Bros., released ''Spike'', which spawned his biggest single in America, the Top 20 hit "Veronica," one of several songs Costello co-wrote with Paul McCartney in that period (see Collaborations).

1990s

In 1991, having grown a long beard, Costello released ''Mighty Like a Rose'', which featured the single "The Other Side of Summer." He also found time to co-compose and co-produce, with Richard Harvey, the title and incidental music for the mini-series ''G.B.H.'' by Alan Bleasdale. This entirely instrumental, and largely orchestral, soundtrack garnered a BAFTA, for Best Music for a TV Series for the pair.

In 1993, Costello experimented with classical music with a critically acclaimed collaboration with the Brodsky Quartet on ''The Juliet Letters''. During this period, Costello wrote a full album's worth of material for Wendy James, and these songs became the tracks on her 1993 solo album ''Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears''. Costello returned to rock and roll the following year with a project that reunited him with The Attractions, ''Brutal Youth''. In 1995, Costello released ''Kojak Variety'', an album of cover songs recorded five years earlier, and followed in 1996 with an album of songs originally written for other artists, ''All This Useless Beauty''. This was the final album of original material that he issued under his Warner Bros. contract. In the spring of 1996, Costello played a series of intimate club dates, backed only by Nieve on the piano, in support of ''All This Useless Beauty''. An ensuing summer and fall tour with the Attractions proved to be the death knell for the band. With relations between Costello and bassist Bruce Thomas at a breaking point, Costello announced that the current tour would be the Attractions' last. The quartet performed their final U.S. show in Seattle, Washington on 1 September 1996, before wrapping up their tour in Japan. To fulfill his contractual obligations to Warner Bros., Costello released a greatest hits album titled ''Extreme Honey'' (1997). It contained an original track titled "The Bridge I Burned," featuring Costello's son, Matt, on bass. In the intervening period, Costello had served as artistic chair for the 1995 Meltdown Festival, which gave him the opportunity to explore his increasingly eclectic musical interests. His involvement in the festival yielded a one-off live EP with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, which featured both cover material and a few of his own songs.

In 1998, Costello signed a multi-label contract with Polygram Records, sold by its parent company the same year to become part of the Universal Music Group. Costello released his new work on what he deemed the suitable imprimatur within the family of labels. His first new release as part of this contract involved a collaboration with Burt Bacharach. Their work had commenced earlier, in 1996, on a song called "God Give Me Strength" for the movie ''Grace of My Heart''. This led the pair to write and record the critically acclaimed album ''Painted From Memory'', released under his new contract in 1998, on the Mercury Records label, featuring songs that were largely inspired by the dissolution of his marriage to Cait O'Riordan. Costello and Bacharach performed several concerts with a full orchestral backing, and also recorded an updated version of Bacharach's "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" for the soundtrack to ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'', with both appearing in the film to perform the song. He also wrote "I Throw My Toys Around" for ''The Rugrats Movie'' and performed it with No Doubt. The same year, he collaborated with Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains on "The Long Journey Home" on the soundtrack of the PBS/Disney mini-series of the same name. The soundtrack won a Grammy that year.

In 1999, Costello contributed a version of "She," released in 1974 by Charles Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer, for the soundtrack of the film ''Notting Hill'', with Trevor Jones producing. For the 25th anniversary of ''Saturday Night Live'', Costello was invited to the program, where he re-enacted his abrupt song-switch: This time, however, he interrupted the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," and they acted as his backing group for "Radio Radio".

2000 to present

In 2000, Costello appeared at the Town Hall Theatre, New York, in Steve Nieve's opera ''Welcome to the Voice'', alongside Ron Sexsmith and John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants.In 2001, Costello was artist in residence at UCLA and wrote the music for a new ballet. He produced and appeared on an album of pop songs for opera singer, Anne Sofie von Otter. He released the album ''When I Was Cruel'' in 2002 on Island Records, and toured with a new band, the Imposters (essentially the Attractions but with a different bass player, Davey Faragher, formerly of Cracker). He appeared as himself in the "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" episode of ''The Simpsons''. On 23 February 2003, Costello, along with Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, and Dave Grohl, performed a version of The Clash's "London Calling" at the 45th Grammy Awards ceremony, in honour of Clash frontman Joe Strummer, who had died the previous December. In March, Elvis Costello & The Attractions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He announced his engagement in May to Canadian jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall, whom he had seen in concert and then met backstage at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. That September, he released ''North'', an album of piano-based ballads concerning the breakdown of his former marriage, and his falling in love with Krall. Also that year, Costello made an appearance in the television show ''Frasier'' as a folk singer in the Cafe Nervosa, sending Frasier and Niles on a search for a new coffee bar.

