name	M.C. Hammer
background	solo_singer
birth name	Stanley Kirk Burrell
alias	(M.C. Hammer, Hammer, Hammertime, King Hammer)
birth date	March 30, 1962
origin	Oakland, California, United States
genre	Hip Hop, Dance, Pop Rap, House, Gospel
occupation	Rapper, Songwriter, Preacher, Dancer, Performer, Enterpreneur
years active	1985–present
label	Capitol Records, Giant Records, Full Blast Music
associated acts	Johnny J, Rick Ross, Vanilla Ice, Paperboy, Young Boss, D'Angelo
website	mchammer.blogspot.commchammer.com }}

Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s. Remembered for a rapid rise to fame before losing the majority of his fortune, Hammer is also known for his hit records, including "U Can't Touch This", flamboyant dance movements and trademark Hammer pants. Hammer's superstar-status made him a household name and pop icon. He has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, demonstrating hip hop's potential for mass market success.

Burrell also became a preacher during the late 1990s, was a television show host and dance judge, is a record label CEO, and as of 2008 works as a co-creator of a dance website called DanceJam, while still performing concerts at music venues and assisting with other social media, ministry and outreach functions. In addition, he was executive producer of his own reality show called ''Hammertime'' which aired on the A&E; Network during the summer of 2009. Prior to becoming ordained, Hammer signed with Suge Knight's Death Row Records by 1995.

M.C. Hammer is considered a "forefather" and innovator of pop rap, and is the first hip hop artist to achieve diamond status for an album. Hammer was later considered a sell-out rapper due in part to over-exposure and as a result of his increasingly gritty image as the landscape of rap changed. Nonetheless, BET ranked Hammer as the #7 "Best Dancer Of All Time". ''Vibe''s "The Best Rapper Ever Tournament" declared him the 17th favorite of all-time during the first round.

Throughout his career, Hammer has managed his own recording business. As a result, he has created and produced his own acts including Oaktown's 3.5.7, Common Unity, Special Generation, Analise, One Cause One Effect, Teabag, Dom Kimberley, Geeman, Pleasure Ellis, B Angie B, Stooge Playaz, Ho Frat Ho and Wee Wee, among others. Apart of additional record labels, he has associated/collaborated/recorded with VMF, Tupac Shakur, Teddy Riley, Felton Pilate, Tha Dogg Pound, Deion Sanders, Big Daddy Kane and Jon Gibson, as well as others. In 1992, Doug E. Fresh was signed to M.C. Hammer's Bust It Records label.

Early life

Stanley Burrell Jr. was born in Oakland, California, son of a nightclub manager and a police department assistant. He grew up poor with his mother, a secretary, and eight siblings in a small apartment in East Oakland. The future rapper recalled that six children were crammed into a three-bedroom housing project apartment. The young Burrell sold stray baseballs and danced with a beatbox at the Oakland Coliseum parking lot to earn money for games sometimes. Oakland A's team owner Charles O. Finley saw the 11-year-old doing splits and hired him as a clubhouse assistant and batboy as a result of his energy and flair.

Burrell served as a "batboy" with the team from 1973 to 1980. In 2010, Hammer discussed his life-long involvement with sports athletes on ''ESPN's First Take'' as well as explained that his brother Louis Burrell (who would later become Hammer's business manager) was actually the batboy while his job was to take calls and do "play-by-plays" for the A's absentee owner during every summer game. The colorful Finley, who lived in Chicago, used the child as his "eyes and ears." Reggie Jackson, in describing Burrell's role for Finley, took credit for his nickname:

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Pedro Garcia may also have given Burrell the nickname "Little Hammer" due to his resemblance to Aaron. Ron Bergman, at the time an ''Oakland Tribune'' writer who covered the A's, recalled that:

According to Hammer:

He acquired the nickname "M.C." for being a "Master of Ceremonies" which he used when he began performing at various clubs while on the road with the A's, and eventually in the military.

Hammer, who played second base in high school, dreamed of being a professional baseball player but did not make the final cut at a San Francisco Giants tryout. However, he has now become a regular participant/player in the annual Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game wearing an A's cap to represent Oakland (American League).

Burrell went on to graduate from high school in Oakland and took undergraduate classes in communications. Discouraged by his studies at a local college and failing to win a place in a professional baseball organization, Hammer considered the drug trade. Instead he joined the Navy for three years, serving with Patron (Patrol Squadron) Forty Seven (VP-47) of Moffett Field in Mountain View, California as a Petty Officer Third Class Aviation Store Keeper (AK3) until his honorable discharge.

Music career

Before his mainstream career and "rags-to-riches-to-rags-and-back saga", Burrell formed Christian rap music group Holy Ghost Boys, producing songs called "Word", "B-Boy Chill" and later releasing "This Wall" (it was within the lyrics of this song that Kirk Burrell - or "K.B." - first identified himself as M.C. Hammer) with CCM's Jon Gibson (or "J.G."). This rap hit appeared on Gibson's album ''Change of Heart'', and "Son of the King" showed up on Hammer's debut album ''Feel My Power'' (1987), as well as the updated version ''Let's Get It Started'' (1988).

With exception to later remixes of early releases, Hammer produced and recorded many rap songs that were never made public, yet are now available on the Internet. Via his record labels such as Bust It Records, Oaktown Records and FullBlast, Hammer has introduced, signed and produced new talent including Oaktown's 3.5.7, Ho Frat Ho, the vocal quintet Special Generation, Analise, James Greer, One Cause One Effect, B Angie B, The Stooge Playaz, DASIT (as seen on ''ego trip's The (White) Rapper Show)'', Teabag, Common Unity, Geeman and Pleasure Ellis; both collaborating with him and producing raps of their own during his career. Some of these artists can now be found on YouTube or other video sites such as MTV.com.

At about the age of 12, Oakland native Keyshia Cole recorded with Hammer and sought career advice from him.

''Feel My Power'' (1987)

In the mid-80s while rapping in small venues and after a record deal went sour, Hammer borrowed US$20,000 each from former Oakland A's players Mike Davis and Dwayne Murphy to start a record label business called Bust It Productions. He kept the company going by selling records from his basement and car. Bust It spawned Bustin' Records, the independent label of which Hammer was CEO. Together, the companies had more than 100 employees. Recording singles and selling them out of the trunk of his car, he marketed himself relentlessly. Coupled with his dance abilities, Hammer's style was unique at the time.

Now billing himself as "M.C. Hammer", he recorded his debut album, ''Feel My Power'', which was produced between 1986–1987 and released independently in 1987 on his Oaktown Records label (Bustin'). It was produced by Felton Pilate (of Con Funk Shun), and sold over 60,000 copies. In the spring of 1988, a DJ played the track "Let's Get It Started" — a song in which he declared he was "...second to none, from Doug E. Fresh, LL Cool J, or DJ Run" — after which the track began to gain popularity in clubs. (He would continue to call out other East Coast rappers in future projects as well.)

Hammer also released a single called "Ring 'Em", and largely on the strength of tireless street marketing by Hammer and his wife, it achieved considerable popularity at dance clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Heartened by his rising prospects, Hammer launched into seven-day-a-week rehearsals with the growing troupe of dancers, musicians, and backup vocalists he had hired. It was Hammer's stage show, and his infectious stage presence, that led to his big break in 1988 while performing in an Oakland club. There he impressed a record executive who "didn't know who he was, but knew he was somebody", as was quoted as saying in the ''New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll''.

M.C. had received several offers from major record labels before (which he initially declined due to his personal success), but after the successful release of this independent album and elaborate live dance show amazed the Capitol Records executive, Hammer agreed to sign a record deal soon after. Hammer took home a US$1,750,000 advance and a multi-album contract, which did not take long for Capitol to recoup its investment.

''Let's Get It Started'' (1988)

Once signed to Capitol Records, Hammer re-issued his first record (a revised version of ''Feel My Power'') with additional tracks added and sold over 2 million copies. "Pump It Up", "Turn This Mutha Out", "Let's Get It Started" and "They Put Me in the Mix" were the most popular singles from this album which all charted. But not quite satisfied with this first multi-platinum success, Hammer's music underwent a metamorphosis, shifting from the standard rap format in his upcoming album. ''"I decided the next album would be more musical,"'' he says. Purists chastised him for being more dancer than rapper. Sitting in a leopard-print bodysuit before a concert, he defended his style: ''"People were ready for something different from the traditional rap style. The fact that the record has reached this level indicates the genre is growing."''

M.C. Hammer was very good friends with Arsenio Hall, as well as a then-unknown teen named Robert Van Winkle (aka Vanilla Ice) - despite later rumors that there was a "beef" between the two rappers which was addressed during the height of their careers on Hall's show - who he would later reunite with in a 2009 concert in Salt Lake City, Utah. Therefore, Hammer was first invited to perform the song "U Can't Touch This", prior to its release, on ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' in 1989. He also performed "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em", a song that didn't make it on his upcoming album, but did appear in the same-titled movie.

Hammer used some of the proceeds from this album to install a rolling recording studio in the back of his tour bus, where he recorded much of his sophomore effort.

''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em'' (1990)

Notorious for dissing rappers in his previous recordings, Hammer appropriately titled his third album (and second major-label release) ''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em'', which was released February 12, 1990 (with an original release date of January 1, 1990). It included the successful single "U Can't Touch This" (which sampled Rick James' "Super Freak"). It was produced, recorded, and mixed by Felton Pilate and James Earley on a modified tour bus (while on tour) in 1989. Despite heavy airplay and a #27 chart debut, "U Can't Touch This" stopped at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart because it was released only as a twelve-inch single. However, the album was a #1 success for 21 weeks, due primarily to this single, the first time ever for a rap recording on the pop charts. The song has been and continues to be used in many filmmaking and television shows to date, and appears on soundtrack/compilation albums as well.

Follow-up successes included "Have You Seen Her" (a cover of the Chi-Lites) and "Pray" (a beat sampled from Prince's "When Doves Cry" and Faith No More's "We Care a Lot"), which was his biggest hit in the US, peaking at #2. "Pray" was also a major UK success, peaking at #8. The album went on to become the first hip-hop album to earn diamond status, selling more than 18 million units to date. During 1990, Hammer toured extensively in Europe which included a sold-out concert at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. With the sponsorship of PepsiCo, PepsiCo International CEO Christopher A. Sinclair went on tour with him during 1991.

