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J R Rotem
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50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified 8 times platinum by the RIAA and has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. His album The Massacre has been certified 5 times platinum by the RIAA and has sold 11 million copies worldwide.
http://wn.com/50_Cent -
Anastacia
Anastacia (born Anastacia Lyn Newkirk; September 17, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, Oceania, South Africa, and South America, but has not had as much success in her native United States. Her debut album, Not That Kind, released in 2000, achieved top ten sales in eight countries in Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and went triple platinum in Australia; her debut single "I'm Outta Love", was also a hit in Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and the UK.
http://wn.com/Anastacia -
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress, singer, songwriter and television producer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series. Her role as Evans required her to perform several songs in the film series' soundtracks. Tisdale became the first female artist to debut with two songs simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100, in the week of February 12, 2006, with "What I've Been Looking For" and "Bop to the Top", both songs from the first High School Musical soundtrack.
http://wn.com/Ashley_Tisdale -
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. (born November 15, 1988), also known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American musician and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both the U.S. and the U.K. "Airplanes", B.o.B's second single, emulated this success, peaking at number one and number two in the U.K. and the U.S. respectively. His third single, "Magic" recently became B.o.B's third consecutive top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
http://wn.com/BoB -
Baby Bash
Ronald Rey Bryant (born Oct. 15, 1975), better known by his stage name Baby Bash (formerly Baby Beesh), is an American rapper. From 1995 to 1998, he performed under the stage name Baby Beesh, as part of the vallejo, California group Potna Duece, after which he changed the last part of the name to Bash. His first album was ''Tha Smokin' Nephew in 2003, which included the singles "Suga Suga" and "Shorty Doowop". In 2005, Super Saucy'' was released, its lead single being "I'm Back", a collaboration with singer Akon. Cyclone followed in 2007, with its title single featuring T-Pain and its follow-up, "What Is It" featuring Sean Kingston, landing on the Billboard charts as well.
http://wn.com/Baby_Bash -
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album in 1999. During her first decade within the music industry, she became a prominent figure in mainstream popular music and popular culture, followed by a much-publicized personal life. Her first two albums established her as a pop icon and broke sales records, while title tracks "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" became international number-one hits. Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s.
http://wn.com/Britney_Spears -
Bun B
Bernard Freeman (born March 19, 1970) better known by his stage name Bun B is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK. He recently released his third official solo album Trill OG on August 3, 2010, which received a 5 Mic "Classic" rating in The Source Magazine - the first album in over five years to receive the honor. Bun B is married with two step-children .
http://wn.com/Bun_B -
Cory Gunz
Cory Gunz (born June 22, 1987) is a rapper, the son of rapper Peter Gunz. Gunz is currently signed to Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Motown. He is a native of the Bronx. He was first signed by Tommy Mottola to Casablanca Records and Def Jam Recordings.
http://wn.com/Cory_Gunz -
Dima Bilan
(, ; born , , 24 December 1981 in Ust-Dzheguta, Karachay-Cherkessia) is a Russian pop artist. Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits.
http://wn.com/Dima_Bilan -
E-40
Earl Stevens (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California. It is assumed the stage name Earl carries, comes from (as made mention on his album "My Ghetto Report Card", on "they might be taping") E-40 stating "I got my name from drinking beer". He is also part of the Bay Area rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. His solo debut album, Federal, was released in 1992, and The Click's debut album "Down & Dirty" came out in 1992. E-40's 1995 solo album In a Major Way opened him up to a wider audience. He has released over ten albums, including those with his group The Click; he has also appeared on numerous movie soundtracks and has guest appearances on a host of other rap albums. Starting in 1998, he worked with rappers outside San Francisco and rose to even higher mainstream popularity in 2006 with his single "Tell Me When to Go" which was produced by Lil Jon.
http://wn.com/E-40 -
Evan Bogart
Evan "Kidd" Bogart (born January 23, 1978) is a multi-faceted music executive and songwriter who has contributed to long list of internationally successful artists. He is the son of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart and music manager Joyce Bogart-Trabulus, who co-managed KISS and Donna Summer.
http://wn.com/Evan_Bogart -
Fefe Dobson
Felicia "Fefe" Lily Dobson (born February 28, 1985) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and model.
http://wn.com/Fefe_Dobson -
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard (born on September 17, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (), is an American rapper and singer. Later, he appeared in numerous popular rap mixtapes and studio albums, most notably in We the Best in 2006. Mail on Sunday was Flo Rida's solo debut album; its first single "Low", featuring T-Pain which was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from Mail on Sunday: "Elevator" and "In the Ayer". In 2009, his second album R.O.O.T.S. was released; its most successful single "Right Round" was at the top of the Hot 100 for six weeks.
http://wn.com/Flo_Rida -
Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy nominations. Since then, he is considered to be a driving force in bringing back the West Coast hip hop scene into the mainstream and competing with many of his East Coast counterparts.
http://wn.com/Game_(rapper) -
However Do U Want It
http://wn.com/However_Do_U_Want_It -
Ilya
Илья, Ілля, Ilya,Illya, Iliya, Ilja, Ilia, or ایلیا (in Arabic) is the Slavic form of the male Hebrew name Eliyahu (Elijah), meaning "My god is He". It is pronounced with stress on the second syllable. The diminutive form is Ilyusha or Ilyushenka. The Russian patronymic for a son of Ilya is "Ilyich", and a daughter is "Ilyinichna".
http://wn.com/Ilya -
Iyaz
Keidran Jones, (born 1987) better known as his stage name, Iyaz, from the British Virgin Islands, is a singer signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records. His debut hit single "Replay" was released in 2009 reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 number one in the UK, Australia and top ten in many other countries. All of Iyaz's Singles have reached the top 40 on the UK Official Singles Chart.
http://wn.com/Iyaz -
Jason Derulo
http://wn.com/Jason_Derulo -
Jason Derülo
Jason Joel Desrouleaux (born September 21, 1989), better known by his stage name Jason Derülo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. After producing records for several artists and writing songs for Cash Money Records, co-founder of the label Birdman, Young Money Entertainment owner Lil Wayne and rapper Diddy, Derülo signed to minor recording label Beluga Heights. After Beluga Heights became part of the Warner Music Group, Derülo released his debut single, "Whatcha Say" in May 2009. The song became a huge digital hit, selling over five million digital downloads, gaining an RIAA certification of double platinum, and reaching number 1 in the US and New Zealand. Derülo released his second single, "In My Head", in December 2009. His debut album, Jason Derülo, was released in 2010.
http://wn.com/Jason_Derülo -
Jim Jones
James Warren "Jim" Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, which is best known for the November 18, 1978 suicide of more than 900 Temple members in Jonestown, Guyana along with the killings of five other people at a nearby airstrip.
http://wn.com/Jim_Jones -
JoJo (singer)
Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque (born December 20, 1990), professionally known as JoJo, is an American Pop/R&B; singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. After competing on the television show, ''America's Most Talented Kids'', record producer Vincent Herbert took notice who asked her to audition for Blackground Records.
http://wn.com/JoJo_(singer) -
Kat Graham
http://wn.com/Kat_Graham -
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British pop and R&B; singer–songwriter. Lewis rose to fame during the third series of the British television series The X Factor, which she went on to win.
http://wn.com/Leona_Lewis -
Lil Kim
http://wn.com/Lil_Kim -
Lil Scrappy
Darryl Kevin Richardson II (born January 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper.
http://wn.com/Lil_Scrappy -
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975), better known by her stage name '''Lil' Kim''', is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and actress who was part of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.
http://wn.com/Lil'_Kim -
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan (; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11. Lohan gained further fame between 2003 and 2005 with leading roles in the films Freaky Friday, Mean Girls and , subsequently appearing in independent films including Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion and Emilio Estevez's Bobby.
http://wn.com/Lindsay_Lohan -
Lolene
Lolene Everett (born March 12, 1985), also known simply as Lolene, is a British recording artist, songwriter, record producer and performer from Bristol, England.
http://wn.com/Lolene -
Maino
Jermaine Coleman, better known by his stage name Maino (born August 30, 1977), is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York City, New York.
http://wn.com/Maino -
Mann (rapper)
Dijon Shariff Thames (born July 17, 1991), better known by his stage name Mann is an American rapper, singer, songwriter.
http://wn.com/Mann_(rapper) -
Mike Jones (rapper)
Michael "Mike" Jones (born January 6, 1981) is an American southern rap artist, who initially was affiliated with the record label Swishahouse, then left to be the owner of Ice Age Entertainment.
http://wn.com/Mike_Jones_(rapper) -
Mýa
Mýa Marie Harrison (born October 10, 1979), who performs under the mononym Mýa is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, actress, and model. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Harrison's eponymous debut album with Interscope Records was released in April 1998, and sold over one million copies in the United States, producing the gold-certified top ten single "It's All About Me" featuring Sisqo.
http://wn.com/Mýa -
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B; singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actor, and occasional rapper. Since his debut, Ne-Yo has had five top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200. Ne-Yo has also amassed a catalog of chart-topping songs that he has written for other artists.
http://wn.com/Ne-Yo -
Nicki Minaj
Onika Maraj (born December 8, 1984), better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. In August 2009, Minaj signed to Young Money Entertainment with distribution from Universal Motown.
http://wn.com/Nicki_Minaj -
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger (born June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and occasional actress who is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls.
http://wn.com/Nicole_Scherzinger -
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American socialite, heiress, media personality, model, singer, author, fashion designer and actress . She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton (founder of Hilton Hotels). Hilton is known for her controversial appearance in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood best friend Nicole Richie. She is also known for her 2004 tongue-in-cheek autobiography, several minor film roles (most notably her role in the horror film House of Wax in 2005), her 2006 music album Paris, and her work in modeling. As a result of several legal incidents, Hilton also served a widely publicized sentence in a Los Angeles County jail in 2007. She is an example of the modern phenomenon of the 'celebutante', the celebrity who rises to fame not because of their talent or work but because of their wealth and controversial lifestyle.
http://wn.com/Paris_Hilton -
Plies (rapper)
Algernod Lanier Washington (born July 1, 1976), better known by his stage name Plies, is an American rapper and founder of Big Gates Records. After dropping out of college, he founded Big Gates Records with his stepbrother. Signed to Slip-n-Slide Records, from 2007 to 2008 he released three albums. Plies debuted in 2007 with The Real Testament with successful singles "Shawty" and "Hypnotized". Plies also released two albums in 2008, Definition of Real and Da REAList, and later released Goon Affiliated in 2010.
http://wn.com/Plies_(rapper) -
Rakim
William Michael Griffin, Jr. (later changed his name to Rakim Allah, born January 28, 1968), better known by the stage name Rakim , is an American rapper and one of the pioneers of the musical genre of hip hop. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled MCs of all time due to his exceptional flow and complex lyrical craftsmanship.
http://wn.com/Rakim -
Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston (born Kisean Anderson on February 3, 1990) is an Jamaican-American singer and rapper. Kingston was born in Miami in the United States and spent part of his childhood in Jamaica. He returned to the U.S. to pursue a music career and debuted in 2007 with Sean Kingston.
http://wn.com/Sean_Kingston -
Snoop Dogg
Cordozar Calvin Broadus (born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American entertainer, rapper, record producer and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school. Shortly after graduation, he was arrested for cocaine possession and spent six months in Wayside County Jail. His music career began in 1992 after his release when he was discovered by Dr. Dre. He collaborated on several tracks on Dre's solo debut, The Chronic and on the titular theme song to the film Deep Cover.
http://wn.com/Snoop_Dogg -
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm (born September 30, 1985), better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor. He began his career as a rapper in the group Nappy Headz. In 2005, he became a singer and released his debut album Rappa Ternt Sanga. Throughout his career as a singer, T-Pain has extensively used the Auto-Tune pitch correction effect. Since the release of his debut album, T-Pain has produced numerous hits of his own and for other rappers and R&B; singers. In 2008, he won a Grammy with rapper Kanye West for the single "Good Life". In 2010, he won another Grammy with Jamie Foxx for the single "Blame It". T-Pain is also the founder of the record label Nappy Boy Entertainment, established in 2005.
http://wn.com/T-Pain -
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. (born September 25, 1980), better known by his stage name T.I. or T.I.P., is an American recording artist, film & music producer, and occasional actor. He is the founder and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of Grand Hustle Records.
http://wn.com/TI -
The Game (rapper)
http://wn.com/The_Game_(rapper) -
The Ready Set
The Ready Set is the alias of American musician Jordan Witzigreuter.
http://wn.com/The_Ready_Set -
Tynisha Keli
Tynisha Keli Soares (born July 28, 1985), known by her stage name Tynisha Keli, is an American R&B; and pop singer-songwriter, who has seen her greatest success in Japan.
http://wn.com/Tynisha_Keli -
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978; ), who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American recording artist and actor. He rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his sophmore album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit, "Nice and Slow". It also spawned two more successful singles "You Make Me Wanna...", and "My Way". Both reached number-two on the Hot 100. His followup album 8701 (2001) produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad". As well "U Don't Have to Call" which reached number-three on the Hot 100. My Way has been certified six-times platinum by the RIAA and 8701 has been certified four-times platinum by the RIAA. Both albums sold over 8 million copies worldwide.
http://wn.com/Usher_(entertainer) -
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Anne Hudgens (born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. As an actress, she guest starred in television shows like Quintuplets, Still Standing, The Brothers García, Drake & Josh, and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Hudgens made her screen debut in the 2003 drama film Thirteen as Noel. She got her first starring role in the 2004 science-fiction-adventure film Thunderbirds as Tintin.
http://wn.com/Vanessa_Hudgens
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Johannesburg
Johannesburg (, ) also known as Jozi, '''Jo'burg or eGoli''', is the largest city in South Africa. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa.. The city is one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world, and is also the world's largest city not situated on a river, lake, or coastline.