The song "Scarlet Tide" (co-written by Costello and T-Bone Burnett and used in the film ''Cold Mountain'') was nominated for a 2004 Academy Award; he performed it at the awards ceremony with Alison Krauss, who sang the song on the official soundtrack. Costello co-wrote many songs on Krall's 2004 CD, ''The Girl in the Other Room'', the first of hers to feature several original compositions. In July 2004 Costello's first full-scale orchestral work, ''Il Sogno'', was performed in New York. The work, a ballet after Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', was commissioned by Italian dance troupe Aterballeto, and received critical acclaim from the classical music critics. Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, the recording was released on CD in September by Deutsche Grammophon. Costello released the album ''The Delivery Man'', recorded in Oxford, Mississippi and released on Lost Highway Records, in September of the same year, and it was hailed as one of his best albums.

A CD recording of a collaboration with Marian McPartland on her show ''Piano Jazz'' was released in 2005. It featured Costello singing six jazz standards and two of his own songs, accompanied by McPartland on piano. In November, Costello started recording a new album with Allen Toussaint and producer Joe Henry. ''The River in Reverse'' was released in the UK on the Verve label the following year in May.

A 2005 tour included a gig at Glastonbury that Costello considered to be so dreadful that he said "I don't care if I ever play England again. That gig made up my mind I wouldn't come back. I don't get along with it. We lost touch. It's 25 years since I lived there. I don't dig it, they don't dig me....British music fans don't have the same attitude to age as they do in America, where young people come to check out, say Willie Nelson. They feel some connection with him and find a role for that music in their lives."

In a studio recording of Nieve's opera ''Welcome to the Voice'' (2006, Deutsche Grammophon), Costello interpreted the character of Chief of Police, with Barbara Bonney, Robert Wyatt, Sting and Amanda Roocroft, and the album reached #2 in the ''Billboard'' classical charts. Costello later reprised the piece on the stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 2008, with Sting, Joe Sumner of Fiction Plane (Sting's son) and Sylvia Schwartz. Also released in 2006 was a live recording of a concert with the Metropole Orkest at the North Sea Jazz Festival, entitled ''My Flame Burns Blue''. The soundtrack for ''House M.D.'' featured Costello's interpretation of "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera, with the song appearing in the second episode of Series 2.

Costello was commissioned to write a chamber opera by the Danish Royal Opera, Copenhagen, on the subject of Hans Christian Andersen's infatuation with Swedish soprano Jenny Lind. Called ''The Secret Songs'' it was unfinished. In a performance in 2007 directed by Kasper Bech Holten at the Opera's studio theatre (Takelloftet), finished songs were interspersed with pieces from Costello's 1993 collaborative classical album ''The Juliet Letters'', featuring Danish soprano Sine Bundgaard as Lind. The 2009 album ''Secret, Profane & Sugarcane'' includes material from ''Secret Songs''.

On 22 April 2008, ''Momofuku'' was released on Lost Highway Records, the same imprint that released ''The Delivery Man'', his previous studio album. The album was, at least initially, released exclusively on vinyl (with a code to download a digital copy). That summer, in support of the album, Costello toured with The Police on the final leg of their 2007/2008 Reunion Tour. Costello played a homecoming gig at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on 25 June 2006. and, that month, gave his first performance in Poland, appearing with The Imposters for the closing gig of the Malta theatre festival in Poznań.

In July 2008, Costello (as Declan McManus) was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Liverpool.

From late 2008 into 2010, Costello hosted Channel 4/CTV's series ''Spectacle'' in which Costello talked and performed with stars in various fields, styled similarly to ''Inside the Actors Studio''. Between its two seasons, the show compiled 20 episodes, including one where Costello was interviewed by actress Mary-Louise Parker.

Costello was featured on Fall Out Boy's 2008 album ''Folie à Deux'', providing vocals on the track "What a Catch, Donnie", along with other artists who are friends with the band.