The album was notable for sampling other high-profile artists and gave some of these artists a new fanbase. "Dancin' Machine" sampled The Jackson 5, "Help the Children" (also the name of an outreach foundation Hammer started) interpolates Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "She's Soft and Wet" also sampled Prince's "Soft and Wet". All of these songs proved to be successful on radio and video television, with "U Can't Touch This," "Pray" (most successful), "Have You Seen Her," "Here Comes the Hammer," and "Yo!! Sweetness" (UK only) all charting. The album increased the popularity of hip-hop music. It remains the genre's all-time best-selling album.

At the same time, he also appeared in The West Coast Rap All-Stars posse cut "We're All in the Same Gang." Music videos from this album and the previous albums began to receive much airplay on MTV and VH1. A movie also accompanied the album and was produced at this same time called "''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie''" along with music videos included within the movie.

A critical backlash began over the repetitive nature of his lyrics, his clean-cut image, and his perceived over-reliance on sampling others' entire hooks for the basis of his singles—criticisms also directed to his contemporary, Vanilla Ice. He was mocked in music videos by 3rd Bass, The D.O.C., DJ Debranz, and Ice Cube. Oakland hip-hop group Digital Underground mocked him in the CD insert of its ''Sex Packets'' album when placing his picture in with the other members and referring to him as an unknown derelict. In fact, LL Cool J mocked him in "To tha Break of Dawn," a track on his ''Mama Said Knock You Out'' album, calling Hammer an "amateur, swinging a Hammer from a bodybag [his pants]," and saying, "My old gym teacher ain't supposed to rap." (LL Cool J would later compliment and commend Hammer's abilities/talents on VH-1's'' 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop'', which aired in 2008). However, Ice-T came to his defense on his 1991 album ''O.G. Original Gangster'': "A special shout out to my man M.C. Hammer: a lot of people dis you, man, but they just jealous." Ice-T later explained that he had nothing against people who were pop-rap from the start, as Hammer had been, but only against emcees who switch from being hardcore or dirty to being pop-rap so that they can sell more records.

Despite the criticisms, Hammer's career continued to be highly successful including tours in Asia, Europe, Australia, and Russia. Soon after, M.C. Hammer Mattel dolls, lunchboxes, and other merchandise were marketed. He was also given his own Saturday morning cartoon, called ''Hammerman'', which he hosted and voiced.

''Too Legit to Quit'' (1991)

After publicly dropping the "M.C." from his stage name, Hammer released ''Too Legit to Quit'' (also produced by Felton Pilate) in 1991. Hammer answered his critics within certain songs from the album. Sales were strong (over five million copies), with the title track being the biggest hit single from this record. The album peaked in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200. Another hit came soon after, with "Addams Groove" (which appeared on both ''The Addams Family'' motion picture soundtrack and the vinyl and cassette versions of ''2 Legit 2 Quit''), reaching #7 in the U.S. and #4 in the UK. His video for the song appeared after the movie.

Hammer set out on a tour for this album, but the stage show had become as lavish as his lifestyle; loaded with singers, dancers, and backup musicians, the supporting concert tour was too expensive for the album's sales to finance, and it was canceled partway through. In 1992, Boyz II Men joined Hammer's high-profile ''2 Legit 2 Quit'' tour as an opening act. While traveling the country, their tour manager Khalil Roundtree was murdered in Chicago, and the group's future performances of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" were dedicated to him. As a result of this unfortunate experience, the song would help advance their success.

Music videos were produced for all four singles released from this album (including "Do Not Pass Me By" and "This Is The Way We Roll"), all which charted. The "2 Legit 2 Quit" video featured many celebrity appearances. It's been ranked as one of the most expensive videos ever made. The hand motions used within the song and video also became very popular. The song proved to be successful in the U.S., peaking at the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, at #5. Despite the album's multi-platinum certification, the sales were one-third of ''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em''.

At the end of the "Too Legit to Quit" video, after James Brown enlists Hammer to get the famous glove of Michael Jackson, a silver-white sequined glove is shown on the hand of a Michael Jackson look-alike doing the "2 Legit 2 Quit" hand gesture. In a related story, M.C. Hammer appeared on ''The Wendy Williams Show'' (July 27, 2009) and talked about his hit reality show ''Hammertime'' on A&E;, his marriage, his role as a dad and the reasons he eventually went bankrupt. He told an amusing story about a phone call he received from "M.J.", regarding the portion of the "2 Legit 2 Quit" video that included a fake Michael Jackson, giving his approval and inclusion of it. He explained how Michael had seen the video and liked it, and both expressed they were a fan of each others. Hammer and Jackson would later appear, speak and/or perform at the funeral service for James Brown in 2006.

Prior to Hammer's next album (''The Funky Headhunter''), rumors from critics and fans began claiming Hammer had quit the music/entertainment business and had suffered a financial downfall (since a couple of years pass in between the two records), which Hammer denied at the time.

New venture (Oaktown/Giant)

Hammer claimed rumors falsely heralded his downfall, probably as a result of the fact he turned over his "trimmed-down" Bust It Records to his brother and manager Louis Burrell, and his horse-racing interests to his brother Chris and his father, Louis Burrell Sr. In the meantime, Hammer, a big sports fan, launched a new enterprise, Roll Wit It Entertainment & Sports Management (which released DRS' two-million-selling "Gangsta Lean") and had clients such as Evander Holyfield, Deion Sanders and Reggie Brooks. During the hiatus between albums, Hammer consequently signed a multimillion-dollar deal with a new record company. He said there were a lot of bidders, but "not too many of them could afford Hammer".

Therefore, Hammer parted ways with Pilate, and switched record labels to Giant Records, taking his Oaktown label with him. Hammer was later sued by Felton Pilate (who had worked with the successful vocal group Con Funk Shun) and by several of his former backers, and faced charges that performance troupe members endured an abusive, militaristic atmosphere. By this time, he also parted ways with his only female executive, Linda Lou McCall, a songwriter and music industry consultant specializing in entertainment marketing, street promotion, and creative development (having worked with Con Funk Shun and The Delfonics previously and artists such as Notorious B.I.G and Eminem afterwards) who signed Keith Martin as a backup musician and vocalist for Hammer.

With a new home, a new daughter, a new record, and a new business, Hammer claimed he was happy and far from being broke during a tour of his mansion for ''Ebony''. "Today there is a more aggressive Hammer, because the '90s require you to be more aggressive", he said of his music. "There is a harder edge, but I'm no gangsta. Hammer in the '90s is on the offense, on the move, on the attack. And it's all good".

''The Funky Headhunter'' (1994)

In 1993, Hammer began recording his fifth official album. To adapt to the changing landscape of hip-hop, this album was a more aggressive sounding album entitled ''The Funky Headhunter.'' He co-produced this record with funky rapper and producer, Stefan Adamek. While Hammer's appearance changed to keep up with the gangsta rap audience, his lyrics still remained honest and somewhat clean with minor cursing. Yet, as with previous records, Hammer would continue to call out and disrespect other rappers on this album. As with some earlier songs such as "Crime Story" (from the album ''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em''), the content and reality about "street life" remained somewhat the same, but the sound was different, resulting in Hammer losing favor with fans. Nonetheless, this harder-edged, more aggressive record went gold, but failed to win him a new audience among hardcore hip-hop fans.

In another appearance on ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' during the mid-1990s, Hammer debuted the video for "Pumps and a Bump". Talk show host Arsenio Hall said to M.C. Hammer, "Women in the audience want to know, what's in your speedos in the 'Pumps and a Bump' video?" A clip from the video was then shown, to much approval from the audience. Hammer didn't give a direct answer, but instead laughed. Arsenio then said, "I guess that's why they call you 'Hammer.' It ain't got nothin' to do with Hank Aaron."

The accompanying video to the album's first single, "Pumps and a Bump", was banned from heavy rotation on MTV with censors claiming that the depiction of Hammer in Speedos (and with what appeared to be an erection) was too graphic. This led to an alternative video being filmed (with Hammer fully clothed) that was directed by Bay Area native Craig S. Brooks, who also helmed the video of rap group DRS' only hit single "Gangsta Lean".

"It's All Good" was the second single released, which would become a pop culture phrase as a result of its success. It was also the most successful song by this title.

Within this album, Hammer disses rappers such as A Tribe Called Quest (Q-Tip), Redman and Run DMC for previous attacks they made against him on wax. This quite possibly led to a decrease in his popularity after this comeback record responded to his critics.

On December 26, 1994, Deion Sanders released ''Prime Time'', a rap album on Bust It Records (Hammer's label) that featured the minor hit "Must Be The Money". "Prime Time Keeps on Tickin'" was also released as a single. Sanders, a friend of Hammer's, had previously appeared in his "Too Legit to Quit" music video, and his alter-ego "Prime Time" is also used in Hammer's "Pumps and a Bump" video.

The song "Help Lord (Won't You Come)" appeared in ''Kingdom Come''.

This album peaked at number two on the R&B; charts and remained in the Top 30 midway through the year. To date, it has managed to become certified platinum.

''V Inside Out'' (1995)

In 1995, Hammer released the album ''V Inside Out'' (or ''inside out V''), which critics claimed was unfocused, as it was unclear if the genre was pop or rap. However, some critics praised the fact it was perhaps intentionally eclectic (combining elements of dance, pop, rap, hip hop, alternative rock and gospel). Nonetheless, the album sold poorly (peaking at 119 on the Billboard Charts) and Giant Records dropped him and Oaktown Records from their roster. Songs "Going Up Yonder" and "Sultry Funk" managed to get moderate radio play (even charting on national radio station countdowns).

This album had not sold as well as its predecessors. Some claimed it was victim of the "crab mentality". Hammer would go on to explain in this album that he felt many of his so-called friends he staffed used and betrayed him which contributed to a majority of his financial loss (best explained in the song "Keep On" from this album). He would also hint about this again in interviews, including ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' in 2009.

Death Row Records (1995–1996)

In 1995, Hammer released "Straight to My Feet" (with Deion Sanders) from the ''Street Fighter'' soundtrack (released in December 1994). The song charted #57 in the UK.

Hammer's relationship with Suge Knight dates back to 1988. Hammer signed with Death Row Records, then home to Snoop Dogg and his close friend, Tupac Shakur. The label did not release the album of Hammer's music (''Too Tight'') while he had a career with them (although he did release versions of some tracks on his next album). However, Burrell did record tracks with Shakur and others, most notably the song "Too Late Playa" (along with Big Daddy Kane and Danny Boy). After the death of Shakur in 1996, Burrell left the record company. He later explained his concern about this circumstance in an interview on Trinity Broadcasting Network since he was in Las Vegas with Tupac the night of his death.