http://wn.com/Johannesburg -
Miami
Miami ( or ) is a major city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida, and the eighth-most populous county in the United States, with a population of 2,500,625. The 42nd largest city in the United States, with a population of 433,136, it is the principal, central and most populous city of the South Florida metropolitan area. According to United Nations estimates, the Miami Urbanized Area was the fifth most populous urbanized area in the U.S. in 2000 with a population of 4,919,036, but in 2008 that number increased to 5,232,342, making it the fourth-largest urbanized area in the United States, behind New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
http://wn.com/Miami -
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.27 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state on May 11, 1858. Known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", the state's name comes from a Dakota word for "sky-tinted water". Those waters, together with forests, parks, and wilderness areas, offer residents and tourists a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.
http://wn.com/Minnesota -
Moraga, California
Moraga (incorporating the former communities of Moraga Town, Rheem, and Rheem Valley) is an affluent suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza. As of the 2000 census, Moraga was the 79th wealthiest place in the US with a population above 10,000.
http://wn.com/Moraga_California -
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an independent country wholly surrounded by South African territory.
http://wn.com/South_Africa -
St. Paul, Minnesota
http://wn.com/St_Paul_Minnesota -
Toronto
Toronto (, colloquially or ) is the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America. Toronto is at the heart of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and is part of a densely populated region in Southern Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe, which is home to over 8.1 million residents—approximately 25% of Canada's population. The census metropolitan area (CMA) had a population of 5,113,149, and the Greater Toronto Area had a population of 5,555,912 in the 2006 Census.
http://wn.com/Toronto -
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a country and sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island nation, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border with another sovereign state, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. Great Britain is linked to continental Europe by the Channel Tunnel.
http://wn.com/United_Kingdom
- 50 Cent
- Anastacia
- ARIA Chart
- Ashley Tisdale
- Auburn (singer)
- B.o.B
- Baby Bash
- Becky (song)
- Beluga Heights
- Better in Time
- Billboard Hot 100
- Bring It On 4
- Britney Spears
- Bun B
- Bust It Baby
- Buzzin' (Mann song)
- Chamillionaire
- ChartsPlus
- Cory Gunz
- Destiny's Child
- Dima Bilan
- E-40
- Epic Records
- Evan "Kidd" Bogart
- Evan Bogart
- Everybody in Love
- Fefe Dobson
- Flo Rida
- Game (rapper)
- Ghetto Girl
- Give You the World
- Hip hop music
- Hip Hop Police
- HitQuarters
- However Do U Want It
- I Am the Club
- Ilya
- Israeli people
- Iyaz
- Jada (band)
- James Fauntleroy
- Jason Derulo
- Jason Derülo
- jazz
- Jesse McCartney
- Jim Jones
- JLS
- Johannesburg
- JoJo (singer)
- Kat Graham
- Koch Records
- Leona Lewis
- Lil Kim
- Lil Scrappy
- Lil Wayne
- Lil' Kim
- Lindsay Lohan
- Lolene
- Love Like Woe
- Maino
- Mann
- Mann (rapper)
- Me Love
- Media Control Charts
- Miami
- Mike Jones (rapper)
- Minnesota
- Moraga, California
- Mýa
- Ne-Yo
- Nicki Minaj
- Nicole Scherzinger
- Pain No More
- Paris Hilton
- Plies (rapper)
- Pop music
- Pretty Girls (Iyaz)
- R&B;
- Rakim
- Record producer
- Replay (Iyaz song)
- Rick Ross (rapper)
- Ridin' Solo
- Rihanna
- Roll (song)
- Sean Kingston
- She Moves (song)
- Slick Rick
- Sneakernight
- Snoop Dogg
- Solo (Iyaz song)
- SOS (Rihanna song)
- South Africa
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- T-Pain
- T.I.
- Text (song)
- That's Gangsta
- The D.E.Y.
- The Game (rapper)
- The Ready Set
- Toronto
- Tynisha Keli
- UK Singles Chart
- United Kingdom
- Usher (entertainer)
- Vanessa Hudgens
- Want It, Need It
- What Is It
- Whatcha Say
- Whoa (song)
- will.i.am
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JR Rotem - The Making of Nicki Minaj's "Fly"
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:26
- Published: 30 Aug 2011
- Uploaded: 01 Mar 2012
- Author: BelugaHeightsTV
www.belugaheights.com/bhtv/ - www.Twitter.com/jonathanrotem - Super producer JR Rotem takes you Behind The Hit and gives an in depth look at how he put together Nicki Minaj's latest single "Fly" featuring Rihanna, from Nicki's album "Pink Friday".
http://wn.com/JR_Rotem__The_Making_of_Nicki_Minaj's_Fly
Jr Rotem talks about producing beats
how JR makes his beats this might be useful for upcoming producers
http://wn.com/Jr_Rotem_talks_about_producing_beats
Jr Rotem on Jason Derulo's "What If"
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:19
- Published: 10 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 29 Feb 2012
- Author: younghollywood
We head in the studio with super producer, JR Rotem. We chat about the inception of Jason Derulo's new track, "What If". We also talk to Jason Derulo about how he was introduced to this timeless ballad and the meaning behind his lyrics. Hosted by Michelle Marie. TWITTER HERE twitter.com Join me on FACEBOOK HERE www.facebook.com Check out the official music video for "What If" www.youtube.com Here's Jason's video for his smash hit "Watcha Say" www.youtube.com Jason Derulo and and Jr Rotem talk Behind The Hit: www.youtube.com Jason's "In My Head" www.youtube.com Jason Derulo's "Ridin' Solo" www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Jr_Rotem_on_Jason_Derulo's_What_If
JR Rotem | Exclusive DJBoothTV Interview
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 12:10
- Published: 15 Sep 2011
- Uploaded: 24 Feb 2012
- Author: djboothdjbooth
Producer, songwriter and label owner JR Rotem sits down to talk about his plans for Beluga Heights, what makes Jason Derulo such a powerful artist and his surprise that Rihanna's "SoS" was his first #1 hit.
http://wn.com/JR_Rotem_|_Exclusive_DJBoothTV_Interview
Jason Derulo & JR Rotem "Behind The Hit"
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:50
- Published: 09 Oct 2009
- Uploaded: 22 Feb 2012
- Author: JasonDerulo
Super producer & Beluga Heights CEO JR Rotem and his new artist Jason Derulo describe the makings of a hit record. Jason Derulo's "Whatcha Say" is #2 on iTunes! Buy it Now! Jason was signed to Warner Bros Records by American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi
http://wn.com/Jason_Derulo_JR_Rotem_Behind_The_Hit
Claude - Got Another One (Prod. by JR Rotem) (Sean Kingston Demo) (New RnB 2012)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:06
- Published: 10 Jan 2012
- Uploaded: 18 Feb 2012
- Author: RnBeatzSoundz
New song from Claude!!! Hope you enjoy it and subscribe xD ___________________________________________ Fanpage: www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Claude__Got_Another_One_Prod_by_JR_Rotem_Sean_Kingston_Demo_New_RnB_2012
Jr Rotem Making A Beat Live
www.SyckBeatz.com http music producer beat maker jr rottem makes a beat live.
http://wn.com/Jr_Rotem_Making_A_Beat_Live
JR Rotem - Interview Producer Winner (Ronnie D Music)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:53
- Published: 03 Dec 2011
- Uploaded: 07 Jan 2012
- Author: RONNIEDMUSICTV
Beluga Heights JR Rotem announces winner Ronnie D Music RonnieDTV@gmail.com www.twitter.com/RonnieDmusic
http://wn.com/JR_Rotem__Interview_Producer_Winner_Ronnie_D_Music
JR Rotem in BMI's Behind the Song
From BMI's Behind the Song This series offers advice, insight and knowledge of challenges and successes from top songwriters and producers. These creators discuss how they see themselves as a songwriter and/or producer; their distinct approaches to songwriting and producing; and advice on getting into the music industry. In the episode: JR Rotem. Called the "Super Producer" by MTV, JR Rotem is co-founder of Beluga Heights, the musical home to Jason Derülo, Iyaz and Sean Kingston. He has written/produced songs for over 100 artists in the past five years, including the artists signed to Beluga. He produced/co-wrote "SOS" for Rihanna, "Fly" for Nicki Minaj, as well as tracks for Rick Ross, Plies and many more. He is a past BMI Pop and Urban award-winner and was named BMI Producer of the Year in 2009. www.bmi.com More about BMI www.bmi.com More about BMI Behind the Song Series www.bmi.comGet paid when your music gets played. Join BMI! www.bmi.com Learn about future BMI events. www.bmi.com Music Career Advice www.bmi.com Music Business News www.bmi.com Songwriter101: songwriter101.com YouTube youtube FaceBook: facebook.com Twitter: twitter.com ABOUT BMI Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing right organization that represents more than 475000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. BMI has represented the most popular and beloved music from around the world for 70 years. The US corporation collects <b>...</b>
http://wn.com/JR_Rotem_in_BMI's_Behind_the_Song
BoB - Never Lost - Feat. TI & Coldplay - Prod by JR Rotem
BoB - Never Lost - Feat. TI & Coldplay - Prod by JR Rotem BoB feat. TI & Coldplay Never Lost (Prod by JR Rotem) BoB. - Never Lost - ft. TI & Coldplay - Prod by JR Rotem BoB - Never Lost - Feat. TI & Coldplay - Prod by JR Rotem
http://wn.com/BoB__Never_Lost__Feat_TI_Coldplay__Prod_by_JR_Rotem
Kevin Ross - Breakdown (Prod. by JR Rotem) (Chris Brown Demo)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:30
- Published: 16 Jan 2012
- Uploaded: 02 Feb 2012
- Author: MUSlCVlDEOTV2
Like Us On Facebook: www.facebook.com www.facebook.com Visit Our Blog: rnbspot.in FREE DOWNLOADLINK: loadnshare.com ________________________________________________ Kevin Ross - Breakdown (Prod. by JR Rotem) (Chris Brown Demo) Kevin Ross - Breakdown Breakdown Kevin Ross Kevin Ross 2012...
http://wn.com/Kevin_Ross__Breakdown_Prod_by_JR_Rotem_Chris_Brown_Demo
![JLS - Stand Up (Prod. By JR Rotem) [New Song 2011]](http://web.archive.org./web/20120306163609im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CBvR5PeVDVg/0.jpg "JLS - Stand Up (Prod. By JR Rotem) [New Song 2011]")
JLS - Stand Up (Prod. By JR Rotem) [New Song 2011]
JLS - Stand Up (Prod. By JR Rotem) [New Song 2011] JLS - Stand Up (Prod. By JR Rotem) [New Song 2011]
http://wn.com/JLS__Stand_Up_Prod_By_JR_Rotem_ New_Song_2011
Sean Kingston / IYAZ / JR Rotem Type Beat (R&B; Pop Style)**Smooth**Rexlaing**2011**Free Download
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:48
- Published: 03 Oct 2011
- Uploaded: 24 Feb 2012
- Author: aftertouchbeatz
www.AfterTouchBeats.com To Download This Beat For Free! Beat Title 'My Baby' Download Link: www.soundclick.com Untagged Version Only $14.99! Been Listening To A Lot Of JR Rotem Beats Lately (Producer For Sean Kingston, IYAZ, Jason Derulo) And Wanted To Test My Piano Writing Abilities And This Is What Came Out! Nice Miami Summertime Beach R&B Track! [Hip-Hop Instrumental Beat Made In FL Studio 9 XXL]
http://wn.com/Sean_Kingston_/_IYAZ_/_JR_Rotem_Type_Beat_R&B;_Pop_Style**Smooth**Rexlaing**2011**Free_Download
JR Rotem Productions Pt. 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:26
- Published: 10 Jan 2008
- Uploaded: 21 Feb 2012
- Author: WC4Life007
Beats Produced by JR Rotem Track List: 1. Chamillionaire-Hop Hop Police 2. Game-California Vacation 3. Lil Scrappy-Livin in the projects 4. Freeway ft. 50cent-Take to the top 5. 50cent-So Amazing 6. 50cent-Position of power 7. Baby Bash-What Is It 8. K-Fed-Dance With A Pimp 9. Mya - Walka Not A Talka 10. The Cheetah Girls-Do No Wrong 11. LeToya-All Eyes On Me 12. JoJo - The High Road 13. Mya-How We Carry 14. Lil Kim-Whoa 15. Mobb Deep-In Love With The Moula 16. Jin-The Good The Bad & The Ugly 17. K-Fed-America's Most Hated 18. Jin-C'mon 19. K-fed-Lose Control 20. D12-Good die young 21. Lil Kim-My Last day 22. Fabolous-can you hear me 23. Chamillionaire-Industry groupie
http://wn.com/JR_Rotem_Productions_Pt_1
Alex Reid- "Playboy" prod. by JR Rotem
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:08
- Published: 19 Jul 2011
- Uploaded: 22 Feb 2012
- Author: AlexReidTV
"Playboy" w/ Lyrics Written by: Alex Reid Produced by: JR Rotem Photos by: @callmeauburn www.twitter.com/thealexreid www.facebook.com/alexreidfans
http://wn.com/Alex_Reid_Playboy_prod_by_JR_Rotem
![BOB Feat. Coldplay - Never Lost (Prod. By JR Rotem) [NEW SONG 2011]](http://web.archive.org./web/20120306163609im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U_g5lGLyfoY/0.jpg "BOB Feat. Coldplay - Never Lost (Prod. By JR Rotem) [NEW SONG 2011]")
BOB Feat. Coldplay - Never Lost (Prod. By JR Rotem) [NEW SONG 2011]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:56
- Published: 16 Dec 2011
- Uploaded: 29 Feb 2012
- Author: ilovernbmusic16
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com TWITTER: www.twitter.com BOB Feat. Coldplay - Never Lost (Prod. By JR Rotem) [NEW SONG 2011] BOB Feat. Coldplay - Never Lost (Prod. By JR Rotem) [NEW SONG 2011] BOB Feat. Coldplay - Never Lost (Prod. By JR Rotem) [NEW SONG 2011] BOB Coldplay...