Costello appeared in Stephen Colbert's television special ''A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All''. In the program, he was eaten by a bear, but later saved by Santa Claus; he also sang a duet with Colbert. The special was first aired on 23 November 2008. Costello released ''Secret, Profane & Sugarcane'', a collaboration with T-Bone Burnett, on 9 June 2009. Burnett previously worked with Costello on ''King of America'' and ''Spike''. It was his first on the Starbucks Hear Music label and a return to country music in the manner of ''Good Year for the Roses''.

Costello appeared as himself in the finale of the third season of ''30 Rock'' and sang in the episode's celebrity telethon, ''Kidney Now!''. The episode references Costello's given name when Jack Donaghy accuses him of concealing his true identity: "Declan McManus, international art thief."

In May 2009, Costello made a surprise cameo appearance on-stage at the Beacon Theater in New York as part of Spinal Tap's ''Unwigged and Unplugged'' show, singing their fictional 1965 hit "Gimme Some Money" with the band backing him up.

On 15 May 2010, Costello announced he would withdraw from a concert performed in Israel in opposition to Israel's treatment of Palestinians. In a statement on his website, Costello wrote, "It has been necessary to dial out the falsehoods of propaganda, the double game and hysterical language of politics, the vanity and self-righteousness of public communiqués from cranks in order to eventually sift through my own conflicted thoughts."

Also in 2010 Elvis Costello appeared as himself in David Simon's television series, ''Treme''. Costello released the album ''National Ransom'' in autumn of 2010.

Personal life

Costello has been married three times, the first time to Mary Burgoyne in 1974, with whom he had a son.

In 1985, Costello became involved with Cait O'Riordan, former bassist for the English/Irish group The Pogues, while he was producing The Pogues' album ''Rum Sodomy and the Lash''. They married in 1986 and split up by the end of 2002.

Costello became engaged to singer Diana Krall in May 2003, and married her at the home of Elton John on December 6 that year. Krall gave birth to twin sons, Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James, on 6 December 2006 in New York City.

A vegetarian since the early 1980s, Costello says he was moved to reject meat after seeing the documentary ''The Animals Film'' (1982), which also helped inspire his song "Pills and Soap" (from ''Punch the Clock'', 1983).

Humanitarian causes

Costello sits on the Advisory Board of the Board of Directors of the Jazz Foundation of America. Costello began working with the Jazz Foundation in 2001, and has been a featured performer in their annual benefit A Great Night in Harlem since 2006. Costello has donated his time working with the Jazz Foundation of America to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians, including musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina.

Collaborations

In addition to his major recorded collaborations with Bacharach, the Brodsky Quartet, and von Otter, Costello has frequently been involved in other collaborations.

In 1987, Costello began a long-running songwriting collaboration with Paul McCartney. They wrote a number of songs together, including:

"Back On My Feet", the B-side of McCartney's 1987 single "Once Upon A Long Ago", later added as a bonus track on the 1993 re-issue of McCartney's ''Flowers in the Dirt''

Costello's "Veronica" and "Pads, Paws and Claws" from ''Spike'' (1989) (Also, McCartney plays Hofner bass but does not have a writing credit for "This Town" - the opening song for the album.)

"So Like Candy" and "Playboy to a Man" from ''Mighty Like a Rose'' (1991)

McCartney's "My Brave Face", "Don't Be Careless Love", "That Day Is Done" and "You Want Her Too" from ''Flowers in the Dirt'' (1989)

"The Lovers That Never Were" and "Mistress and Maid" from ''Off the Ground'' (1993).

"Shallow Grave" from ''All This Useless Beauty'' (1996).

Costello talked about their collaboration:

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In 1987, he appeared on the HBO special ''Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night'', which featured his long-time idol Roy Orbison, and was invited back to ''Saturday Night Live'' for the first time since 1977.

In 1988, Costello co-wrote "At the Other End (of the Telescope)" with Aimee Mann; this song appears on the Til Tuesday album ''Everything's Different Now''.

In 2000, Costello wrote lyrics to "Green Song", a solo cello piece by Svante Henryson; this song appears on the Anne Sofie von Otter album ''For the Stars''.

In 2005, Costello performed with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. They played both Costello and Green Day songs together, including "Alison", "No Action", "Basket Case" and "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)".

In 2007, Costello collaborated with the Argentinean/Uruguay an electro-tango band Bajofondo on the song "Fairly Right" from the album ''Mar Dulce''.

In 2008, Costello collaborated with Fall Out Boy on the track "What A Catch, Donnie" from their album ''Folie a Deux''.