Return to EMI (1996–1997)

In 1996, Burrell and Oaktown signed with EMI, which saw the release of a compilation of Hammer's chart topping songs prior to ''The Funky Headhunter'' album. The album, ''Greatest Hits'', featured 12 former hits and was released in October. Since then, several compilation album versions of his "greatest hits" have been produced.

Hammer's empire began to collapse when his last few albums failed to match the sales of its predecessors. Since he unsuccessfully attempted to recast himself in the streetwise "gangsta rap" mold of the day, Hammer turned to a gospel-friendly audience.

''Family Affair'' (1998)

In 1998, M.C. Hammer released his first album in his new deal with EMI, titled ''Family Affair'', because it was to introduce the world to the artists he had signed to his Oaktown Records (Geeman, Teabag, and Common Unity) as they made their recording debut. Technically his seventh album since his debut EP, this record was highly promoted on Trinity Broadcasting Network (performing a more gospel version of "Keep On" from his album ''V Inside Out''), but featured no charting singles and selling between about 100,000-500,000 copies worldwide. Nonetheless, it did include a song originally by 2Pac that was given to Hammer which he did as a ''remake'' on this album called "Unconditional Love". Hammer would later dance and read the lyrics to this song on the first ''VH1 Hip Hop Honors'' in 2004.

After this album, new projects were rumored to be in the works, including an album (''War Chest: Turn of the Century'') and a soundtrack to the film ''Return to Glory: The Powerful Stirring of the Black Man'', but neither appeared.

''Active Duty'' (2001)

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, M.C. Hammer released his 8th studio album, ''Active Duty'', on his own World Hit Music Group label (the musical enterprise under his Hammertime Holdings Inc. umbrella) to pay homage to the ones lost in the terrorist attacks. The album followed that theme, and featured two singles, "No Stoppin' Us (USA)" and "Pop Yo Collar" (featuring Wee Wee) which demonstrates "The Phat Daddy Pop", "In Pop Nito", "River Pop", "Deliver The Pop" and "Pop'n It Up" dance moves. The album, like its predecessor, failed to chart and would not sell as many copies as previous projects. Hammer did however promote it on such shows as ''The View'' and produced a video for both singles.

This patriotic album, originally planned to be titled ''The Autobiography Of M.C. Hammer'', donated portions of the proceeds to 9/11 charities. Hammer shot a video for the anthem "No Stoppin' Us (USA)" in Washington, D.C., with several members of the United States Congress, who sang in the song and danced in the video. Present members of the United States House of Representatives included J. C. Watts, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Thomas M. Davis, Earl Hilliard, Alcee Hastings, Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.), Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) and Jesse Jackson, Jr.

''Full Blast'' (2004)

After leaving Capitol Records and EMI for the second time in his career, M.C. Hammer decided to move his Oaktown imprint to an independent distributor and released his ninth studio album, ''Full Blast'' (which was completed in late 2003 and released as a complete album in early 2004). The album would feature no charting singles and failed to certify in the RIAA. A video was produced for "Full Blast", a song that attacks Eminem and Busta Rhymes for previous disrespect towards him.

Some of the original songs didn't end up making the final album release. Guest artists included The Stooge Playaz, Pleasure, Rain, JD, Greer & DasIt.

''Look Look Look'' (2006)

After going independent, he decided to create a digital label to release his tenth studio album, ''Look Look Look.'' The album was released in February 2006 and featured production from Scott Storch. The album featured the title-track single (''Look Look Look'') and a music video. It would sell much better than his previous release (400,000 copies worldwide). "YAY" was produced by Lil Jon. "What Happened to Our Hood?" (featuring Sam Logan) was originally from ''Active Duty''.

"I Got It From The Town" was used in the movie but not present on The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (soundtrack).

Between 2006 and 2007, Hammer released a military-inspired rap song with a political message to President George W. Bush about sending American troops back home from war, called "Bring Our Brothers Home". The video was filmed at the Santa Monica Pier.

''DanceJamtheMusic'' (2009)

Since his 2006 album, Hammer continued to produce music and released several other raps that appeared on his social websites (such as Myspace) or in commercials, with another album announced to be launced in late 2008 (via his own record label Fullblast Playhouse). Talks of the tour and a new album were expected in 2009.

"Getting Back to Hetton" was made public in 2008 as a digital single. It was a new departure for Hammer, bringing in funky deep soul and mixing it with a more house style. Released through licence on Whippet Digital Recordings, media reviews were said to be "disappointing". However, the song "I Got Gigs" from this eleventh album was used in a 2009 ESPN commercial and performed during ''Hammertime''.

Other tracks and videos from the album included: "I Go" (produced by Lil Jon), "Keep It In Vegas", "Lookin' Out The Window", "Dem Jeans" (by DASIT), "Stooge Karma Sutra" (by The Stooge Playaz) and "Tried to Luv U" (by DASIT featuring Pleasure Ellis).

In March 2009, M.C. Hammer and Vanilla Ice had a one-off concert in the McKay Events Center, Orem, Utah. This concert aided in the promotion of Hammer's new music and television show. During the concert, as shown on Hammer's show ''Hammertime'', it was mentioned between the two rappers that this was their first headline show together in nearly 20 years when they were touring together at the peak of their hip-hop careers. Hammer said: "Contrary to popular belief, Ice and I are not only cool with each other, we are like long lost friends. I've known him since he was 16, before he had a record contract and before I had a record contract. It is a great reunion." Vanilla Ice, real name Robert Van Winkle, said: "It's like no time has passed at all. We set the world on fire back in the day - it gives me goosebumps to think about. The concert wouldn't have been so packed if it wasn't us together. I'm so happy right now, the magic is here."

Current releases (2010-present)

"Better Run Run" (2010)

M.C. Hammer promised to release a track responding to a rap by Jay-Z which attacked him, expected on October 31, 2010. On the "So Appalled" track, which features Swizz Beatz and RZA, Jay-Z spits a line which targets Hammer for his fall from grace in the 1990s, which left him in a financial disaster. On it Jay says: 'Hammer went broke so you know I'm more focused / I lost 30 mil' so I spent another 30 / 'Cause unlike Hammer 30 million can't hurt me'. Hammer addressed his displeasure about the diss on Twitter, claiming he will react to Jay-Z on Halloween.

Hammer recently released a sample of his "beef" with Jay-Z (aka 'Hell Boy') in a brief teaser trailer called "Better Run Run" by 'King Hammer'. At one point, it was uncertain if his reaction would be a film video, a music video or a combination of both. Regardless, he claimed he would show evidence that 'Jigga worships the devil'. It's possible that Jay-Z was offended by an analogy Hammer was conveying in an earlier interview in response to "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" on AllHipHop.

On November 1, Hammer's new video ("Better Run Run!") hit the web in retaliation to Jay-Z's September diss towards him. M.C. accuses Jigga of being in league (and in the studio) with Satan — and then Hammer defeats the devil and forces Jay to be baptized. Speaking on the video, Jacob O'Gara of Ethos Magazine wrote: "What’s more likely is that this feud is the last chapter in the tragic cautionary tale of M.C. Hammer, a tale that serves as a warning to all present and future kings of hip-hop. Keep your balance on the pedestal and wear the crown strong or you’ll have the Devil to pay." Some bloggers felt Hammer shouldn't have responded the way he did.

In an interview with BBC's DJ Semtex, Jay said he didn't mean the verses as a personal attack. "I didn't know that [Hammer's financial status] wasn't on the table for discussion!" he said. "I didn't know I was the first person ever to say that..." He continued, "When I say things, I think people believe me so much that they take it a different way — it's, like, not rap anymore at that point. I say some great things about him in the book I have coming out [''Decoded''] — that's wasn't a cheap plug," he laughed. "He's gonna be embarrassed, I said some really great things about him and people's perception of him. But it is what it is, he took it that wrong way, and I didn't know I said anything wrong!"

M.C. Hammer decided to bury the hatchet with Jay-Z since the falling-out. Hammer had claimed Jay-Z was an imposter and stole his "swagger", but according to AllHipHop.com, Jay-Z tried to calm the situation by claiming his lyrics in question had been misinterpreted and that he's actually a fan of the rap stalwart, having praised him in his latest book. Hammer came around and told the website: "As a responsible veteran of twenty-something years of this, I can't leave it out there with tensions. I am reading comments on both sides - it's not about that, I have seen all of that before. There is an opportunity to say at some point we should move onto the next thing. You know, Jay took his shot and I answered. Now let's move on".

"See Her Face" (2011)

M.C. Hammer released a new track "See Her Face (She Got It)" in February 2011 via Flipboard and world premiered during an episode of ''Oprah'' in February 2011.

Additional business ventures

In 1991, M.C. Hammer established Oaktown Stable that would eventually have nineteen Thoroughbred racehorses. That year, his outstanding filly Lite Light won several Grade I stakes races including the prestigious Kentucky Oaks. His D. Wayne Lukas-trained colt Dance Floor won the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and the Breeders' Futurity Stakes in 1991, then the following year won the Fountain of Youth Stakes and finished 3rd in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. He continues to attend shows as well as many sporting events along side celebrities.

Hammer had several costly videos, two in particular were ''Too Legit to Quit'' or ''2 Legit 2 Quit'' (which many celebrities appeared in) and "''Here Comes the Hammer''".

In the late 1990s into the early 2000s, along with a new clothing line called "J Slick", Hammer began creating and working on M.C. Hammer USA, an interactive online portal.

In 2002, Hammer signed a book contract with publishing company Simon & Schuster which called for a release the following year. However, a manuscript for an inspirational book called ''Enemies of the Father: Messages from the Heart on Being a Family Man'' (addressing the situation of African American men), for which Hammer received advance money to write, was never submitted in 2003. This resulted in Hammer being sued by the book company over claims that he never finished the book as promised. The company's March 2009 lawsuit sought return of the US$61,000 advance given to Hammer for the unwritten book about fatherhood.

As a result of his previous success, Hammer has now become somewhat of a popular web mogul and activist, currently involved in several Internet projects (such as the TechCrunch40 conferences and DanceJam). In early 2008, Hammer launched his newest project as co-founder and chief strategy officer of Menlo Park-based (Silicon Valley) DanceJam.com. This exclusive community site is only dedicated to dancing video competitions, techniques and styles which Hammer, and others, judge or rate.