http://wn.com/BOB_Feat_Coldplay__Never_Lost_Prod_By_JR_Rotem_ NEW_SONG_2011
Mann - Get it girl Official (Prod. JR Rotem DJ One-Twelve) No Tag
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:11
- Published: 24 Jul 2011
- Uploaded: 25 Feb 2012
- Author: djonetwelveFL
Mann - Get it Girl Official Debut Feat T-pain: Producer: JR Rotem Mann ft. T-Pain - Get it Girl (DJ One-Twelve Official) www.mannsworld.net and www.facebook.com/mann www.djonetwelveofficial.com and www.facebook.com/djonetwelve Mann feat. T-Pain - Get It Girl (Prod. by JR...
http://wn.com/Mann__Get_it_girl_Official_Prod_JR_Rotem_DJ_One-Twelve_No_Tag
![JR ROTEM TALKS ABOUT PRODUCING BEATS [PRODUCERS TV]](http://web.archive.org./web/20120306163609im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HMPu_9bLM-s/0.jpg "JR ROTEM TALKS ABOUT PRODUCING BEATS [PRODUCERS TV]")
JR ROTEM TALKS ABOUT PRODUCING BEATS [PRODUCERS TV]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:07
- Published: 21 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 26 Feb 2012
- Author: PRODUCERSTV
JR Rotem & Friends - Live at Vitello's
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:16
- Published: 06 Oct 2011
- Uploaded: 01 Feb 2012
- Author: BelugaHeightsTV
JR Rotem performs live at Vitello's, with special appearances from Livvi Franc & Chloe Leighton.
http://wn.com/JR_Rotem_Friends__Live_at_Vitello's
Sean Kingston feat. Nicki Minaj - Born To Be Wild (Prod. by JR Rotem)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:13
- Published: 23 Oct 2011
- Uploaded: 27 Dec 2011
- Author: MusicFlavor002
www.facebook.com New Hot RnB Song 2011 Free MP3 Download Lyrics Songtext Album new Single Sean Kingston feat. Nicki Minaj - Born To Be Wild (Prod. by JR Rotem)
http://wn.com/Sean_Kingston_feat_Nicki_Minaj__Born_To_Be_Wild_Prod_by_JR_Rotem
Claude - Ay Mama (Prod. by JR Rotem) (NEW 2011)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:28
- Published: 18 Sep 2011
- Uploaded: 12 Feb 2012
- Author: ilovernbmusic12
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com TWITTER: www.twitter.com Claude - Ay Mama (Prod. by JR Rotem) (NEW 2011) Claude - Ay Mama (Prod. by JR Rotem) (NEW 2011) Claude - Ay Mama (Prod. by JR Rotem) (NEW 2011)
http://wn.com/Claude__Ay_Mama_Prod_by_JR_Rotem_NEW_2011
PopCrush Chats with Songwriter/Producer JR Rotem
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:50
- Published: 09 Jun 2011
- Uploaded: 07 Feb 2012
- Author: PopCrushMusic
JR Rotem Talks Nicki Minaj's 'Fly,' IYAZ's 'Pretty Girls,' and being named Songwriter of the Year at the 2011 BMI Pop Awards. Go to popcrush.com for more details.
http://wn.com/PopCrush_Chats_with_Songwriter/Producer_JR_Rotem
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| Coordinates | 41°52′55″N87°37′40″N |
|---|---|
| Name | J. R. Rotem |
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Jonathan Reuven Rotem |
| Birth date | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Instrument | Keyboard |
| Genre | hip hop, pop, R&B; |
| Occupation | Record producer |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Label | Beluga Heights |
| Associated acts | Jason Derulo, Sean Kingston, Iyaz, Auburn, Usher, Game, Lil Kim, Ashley Tisdale, 50 Cent, Plies Jim Jones, Mann |
| Website | }} |
Jonathan Reuven Rotem (born 1975) is an American record producer.
Biography
Early life
Jonathan Reuven Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age. When he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston it was initially with the intention of studying film scoring, but he ended up majoring in jazz composition.
Career
As his first major label placement, the Destiny's Child song "Fancy", from their 2001 album "Survivor", is cited by Rotem as being his first 'big break', and the song that convinced the young producer that it was worth pursuing this career path. Nevertheless, further success was not forthcoming and for years Rotem struggled to make further headway in the industry.A significant breakthrough came when, through mutual friend Evan Bogart, he managed to attract the attention of manager Zach Katz, a former music attorney who had previously represented rapper Rakim. Rotem says, "One of my biggest goals for years was meeting a manager with a good reputation and with connections to get my music to people." When asked in an interview with HitQuarters what made Katz decide to take the producer on, he said,
"This was a time where most of the people were beat makers. They didn't really play instruments - everything was based on samples. JR, on the other hand, had a vast musical background ... So musically there were no limitations as far as what he could bring. Number two he was very, very focused. He really wanted to win. And number three he was humble. If I gave him any suggestions about his tracks he would literally sit there and take notes. Then he would come back the next day with the changes I had suggested."Rotem's next major cut was Rihanna's "SOS" in 2006. In 2006, together with Katz, Rotem started his own record label, Beluga Heights, inking a joint deal with Epic and Koch. Sean Kingston, a young Miami-based R&B; artist, was their first signing. Rotem also started a publishing company under the Beluga Heights umbrella, signing "SOS" co-writer Evan "Kidd" Bogart and United Kingdom-based artist-writer Lolene. Beluga Heights then signed 18-year old R&B; singer Auburn from St. Paul, Minnesota, who turned out to be a minor internet sensation.
His trademark is a horn that follows with a stylised "J-J-J-J-J-R" or "Beluga Heights" at the start or end of records with which he has been affiliated.
Rotem currently resides in Beverly Hills, California.
Discography
Songs and singles produced by J. R. Rotem
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| "Everybody" | Britney Spears | align="center" | ||||
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| "Livin' in the Projects" | Lil Scrappy | align="center" | ||||
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| Nicole Scherzinger featuring will.i.am | ||||||
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| "What Is It" | Baby Bash featuring Sean Kingston | align="center" | ||||
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| "1 Mo Time" | rowspan=2 | align="center" | ||||
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| "I Am the Club" | align="center" | |||||
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| "Give You the World" | The D.E.Y. | align="center" | ||||
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| Flo Rida featuring Sean Kingston | align="center" | |||||
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| "That's Gangsta" | Bun B featuring Sean Kingston | align="center" | ||||
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| "Ghetto Girl" | align="center" | |||||
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| "Superman" | align="center" | |||||
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| "Better in Time" | Leona Lewis | |||||
| "Sneakernight" | Vanessa Hudgens | |||||
| "My Baby" | Jesse McCartney | align="center" | ||||
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| "The High Road" | align="center" | |||||
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| "Strength" | James Fauntleroy | align="center" | ||||
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| "Pain No More" | align="center" | |||||
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| "Gamble on Me" | Cory Gunz featuring T-Pain | align="center" | ||||
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| "Defeated" | Anastacia | align="center" | ||||
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| "Want It, Need It" | align="center" | |||||
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| "However Do U Want It" | Maino | align="center" | ||||
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| "Changes" | Dima Bilan | align="center" | ||||
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| "Everybody in Love" | JLS | align="center" | ||||
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| "Love Like Woe" | The Ready Set | align="center" | ||||
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| "Not Lost" | B.o.B featuring T.I. | align="center" | ||||
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| "Lights Out" | Tynisha Keli | align="center" | ||||
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| Mann featuring Jason Derülo | align="center" | |||||
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| Sean Kingston featuring Lil Wayne | align="center" | |||||
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| "Skin & Bones" | Romance on a Rocketship | align="center" | ||||
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| "Stuttering" | Fefe Dobson | align="center" | ||||
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| Mýa featuring Snoop Dogg | align="center" | |||||
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| "Preapproved'" | Ilya | align="center" | ||||
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| Mann | align="center" | |||||
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| Nicki Minaj featuring Rihanna | align="center" | |||||
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| "Girls Fall Like Dominoes'" | Nicki Minaj | align="center" | ||||
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| Iyaz feat. Travie Mccoy | align="center" | |||||
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References
External links
Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Israeli descent Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States Category:People from Contra Costa County, California Category:People from Johannesburg Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:People from Toronto Category:South African emigrants to Canada Category:Date of birth missing (living people)
de:J. R. Rotem es:J. R. Rotem fr:Jonathan « JR » Rotem nl:J.R. Rotem pl:J.R. Rotem pt:J. R. Rotem ru:Ротем, Джонатан sv:Jonathan Rotem tr:J. R. RotemThis text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
| Coordinates | 41°52′55″N87°37′40″N |
|---|---|
| Name | J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Birth name | John Ronald Reuel Tolkien |
| Birth date | January 03, 1892 |
| Birth place | Bloemfontein, Orange Free State |
| Death date | September 02, 1973 |
| Death place | Bournemouth, England |
| Spouse | Edith Bratt (1916–1971) |
| Occupation | Author, Academic, Philologist, Poet |
| Nationality | English |
| Influences | |
| Influenced | |
| Genre | Fantasy, high fantasy, translation, criticism |
| Notableworks | ''The Hobbit''''The Lord of the Rings''''The Silmarillion'' |
| Signature | JRR Tolkien signature.svg }} |
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE (, ; 3 January 1892 2 September 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'', and ''The Silmarillion''.
Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College, Oxford, from 1925 to 1945 and Merton Professor of English Language and Literature there from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C. S. Lewis—they were both members of the informal literary discussion group known as the Inklings. Tolkien was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 March 1972.
After his death, Tolkien's son Christopher published a series of works based on his father's extensive notes and unpublished manuscripts, including ''The Silmarillion''. These, together with ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' form a connected body of tales, poems, fictional histories, invented languages, and literary essays about a fantasy world called Arda, and Middle-earth within it. Between 1951 and 1955, Tolkien applied the term ''legendarium'' to the larger part of these writings.
While many other authors had published works of fantasy before Tolkien, the great success of ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' led directly to a popular resurgence of the genre. This has caused Tolkien to be popularly identified as the "father" of modern fantasy literature—or, more precisely, of high fantasy. In 2008, ''The Times'' ranked him sixth on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". ''Forbes'' ranked him the 5th top-earning dead celebrity in 2009.
Biography
Family origins
Most of Tolkien's paternal ancestors were craftsmen. The Tolkien family had their roots in Lower Saxony, but had been living in England since the 18th century, becoming "quickly intensely English". The surname ''Tolkien'' is said to come from the German word ''tollkühn'' ("foolhardy"). German writers have suggested that in reality the name is more likely to derive from the village Tolkynen, near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The name of that place is derived from the now extinct Old Prussian language.Tolkien's maternal grandparents, John and Edith Jane Suffield, were Baptists who lived in Birmingham and owned a shop in the city centre. The Suffield family had run various businesses out of the same building, called Lamb House, since the early 19th century. From 1810 Tolkien's great-great-grandfather William Suffield had a book and stationery shop there; from 1826 Tolkien's great-grandfather, also named John Suffield, had a drapery and hosiery business there.
Childhood
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State (now Free State Province, part of South Africa) to Arthur Reuel Tolkien (1857–1896), an English bank manager, and his wife Mabel, ''née'' Suffield (1870–1904). The couple had left England when Arthur was promoted to head the Bloemfontein office of the British bank for which he worked. Tolkien had one sibling, his younger brother, Hilary Arthur Reuel, who was born on 17 February 1894.As a child, Tolkien was bitten by a large baboon spider in the garden, an event which some think would have later echoes in his stories, although Tolkien admitted no actual memory of the event and no special hatred of spiders as an adult. In another incident, a family house-boy, who thought Tolkien a beautiful child, took the baby to his kraal to show him off, returning him the next morning.
When he was three, Tolkien went to England with his mother and brother on what was intended to be a lengthy family visit. His father, however, died in South Africa of rheumatic fever before he could join them. This left the family without an income, and so Tolkien's mother took him to live with her parents in Kings Heath, Birmingham. Soon after, in 1896, they moved to Sarehole (now in Hall Green), then a Worcestershire village, later annexed to Birmingham. He enjoyed exploring Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog and the Clent, Lickey and Malvern Hills, which would later inspire scenes in his books, along with Worcestershire towns and villages such as Bromsgrove, Alcester, and Alvechurch and places such as his aunt Jane's farm of Bag End, the name of which would be used in his fiction. Mabel Tolkien herself taught her two sons, and Ronald, as he was known in the family, was a keen pupil. She taught him a great deal of botany and awakened in him the enjoyment of the look and feel of plants. Young Tolkien liked to draw landscapes and trees, but his favourite lessons were those concerning languages, and his mother taught him the rudiments of Latin very early. He could read by the age of four and could write fluently soon afterwards. His mother allowed him to read many books. He disliked ''Treasure Island'' and ''The Pied Piper'' and thought ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' by Lewis Carroll was "amusing but disturbing". He liked stories about "Red Indians" and the fantasy works by George MacDonald. In addition, the "Fairy Books" of Andrew Lang were particularly important to him and their influence is apparent in some of his later writings.
Tolkien attended King Edward's School, Birmingham, and later St. Philip's School, before winning a Foundation Scholarship and returning to King Edward's School. While a pupil at King Edward's School, he was one of a party of cadets from the school's Officers Training Corps who helped "line the route" for the coronation parade of King George V, being posted just outside the gates of Buckingham Palace.
Mabel Tolkien was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1900 despite vehement protests by her Baptist family, who then stopped all financial assistance to her. In 1904, when Tolkien was 12, she died of acute diabetes at Fern Cottage in Rednal, which she was then renting. Mabel Tolkien was then about 34 years of age, about as old as a person with diabetes mellitus type 1 could live with no treatment—insulin would not be discovered until two decades later. Nine years after his mother's death, Tolkien wrote, "My own dear mother was a martyr indeed, and it is not to everybody that God grants so easy a way to his great gifts as he did to Hilary and myself, giving us a mother who killed herself with labour and trouble to ensure us keeping the faith."