In Jenny Lewis' 2008 release, ''Acid Tongue'', Costello provided vocals for the song "Carpetbaggers".

In November 2009, Costello appeared live with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Madison Square Garden and performed the Jackie Wilson song, Higher and Higher.

In December 2009, it was announced that Costello would be portraying The Shape in the upcoming album ''Ghost Brothers of Darkland County'', a collaboration between rock singer John Mellencamp and novelist Stephen King.

In February 2010, Costello appeared in the live cinecast of Garrison Keillor's ''Prairie Home Companion'', singing some of his own songs, and participating in many of the show's other musical and acting performances.

In March 2011, played with Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir and Furthur in New York City.

In April 2011, played the song "Taken For A Fool" with The Strokes in Madison Square Garden.

On April 30, 2011, played the song "Pump it Up" with The Odds before the start of a Vancouver Canucks playoff game at Rogers Arena in Vancouver BC.

Artistic significance

Costello has worked with Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Lucinda Williams, Kid Rock, Lee Konitz, Brian Eno, and Rubén Blades.

Costello is also a music fan, and often champions the works of others in print. He has written several pieces for the magazine ''Vanity Fair'', including the summary of what a perfect weekend of music would be. He has contributed to two Grateful Dead tribute albums and covered Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter tunes such as Ship of Fools, Friend of the Devil, It Must Have Been the Roses, Ripple and Tennessee Jed in concert. His collaboration with Bacharach honoured Bacharach's place in pop music history. Costello also appeared in documentaries about singers Dusty Springfield, Brian Wilson, Wanda Jackson, and Memphis, Tennessee-based Stax Records. He has also interviewed one of his own influences, Joni Mitchell.

In 2004, ''Rolling Stone Magazine'' ranked him #80 on their list of the ''100 Greatest Artists of All Time''.

==Discography==

Costello has released over 30 studio albums on his own and with the Attractions, the Imposters, or others. He has also released five live albums: ''Live at the El Mocambo'', ''Deep Dead Blue'', ''Costello & Nieve'', ''My Flame Burns Blue'', and ''Live at Hollywood High''. There have also been numerous compilations, box sets, and reissues by labels such as Rykodisc, Demon, Rhino, and Universal Music Enterprises.

Filmography

Actor

1979 film debut as "The Earl of Manchester" in ''Americathon''

1984 as "Henry Scully" in the UK TV series, ''Scully''

1984 as "Stone Deaf A&R; Man" in "The Bullshitters", a Comic Strip film first aired on Channel 4.

1985 as inept magician "Rosco de Ville" in the Alan Bleasdale film, ''No Surrender''

1987 as "Hives the Butler" in the Alex Cox film, ''Straight to Hell'', starring Joe Strummer and Courtney Love

1994 as himself on ''The Larry Sanders Show'' in the episode "People's Choice"

1997 as a barman in ''Spice World''.

1999 as himself performing "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" with Burt Bacharach in ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me''

1999 as a younger version of himself in ''200 Cigarettes''

2001 as himself performing "Fly me to the Moon" on the series finale of ''3rd Rock From the Sun''

2002 as himself on the episode "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" of ''The Simpsons''

2003 as Ben on ''Frasier'', one episode

2004 as himself in the UK TV ''Dead Ringers'' New Year Special, apparently and reportedly having serendipitously entered a filming venue 2004 as himself in ''Two and a Half Men'' - Season 2, Episode 1

2006 as himself in ''Delirious''

2006 as himself in ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''

2008 as himself in "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!"

2009 as himself on the episode of ''30 Rock'', "Kidney Now!"

2010 as himself on ''Treme''

Soundtrack

2003 Academy Award nomination for best original song, "The Scarlet Tide", in ''Cold Mountain''

Bibliography

Costello, Elvis. ''A Singing Dictionary''. London: Plangent Visions Music; New York, N.Y.: Exclusive selling agent for the United States and Canada, Warner Bros. Publications, 1980. ISBN 0-7692-1505-X. Sheet music, chords, and lyrics for works 1977–1980.

References

External links

ElvisCostello.com

Official Elvis Costello Lost Highway Records Artist Page

The Elvis Costello Home Page Wiki

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Elvis Costello & the Attractions members Category:English buskers Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:English male singers Category:English New Wave musicians Category:English rock guitarists Category:English rock keyboardists Category:English rock singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English vegetarians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Lost Highway Records artists Category:Musicians from London Category:People from Paddington Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees‎ Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

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