In July 2010, Hammer started a mixed martial arts management company to manage, market, promote, and brand-build for fighters such as Nate Marquardt, Tim F. Kennedy, and Vladimir Matyushenko, among others. According to MMAWeekly.com and Bizjournals, his new company is Alchemist Management in Los Angeles. It now manages 10 fighters. That same month, Hammer also announced his latest venture called Alchemist Clothing. The brand described as a colorful new lifestyle clothing line debuted during an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight in Austin. Middleweight fighter Nate "The Great" Marquardt wore an Alchemist shirt as he walked out to the ring. Hammer has shown an interest in boxing throughout his career.

Television & film career

M.C. Hammer has made cameos and/or performed on many television shows such as ''Saturday Night Live'' (as host and musical guest), ''Amen'' and ''Martin''. He also made a cameo in the 1993 Arnold Schwarzenegger film ''Last Action Hero''. Hammer would also go on to appear as himself on ''The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 5'' (1995). Additionally, he has been involved in movies as an actor - such as in ''One Tough Bastard'' (1996), ''Reggie's Prayer'' (1996), the Showtime film ''The Right Connections'' (1997), ''Deadly Rhapsody'' (2001) and ''Finishing the Game'' (2007) - and as a television and movie producer as well.

In 1991, M.C. Hammer and Bust It Productions (including B Angie B, Special Generation and Ho Frat Ho) appeared in concert from New Orleans on BET.

Despite public attacks about his financial status, after meeting at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, Nevada in April 2001, it was Hammer (credited as a producer) who provided the much needed funding to filmmaker Justin Lin for ''Better Luck Tomorrow'' (2002). In its first ever film acquisition, MTV Films eventually acquired ''Better Luck Tomorrow'' after it debuted at The Sundance Film Festival. The director said, ''"Out of desperation, I called up MC Hammer because he had read the script and liked it. Two hours later, he wired the money we needed into a bank account and saved us."''

Hammer appeared in two cable television movies. At the age of 39, he was one of the producers for the VH1 movie ''Too Legit: The M.C. Hammer Story'', starring Romany Malco and Tangi Miller as his wife, which aired on December 19, 2001. The film is a biopic which chronicles the meteoric rise and precipitous fall of the rap singer. ''"2 Legit To Quit: The Life Story of M.C. Hammer"'' became the second highest-rated original movie in the history of VH1 and broadcasted simultaneously on BET. ''"The whole script came from me,"'' says Hammer, ''"I sat down with a writer and gave him all the information."''

In 2003, Hammer appeared on The WB's first season of ''The Surreal Life'', a reality show known for assembling an eclectic mix of celebrities to live together. He was also a dance judge on the 2003 ABC Family TV series ''Dance Fever''. Additionally, he appeared on VH1's ''And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop'' (2004) as well as in ''100 Greatest Songs of the 90s'' (2008), a countdown which he was also commentator on. His eldest child, A'Keiba Burrell, was a contestant on MTV's ''Rock the Cradle'' in April, 2008 (which Hammer also made appearances on).

According to past articles, Hammer had shown an interest in having his own reality show with specific television networks at one point. Already being a part of shows for VH1 and The WB (''I Married... M.C. Hammer'' and ''The Surreal Life''), it was later confirmed he would appear in ''Hammertime'' on A&E; Network in the summer of 2009. This reality show was about his personal, business and family life. The following year, Hammer appeared on ''Live with Regis and Kelly'' June 3, 2009 to promote his show which began June 14, 2009 at 10 PM EST.

In August 2008, a new ESPN ad featured Hammer in it, showcasing his single "I Got Gigs'" (from his ''DanceJamtheMusic'' album). The commercial was for Monday Night Football's upcoming football season.

Along with Betty White, Hammer appeared and voice-acted on the September 17, 2010 episode of ''Glenn Martin, DDS'' called "Step-brother".

M.C. Hammer's music has also been used in many television shows and movies, especially "U Can't Touch This", such as ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' (1990), ''Hot Shots!'' (1990), ''The Super'' (1991), ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'' (1992), ''Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood'' (1996), ''Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle'' (2003), ''Into the Wild'' (2007), ''Tropic Thunder'' (2008), ''Dancing with the Stars'' (2009), ''Glee'' (2010) and many more. Additionally, "This Is What We Do" was a 1990 track by Hammer (featuring B Angie B) for the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' film and soundtrack. Tracks "That's What I Said" and "Feel My Power" were used for the ''Rocky V'' film and soundtrack. Some examples of other raps by Hammer used in movies and television were "Addam's Groove" (''The Addams Family''), "Pray" (''License to Wed''), "2 Legit 2 Quit" (''Hot Rod''), "I Got It From The Town" (''The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift''), "Help Lord, Won't You Come" (''Kingdom Come''), "Let's Go Deeper" (''Beverly Hills, 90210'') and "Straight to My Feet" (''Street Fighter''), among others.

Dancer and entertainer

M.C. Hammer's dance style not only helped pave the way for the Bay Area movement called Hyphy, but also helped to bring hip-hop and rap to the Bay Area. His dancing skills are still taught to this day. With his popular trademark Hammer Pants, one phenomenal difference from Hammer versus other performers during his heyday was that he was an entertainer, both during live shows and in music videos. His flamboyant dancing was as much a part of his performances as rapping and musical instruments were. With high-energy dance routines, he is often considered one of the greatest dancers. While adding his own techniques, Hammer adopted styles from James Brown and The Nicholas Brothers such as the splits, and feverish choreographed dance routines including leaps and slides, most notably. His creation of such dances as "Hammer Dance" (or the "Typewriter Dance") and the use of "The Running Man" and the "Butterfly," among others, made his flashy and creative dance skills unlike any others at the time.

Hammer's showmanship and elaborate stage choreography, involving fifteen dancers, twelve backup singers, seven live musicians and two disc jockeys, gave him a powerful visual appeal. Hammer was the first rap artist to put together a choreographed show of this type, and his visual flair attracted heavy airplay for his videos on MTV, which at the time had a predominantly white viewership that had aired little rap music before Hammer.

During a 1990 visit from M.C. Hammer (accompanied by his friend Fab Five Freddy) on ''Yo! MTV Raps'', one of the dancers whom Hammer was holding auditions for was a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez.

At the height of his career, Hammer had his legs insured for a substantial amount of money (into the millions), as mentioned in an interview by Maria Shriver in the early 90s. He later suffered an injury to his knee that halted his dancing career for a period of time. Eventually, BET ranked Hammer as the 7th Best Dancer Of All Time. Some of Hammer's entourage, or "posse" as he called them, were also trained/skilled dancers. They participated in videos and at concerts, yet too many dancers and band members eventually contributed to Hammer's downfall, proving to be too much for him to finance.

In 2000, Hammer's rap video for "Pop Yo Collar" (featuring Wee Wee) demonstrated "The Phat Daddy Pop", "In Pop Nito", "River Pop", "Deliver The Pop" and "Pop'n It Up" dance moves.

Hammer is still active in the dance media/genre, both on television shows and as co-founder of DanceJam.com (which showcases dance competitions and instructional videos on all the latest dance styles). Well known for bringing choreography to hip-hop, many of his dancing skills can now be seen on this dance-focused social networking site. "Dance is unlike any other social medium. It's the core of our culture," Burrell told Wired News.

In addition to his websites and other Internet appearances, Hammer has also appeared demonstrating much of his dancing abilities on talk shows such as ''The Arsenio Hall Show'', ''Soul Train'', ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' (performing O'Brien's famous "string dance" together as well), ''Ellen'', ''The View'' and was a dancing judge on ''Dance Fever''. On June 3, 2009, he performed the "Hammer dance" on ''Live with Regis and Kelly'' with Will Ferrell as co-host.

While Hammer may have challenged and competed with Michael Jackson during the height of his career, they were friends, proven by a phone call Hammer had with Jackson about his "Too Legit to Quit" video which he shared on ''The Wendy Williams Show'' (July 2009). Hammer wanted to ensure he was not offended by the ending of the video where a purported Michael Jackson (seen only from behind) does the "2 Legit 2 Quit" hand gesture with his famous glove. They also appeared together at the funeral service for James Brown in 2006, where Hammer danced in honor of ''The Godfather of Soul''. After Jackson's death, Hammer posted his remembrance and sympathy of the superstar on Twitter. Michael's friend and fellow pop culture icon Hammer told Spinner that, "now that the King of Pop has passed, it's the duty of his fans and loved ones to carry Jackson's creative torch." He went on to say, "Michael Jackson lit the fuse that ignited the spirit of dance in us all. He gave us a song and a sweet melody that will never die. Now we all carry his legacy with joy and pride."

Bankruptcy, lawsuits and media reaction

Contrary to public rumor, Hammer claimed he was far from down-and-out during the release of ''The Funky Headhunter'' album. Nonetheless, as a result of the fickle public growing bored with his positive and poppy style during the rise of gangsta rap, as well as excessive spending while supporting friends and family, Hammer later went $13 million into debt. Because of dwindling album sales, unpaid loans and a lavish lifestyle, Hammer eventually filed for bankruptcy in April 1996 at a California court.

Hammer's mansion was sold for a fraction of its former price. "My priorities were out of order", he told Ebony. He claimed, "My priorities should have always been God, family, community, and then business. Instead they had been business, business, and business". Along with Felton Pilate and other group members, Rick James sued Hammer for infringement of copyright, but the suit was settled out of court when Hammer agreed to credit James as co-composer, effectively cutting James in on the millions of dollars the record was earning. By the late 1990s, though, Hammer seemed to stabilize himself and made himself ready to undertake new projects.

In 1992, Hammer had admitted in depositions and court documents to getting the idea for the song "Here Comes The Hammer" from a Christian recording artist in Dallas, Texas named Kevin Christian. Christian had filed a 16 million dollar lawsuit against Hammer for copyright infringement for his song entitled "Oh-Oh, You Got The Shing". This fact, compounded with witness testimony from both Hammer's and Christian's entourages, and other evidence (including photos), brought about a settlement with Capitol Records in 1994. The terms of the settlement remain sealed. Hammer settled with Christian the following year.

In 1997, just prior to beginning his ministry, M.C. Hammer (who by that time had re-adopted the "M.C.") was the subject of an episode of ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' and the VH1 series ''Behind the Music'' (music from his album ''V Inside Out'' was featured in this documentary). In these appearances, Burrell admitted 'that [he] had already used up most of [his] fortune of over $20 million, proving that money is nothing if it doesn't bring peace and if priorities are wrong'. He would go on to express a similar point in other interviews as well.