Prior to her death, Mabel Tolkien had assigned the guardianship of her sons to Fr. Francis Xavier Morgan of the Birmingham Oratory, who was assigned to bring them up as good Catholics. Tolkien grew up in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham. He lived there in the shadow of Perrott's Folly and the Victorian tower of Edgbaston Waterworks, which may have influenced the images of the dark towers within his works. Another strong influence was the romantic medievalist paintings of Edward Burne-Jones and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood; the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery had a large collection of works on public display.
Youth
In 1911, while they were at King Edward's School, Birmingham, Tolkien and three friends, Rob Gilson, Geoffrey Smith and Christopher Wiseman, formed a semi-secret society which they called the "T.C.B.S.", the initials standing for "Tea Club and Barrovian Society", alluding to their fondness for drinking tea in Barrow's Stores near the school and, secretly, in the school library. After leaving school, the members stayed in touch and, in December 1914, they held a "council" in London at Wiseman's home. For Tolkien, the result of this meeting was a strong dedication to writing poetry.The 1911 census of England and Wales shows Tolkien (occupation "school") lodging at 4 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, along with his brother Hilary (occupation "hardware merchant's clerk").
In 1911, Tolkien went on a summer holiday in Switzerland, a trip that he recollects vividly in a 1968 letter, noting that Bilbo's journey across the Misty Mountains ("including the glissade down the slithering stones into the pine woods") is directly based on his adventures as their party of 12 hiked from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and on to camp in the moraines beyond Mürren. Fifty-seven years later, Tolkien remembered his regret at leaving the view of the eternal snows of Jungfrau and Silberhorn ("the Silvertine (Celebdil) of my dreams"). They went across the Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald and on across the Grosse Scheidegg to Meiringen. They continued across the Grimsel Pass, through the upper Valais to Brig and on to the Aletsch glacier and Zermatt.
In October of the same year, Tolkien began studying at Exeter College, Oxford. He initially studied Classics but changed his course in 1913 to English Language and Literature, graduating in 1915 with first-class honours in his final examinations.
Courtship and marriage
At the age of 16, Tolkien met Edith Mary Bratt, who was three years older, when he and his brother Hilary moved into the boarding house in which she lived. According to Humphrey Carpenter: His guardian, Father Francis Morgan, viewing Edith as a distraction from Tolkien's school work and horrified that his young charge was seriously involved with a Protestant girl, prohibited him from meeting, talking to, or even corresponding with her until he was 21. He obeyed this prohibition to the letter, with one notable early exception which made Father Morgan threaten to cut short his University career if he did not stop.On the evening of his twenty-first birthday, Tolkien wrote to Edith a declaration of his love and asked her to marry him. Edith replied saying that she had already agreed to marry another man, but that she had done so because she had believed Tolkien had forgotten her. The two met up and beneath a railway viaduct renewed their love; Edith returned her engagement ring and announced that she was marrying Tolkien instead. Following their engagement Edith reluctantly announced that she was converting to Catholicism at Tolkien's insistence. Her landlord, a staunch Protestant, was infuriated and evicted her as soon as she was able to find other lodgings. Edith and Ronald were formally engaged in Birmingham, in January 1913, and married at Warwick, England, at Saint Mary Immaculate Catholic Church on 22 March 1916.
World War I
In 1914, the United Kingdom entered World War I. Tolkien's relatives were shocked when he elected not to immediately volunteer for the British Army. Instead, Tolkien entered a program wherein he delayed enlisting until completing his degree in July 1915. He was then commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He trained with the 13th (Reserve) Battalion on Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, for eleven months. In a letter to Edith, Tolkien complained, "Gentlemen are rare among the superiors, and even human beings rare indeed." Tolkien was then transferred to the 11th (Service) Battalion with the British Expeditionary Force, arriving in France on 4 June 1916. His departure from England on a troop transport inspired him to write his poem, ''The Lonely Isle''. He later wrote, "Junior officers were being killed off, a dozen a minute. Parting from my wife then ... it was like a death."Tolkien served as a signals officer at the Somme, participating in the Battle of Thiepval Ridge and the subsequent assault on the Schwaben Redoubt. According to John Garth, however:
Although Kitchener's army enshrined old social boundaries, it also chipped away at the class divide by throwing men from all walks of life into a desperate situation together. Tolkien wrote that the experience taught him, 'a deep sympathy and feeling for the Tommy; especially the plain soldier from the agricultural counties.' He remained profoundly grateful for the lesson. For a long time, he had been imprisoned in a tower, not of pearl, but of ivory.
Tolkien's time in combat was a terrible stress for Edith, who feared that every knock on the door might carry news of her husband's death. In order to get around the British Army's postal censorship, the Tolkiens had developed a secret code which accompanied his letters home. By using the code, Edith was able to track her husband's movements on a map of the Western Front.
On 27 October 1916 Tolkien came down with trench fever, a disease carried by the lice which were common in the dugouts. According to the memoirs of the Reverend Mervyn S. Evers, Anglican chaplain to the Lancashire Fusiliers:
Tolkien was invalided to England on 8 November 1916. Many of his dearest school friends, including Gilson and Smith of the T.C.B.S., were killed in the war. In later years, Tolkien indignantly declared that those who searched his works for parallels to the Second World War were entirely mistaken:
Homefront
A weak and emaciated Tolkien spent the remainder of the war alternating between hospitals and garrison duties, being deemed medically unfit for general service.During his recovery in a cottage in Little Haywood, Staffordshire, he began to work on what he called ''The Book of Lost Tales'', beginning with ''The Fall of Gondolin''. Throughout 1917 and 1918 his illness kept recurring, but he had recovered enough to do home service at various camps and was promoted to Lieutenant. It was at this time that Edith bore their first child, John Francis Reuel Tolkien.
When he was stationed at Kingston upon Hull, he and Edith went walking in the woods at nearby Roos, and Edith began to dance for him in a clearing among the flowering hemlock. After his wife's death in 1971, Tolkien remembered,
I never called Edith ''Luthien'' – but she was the source of the story that in time became the chief part of the ''Silmarillion''. It was first conceived in a small woodland glade filled with hemlocks at Roos in Yorkshire (where I was for a brief time in command of an outpost of the Humber Garrison in 1917, and she was able to live with me for a while). In those days her hair was raven, her skin clear, her eyes brighter than you have seen them, and she could sing – and ''dance''. But the story has gone crooked, & I am left, and ''I'' cannot plead before the inexorable Mandos.
This incident inspired the account of the meeting of Beren and Lúthien, and Tolkien often referred to Edith as "my Lúthien".
Academic and writing career
Tolkien's first civilian job after World War I was at the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', where he worked mainly on the history and etymology of words of Germanic origin beginning with the letter ''W''. In 1920, he took up a post as Reader in English Language at the University of Leeds, and became the youngest professor there. While at Leeds, he produced ''A Middle English Vocabulary'' and a definitive edition of ''Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' with E. V. Gordon, both becoming academic standard works for several decades. He also translated ''Sir Gawain'', ''Pearl'', and ''Sir Orfeo''. In 1925, he returned to Oxford as Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon, with a fellowship at Pembroke College.During his time at Pembroke College Tolkien wrote ''The Hobbit'' and the first two volumes of ''The Lord of the Rings'', whilst living at 20 Northmoor Road in North Oxford (where a blue plaque was placed in 2002). He also published a philological essay in 1932 on the name "Nodens", following Sir Mortimer Wheeler's unearthing of a Roman Asclepeion at Lydney Park, Gloucestershire, in 1928.
''Beowulf''
Tolkien's 1936 lecture, "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," had a lasting influence on ''Beowulf'' research. Lewis E. Nicholson said that the article Tolkien wrote about ''Beowulf'' is "widely recognized as a turning point in Beowulfian criticism", noting that Tolkien established the primacy of the poetic nature of the work as opposed to its purely linguistic elements. At the time, the consensus of scholarship deprecated ''Beowulf'' for dealing with childish battles with monsters rather than realistic tribal warfare; Tolkien argued that the author of ''Beowulf'' was addressing human destiny in general, not as limited by particular tribal politics, and therefore the monsters were essential to the poem. Where ''Beowulf'' does deal with specific tribal struggles, as at Finnsburg, Tolkien argued firmly against reading in fantastic elements. In the essay, Tolkien also revealed how highly he regarded Beowulf: "Beowulf is among my most valued sources," and this influence may be seen throughout his Middle-earth legendarium.According to Humphrey Carpenter, Tolkien had an ingenious means of beginning his series of lectures on ''Beowulf'':
He would come silently into the room, fix the audience with his gaze, and suddenly begin to declaim in a resounding voice the opening lines of the poem in the original Anglo-Saxon, commencing with a great cry of ''Hwæt!'' (The first word of this and several other Old English poems), which some undergraduates took to be 'Quiet!' It was not so much a recitation as a dramatic performance, an impersonation of an Anglo-Saxon bard in a mead hall, and it impressed generations of students because it brought home to them that ''Beowulf'' was not just a set text to be read for the purposes of examination, but a powerful piece of dramatic poetry.
Decades later, W.H. Auden wrote to his former professor,
"I don't think that I have ever told you what an unforgettable experience it was for me as an undergraduate, hearing you recite ''Beowulf''. The voice was the voice of Gandalf."
In 2003, Tolkien's handwritten translation of and commentary on ''Beowulf'', running to roughly 2000 pages, was discovered in the archives of the Bodleian Library.
World War II
In the run-up to World War II, Tolkien was earmarked as a codebreaker. In January 1939, he was asked whether he would be prepared to serve in the cryptographical department of the Foreign Office in the event of national emergency. He replied in the affirmative and, beginning on 27 March, took an instructional course at the London HQ of the Government Code and Cypher School. However, although he was "keen" to become a codebreaker, he was informed in October that his services would not be required at that time. Ultimately he never served as one. In 2009, ''The Daily Telegraph'' claimed Tolkien turned down a £500-a-year offer to become a full-time recruit for unknown reasons.In 1945, Tolkien moved to Merton College, Oxford, becoming the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature, in which post he remained until his retirement in 1959. He served as an external examiner for University College, Dublin, for many years. In 1954 Tolkien received an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland (of which U.C.D. was a constituent college). Tolkien completed ''The Lord of the Rings'' in 1948, close to a decade after the first sketches.
Tolkien also translated the Book of Jonah for the ''Jerusalem Bible'', which was published in 1966.
Family
The Tolkiens had four children: John Francis Reuel Tolkien (17 November 1917 – 22 January 2003), Michael Hilary Reuel Tolkien (22 October 1920 – 27 February 1984), Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (born 21 November 1924) and Priscilla Mary Anne Reuel Tolkien (born 18 June 1929). Tolkien was very devoted to his children and sent them illustrated letters from Father Christmas when they were young. Each year more characters were added, such as the Polar Bear (Father Christmas's helper), the Snow Man (his gardener), Ilbereth the elf (his secretary), and various other, minor characters. The major characters would relate tales of Father Christmas's battles against goblins who rode on bats and the various pranks committed by the Polar Bear.
Retirement and later years
During his life in retirement, from 1959 up to his death in 1973, Tolkien received steadily increasing public attention and literary fame. The sales of his books were so profitable that he regretted that he had not chosen early retirement. At first, he wrote enthusiastic answers to readers' enquiries, but he became increasingly unhappy about the sudden popularity of his books with the 1960s counter-culture movement. In a 1972 letter, he deplored having become a cult-figure, but admitted that "even the nose of a very modest idol [...] cannot remain entirely untickled by the sweet smell of incense!"Fan attention became so intense that Tolkien had to take his phone number out of the public directory, and eventually he and Edith moved to Bournemouth, which was then a seaside resort patronized by the British upper class. Tolkien's status as a best-selling author gave them easy entry into polite society, but Tolkien deeply missed the company of his fellow Inklings. Edith, however, was overjoyed to step into the role of a society hostess, which had been the reason that Tolkien selected Bournemouth in the first place.
According to Humphrey Carpenter,
Those friends who knew Ronald and Edith Tolkien over the years never doubted that there was deep affection between them. It was visible in the small things, the almost absurd degree in which each worried about the other's health, and the care in which they chose and wrapped each other's birthday presents'; and in the large matters, the way in which Ronald willingly abandoned such a large part of his life in retirement to give Edith the last years in Bournemouth that he felt she deserved, and the degree in which she showed pride in his fame as an author. A principal source of happiness to them was their shared love of their family. This bound them together until the end of their lives, and it was perhaps the strongest force in the marriage. They delighted to discuss and mull over every detail of the lives of their children, and later their grandchildren.
Tolkien was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year's Honours List of 1 January 1972 and received the insignia of the Order at Buckingham Palace on 28 March 1972. In the same year Oxford University conferred upon him an honorary Doctorate of Letters.
Death
Edith Tolkien died on 29 November 1971, at the age of 82. According to Simon Tolkien:
"My grandmother died two years before my grandfather and he came back to live in Oxford. Merton College gave him rooms just off the High Street. I went there frequently and he'd take me to lunch in the Eastgate Hotel. Those lunches were rather wonderful for a 12-year-old boy spending time with his grandfather, but sometimes he seemed sad. There was one visit when he told me how much he missed my grandmother. It must have been very strange for him being alone after they had been married for more than 50 years."
Meanwhile, Tolkien had the name Lúthien engraved on the Edith's tombstone at Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford. When Tolkien died 21 months later on 2 September 1973, at the age of 81, he was buried in the same grave, with Beren added to his name. The engravings read:
In Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Lúthien was the most beautiful of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and forsook her immortality for her love of the mortal warrior Beren. After Beren was captured by the forces of the dark lord Morgoth, Lúthien rode to his rescue upon the talking wolfhound Huan. Ultimately, when Beren was slain in battle against the demonic wolf Carcharoth, Lúthien, like Orpheus, approached the Valar gods and persuaded them to restore her beloved to life.
Views
Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic, and in his religious and political views he was mostly conservative, in the sense of favouring established conventions and orthodoxies over innovation and modernization; in 1943 he wrote, "My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs)—or to 'unconstitutional' Monarchy."Tolkien had an intense dislike for the side effects of industrialization, which he considered to be devouring the English countryside. For most of his adult life, he was disdainful of cars, preferring to ride a bicycle. This attitude can be seen in his work, most famously in the portrayal of the forced "industrialization" of the Shire in ''The Lord of the Rings''.
Many commentators have remarked on a number of potential parallels between the Middle-earth saga and events in Tolkien's lifetime. ''The Lord of the Rings'' is often thought to represent England during and immediately after World War II. Tolkien ardently rejected this opinion in the foreword to the second edition of the novel, stating he preferred applicability to allegory. This theme is taken up at greater length in his essay "On Fairy-Stories", where he argues that fairy-stories are so apt because they are consistent both within themselves and with some truths about reality. He concludes that Christianity itself follows this pattern of inner consistency and external truth. His belief in the fundamental truths of Christianity leads commentators to find Christian themes in ''The Lord of the Rings.'' Tolkien objected strongly to C. S. Lewis's use of religious references in his stories, which were often overtly allegorical. However, Tolkien wrote that the Mount Doom scene exemplified lines from the Lord's Prayer.
His love of myths and his devout faith came together in his assertion that he believed mythology to be the divine echo of "the Truth". This view was expressed in his poem and essay entitled ''Mythopoeia''. His theory that myths held "fundamental truths" became a central theme of the Inklings in general.
Religion
Tolkien's devout Catholic faith was a significant factor in the conversion of C. S. Lewis from atheism to Christianity, although Tolkien was dismayed that Lewis chose to join the Church of England.In the last years of his life, Tolkien became greatly disappointed by some of the liturgical reforms and changes implemented after the Second Vatican Council, as his grandson Simon Tolkien recalls:
I vividly remember going to church with him in Bournemouth. He was a devout Roman Catholic and it was soon after the Church had changed the liturgy from Latin to English. My grandfather obviously didn't agree with this and made all the responses very loudly in Latin while the rest of the congregation answered in English. I found the whole experience quite excruciating, but my grandfather was oblivious. He simply had to do what he believed to be right.
Politics and race
Anarchism
In a 1943 letter to his son Christopher, Tolkien wrote:
Anti-Stalinism
Tolkien voiced support for the Nationalists (eventually led by Franco during the Spanish Civil War) upon hearing that Republicans were destroying churches and killing priests and nuns.Tolkien was contemptuous of Joseph Stalin. During World War II, Tolkien referred to Stalin as "that bloodthirsty old murderer." Tolkien also expressed hope that the United States would overthrow both Stalin and the CPSU after Hitler's defeat.
However, in 1961, Tolkien sharply criticized a Swedish commentator who suggested that ''The Lord of the Rings'' was an anti-communist parable and identified the Dark Lord with Stalin. Tolkien retorted,
"I utterly repudiate any such 'reading', which angers me. The situation was conceived long before the Russian revolution. Such allegory is entirely foreign to my thought."
Debate over race
The question of racist or racialist elements in Tolkien's views and works has been the matter of some scholarly debate. Christine Chism distinguishes accusations as falling into three categories: intentional racism, unconscious Eurocentric bias, and an evolution from latent racism in Tolkien's early work to a conscious rejection of racist tendencies in his late work.Tolkien expressed disgust at what he acknowledged as racism and once wrote of racial segregation in South Africa, "The treatment of colour nearly always horrifies anyone going out from Britain."
Opposition to Nazism
Tolkien vocally opposed Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party prior to the Second World War. In 1938, the publishing house Rütten & Loening Verlag was preparing to release ''The Hobbit'' in Nazi Germany. To Tolkien's outrage, he was asked beforehand whether he was of Aryan origin. In a letter to his British publisher Stanley Unwin, he condemned Nazi "race-doctrine" as "wholly pernicious and unscientific". He added that he had many Jewish friends and was considering, "letting a German translation go hang". He provided two letters to Rütten & Loening and instructed Unwin to send whichever he preferred. The more tactful letter was sent and was lost during the later bombing of Germany. In the unsent letter, Tolkien makes the point that "Aryan" is a linguistic term, denoting speakers of Indo-Iranian languages. He continued,But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of ''Jewish'' origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have ''no'' ancestors of that gifted people. My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject—which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.
In a 1941 letter to his son Michael, he expressed his resentment at the distortion of Germanic history in "Nordicism":
You have to understand the good in things, to detect the real evil. But no one ever calls on me to 'broadcast' or do a postscript. Yet I suppose I know better than most what is the truth about this 'Nordic' nonsense. Anyway, I have in this war a burning private grudge... against that ruddy little ignoramus Adolf Hitler ... Ruining, perverting, misapplying, and making for ever accursed, that noble northern spirit, a supreme contribution to Europe, which I have ever loved, and tried to present in its true light. Nowhere, incidentally, was it nobler than in England, nor more early sanctified and Christianized.
In 1968, he objected to a description of Middle-earth as "Nordic", a term he said he disliked because of its association with racialist theories.
Total war
Tolkien criticized Allied use of total war tactics against civilians from Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. In a 1945 letter to his son Christopher, he wrote:We were supposed to have reached a stage of civilization in which it might still be necessary to execute a criminal, but not to gloat, or to hang his wife and child by him while the orc-crowd hooted. The destruction of Germany, be it 100 times merited, is one of the most appalling world-catastrophes. Well, well,—you and I can do nothing about it. And that [should] be a measure of the amount of guilt that can justly be assumed to attach to any member of a country who is not a member of its actual Government. Well the first War of the Machines seems to be drawing to its final inconclusive chapter—leaving, alas, everyone the poorer, many bereaved or maimed and millions dead, and only one thing triumphant: the Machines.
He also reacted with anger at the excesses of anti-German propaganda during the war. In 1944, he wrote in a letter to his son Christopher:
... it is distressing to see the press grovelling in the gutter as low as Goebbels in his prime, shrieking that any German commander who holds out in a desperate situation (when, too, the military needs of his side clearly benefit) is a drunkard, and a besotted fanatic. ... There was a solemn article in the local paper seriously advocating systematic exterminating of the entire German nation as the only proper course after military victory: because, if you please, they are rattlesnakes, and don't know the difference between good and evil! (What of the writer?) The Germans have just as much right to declare the Poles and Jews exterminable vermin, subhuman, as we have to select the Germans: in other words, no right, whatever they have done.
He was horrified by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, referring to the scientists of the Manhattan Project as "these lunatic physicists" and "Babel-builders".
Writing
Tolkien devised several themes that were reused in successive drafts of his ''legendarium'', beginning with ''The Book of Lost Tales'', written while recuperating from illnesses contracted during The Battle of the Somme. The two most prominent stories, the tale of Beren and Lúthien and that of Túrin, were carried forward into long narrative poems (published in ''The Lays of Beleriand'').
Influences
British adventure stories
One of the greatest influences on Tolkien was the Arts and Crafts polymath William Morris. Tolkien wished to imitate Morris's prose and poetry romances, from which he took hints for the names of features such as the Dead Marshes in ''The Lord of the Rings'' and Mirkwood, along with some general aspects of approach.Edward Wyke-Smith's ''The Marvellous Land of Snergs'', with its "table-high" title characters, strongly influenced the incidents, themes, and depiction of Bilbo's race in ''The Hobbit''.
Tolkien also cited H. Rider Haggard's novel ''She'' in a telephone interview: "I suppose as a boy ''She'' interested me as much as anything—like the Greek shard of Amyntas [Amenartas], which was the kind of machine by which everything got moving." A supposed facsimile of this potsherd appeared in Haggard's first edition, and the ancient inscription it bore, once translated, led the English characters to She's ancient kingdom. Critics have compared this device to the ''Testament of Isildur'' in ''The Lord of the Rings'' and to Tolkien's efforts to produce as an illustration a realistic page from the ''Book of Mazarbul.'' Critics starting with Edwin Muir have found resemblances between Haggard's romances and Tolkien's.
Tolkien wrote of being impressed as a boy by S. R. Crockett's historical novel ''The Black Douglas'' and of basing the Necromancer (Sauron) on its villain, Gilles de Retz. Incidents in both ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' are similar in narrative and style to the novel, and its overall style and imagery have been suggested as an influence on Tolkien.
European mythology
Tolkien was much inspired by early Germanic, especially Old English literature, poetry, and mythology, which were his chosen and much-loved areas of expertise. These sources of inspiration included Old English literature such as ''Beowulf'', Norse sagas such as the ''Volsunga saga'' and the ''Hervarar saga'', the ''Poetic Edda'', the ''Prose Edda'', the ''Nibelungenlied'', and numerous other culturally related works. Despite the similarities of his work to the ''Volsunga saga'' and the ''Nibelungenlied'', which were the basis for Richard Wagner's opera cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'', Tolkien dismissed critics' direct comparisons to Wagner, telling his publisher, "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases." However, some critics believe that Tolkien was, in fact, indebted to Wagner for elements such as the "concept of the Ring as giving the owner mastery of the world ..." Two of the characteristics possessed by the One Ring, its inherent malevolence and corrupting power upon minds and wills, were not present in the mythical sources but have a central role in Wagner's opera.Tolkien also acknowledged several non-Germanic influences or sources for some of his stories and ideas. Sophocles' play ''Oedipus the King'' he cited as inspiring elements of ''The Silmarillion'' and ''The Children of Húrin''. In addition, Tolkien first read William Forsell Kirby's translation of the Finnish national epic, the ''Kalevala'', while attending King Edward's School. He described its character of Väinämöinen as one of his influences for Gandalf the Grey. The ''Kalevala'''s antihero Kullervo was further described as an inspiration for Turin Turambar. Dimitra Fimi, Douglas A. Anderson, John Garth, and many other prominent Tolkien scholars believe that Tolkien also drew influence from a variety of Celtic (Irish, Scottish and Welsh) history and legends. However, after the ''Silmarillion'' manuscript was rejected, in part for its "eye-splitting" Celtic names, Tolkien denied their Celtic origin:
Catholicism
Catholic theology and imagery played a part in fashioning Tolkien's creative imagination, suffused as it was by his deeply religious spirit. Tolkien acknowledged this himself:Specifically, Paul H. Kocher argues that Tolkien describes evil in the orthodox Christian way as the absence of good. He cites many examples in ''The Lord of the Rings'', such as Sauron's "Lidless Eye": "the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing." Kocher sees Tolkien's source as Thomas Aquinas, "whom it is reasonable to suppose that Tolkien, as a medievalist and a Catholic, knows well". Tom Shippey makes the same point, but, instead of referring to Aquinas, says Tolkien was very familiar with Alfred the Great's Anglo-Saxon translation of Boethius' ''Consolation of Philosophy'', known as the ''Lays of Boethius''. Shippey contends that this Christian view of evil is most clearly stated by Boethius: "evil is nothing." He says Tolkien used the corollary that evil cannot create as the basis of Frodo's remark, "the Shadow ... can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own," and related remarks by Treebeard and Elrond. He goes on to argue that in ''The Lord of the Rings'' evil does sometimes seem to be an independent force, more than merely the absence of good (though not independent to the point of the Manichaean heresy), and suggests that Alfred's additions to his translation of Boethius may have inspired that view.
Another interesting argument is Stratford Caldecott's theological view on the Ring and what it represents. "The Ring of Power exemplifies the dark magic of the corrupted will, the assertion of self in disobedience to God. It appears to give freedom, but its true function is to enslave the wearer to the Fallen Angel. It corrodes the human will of the wearer, rendering him increasingly “thin” and unreal; indeed, its gift of invisibility symbolizes this ability to destroy all natural human relationships and identity. You could say the Ring is sin itself: tempting and seemingly harmless to begin with, increasingly hard to give up and corrupting in the long run".
Publications
''Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics''
As well as his fiction, Tolkien was also a leading author of academic literary criticism. His seminal 1936 lecture, later published as an article, revolutionized the treatment of the Anglo-Saxon epic ''Beowulf'' by literary critics. The essay remains highly influential in the study of Old English literature to this day. ''Beowulf'' is one of the most significant influences upon Tolkien's later fiction, with major details of both ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' being adapted from the poem. The piece reveals many of the aspects of ''Beowulf'' which Tolkien found most inspiring, most prominently the role of monsters in literature, particularly that of the dragon which appears in the final third of the poem:
As for the poem, one dragon, however hot, does not make a summer, or a host; and a man might well exchange for one good dragon what he would not sell for a wilderness. And dragons, real dragons, essential both to the machinery and the ideas of a poem or tale, are actually rare.
''The Silmarillion''
Tolkien wrote a brief "Sketch of the Mythology" which included the tales of Beren and Lúthien and of Túrin, and that sketch eventually evolved into the ''Quenta Silmarillion'', an epic history that Tolkien started three times but never published. Tolkien desperately hoped to publish it along with ''The Lord of the Rings'', but publishers (both Allen & Unwin and Collins) got cold feet. Moreover, printing costs were very high in 1950s Britain, requiring ''The Lord of the Rings'' to be published in three volumes. The story of this continuous redrafting is told in the posthumous series ''The History of Middle-earth'', edited by Tolkien's son, Christopher Tolkien. From around 1936, Tolkien began to extend this framework to include the tale of ''The Fall of Númenor'', which was inspired by the legend of Atlantis. Published in 1977, the final work, entitled ''The Silmarillion'', received the Locus Award for Best Fantasy novel in 1978.