During numerous interviews on radio stations and television channels throughout the years to come, Hammer has been questioned about his bankruptcy. For example, during an interview by WKQI-FM (95.5) for the promotion of his ''"Pioneers Of Hip Hop 2009"'' gig at the Fox Theatre (Detroit, Michigan) which featured 2 Live Crew, Naughty by Nature, Too Short, Biz Markie & Roxanne Shanté, Hammer was asked about his finances by the ''"Mojo in the Morning"'' host. Hammer responded on Twitter that Mojo was a 'coward' and threatened to cancel commercials for his upcoming show.

Personal life

At the time of his first album, Hammer opened his own music management firm. As a result of the success of his third album, ''Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt 'Em'', Hammer had amassed approximately US$33 million. US$12 million of this total was used to have his Xanadu-like home built in Fremont, California, 30 miles (50 km) south of where he grew up. Jet estimated that Hammer employed 200 people, with an annual payroll of US$6.8 million. He currently resides in a large ranch-style abode situated on a two-acre corner lot in Tracy, California with his wife Stephanie of 25 years (whom he met at a church revival meeting and married December 21, 1985) and their five children: three boys (Bobby, Jeremiah, Sammy) and two girls (Sarah, A'keiba), along with his nephew (Jamaris) and cousin (Marv).

Hammer frequently posts about his life and activities on his blog "Look Look Look," as well as other social websites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter (being one of the earliest celebs to contribute and join).

In March 2009, Ellen DeGeneres made plans for Hammer to be on her show (''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'') via communication with Twitter. As a result of his popularity with the site, he has been considered a "Tweeter star".

On September 28, 2010, M.C. Hammer headlined at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference for an official after-hours party.

M.C. Hammer returned to Oprah Winfrey's show in February 2011 to discuss his tech-media-mogul status, as well as his creation, demonstration and consulting of social applications/sites/media (such as having an involvement with the Internet since 1994, YouTube and Twitter), and devices such as iPad and ZAGGmate. He also explained again how employing/helping so many people in the past never really caused him to be broke in terms of the average person, as the media made it seem, nor would he have changed any experiences that has led him to where he is today. During this "Whatever Happened to M.C. Hammer" episode, he discussed his current home, family and work life as well.

In 2011, Hammer will perform at the Gathering of the Juggalos.

Christian beliefs and pastoral ministry

In 1984, Kirk Burrell began attending Bible studies, joined a street ministry, and formed a gospel rap group known as the Holy Ghost Boys featuring Jon Gibson, another musician interested in Contemporary Christian music. In 1986, Burrell, along with Tramaine Hawkins, performed with Jon's band doing several concerts in various halls such as the Beverly Theatre in Beverly Hills and recording several rap songs. They collaborated on Gibson's 1988 album (''Change of Heart'') for a gospel-charged rap "This Wall" prior to M.C. Hammer's mainstream success. This was Contemporary Christian Music's first rap hit ever by anyone, in particular by a Caucasian (Gibson) and/or a duo. Burrell also produced "Son of the King" at that time, releasing it on his debut album.

Raised Pentecostal, Hammer strayed from his faith during his success, before returning to ministry. His awareness of this could be found in a movie he made called ''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie'' (1990), in which he also plays the preacher character named "Reverend Pressure". Nonetheless, as a tribute to his faith, Hammer vowed to dedicate at least one song on each album to God.

Hammer later reaffirmed his beliefs in October 1997, and starred in the ministry television show ''M.C. Hammer and Friends'' on the Trinity Broadcasting Network as well as appearing on ''Praise the Lord'' programs where he went public about his devotion to ministry as an ordained minister. Hammer officiated at the celebrity weddings of actor Corey Feldman and Susie Sprague on October 30, 2002 (as seen on VH1's ''The Surreal Life''), and also at Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil and Lia Gerardini's wedding in January 2005.

During an interview on TBN (between 1997–1998), Hammer claimed he adopted the "M.C." back into his name which now stood for 'Man of Christ'. Hammer continued to preach while still making music, running a social media business and television show, and devotes time to prison and youth ministries.

He has also recently joined Jaeson Ma in his crusade in Asia.[?]

Legacy and pop culture fame

Widely considered the first "mainstream" rapper, even when it wasn't "cool" to be, Hammer continues to entertain while sharing his legacy with other rappers - as cited on BET's website. Hammer became a fixture of the television airwaves and the big screen, with his music being used in many popular shows, movies and commercials still to this day. He also established a children's foundation that first started in his own community.

Hammer has also influenced the music industry as well as pop culture catch phrases and slang. Digital Underground's rap "The Humpty Dance" included the lyrics "People say ya look like M.C. Hammer on crack, Humpty!", boasting about Hammer's showmanship versus Humpty Hump (Shock G)'s inability to match it in dance. Additionally, his sampling of large portions of well-know pop oldies (as opposed to short James Brown or George Clinton funk riffs) has become increasingly popular among mainstream rappers, particularly Diddy's Bad Boy Records stable. At the time, it was frowned upon.

Some critics complained of a lack of originality in Hammer's early productions. Entertainment Weekly described "U Can't Touch This" as 'shamelessly copying its propulsive riff from Rick James ("Super Freak"). But Hammer set the pattern; musically, fashionably and financially, for practices that became common in hip-hop music later in the 1990s in the hands of such platinum-selling performers as Puff Daddy and Will Smith. Hammer admits, "When I look at Puffy with a choir, I say, 'Sure that's a take-off of what I do."

Hammer's clothing-lines, one later called J Slick, and flashy wardrobes also led to other performers being more conscientious about video outfits, "shiny suits" and baggie pants. During his early career (80s and early 90s), Hammer would tour, perform and record with his hype man 2 Bigg MC or Too Big (releasing a song in which he claimed "He's the King of the Hype"). It's interesting to note that this duo introduced the "shiny suit" to mainstream America, as seen in videos such as "(Hammer Hammer) They Put Me In A Mix", in which Hammer also claimed Too Big was the "King of Hype", who was in an unspoken competition with Flavor Flav (hype man for Public Enemy) during the height of their careers.

During a 1991 episode of ''Rockline on MTV'' (with host Martha Quinn), in response to a caller's question, Hammer stated in 10 years he sees himself continuing to make "original material to establish longevity", "energetic... message-oriented songs for a long time to come" and "staying in good shape... working as long as God blesses [him] to be here".

Hammer also began the trend of rap artists being accepted as mainstream pitchmen. Prior to Hammer, it was virtually unheard of for a hip-hop artist to be seen in a major commercial spot. Hammer appeared in major marketing campaigns for companies such as Pepsi, KFC, Toshiba and Taco Bell to the point that he was criticized as a "sell-out". Hammer also did commercials for British Knights during the height of his career. The shoe company signed him to a $138 million (US) deal. Today, many rappers appear in various major commercials and market their own clothing lines. Ironically, three of Hammer's biggest detractors (LL Cool J, Run-D.M.C. and Ice Cube), would also appear in ads later.

In 1994, British TV presenter Mark Lamarr interrupted Hammer repeatedly with Hammer's catch phrase ("Stop! Hammer Time!") in an interview filmed for ''The Word'', which he took in good humour. He claimed Hammer was a "living legend". It was also within this interview that Hammer explained the truth about his relationship with "gangsta rap" and that he was merely changing with the times, not holding onto his old image nor becoming a "hardcore gangsta". This change had much to do with his failure due to the ignorance, jealousy and sabotage by the media, public and so-called fans.

After his rapid fall from commercial fame, M.C. Hammer spent most of the latter half of the 1990s as a punch line in the music business.[?] In 2000, Nelly, in his breakthrough hit "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)", announced his intention to "blow 30 mill[ion] like I'm Hammer." According to VH1, "Hammer was on the money. Hit singles and videos like "U Can't Touch This" and "Too Legit To Quit" created a template of lavish performance values that many rap artists still follow today."

In 2003, Beam and Cyrus did a remix of "U Can't Touch This" featuring M.C. Hammer.

In 2006, M.C. Hammer's music catalog (approximately 40,000 songs) was sold to the music company Evergreen for nearly $3 million. Evergreen explained that the collection was "some of the best-selling and most popular rap songs of all time." Speaking for Evergreen, David K. Schulhof stated the songs ''"will emerge as a perfect fit for licensing in movies, television shows, and corporate advertising."''

''The Simpsons'' have made numerous references to the artist throughout its run. In season 11, episode 22, Behind the Laughter, Homer buys M.C. Hammer's mansion. The gates to the mansion are decorated with golden letters spelling the word "hammertime," which Homer bashes with a hammer to spell out "Homertime". In "Treehouse of Horror" IX, Homer tries to kill Bart with a sledgehammer, while making a reference to M.C. Hammer, ''"It's hammertime dude"!''

In an episode of ''Family Guy'', Peter Griffin visits the U.S. as a diplomat from his newly founded country of "Petoria". Exploiting his diplomatic immunity status by committing crimes such as vandalism and littering, Peter boastfully announces that he cannot be arrested by going into a musical montage featuring a song called "Can't Touch Me", a parody of M.C. Hammer's song, "U Can't Touch This".

In an episode of ''The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy'' called ''Goodbling and the Hip-Hop-Opotamus'' Irwin wears clothing similar to that of M.C. Hammer and dances to a variation of "U Can't Touch This". This track proved to be his most successfully used in many television shows and movies throughout his career.

Hammer continues to give media interviews, such as being a guest on ''Chelsea Lately'' (June 16, 2009), where he discussed his relationship with Vanilla Ice, his stint on ''The Surreal Life'', his latest show, his family, his mansion, him being in shape, his current financial status and other "colorful topics" (subliminal jokes) regarding his baggy pants.

On the Disney Channel sketch comedy ''So Random'', Hammer was parodied as M.C. Grammer who grammatically corrects rappers in a rap battle.

Influences and related artists

M.C. Hammer's impact in rap and entertainment has influenced and been influenced by such artists as: Kool Moe Dee, Big Daddy Kane, James Brown, Prince, Michael Jackson, Kurtis Blow, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rick James, Doug E. Fresh (who joined Hammer's Bust It Records label in 1992 and issued the album ''Doin' What I Gotta Do'' with the track "Bustin' Out (On Funk)" sampling the Rick James single "Bustin' Out") & The Get Fresh Crew (Barry Bee and Chill Will), Run-D.M.C. and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

Hammer was followed by related musicians: Will Smith, dc Talk, BB Jay, Diddy (aka "Puffy" or "Puff Daddy"), Young MC, B Angie B, M.C. Brains, MC Breed, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, C+C Music Factory, Mystikal, Bell Biv DeVoe, Kris Kross, Vanilla Ice, Ho Frat Ho and Oaktown's 357.