Children's books and other short works
In addition to his mythopoeic compositions, Tolkien enjoyed inventing fantasy stories to entertain his children. He wrote annual Christmas letters from Father Christmas for them, building up a series of short stories (later compiled and published as ''The Father Christmas Letters''). Other stories included ''Mr. Bliss'' and ''Roverandom'' (for children), and ''Leaf by Niggle'' (part of ''Tree and Leaf''), ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'', ''On Fairy-Stories'', ''Smith of Wootton Major'' and ''Farmer Giles of Ham''. ''Roverandom'' and ''Smith of Wootton Major'', like ''The Hobbit'', borrowed ideas from his ''legendarium''.
''The Hobbit''
Tolkien never expected his stories to become popular, but by sheer accident a book called ''The Hobbit'', which he had written some years before for his own children, came in 1936 to the attention of Susan Dagnall, an employee of the London publishing firm George Allen & Unwin, who persuaded Tolkien to submit it for publication. However, the book attracted adult readers as well as children, and it became popular enough for the publishers to ask Tolkien to produce a sequel.
''The Lord of the Rings''
The request for a sequel prompted Tolkien to begin what would become his most famous work: the epic novel ''The Lord of the Rings'' (originally published in three volumes 1954–1955). Tolkien spent more than ten years writing the primary narrative and appendices for ''The Lord of the Rings'', during which time he received the constant support of the Inklings, in particular his closest friend Lewis, the author of ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. Both ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' are set against the background of ''The Silmarillion'', but in a time long after it.Tolkien at first intended ''The Lord of the Rings'' to be a children's tale in the style of ''The Hobbit'', but it quickly grew darker and more serious in the writing. Though a direct sequel to ''The Hobbit'', it addressed an older audience, drawing on the immense back story of Beleriand that Tolkien had constructed in previous years, and which eventually saw posthumous publication in ''The Silmarillion'' and other volumes. Tolkien's influence weighs heavily on the fantasy genre that grew up after the success of ''The Lord of the Rings''.
''The Lord of the Rings'' became immensely popular in the 1960s and has remained so ever since, ranking as one of the most popular works of fiction of the 20th century, judged by both sales and reader surveys. In the 2003 "Big Read" survey conducted by the BBC, ''The Lord of the Rings'' was found to be the "Nation's Best-loved Book". Australians voted ''The Lord of the Rings'' "My Favourite Book" in a 2004 survey conducted by the Australian ABC. In a 1999 poll of Amazon.com customers, ''The Lord of the Rings'' was judged to be their favourite "book of the millennium". In 2002 Tolkien was voted the 92nd "greatest Briton" in a poll conducted by the BBC, and in 2004 he was voted 35th in the SABC3's Great South Africans, the only person to appear in both lists. His popularity is not limited to the English-speaking world: in a 2004 poll inspired by the UK's "Big Read" survey, about 250,000 Germans found ''The Lord of the Rings'' to be their favourite work of literature.
Posthumous publications
''The Silmarillion''
Tolkien had appointed his son Christopher to be his literary executor, and he (with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, later a well-known fantasy author in his own right) organized some of his father's unpublished material into a single coherent volume, published as ''The Silmarillion'' in 1977—his father had previously attempted to get a collection of "Silmarillion" material published in 1937 before writing ''The Lord of the Rings''.
''Unfinished Tales'' and ''The History of Middle-earth''
In 1980 Christopher Tolkien published a collection of more fragmentary material, under the title ''Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth''. In subsequent years (1983–1996) he published a large amount of the remaining unpublished materials, together with notes and extensive commentary, in a series of twelve volumes called ''The History of Middle-earth''. They contain unfinished, abandoned, alternative, and outright contradictory accounts, since they were always a work in progress for Tolkien and he only rarely settled on a definitive version for any of the stories. There is not complete consistency between ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Hobbit'', the two most closely related works, because Tolkien never fully integrated all their traditions into each other. He commented in 1965, while editing ''The Hobbit'' for a third edition, that he would have preferred to completely rewrite the book because of the style of its prose.
''The Children of Húrin''
More recently, in 2007, the collection was completed with the publication of ''The Children of Húrin'' by HarperCollins (in the UK and Canada) and Houghton Mifflin (in the US). The novel tells the story of Túrin Turambar and his sister Nienor, children of Húrin Thalion. The material was compiled by Christopher Tolkien from ''The Silmarillion'', ''Unfinished Tales'', ''The History of Middle-earth'', and unpublished manuscripts.
''The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún''
In February 2009, ''Publishers Weekly'' announced that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt had acquired the American rights to Tolkien's unpublished work ''The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún''. The work, which was released worldwide on 5 May 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and HarperCollins, retells the legend of Sigurd and the fall of the Niflungs from Germanic mythology. It is a narrative poem composed in alliterative verse and is modelled after the Old Norse poetry of the Elder Edda. Christopher Tolkien supplied copious notes and commentary upon his father's work.According to Christopher Tolkien, it is no longer possible to trace the exact date of the work's composition. On the basis of circumstantial evidence, he suggests that it dates from the 1930s. In his foreword he wrote, "He scarcely ever (to my knowledge) referred to them. For my part, I cannot recall any conversation with him on the subject until very near the end of his life, when he spoke of them to me, and tried unsuccessfully to find them." In a 1967 letter to W. H. Auden, Tolkien wrote, "Thank you for your wonderful effort in translating and reorganizing ''The Song of the Sibyl''. In return again I hope to send you, if I can lay my hands on it (I hope it isn't lost), a thing I did many years ago when trying to learn the art of writing alliterative poetry: an attempt to unify the lays about the Völsungs from the Elder Edda, written in the old eight-line fornyrðislag stanza."
''Mr. Bliss''
One of Tolkien's least-known short works is the children's storybook ''Mr. Bliss'', published in 1982. It tells the story of Mr. Bliss and his first ride in his new motor-car. Many adventures follow: encounters with bears, angry neighbours, irate shopkeepers, and assorted collisions. The story was inspired by Tolkien's own vehicular mishaps with his first car, purchased in 1932. The bears were based on toy bears owned by Tolkien's sons. Tolkien was both author and illustrator of the book. He submitted it to his publishers as a balm to readers who were hungry for more from him after the success of ''The Hobbit''. The lavish ink and coloured-pencil illustrations would have made production costs prohibitively expensive. Tolkien agreed to redraw the pictures in a simpler style, but then found he did not have time to do so. The book was published in 1982 as a facsimile of Tolkien's difficult-to-read illustrated manuscript, with a typeset transcription on each facing page.
Manuscript locations
The Department of Special Collections and University Archives at Marquette University's John P. Raynor, S.J., Library in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, preserves many of Tolkien's manuscripts; other original material is in Oxford University's Bodleian Library. Marquette University has the manuscripts and proofs of ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Hobbit'', and other works, including ''Farmer Giles of Ham'', while the Bodleian Library holds the papers containing Tolkien's Silmarillion mythology and his academic work.In 2009, a partial draft of ''Language and Human Nature'', which Tolkien had begun co-writing with C.S. Lewis but had never completed, was discovered at the Bodleian Library.
Languages and philology
Linguistic career
Both Tolkien's academic career and his literary production are inseparable from his love of language and philology. He specialized in English philology at university and in 1915 graduated with Old Norse as special subject. He worked for the Oxford English Dictionary from 1918 and is credited with having worked on a number of words starting with the letter W, including walrus, over which he struggled mightily. In 1920, he became Reader in English Language at the University of Leeds, where he claimed credit for raising the number of students of linguistics from five to twenty. He gave courses in Old English heroic verse, history of English, various Old English and Middle English texts, Old and Middle English philology, introductory Germanic philology, Gothic, Old Icelandic, and Medieval Welsh. When in 1925, aged thirty-three, Tolkien applied for the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College, Oxford, he boasted that his students of Germanic philology in Leeds had even formed a "Viking Club". He also had a certain, if imperfect, knowledge of Finnish.Privately, Tolkien was attracted to "things of racial and linguistic significance", and in his 1955 lecture ''English and Welsh'', which is crucial to his understanding of race and language, he entertained notions of "inherent linguistic predilections", which he termed the "native language" as opposed to the "cradle-tongue" which a person first learns to speak. He considered the West Midlands dialect of Middle English to be his own "native language", and, as he wrote to W. H. Auden in 1955, "I am a West-midlander by blood (and took to early west-midland Middle English as a known tongue as soon as I set eyes on it)."
Tolkien learned Latin, French, and German from his mother, and while at school he learned Middle English, Old English, Finnish, Gothic, Greek, Italian, Old Norse, Spanish, Welsh, and Medieval Welsh. He was also familiar with Danish, Dutch, Lombardic, Norwegian, Russian, Serbian, Swedish and older forms of modern Germanic and Slavonic languages, revealing his deep linguistic knowledge, above all of the Germanic languages.
Language construction
Parallel to Tolkien's professional work as a philologist, and sometimes overshadowing this work, to the effect that his academic output remained rather thin, was his affection for constructing languages. The most developed of these are Quenya and Sindarin, the etymological connection between which formed the core of much of Tolkien's ''legendarium''. Language and grammar for Tolkien was a matter of aesthetics and euphony, and Quenya in particular was designed from "phonaesthetic" considerations; it was intended as an "Elvenlatin", and was phonologically based on Latin, with ingredients from Finnish, Welsh, English, and Greek. A notable addition came in late 1945 with Adûnaic or Númenórean, a language of a "faintly Semitic flavour", connected with Tolkien's Atlantis legend, which by ''The Notion Club Papers'' ties directly into his ideas about inability of language to be inherited, and via the "Second Age" and the story of Eärendil was grounded in the ''legendarium'', thereby providing a link of Tolkien's 20th-century "real primary world" with the legendary past of his Middle-earth.Tolkien considered languages inseparable from the mythology associated with them, and he consequently took a dim view of auxiliary languages: in 1930 a congress of Esperantists were told as much by him, in his lecture ''A Secret Vice'', "Your language construction will breed a mythology", but by 1956 he had concluded that "Volapük, Esperanto, Ido, Novial, &c;, &c;, are dead, far deader than ancient unused languages, because their authors never invented any Esperanto legends".
The popularity of Tolkien's books has had a small but lasting effect on the use of language in fantasy literature in particular, and even on mainstream dictionaries, which today commonly accept Tolkien's idiosyncratic spellings ''dwarves'' and ''dwarvish'' (alongside ''dwarfs'' and ''dwarfish''), which had been little used since the mid-19th century and earlier. (In fact, according to Tolkien, had the Old English plural survived, it would have been ''dwerrow''.) He also coined the term ''eucatastrophe'', though it remains mainly used in connection with his own work.
Legacy
Adaptations
In a 1951 letter to Milton Waldman, Tolkien wrote about his intentions to create a "body of more or less connected legend", of which "[t]he cycles should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama". The hands and minds of many artists have indeed been inspired by Tolkien's legends. Personally known to him were Pauline Baynes (Tolkien's favourite illustrator of ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'' and ''Farmer Giles of Ham'') and Donald Swann (who set the music to ''The Road Goes Ever On''). Queen Margrethe II of Denmark created illustrations to ''The Lord of the Rings'' in the early 1970s. She sent them to Tolkien, who was struck by the similarity they bore in style to his own drawings.However, Tolkien was not fond of all the artistic representation of his works that were produced in his lifetime, and was sometimes harshly disapproving. In 1946, he rejected suggestions for illustrations by Horus Engels for the German edition of ''The Hobbit'' as "too Disnified ... Bilbo with a dribbling nose, and Gandalf as a figure of vulgar fun rather than the Odinic wanderer that I think of".
Tolkien was sceptical of the emerging Tolkien fandom in the United States, and in 1954 he returned proposals for the dust jackets of the American edition of ''The Lord of the Rings'':
He had dismissed dramatic representations of fantasy in his essay "On Fairy-Stories", first presented in 1939: .}}
On receiving a screenplay for a proposed film adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings'' by Morton Grady Zimmerman, Tolkien wrote:
Tolkien went on to criticize the script scene by scene ("yet one more scene of screams and rather meaningless slashings"). He was not implacably opposed to the idea of a dramatic adaptation, however, and sold the film, stage and merchandise rights of ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' to United Artists in 1968. United Artists never made a film, although director John Boorman was planning a live-action film in the early 1970s. In 1976 the rights were sold to Tolkien Enterprises, a division of the Saul Zaentz Company, and the first movie adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings'' appeared in 1978, an animated rotoscoping film directed by Ralph Bakshi with screenplay by the fantasy writer Peter S. Beagle. It covered only the first half of the story of ''The Lord of the Rings''. In 1977 an animated TV production of ''The Hobbit'' was made by Rankin-Bass, and in 1980 they produced an animated ''The Return of the King'', which covered some of the portions of ''The Lord of the Rings'' that Bakshi was unable to complete.
From 2001 to 2003, New Line Cinema released ''The Lord of the Rings'' as a trilogy of live-action films that were filmed in New Zealand and directed by Peter Jackson. The series was successful, performing extremely well commercially and winning numerous Oscars.
There are currently plans for a two-film series based on ''The Hobbit'' (see ''The Hobbit (2012 film)''). The films are scheduled for release in December 2012 and December 2013. Peter Jackson will serve as executive producer, director and co-writer.
Memorials
Posthumously named after Tolkien are the Tolkien Road in Eastbourne, East Sussex, and the asteroid 2675 Tolkien discovered in 1982. Tolkien Way in Stoke-on-Trent is named after Tolkien's eldest son, Fr. John Francis Tolkien, who was the priest in charge at the nearby Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Angels and St. Peter in Chains. There is also a professorship in Tolkien's name at Oxford, the J.R.R. Tolkien Professor of English Literature and Language.In the Dutch town of Geldrop, near Eindhoven, the streets of an entire new neighbourhood are named after Tolkien himself ("Laan van Tolkien") and some of the best-known characters from his books. A gaff-topsail schooner of Netherlands registry used for passenger cruises on the Baltic Sea and elsewhere in European waters was named ''J.R. Tolkien'' in 1998.