Among others, some similar acts to Hammer are: Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Digital Underground, Gerardo, Heavy D & the Boyz, Jibri Wise One, Kid 'n Play, MC Skat Kat and The Stray Mob, MC Lyte, Salt-n-Pepa, Tone Lōc, Whodini, The U-Krew, P.M. Dawn, Candyman, M-Doc, Triple M, House of Pain, Bobby Brown, Milli Vanilli, Biz Markie, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Father MC, LL Cool J, Marley Marl, and Wreckx-n-Effect.

Award recipient, appearances and recognitions

M.C. Hammer has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, demonstrating hip-hop's potential for mass market success. He has won three Grammy Awards (one with Rick James and Alonzo Miller) for Best Rhythm and Blues Song (1990), Best Rap Solo (1990) and Best Music Video: Long Form (1990) taken from ''Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie''. He also received eight American Music Awards, a People's Choice Award, an NAACP Image Awards and the ''Billboard'' Diamond Award (the first for a hip hop artist).

The International Album of the Year validated Hammer's talent as a world-class entertainer. Additionally, Hammer was also honored with a Soul Train Music Award (Sammy Davis, Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year) in 1991.

Hammer appeared on gospel music's Stellar Awards show in 1997 and spoke of his renewed commitment to God. In the same interview, Hammer promised to unveil the "second leg" of his career.

In the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Hammer made a surprise appearance in the middle of the show with best friend Jermaine Jackson.

On June 12, 2008, Hammer gave his support to Warren Beatty by attending the 36th AFI Life Achievement Awards.

In August 2008, at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships, Hammer won a Living Legends of Hip Hop Award from Hip Hop International in Las Vegas.

Hammer, Rick Sanchez and Shaquille O'Neal celebrated the Best of Twitter in Brooklyn at the Shorty Awards on February 11, 2009, which honored the top short-form content creators on Twitter.

Hammer attended the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards which aired on BET November 29, 2009. He has also been a presenter/performer at Soul Train's Music Awards several times, including The 5th Annual Soul Train Music Awards (1991), The 9th Annual Soul Train Music Awards (1995) and Soul Train's 25th Anniversary (1995).

On October 2 (aired October 12), Hammer opened the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards performing "2 Legit 2 Quit" in Atlanta along with Rick Ross, Diddy and DJ Khaled (performing "MC Hammer" from the ''Teflon Don'' album).

In September 2009, Hammer made the "accomplishment appearance" in Zombie Apocalypse for the downloadable Smash TV/Left 4 Dead hybrid for the Xbox 360.

With nearly 2 million Twitter followers, his contribution to social media and as a co-founder of his own Internet businesses (such as DanceJam), Hammer has been announced as the recipient of the first Gravity Summit Social Media Marketer of the Year Award. The award will be presented to him at the 3rd Annual Gravity Summit on February 22, 2011 at the UCLA Covel Commons.

Hammer's chronological summary of recognitions are as follows (according to sources provided within this and other supporting articles):

September 1989: The video for "Turn This Mutha Out" was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video.

January 1990: Won two American Music Awards for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album (''Let's Get It Started'') and was nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B; Album (''Let's Get It Started'').

April 1990: Hit the Top 40 with "U Can't Touch This" from the LP ''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em''.

May 1990: Hit the Top 10 with "U Can't Touch This".

July 1990: Hit the Top 40 with "Have You Seen Her".

August 1990: Hit the Top 10 with "Have You Seen Her".

September 1990: The video for "U Can't Touch This" won a MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video and Best Dance Video and was nominated for Best Male Video, Best Editing, and Best Choreography.

October 1990: Hit the Top 40 and Top 10 with "Pray".

November 1990: Hit #1 for a week with "Pray".

Hammer was a 1990 Top Singles Artist of the Year, a 1990 Billboard Hot Single Artist of the Year and was the 1990 Billboard Music Award Artist of the Decade. Another milestone was accomplished for Hammer when his album ''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em'' spent 21 weeks at #1, according to ''Billboard 200'', eventually resulting in diamond certification.

January 1991: Hit the Top 40 with "Here Comes The Hammer". Won five American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist, Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B; Single ("U Can't Touch This"), Favorite Soul/R&B; Album and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album (Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em), and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album (''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em'').

February 1991: Won three Grammy Awards including Best Rap Solo Performance and Best R&B; Song ("U Can't Touch This") and Best Music Video: Long Form (''Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie''), and was nominated for Album of the Year (''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em'') and Record of the Year ("U Can't Touch This").

September 1991: The video for "Pray" was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography and "Here Comes The Hammer" was nominated for Best Special Effects.

November 1991: Hit the Top 40 with "2 Legit 2 Quit".

December 1991: Hit the Top 10 with "2 Legit 2 Quit". Hit the Top 40 with "Addams Groove".

According to ARC Weekly, Hammer ranked the #43 Singles Artist of 1991. He also received a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song ("Addams Groove") in 1991.

January 1992: Won an American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist. Hit the Top 10 with "Addams Groove."

February 1992: Nominated for another Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance ("Here Comes The Hammer").

September 1992: Nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards including Best Video from a Film ("Addams Groove") and Best Choreography ("2 Legit 2 Quit").

Hammer was a 1992 Billboard Hot Single Artist of the Year, and ranked the #34 Singles Artist of 1992 according to ARC Weekly.

January 1993: Nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance ("Hammer") and Best Music Video: Long Form (''Hammerin' Home'').

In 1994, Hammer ranked the #84 Singles Artist of the Year according to ARC Weekly.

March 1994: Hit the Top 40 with "It's All Good".

April 1994: Hit the Top 40 with "Pumps and a Bump".

September 1994: Nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography ("Pumps And A Bump").

In 1999, MTV's ''"100 Greatest Videos Ever Made"'' included Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" at #71.

In October 2000, VH1's ''"100 Greatest Dance Songs"'' included Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" at #88.

In May 2001, VH1's ''"100 Greatest Videos"'' included Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" at #59.

In April 2003, VH1's ''"50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists"'' included MC Hammer at #44.

In 2004, Hammer was ranked #167 on the Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years chart.

In August 2005, the single "U Can't Touch This" was certified gold.

In April 2007, BET ranked Hammer as the #7 "Best Dancer Of All Time".

In December 2007, VH1's ''"100 Greatest Songs of the 90s"'' included "U Can't Touch This" at #16.

In October 2008, ''Vibe'''s "The Best Rapper Ever Tournament" declared Hammer the 17th favorite of all-time during the first round.

Discography

Studio albums

''Feel My Power'' (1987)

''Let's Get It Started'' (1988)

''Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em'' (1990)

''Too Legit to Quit'' (1991)

''The Funky Headhunter'' (1994)

''Inside Out'' (1995)

''Too Tight'' (1996)

''Family Affair'' (1998)

''Active Duty'' (2001)

''Full Blast'' (2004)

''Look Look Look'' (2006)

''DanceJamtheMusic'' (2009)

References

External links

MC Hammer's blog

"Hammered" Successful Copyright Infringement Lawsuit by Kevin Christian (Abdullah)

Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:1962 births Category:African American rappers Category:American Christians Category:Street ministry Category:American racehorse owners and breeders Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Death Row Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Oakland Athletics Category:People from Oakland, California Category:Rappers from the San Francisco Bay Area Category:The Surreal Life participants Category:United States Navy sailors Category:People from Tracy, California Category:Pseudonymous rappers

cs:MC Hammer cy:MC Hammer da:MC Hammer de:MC Hammer es:MC Hammer fa:ام‌سی همر fr:MC Hammer ko:MC 해머 hr:MC Hammer id:MC Hammer it:MC Hammer hu:MC Hammer nl:MC Hammer ja:M.C.ハマー pl:MC Hammer pt:MC Hammer ro:MC Hammer ru:MC Hammer simple:M.C. Hammer fi:MC Hammer sv:MC Hammer th:เอ็มซีแฮมเมอร์ tr:MC Hammer uk:MC Hammer

name	Brian Wilson
alt	Brian Wilson performing in January 2007
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Brian Douglas Wilson
birth date	June 20, 1942
birth place	Inglewood, California, U.S.
death date
genre	Rock, pop, psychedelic rock, surf rock, experimental rock, baroque pop, art rock
occupation	Songwriter, bassist, pianist, vocalist, producer, composer, organist, arranger
instrument	Vocals, bass, piano, organ, synthesizers
years active	1961–present
label	Capitol/EMI RecordsSire/Reprise/Warner Bros. RecordsBrother/Reprise/Warner Bros. RecordsGiant/Warner Bros. RecordsCaribou/CBS RecordsNonesuch/Elektra RecordsWalt Disney Records
associated acts	The Beach Boys The Four Freshmen Jan and Dean Van Dyke Parks
url
notable instruments	Fender Precision BassBaldwin HT2R Theater Organ }}

Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group. Besides being the primary composer in The Beach Boys, he also functioned as the band's main producer and arranger. Wilson was responsible for writing and soon produced most of the Beach Boys earliest and most successful music including more than two dozen Top 40 hits and a large portion of the songs on most of the bands 60's albums — many of which were co-written in part with cousin Mike Love.

In the mid-60's Wilson started to use his increasingly creative ambitions to compose music such as ''Pet Sounds'' which is considered one of the greatest albums of all time and the hit single "Good Vibrations". During this point in time his music was considered to rival that of "Lennon/McCartney". The intended follow up to Pet Sounds, ''Smile'' was cancelled due to various reasons including his deteriorating mental health and Wilson's life was derailed following years of drug abuse and mental illness. Wilson's contributions to The Beach Boys eventually became less and less as the years went by and his erratic behaviour led to tensions with the band. After years of treatment and recuperation he began a solo career in 1988 with ''Brian Wilson'', the same year that he and The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since then he has managed to fight his personal demons and tour for the first time in decades with a new band and release acclaimed albums such as a reworked version of ''Smile'', ''That Lucky Old Sun'', and ''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin''.

Wilson has received a lot of well deserved recognition in the last 20 years for his music in the Beach Boys particularly the album Pet Sounds and many of his songs which are often considered some of the best music ever written. In 2008, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine published a list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", and ranked Wilson number 52. Wilson also won a Grammy Award in 2005 for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire)" as Best Rock Instrumental. He is also an occasional actor and voice actor, having appeared in television shows, films, and other artists' music videos. Though no longer a part of The Beach Boys touring band, Brian Wilson remains a member of the Beach Boys corporation, Brother Records Incorporated.

Life and career

Early years

Wilson was born on June 20, 1942 at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, California. He was the eldest of three boys; his younger brothers were Dennis and Carl. When Brian was two, the Wilson family moved from Inglewood to 3701 West 119th Street in nearby Hawthorne, California, a town in the greater Los Angeles urban area about five miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. He spent his entire subsequent childhood years in this middle-class family home.

Brian Wilson's father Murry Wilson told of Brian's unusual musical abilities prior to his first birthday, observing that the baby could repeat the melody from "When the Caissons Go Rolling Along" after only a few verses had been sung by the father. Murry stated, "He was very clever and quick. I just fell in love with him."

At about age two, Brian heard George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue", which had an enormous emotional impact on him. A few years later Brian was discovered to have extremely diminished hearing in his right ear. The exact cause of this hearing loss is unclear, though theories range from Brian's simply being born partially deaf, to a blow to the head from Brian's father, or a neighborhood bully, being to blame.

While father Murry was ostensibly a reasonable provider, he was often abusive. But Murry, a minor musician and songwriter, also encouraged his children in this field in numerous ways. At an early age, Brian was given six weeks of lessons on a "toy accordion", and at seven and eight sang solos in church with a choir behind him. By most accounts a natural leader by the time he began attending Hawthorne High School, Brian was on the football team as a quarterback, played baseball and was a cross-country runner in his senior year. However, most of his energy was directed toward music. He sang with various students at school functions and with his family and friends at home. Brian taught his two brothers harmony parts that all three would then practice when they were supposed to be asleep. He also played piano obsessively after school, deconstructing the harmonies of The Four Freshmen by listening to short segments of their songs on a phonograph, then working to recreate the blended sounds note by note on the keyboard. Brian received a Wollensak tape recorder on his sixteenth birthday, allowing him to experiment with recording songs and early group vocals.

First steps: Carl and the Passions

Wilson's surviving home tapes document his initial efforts singing with various buddies and family, including a song that would later be recorded in the studio by The Beach Boys, "Sloop John B", as well as "Bermuda Shorts" and a hymn titled "Good News". In his senior year at Hawthorne High, in addition to his classroom music studies, he would gather at lunchtime to sing with friends like Keith Lent and Bruce Griffin. Brian and Lent worked on a revised version of the tune "Hully Gully" to support the campaign of a classmate named Carol Hess who was running for senior class president. When performed for a full high school gathering, Brian's revised arrangement received a warm round of applause from the student audience.

Enlisting his cousin and often-time singing partner Mike Love, and Wilson's reluctant youngest brother Carl Wilson, Brian's next public performance featured more ambitious arrangements at a fall arts program at his high school. To entice Carl into the group, Wilson named the newly-formed membership "Carl and the Passions". The performance featured tunes by Dion and the Belmonts and The Four Freshmen ("It's a Blue World"), the latter of which proved difficult for the ensemble to carry off. However, the event was notable for the impression it made on another musician and classmate of Brian's who was in the audience that night, Al Jardine, later to join the three Wilson brothers and Mike Love in The Beach Boys.

Initial compositions and the Pendletones

Brian enrolled at El Camino Community College in Los Angeles, majoring in psychology, in September 1960. However, he continued his music studies at the college as well. At some point in the year 1961 Brian wrote his first all-original melody, loosely based on a Dion and the Belmonts version of "When You Wish Upon a Star". Brian's tune would eventually be known as "Surfer Girl". Brian has commented that he wrote the melody in his car, then later at home finished the bridge and harmonies. Although an early demo of the song was recorded in Feb. 1962 at World-Pacific Studios, it was not re-recorded and released until 1963, when it became a top ten hit.

Brian and his brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson along with Mike Love and Al Jardine first gelled as a music group in the summer of 1961, initially named the Pendletones. After being prodded by Dennis to write a song about the local water sports craze, Brian and Mike Love together created what would become the first single for the band, "Surfin'". Over Labor Day weekend 1961, Brian took advantage of the fact that his parents were in Mexico City for a couple days and intended to use the emergency money they had left for the boys to rent an amp, a microphone, and a stand-up bass. As it turned out, the money they had left was not enough to cover musical expenses, so Al Jardine appealed to his mother, Virginia for assistance. When she heard the group perform, she was suitably impressed and handed over $300 to help out. Al promptly took Brian to the music store where he was able to rent a stand-up bass. After two days of rehearsing in the Wilson's music room, Brian's parents returned home from their trip. Murry was irate, until Brian convinced him to listen to what they'd been up to. His father was convinced that the boys did indeed have something worth pursuing. He quickly proclaimed himself the group's manager and the band embarked on serious rehearsals for a proper studio session. Recorded by Hite and Dorinda Morgan and released on the small Candix label, "Surfin'" became a top local hit in Los Angeles and reached number seventy-five on the national ''Billboard'' sales charts.

Dennis later described the first time Brian heard their song on the radio as the three Wilson brothers (and soon-to-be-band member David Marks) drove in Brian's 1957 Ford in the rain: "Nothing will ever top the expression on Brian's face, ever ... THAT was the all-time moment."

However, the Pendletones were no more. Without the band's knowledge or permission, Candix Records had changed their name to The Beach Boys.

First performances and the quest for a major label

Brian Wilson and his bandmates, following a set by Ike and Tina Turner, performed their first major live show at The Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance on New Year's Eve, 1961. Three days previously, Brian's father had bought him an electric bass and amplifier; Brian had learned to play the instrument in that short period of time, with Al Jardine moving to rhythm guitar.

Looking for a followup single for their radio hit, Brian and Mike wrote "Surfin' Safari", and attempts were made to record a usable take at World Pacific, including overdubs, on February 8, 1962, along with several other tunes including an early version of "Surfer Girl". Only a few days later, discouraged about the band's financial prospects, and objecting to adding some Chubby Checker songs to The Beach Boys live setlist, Al Jardine abruptly left the group.

Murry Wilson had become The Beach Boys manager, and when Candix Records ran into money problems and sold the group's master recordings to another label, Murry terminated the contract. Brian, worried about The Beach Boys' future, asked his father to help his group make more recordings. But Murry and Hite Morgan (who at this point was their music publisher) were turned down by a number of Los Angeles record companies.

As "Surfin'" faded from the charts, Brian, who had forged a songwriting partnership with Gary Usher, created several new tunes, including a car song, "409", that Usher had helped write. Recruiting Carl and Dennis' friend, thirteen-year-old neighbor David Marks, who had been playing electric guitar (and practicing with Carl) for years, Brian and the revamped Beach Boys cut new tracks on April 19 at Western Recorders including an updated "Surfin' Safari" and "409". These tunes convinced Capitol Records to release the demos as a single; they became a double-sided national hit.

The Beach Boys and first success with Capitol Records

After signing with Capitol Records in mid-1962, Brian Wilson wrote or co-wrote a series of hit singles including the aforementioned "Surfin' Safari", "Surfin' USA", "Shut Down", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Be True to Your School", "In My Room", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "I Get Around", "Dance, Dance, Dance", "Help Me Rhonda", "California Girls" and "Good Vibrations". These songs and their accompanying albums were internationally popular, making The Beach Boys one of the biggest acts of their time.

Recording sessions for the band's first album took place in Capitol's basement studios (in the famous tower building) in August 1962, but early on Brian lobbied for a different place to cut Beach Boy tracks. The large rooms were built to record the big orchestras and ensembles of the 50s, not small rock groups. At Brian's insistence, Capitol agreed to let The Beach Boys pay for their own outside recording sessions, which Capitol would own all the rights to, and in return the band would receive a higher royalty rate on their record sales. Additionally, although it was very rare at the time for rock and roll band members to have a say in the process of making their records, during the taping of their first LP Brian fought for, and won, the right to be totally in charge of the production- though his first acknowledged liner notes production credit did not come until the band's third album ''Surfer Girl'', in 1963.

January 1963 saw the recording of the first top-ten (cresting at #3 in the United States) Beach Boys single, "Surfin' USA", which began their long run of highly successful recording efforts at Hollywood's Western Recorders on Sunset Boulevard. It was during the sessions for this single that Brian made the production decision from that point on to use doubletracking on the group's vocals, resulting in a deeper and more resonant sound.

The tune, adapted from (and eventually entirely credited to) Chuck Berry, is widely seen as emblematic of the early 60s American rock cultural experience. The ''Surfin' USA'' album was also a big hit in the United States, reaching number two on the national sales charts by early July, 1963. Brian and his group had become a top-rank recording and touring music band.

Early era as writer/producer

Brian was first credited as The Beach Boys' producer on the ''Surfer Girl'' album, recorded in June and July 1963 and released in September 1963. This LP reached #7 on the national charts on the strength of songs like the ballad "In My Room", later released as a single; "Catch a Wave"; and "Little Deuce Coupe", which was released as a double-sided single with the album's title track, both top-15 hits.

He also began working with other artists in this period. On July 20, 1963, "Surf City", which he had co-written with Jan and Dean, was the first surfing song to reach the pinnacle of the sales charts. While Brian was excited and happy, his father (and still-manager) Murry and Capitol Records were less than thrilled. Indeed, openly enraged by Brian's chart-topping effort for what he saw as a rival band, Murry went so far as to order his oldest son to sever any further efforts with Jan and Dean.

Brian's other non-Beach Boy work in this period included tracks by The Honeys, Sharon Marie, The Timers, and The Survivors. Feeling that surfing songs had become limiting, Brian decided to produce a set of largely car-oriented tunes for The Beach Boys' fourth album ''Little Deuce Coupe'', which was released in October 1963, only three weeks after the ''Surfer Girl'' LP. The departure of guitarist David Marks from the band that month meant that Brian was forced to resume touring with The Beach Boys, for a time reducing his availability in the recording studio.