In the Hall Green and Moseley areas of Birmingham there are a number of parks and walkways dedicated to J. R. R. Tolkien—most notably, the Millstream Way and Moseley Bog. Collectively the parks are known as the Shire Country Parks. Every year at Sarehole Mill the Tolkien Weekend is held in memory of the author; the fiftieth anniversary of the release of ''The Lord of the Rings'' was commemorated in 2005.
In the Silicon Valley towns of Saratoga and San Jose in California, there are two housing developments with street names drawn from Tolkien's works. At the University of California at Davis are "Baggins End Innovative Housing", an on-campus commune consisting of 14 polyurethane-insulated fibreglass domes, and an off-campus development known as "Village Homes", a planned community designed to be ecologically sustainable and whose street names are taken from ''The Lord of the Rings''. At the University of California at Irvine is the "Middle Earth" housing community where each building is named after a place in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings''. At the University of California, Berkeley, the Berkeley Student Cooperative includes a vegetarian theme house known as Lothlorien, whose residents are known as "elves".
The Columbia, Maryland neighbourhood of Hobbit's Glen and its street names (including Rivendell Lane, Tooks Way, and Oakenshield Circle) come from Tolkien's works. There is also a Hobbit Restaurant in Ocean City, Maryland.
Since 2003 The Tolkien Society in organizing Tolkien Reading Day, that takes place on 25 March.
Commemorative plaques
There are five blue plaques that commemorate places associated with Tolkien: one in Oxford, and four in Birmingham. One of the Birmingham plaques commemorates the inspiration provided by Sarehole Mill, near which he lived between the ages of four and eight, while two others mark childhood homes up to the time he left to attend Oxford University. The third one marks a hotel he stayed at while on leave from World War I. The Oxford plaque commemorates the residence where Tolkien wrote ''The Hobbit'' and most of ''The Lord of the Rings''.
| ! Address !! Commemoration !! Date unveiled !! Issued by | |||
| Sarehole MillHall Green, Birmingham | "Inspired" 1896–1900(i. e. lived nearby) | 15 August 2002 | Birmingham Civic Society andThe Tolkien Society |
| 1 Duchess PlaceLadywood, Birmingham | Lived near here 1902–1910 | Unknown | Birmingham Civic Society |
| 4 Highfield RoadEdgbaston, Birmingham | Lived here 1910–1911 | Unknown | Birmingham Civic Society andThe Tolkien Society |
| Plough and HarrowHagley Road, Birmingham | Stayed here June 1916 | June 1997 | The Tolkien Society |
| 20 Northmoor Road North Oxford | Lived here 1930–1947 | 3 December 2002 | Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board |
Another two plaques marking buildings associated with Tolkien are found in Oxford and Harrogate. The Harrogate plaque commemorates a residence where Tolkien convalesced from trench fever in 1917, while the Oxford plaque marks his home from 1953–1968 at 76 Sandfield Road, Headington.
Bibliography
References
General references
''Biography'': ''Letters'':
Notes
Further reading
A small selection of books about Tolkien and his works:
External links
Category:1892 births Category:1973 deaths Category:Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:British Traditionalist Catholics Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:English anti-communists Category:English fantasy writers Category:English linguists Category:English philologists Category:Anglo-Saxon studies scholars Category:English people of German descent Category:English Roman Catholics Category:Fellows of Merton College, Oxford Category:Fellows of Pembroke College, Oxford Category:Academics of the University of Leeds Category:Inklings Category:Inventors of writing systems Category:Lancashire Fusiliers officers Category:Language creators Category:Mythopoeic writers Category:People educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham Category:People from Birmingham, West Midlands Category:Philologists Category:Traditionalist Catholic writers Category:Translators from Old English Category:Writers on Germanic paganism Category:Writers who illustrated their own writing Category:People from Bloemfontein Category:Statutory Professors of the University of Oxford Category:Prometheus Award winning authors
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| Coordinates | 41°52′55″N87°37′40″N |
|---|---|
| Name | Nicki Minaj |
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Onika Tanya Maraj |
| Birth date | December 08, 1982 |
| Birth place | Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Origin | South Jamaica, Queens, New York, USA |
| Genre | Hip hop, R&B;, pop |
| Occupation | Rapper, singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2002 – present |
| Label | Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment, Universal Republic Records, Universal Motown |
| Associated acts | Young Money |
| website | }} |
Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj (), is a Trinidadian-born American musician. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago, and moved to the New York borough of Queens when she was five.
After releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and being signed to Young Money Entertainment in August 2009, Minaj released her debut album, ''Pink Friday'', in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release. She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at the same time. Her second single, "Your Love", reached #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List. Minaj was named the 2011 ''Rising Star'' by ''Billboard''. Her second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' will be released on April 3, 2012.
Early life
Maraj was born in 1982 in Saint James, a suburb of Trinidad and Tobago's capital city Port of Spain. Her parents are of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian ancestry and she lived in Saint James with her grandmother until age five, because her parents were looking for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City at the time. Her mother would occasionally visit, and one day, when Minaj was five, her mother picked her up to move to Queens. According to Minaj, her father drank heavily, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet. She graduated from LaGuardia High School. At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program. She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia, but lost her voice on the day of the audition.
Career
2007–09: Mixtapes and Young Money
Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007 after releasing ''Playtime Is Over'' with ''Dirty Money Records''. She released another mixtape on July 7, 2008, titled ''Sucka Free'', under the label ''Be''. On April 18, 2009, Minaj released a third mixtape and appeared in ''XXL'' magazine. She won the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2008 Underground Music Awards. Minaj released ''Beam Me Up Scotty'', another mixtape, in April 2009 under the label of ''Trapaholics Records''; it received positive coverage on both BET and MTV.In August 2009, Minaj signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment, with distribution from Universal Motown Records, after fellow American rapper Lil Wayne discovered her and secured the record deal. She then had a solo rap verse in their single "BedRock," which became a commercial success, reaching #2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Minaj also appeared on "Roger That", which charted at #56. The song, and in particular Minaj, received positive reviews from critics. Both songs were included in Young Money Entertainment's debut collaborative studio album ''We Are Young Money'', which was released in December 2009. The album charted in the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, reaching #9 and later receiving a Gold Certification by the RIAA. She was then chosen by Mariah Carey to be featured on her single and music video for "Up Out My Face". Critics praised her collaboration for helping to maintain Carey's feminine image and providing a polite track for the female R&B; singer.
2010–present: ''Pink Friday'' and ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded''
After a major record label bidding war, Young Money Entertainment announced on August 31, 2009 that Minaj had been released a 360 deal with the label in which she retains and owns all of her 360 rights – including merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing. In an interview with 95.8 Capital FM, Rihanna stated that after the two collaborated on "Raining Men" from her album ''Loud'' that the duo would be teaming up together for a possible second collaboration on Minaj's ''Pink Friday''. Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West was also confirmed for the album. On August 3, 2010 Minaj revealed on a Ustream.tv channel that the album's name would be ''Pink Friday'', in reference to Black Friday.''Pink Friday'' was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe versions. A buzz single, "Massive Attack", was released in April. In August, Minaj released "Your Love" as the first official single from her debut album. The single peaked at 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, 7 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Rap Songs chart. Minaj became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List and the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. In October 2010, Minaj became the first artist to have seven songs on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart simultaneously. Minaj released a joint single with The Black Eyed Peas front man, will.i.am titled, "Check It Out", which is Minaj's most successful single to date in Europe. "Right thru Me" was released September 24, 2010; the music video was released in late October. "Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single. The track featured Canadian rapper Drake and was released on December 7, 2010, becoming a success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single peaked at number 5 on the Hot Rap Songs. The album gained a Platinum certification in the United States a month after the release. It was hinted by Simon Cowell that Minaj would join the judging panel of the American version of the ''The X Factor.'' Starting in June 2011, Minaj will be supporting ''Pink Friday'' by serving as an opening act along with Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on Britney Spears' sixth concert tour, the Femme Fatale Tour, in support of her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale''. She also was featured on the official remix of Spears' track "Till the World Ends" along with Spears and singer Kesha, which charted at number 3 in the US in April 2011. "Super Bass" was released from ''Pink Friday'' in May 2011, the single charted within the top 10 in many countries including; United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and more. The song gained positive reviews from critics. Minaj will voice a character in the 3D animated film, ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'', as an unknown character. Minaj is also featured on French DJ David Guetta's 2011 album, ''Nothing but the Beat'' on "Where Them Girls At" and "Turn Me On". She will be featured alongside Madonna and M.I.A. on an upcoming single from Madonna's twelfth studio album, for which a music video has been directed by Megaforce. The trio performed "Give Me All Your Luvin'" from Madonna's new album for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.
Minaj's second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'', was announced through Twitter in November 2011 and is set to be released on April 3, 2012. The album's first single, "Starships", was released on February 14. On February 12, 2012, Minaj debuted her song "Roman Holiday" at the 54th Grammy Awards. The exorcism-themed perfomance drew a mixed response online.
Musical style and image
Image
In an interview with ''Vibe'' Minaj discussed her sexual image stating, "[w]hen I grew up I saw females doing certain things, and I thought I had to do that exactly. The female rappers of my day spoke about sex a lot... and I thought that to have the success they got, I would have to represent the same thing. When in fact I didn’t have to represent the same thing." In an interview with ''Interview'', Minaj commented on her sexual image again stating, "I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness, I want people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You’ve got to have something else to go with that.” Minaj has a tattoo in Chinese characters that reads "" (''shangdi yu ni chang zai'') on her left arm, meaning, "God is always with you."
Alter egos
While growing up, Minaj's home life was often chaotic, with her parents constantly fighting. As a means of escape, she would create characters and live her life through them. In an interview with ''New York'' she stated, "To get away from all their fighting, I would imagine being a new person. 'Cookie' was my first identity – that stayed with me for a while. I went on to 'Harajuku Barbie,' then 'Nicki Minaj'. Fantasy was my reality."For her debut album, Minaj created another alter-ego named "Roman Zolanski". She stated that in songs like "Bottoms Up" with Trey Songz it is not Minaj rapping, but instead Roman Zolanski, and claims that Roman is her "twin sister". She claims that he was born inside her, out of rage, and becomes him when she is angry. She has also said 'He is a demon inside her'. Roman has been compared to Eminem's alter ego Slim Shady, and on the song "Roman's Revenge" from ''Pink Friday'', Minaj and Eminem collaborate, using these alter egos. On the collaboration, she said "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot." Roman also has a "mother" called "Martha Zolanski", who also appeared on the song Roman's Revenge, with a British accent. Martha appears in the video for "Moment 4 Life" where she appears to be Minaj's magical Godmother. In songs such as "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" it is Minaj rapping. Minaj stated that on her debut album, fans will get to "meet" Nicki, Roman and Onika.
On November 18, 2010, Minaj assumed a different alter-ego named "Nicki Teresa". Wearing a colorful scarf around her head, she went around as the "healer to her fans" as she visited them at The Garden of Dreams Foundation at Fuse studios in New York City. Minaj made an appearance on ''Lopez Tonight'' on December 6, 2010 and presented a different alter-ego for the Spanish-inspired occasion, named "Rosa" (pronounced Rrrrrosa).
Influences
Minaj has stated that artists who have influenced her musical style include Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Natasha Bedingfield, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott. She was also inspired by Janet Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones, M.I.A., and Cyndi Lauper.
Personal life
While some songs and interviews have implied that Minaj is bisexual, she has said that she does not date nor have sex with women, but added in an interview with ''Out'' magazine, "I don’t date men either." In an interview with ''Vibe'' she commented, "I just embrace all people of all lifestyles and I don’t tell them they are bad people. And I say girls are beautiful and girls are sexy and they need to be told that, and if they don’t have anyone to tell them that and mean it, I’m gonna tell them that. But I feel like people always wanna define me and I don’t wanna be defined." She reiterated her dislike of being labeled in an interview with ''Out'', saying: "The point is, everyone is not black and white. There are so many shades in the middle, and you’ve got to let people feel comfortable with saying what they want to say when they want to say it."During an interview in the May 2010 issue of ''Details'', Minaj was asked if she felt hip-hop was becoming more gay-friendly. She responded, "I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it's harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced, people view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we'll see one in my lifetime."
In July 2011, Minaj's cousin Nicholas Telemaque was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York City.
Discography
See also
Notes
References
External links
Category:Nicki Minaj Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:African American female singers Category:African American rappers Category:American musicians of Indian descent Category:American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:Female rappers Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:Hip hop singers Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Queens Category:People from Port of Spain Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Singers from New York City Category:Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United States Category:Trinidad and Tobago musicians Category:Trinidad and Tobago people of Dougla descent Category:Young Money Entertainment artists
ar:نيكي مناج bg:Ники Минаж ca:Nicki Minaj cs:Nicki Minaj da:Nicki Minaj de:Nicki Minaj et:Nicki Minaj es:Nicki Minaj eu:Nicki Minaj fa:نیکی میناژ fr:Nicki Minaj ko:니키 미나즈 hi:निकी मिनाज hr:Nicki Minaj id:Nicki Minaj it:Nicki Minaj he:ניקי מינאג' la:Nicki Minaj lv:Niki Minaža lt:Nicki Minaj hu:Nicki Minaj mk:Ники Минаж nl:Nicki Minaj ja:ニッキー・ミナージュ no:Nicki Minaj pl:Nicki Minaj pt:Nicki Minaj ro:Nicki Minaj ru:Ники Минаж sq:Nicki Minaj simple:Nicki Minaj sk:Nicki Minaj sr:Ники Минаж fi:Nicki Minaj sv:Nicki Minaj tl:Nicki Minaj tr:Nicki Minaj vi:Nicki Minaj zh:妮琪·米娜This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
| Coordinates | 41°52′55″N87°37′40″N |
|---|---|
| name | Jason Derülo |
| birth name | Jason Joel Desrouleaux |
| background | solo_singer |
| birth date | September 21, 1989 |
| origin | Miami, Florida, United States |
| genre | R&B;, pop, dance |
| occupation | Singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actor |
| years active | 2007–present |
| label | Warner Bros.,Beluga Heights |
| associated acts | The Black Eyed Peas, Lady GaGa, Birdman, Diddy-Dirty Money, Lil Wayne, Big Boi, Kid Cudi |
| website | }} |
Jason Joel Desrouleaux (born , 1989), better known by his stage name Jason Derülo, is an American singer-songwriter, actor and dancer. After producing records for several artists and writing songs for Cash Money Records, co-founder of the label Birdman, Young Money Entertainment owner Lil Wayne and rapper Diddy, Derülo signed to minor recording label Beluga Heights. After Beluga Heights became part of the Warner Music Group, Derülo released his debut single, "Whatcha Say" in May 2009. The song became a huge digital hit, selling over five million digital downloads, gaining an RIAA certification of double platinum, and reaching number 1 in the US and New Zealand. Derülo released his second single, "In My Head", in December 2009. His debut album, ''Jason Derülo'', was released in 2010.
Early life
Derülo was born in Miami, Florida, to Haitian parents. His birth name is Desrouleaux, but he changed the spelling for his stage name to make it easier to pronounce.Derülo has been performing since the age of five. He wrote his first song, "Crush on You", at age eight and was heard singing part of the song on a Galaxy FM interview. Derülo spent his youth studying opera, theater, and ballet. He attended Dillard Center for the Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.
At age 12, Derülo met his future manager, Frank Harris, a law school student who was helping him improve his basketball skills.
Music career
2007–2009: songwriting and musical beginnings
Derülo has been writing songs for artists including Diddy, Danity Kane, Donnie Klang, Sean Kingston, Cassie, Lil Wayne since he was 16, intent on becoming a solo performer. After attending performing arts schools and honing his talents as a singer and dancer (plus acting in theatre productions like ''Ragtime'' and ''Smokey Joe's Cafe''), Derülo won the grand prize on the 2006 season finale of the TV show ''Showtime at the Apollo''. Derülo was discovered by music producer J. R. Rotem, who signed him to his record label Beluga Heights Records and Warner Bros. Records.In a HitQuarters interview, Rotem highlighted Derülo's dedication to his art by saying, "Jason Derülo has one of the most impressive work ethics I've ever come across – he just keeps knocking out songs in the studio. That's an amazing quality."
Derülo's music career began in 2006, when he was featured on Birdman's song "Bossy", which was featured on his album, ''5 * Stunna''.
2009–2010: ''Jason Derülo''
On August 4, 2009, Jason released his debut single, "Whatcha Say". It was produced by J. R. Rotem with additional production by Fuego. The track samples the Imogen Heap song "Hide and Seek". In late August 2009, the song debuted at number 54 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and hit number 1 in November 2009. The single's music video was released in September 2009; after the single became successful, Derülo began work on his debut album. He released the second single from his album, "In My Head", on , 2009. It debuted at number 63 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and reached number five.Derülo's debut album, ''Jason Derülo'', was released on , 2010. He spent six weeks promoting the album in his appearances as one of the opening acts for Lady Gaga's 2009–2010 ''The Monster Ball Tour''. The third single of the album is "Ridin' Solo," which was released worldwide on , 2010. By July, the single had reached number nine in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Derülo has also recently been featured in a song by new artist Will Roush called "Turn it Up," which also features Stat Quo and Young Buck. He also collaborated with UK singer Pixie Lott on a song called "Coming Home" which will be on Lott's new album Turn It Up Louder to be released in the United States in 2011.
''Jason Derülo'' first charted within the top ten of the UK and Irish Albums Charts in early March 2010.
2011-present: ''Future History''
Derülo's second studio album, ''Future History'', will be released on September 27, 2011. Derülo is currently detailing his journey recording the album via a series of webisodes that are posted on his official website every Friday. Its lead single, "Don't Wanna Go Home", was released on May 20, 2011. It landed the number 1 spot in the UK and in the top 5 in Australia.
Tours
Discography
Filmography
| Television | |||
| Year | Show | Role | ! Notes |
| 2011 | Himself | Guest Star, 1 episode | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organisation | Award | Result |
| rowspan="3" | Choice Breakout Male Artist | ||
| rowspan="2" | |||
| rowspan="2" | |||
| Most Popular International Artist | |||
| NAACP Image Award | |||
| rowspan="2" | |||
| 50 Most Performed Songs of the Year ("Replay") | |||
| Choice Male Artist | |||
| Choice R&B;/Hip-Hop Track ("Don't Wanna Go Home") | |||
| Choice Summer: Music Star Male | |||
References
External links
Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American male singers Category:American people of Haitian descent Category:American pop singers Category:People from Miami, Florida Category:Warner Bros. Records artists
ca:Jason Derülo cs:Jason Derülo da:Jason DeRulo de:Jason Derulo es:Jason Derülo fa:جیسون درولو fr:Jason Derülo id:Jason Derülo it:Jason Derülo he:ג'ייסון דירולו hu:Jason Derülo nl:Jason Derülo ja:ジェイソン・デルーロ no:Jason Derülo pl:Jason Derülo pt:Jason Derülo ro:Jason Derülo simple:Jason Derulo fi:Jason Derülo sv:Jason Derülo tl:Jason Derülo th:เจสัน เดอรูโล tr:Jason Derülo vi:Jason Derülo zh:杰森·德鲁罗This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
| Coordinates | 41°52′55″N87°37′40″N |
|---|---|
| Name | Sean Kingston |
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Kisean Anderson |
| Born | February 03, 1990Miami, Florida, United States |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Label | Beluga Heights, Epic, TM3 Records, E1 Music |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter, rapper, actor |
| Genre | Hip hop, R&B;, reggae fusion |
| Website | }} |
Sean Kingston (born Kisean Anderson; February 3, 1990) is a Jamaican-American singer. He pursued a music career and debuted in 2007 with the album ''Sean Kingston''.
Early life
Kingston was born on February 3, 1990, in Miami, Florida and moved to Kingston, Jamaica when he was six. He attended high school in Ocho Rios. His grandfather by marriage was the noted Jamaican reggae producer Lawrence Lindo, who worked under the stage name Jack Ruby. At age 11, Kingston spent 21 days in jail for breaking and entering, and Kingston lived in a car while his mother was incarcerated for identity theft.
Music career
2007–2008: ''Sean Kingston''
Sean Kingston was discovered through MySpace by Tommy Rotem at Beluga Heights, and signed to the label in a partnership deal with Sony. Beluga is a label notable for its focus on discovering and developing artists. In an interview with HitQuarters label head and producer J.R. Rotem described this process with regards to Kingston:
"Sean Kingston was a rapper when we found him and it was a development process to get him more melodic. At Beluga we essentially refine the talent so that it's more of a marketable product."
In a venture between Epic Records and Koch Records, Kingston recorded and released the single "Beautiful Girls" in May 2007. The single, based on the bass line and lyrical "association" of the 1961 hit "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King, reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for three weeks and topped the UK Singles Chart along with many other international charts. Similarly, the song "Me Love" samples the main hook out Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Mak'er", from their 1973 album ''Houses of the Holy''. The song also debuted at number one in Australia, where it knocked off Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry", which had been at number one for nine weeks. The song stayed on the Canadian Hot 100 number one spot for over six weeks before getting knocked down to third place by the Plain White T's. "Beautiful Girls" remained at number one in Canada longer than any other song in 2007. In 2007, Kingston was the opening act for Gwen Stefani's ''The Sweet Escape'' Tour and for select dates on Beyoncé's ''The Beyoncé Experience'' Tour. Since Sean is a Jamaican singer, he got his stage name "Kingston" from the capital of Jamaica called Kingston, Jamaica. Which lead him to having the stage name "Sean Kingston".
2009–2010: ''Tomorrow''
The album ''Tomorrow'' was released on September 22, 2009. Big-name producers involved in the album included former Fugee Wyclef Jean; RedOne (of recent Lady GaGa fame); plus Sean's original mentor, J.R. Rotem. So far, the singles "Fire Burning", and "Face Drop" have been released. Additionally, five promotional digital singles were released leading up to the album.Kingston co-wrote Jason Derülo's "Whatcha Say". He also found the R&B;-reggae singer Iyaz on MySpace and signed him to his record label. He also recorded the track "Miss Everything" for the UK girl-group Sugababes studio album Sweet 7 which was released March 15, 2010 in the UK. Kingston and DJ Khaled are being featured on Bow Wow's new single "For My Hood", from the upcoming movie, ''The Lottery Ticket''.
2010–present: Third studio album, King Of Kingz and other projects
According to Sean Kingston, he is already working on his next album. The lead single was confirmed to be "Dumb Love". The song's chorus samples 1957's, Come Go With Me by the Del Vikings. The song is also featured in a episode of ''The Suite Life on Deck'' which Kingston guest starred on. The album will also feature T-Pain, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Wyclef Jean, Akon and Dr. Dre. The first single from the album is "Eenie Meenie" featuring Justin Bieber, released on March 23, 2010, which is also included on Bieber's ''My World 2.0'' album. This collaboration with the young star has been the source of much disapproval from the rap community. The second single from the album is "Letting Go (Dutty Love)", which features a verse from Nicki Minaj. It was released on iTunes August 3, while the third is "Dumb Love" and was released on iTunes September 8. Sean Kingston's new song "She Moves" samples Irena Cara's "What a Feeling" from the film ''Flashdance''. This has not been release as a single. A fourth single "Party All Night (Sleep All Day)" was released on December 21, 2010. The song leaked online in December 2010. The music video has already been shot. The video was released on December 23, 2010. Sean said this would be the song of the new year.Kingston represented the continent of America to sing the Official Theme Song of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, ''Everyone''. He collaborated with four other international artists representing their continent, South African Jody Williams representing Africa, Singaporean Tabitha Nauser (Asia), British Steve Appleton (Europe), and Australian Jessica Mauboy representing (Oceania) However, Kingston was unable to attend, the Singapore Youth Olympics 2010 opening ceremony, due to passport mix ups. Sean was invited to featured on Cash Money Records/former So So Def member Bow Wow on his single "For My Hood". He performed it with him along with DJ Khaled on BET's television program 106 & Park the day after release.
Sean Released his first mixtape King Of Kingz on February 3, 2011 as a free Download only. The mixtape includes guest appearances by Akon, Flo-Rida, Soulja Boy, Justin Bieber, B.O.B and Tory Lanez.
Kingston will release a mixtape with pop star Justin Bieber, called ''Our World''. It will feature about 12–14 songs and includes their versions of songs like "Pretty Boy Swag" and "Billionaire". The mixtape is finished and Kingston showed his fans a preview on uStream on August, 19, 2010. The release date is yet to be confirmed. Kingston also went on to perform on first leg of Bieber's tour. On April 25, 2011, Kingston performed at Cross Roads Hotel in front of 2,000 people in Lilongwe, Malawi. Kingston was recently in Zimbabwe performing there and is scheduled to perform in Ghana in June 2011. He performed a street concert on April 29, 2011, at Utah State University.
Television appearances
For his 18th birthday, Kingston appeared on the US TV show ''My Super Sweet 16''. The show was memorable for Sean's elaborate entrance to his party, which involved Sean arriving at his party on a private yacht, wearing his own personalized white suit.Sean appeared on the Nick Jr. Original Series ''Yo Gabba Gabba''.
He was also featured as a guest star on the 2009 remake of ''The Electric Company''.
He made appearances on the MTV reality show ''The Hills'' and ''MTV's Cribs''.
In 2010 he appeared in the "Party On!" episode of the Disney Channel series ''The Suite Life on Deck'' as himself and performed his latest single "Dumb Love"
In 2010 he appeared in Katy Brand vs. series on ITV2 in the United Kingdom
For his 21st birthday, Sean appeared on MTV's ''My Super Sweet 16''.
Activism
Kingston filmed a public service announcement with Do Something to encourage teens to become active in their communities by forming a Do Something club.
Miami Beach jet skiing accident
On May 29, 2011, Kingston was involved in a jet skiing accident in Miami Beach, Florida. Kingston and a female passenger were severely injured when their jet ski struck the bridge connecting Palm Island with the MacArthur Causeway at approximately 6 pm. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he was placed in the intensive care unit and listed in stable condition. He suffered a fractured wrist and broken jaw along with water in the lungs, but is expected to make a full recovery. As of June 24, Kingston has been discharged from hospital and is to continue his recovery at home.
Discography
;Studio albums
;Official mixtapes
Awards/nominations
References
External links
Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:American emigrants to Jamaica Category:American male singers Category:American people of Jamaican descent Category:American pop singers Category:American rappers of Jamaican descent Category:American reggae musicians Category:Epic Records artists Category:Hip hop singers Category:Jamaican people of American descent Category:Jamaican male singers Category:Jamaican pop singers Category:Jamaican rappers Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:People from Saint Ann Parish Category:Rappers from Miami, Florida Category:Reggae fusion artists
cs:Sean Kingston da:Sean Kingston de:Sean Kingston es:Sean Kingston eo:Sean Kingston fa:شان کینگستون fr:Sean Kingston ko:션 킹스턴 id:Sean Kingston is:Sean Kingston it:Sean Kingston he:שון קינגסטון sw:Sean Kingston lt:Sean Kingston hu:Sean Kingston nl:Sean Kingston ja:ショーン・キングストン no:Sean Kingston km:ស៊ាន ឃីងស្តន pl:Sean Kingston pt:Sean Kingston ro:Sean Kingston ru:Шон Кингстон simple:Sean Kingston fi:Sean Kingston sv:Sean Kingston tl:Sean Kingston th:ฌอน คิงสตัน tr:Sean Kingston vi:Sean Kingston zh:尚恩·金斯顿This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
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