Artistic growth

Brian became known for his unique use of vocal harmonies, his trademark style of lyrics and incessant studio perfectionism. Early influences on his music included not only the previously mentioned Four Freshmen and Chuck Berry, but also the work of record producer Phil Spector, the latter of whom obsessed Wilson for years. He later considered The Beatles to be his chief rivals, and they in turn would cite his work as a major influence. Wilson also produced records for other artists, but to much lesser success, with the exception of Jan and Dean, for whom Wilson co-wrote several hit songs. Following a nervous breakdown onboard a flight from L.A. to Houston in 1964, Wilson stopped performing live with the Beach Boys in an effort to concentrate solely on songwriting and studio production. Glen Campbell was called in as his temporary stand-in for live performances,|}} As he began work on the new project, ''Pet Sounds'', Wilson formed a temporary songwriting partnership with lyricist Tony Asher. Wilson, who had recorded the album's instrumentation with The Wrecking Crew, then gathered with The Beach Boys to record vocal overdubs, following their return from a tour of Japan. Upon hearing what Wilson had created for the first time in 1965, the group, particularly Mike Love, was somewhat critical of their leader's music,

During the ''Pet Sounds'' sessions, Wilson had been working on another song, which was held back from inclusion on the record as he felt that it was not sufficiently complete. The song, "Good Vibrations", set a new standard for musicians, and what could be achieved in the recording studio. Recorded in multiple sessions and in numerous studios, the song eventually cost $50,000 to record within a six month period. In October 1966, the song was released as a single, giving The Beach Boys their third U.S. number-one hit—alongside "I Get Around" and "Help Me, Rhonda"—and it sold over a million copies.

''Smile'', group tension and Brother Records

With the surprising success of "Good Vibrations", Capitol Records had no choice but to back Wilson up for his next project, originally called ''Dumb Angel'' Soon after, ''Smile'' was abandoned, and Wilson would not return to complete it until 2004, when it was released as a Brian Wilson album of the same name. Van Dyke Parks later noted, "...Brian had a nervous collapse. What broke his heart was ''Sgt. Pepper''." Writing for ''The Guardian'' in December 1999, Will Hodgkinson summarized the main reasons for the eventual demise of Wilson's ambitious project;

:[A] combination of factors, including litigations against the record company and increasing animosity between Wilson and the rest of the band, meant that in May 1967 Wilson pulled the plug on the record... [Mike] Love had already dismissed "Good Vibrations "as "avant-garde shit" and objected to the way Wilson, Parks and a group of highly skilled session musicians were creating music way beyond his understanding... By March 1967, the bad feeling got too much for Parks and, having no desire to break up The Beach Boys, he walked out.

Following the cancellation of ''Smile'', The Beach Boys relocated to a recording studio within the confines of Brian Wilson's mansion, where the hastily compiled ''Smiley Smile'' album was assembled, along with a number of future Beach Boys records. This marked the end of Wilson's leadership within the band, and has been seen to be "the moment when the Beach Boys first started slipping from the vanguard to nostalgia."

Mental illness

Psychologically overwhelmed by the cancellation of ''Smile'', and the birth of his first child Carnie Wilson in 1968, Wilson began having a diminished creative role with The Beach Boys. Until about 1970 he remained the group's principal songwriter, but increasingly production reins were handed to younger brother Carl. Carl Wilson mostly oversaw the albums ''Smiley Smile'', ''Wild Honey'', and ''Friends'' (a personal favorite of Brian's), which only performed modestly on the charts. After that, Brian Wilson all but stopped writing songs and was frequently seen partying in the company of songwriter Tandyn Almer and Three Dog Night singer Danny Hutton. It was during this period that he was introduced to cocaine. The 1969 album ''20/20'' was made mostly without Wilson's participation, although the Wilson/Love-authored "Do It Again" was a major hit, topping the charts in the UK.

Wilson spent the majority of the following three years in his bedroom sleeping, taking drugs, and overeating. During this time, his voice deteriorated significantly as a result of chain smoking, drug ingestion and neglect. Many of his "new" contributions to Beach Boys albums were remnants of ''Smile'' (e.g., "Cabinessence", "Surf's Up"), and those that were genuinely new reflected his depression and growing detachment from the world ("'Til I Die", the EP "Mount Vernon and Fairway"). Reportedly, Warner Bros. Records was so desperate for material from Wilson that the single "We Got Love" (co-written by Ricky Fataar, Blondie Chaplin, and Love) was scrapped from the ''Holland'' album in favor of "Sail On, Sailor", a song mostly written by committee (including Chaplin, Almer and Parks) that happened to draw its initial germ from a Wilson chord sequence.

In 1975, Wilson's wife and family enlisted the services of controversial therapist Eugene Landy in a bid to help Wilson, and hopefully help revive the group's ailing profile. Wilson did not stay under Landy's care for long, but during this short period, the doctor managed to help him into a more productive, social frame of mind. The new album ''15 Big Ones'', consisting of oldies and some new songs was released in 1976 and Wilson began to regularly appear live on stage with the band. A Love-orchestrated publicity campaign announced that "Brian is Back". He was also deemed to be well enough to do a solo performance on ''Saturday Night Live'' in November 1976. In 1977, the cult favorite ''Love You'' was released, consisting almost entirely of new material written and performed by Wilson. He continues to say it is his favorite Beach Boys album.

By 1982, Eugene Landy was once more called into action, and a more radical program was undertaken to try to restore Wilson to health. This involved firing him from The Beach Boys, isolating him from his family on Hawaii, and putting him onto a rigorous diet and health regimen. This, coupled with long, extreme counseling sessions, continued to bring Wilson back to reality. He lost a tremendous amount of weight, was certainly healthier and more conversant than previously, but he was also under a strict level of control by Landy. Wilson's recovery continued as he joined the band on stage in Live Aid in 1985, and recorded the album ''The Beach Boys'' with the group.

Dr. Landy provided a Svengali-like environment for Wilson, controlling his every movement in his life, including his musical direction. Landy's misconduct would eventually lead to the loss of his psychologist license, as well as a court-ordered removal and restraining order from Wilson.

Some years later, during his second marriage, Wilson was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type which supposedly caused him to hear voices in his head. By 1989 the rumor was that Brian either had a stroke or had abused too many drugs and was permanently "fried". a neurological condition marked by involuntary, repetitive movements, that develops in about 20% of patients treated with antipsychotic drugs for a long period of time. Wilson's drug regimen has now been reduced to a mild combination of antidepressants, and he has resumed recording and performing.

The effects of Brian Wilson's mental illness on his parenting skills were discussed by Wilson's daughter Wendy during her appearance in an episode of the British reality television program ''Supernanny''. Wilson's daughter Carnie and granddaughter Lola also made an appearance on the episode.

Solo career

Wilson launched a career as a solo artist in 1988 with limited success. It is possible that his efforts in this regard were both encouraged and hampered by Landy's influence. Partly due to the control that Landy exercised on his life, Wilson stopped working with The Beach Boys on a regular basis after the release of ''The Beach Boys'' in 1985. He had been signed to a solo record deal with Sire Records by label boss Seymour Stein.

Wilson's first solo album, ''Brian Wilson'', released in 1988, was favorably reviewed in the music press, but sold poorly. A memoir, ''Wouldn't It Be Nice - My Own Story'', was released in 1990, in which he spoke about his troubled relationship with his abusive father Murry, his internal disputes with the Beach Boys, and his "lost years" of mental illness. Although it was written following interviews with Brian and others and released with Brian's name as co-author, Landy was largely responsible for the direction of the book, in conjunction with ''People'' magazine writer Todd Gold. The book describes Landy in terms that could be called messianic. In a later lawsuit over the book, instigated by several family members including his brother Carl and mother Audree, Wilson testified in court that he hadn't even read the final manuscript. As a result, the book was taken out of press some years later. A second solo album made for Sire under the aegis of Landy, entitled ''Sweet Insanity'', was never released after being rejected by the record label. Landy's illegal use of psychotropic drugs on Wilson and his influence over Wilson's financial affairs was legally ended by Carl Wilson and other members of the Wilson family. A court appointed conservator was appointed to oversee Wilson's financial and legal affairs.

In 1995, Wilson married Melinda Ledbetter, a car saleswoman and former model he met several years earlier while still under the care of Eugene Landy. The couple adopted five children: two girls, Daria Rose and Delanie Rae, in 1998; a boy, Dylan, in 2004; a boy, Dash Tristan; and a girl, Dakota Rose, in 2010 in 2009. Wilson has two daughters from his first marriage to Marilyn Rovell: Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson, who would go on to musical success of their own in the early 1990s as two-thirds of Wilson Phillips.

Also in 1995, he released two albums, albeit neither containing any new original Wilson material, almost simultaneously. The first, the soundtrack to Don Was's documentary ''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'', consists of re-recorded versions of songs from his Beach Boys and solo catalogue produced by Was, along with a 1976-vintage demo recording. The second, ''Orange Crate Art'', saw Wilson as lead vocalist, multitracked many times over, on an album of songs produced, arranged and (mostly) written by Van Dyke Parks, and was released as a duo album under both men's names.

His final release as part of the group was on the 1996 album ''Stars and Stripes Vol. 1'', a group collaboration with select country music artists singing the lead vocals. After considerable mental recovery, he mended his relationship with his daughters Carnie and Wendy and the three of them released an album in 1997 titled ''The Wilsons''.

In 1996 Wilson sang backup on Belinda Carlisle's "California."

Wilson released a second solo album of mostly new material, ''Imagination'', in 1998. Following this, he received extensive vocal coaching to improve his voice, and learned to cope with his stage fright and started to play live for the first time in decades, going on to play the whole ''Pet Sounds'' album live on his tours of the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe.

A new studio album, ''Gettin' in Over My Head'', was released on June 22, 2004. It featured collaborations with Elton John, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Wilson's deceased brother Carl. Clapton played on the track "City Blues." The album was almost entirely composed of re-recordings of unreleased material, and received mixed reviews.

Brian Wilson has recently contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Listen To Me" for the upcoming tribute album, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly to be released on September 6th, 2011.

''Smile'' resurrected

With the improvements in his mental health, Wilson found himself able to contemplate returning to the ''Smile'' project. Aided by musician and long time fan Darian Sahanaja of The Wondermints, and lyricist Van Dyke Parks, Brian painstakingly worked throughout 2003 to release the album. In February 2004, 37 years after it was conceived, Wilson debuted the newly completed ''Smile'' at the Royal Festival Hall in London and throughout a subsequent UK tour.

The debut performance at the RFH was a defining moment for Brian. The documentary DVD of the event shows Brian preparing for the big day and, right up to show time, expressing doubts over the concept of putting this legendary work before the public. After an opening set of Beach Boys classics, he climbed back on stage for a rousing performance of the album. A 10-minute standing ovation followed the concert; the DVD shows a sprinkling of rock luminaries in the crowd, such as Roger Daltrey, Paul Weller, Sir George Martin and Sir Paul McCartney (although neither Martin nor McCartney attended the opening night, contrary to what the DVD implies).

''Smile'' was then recorded through April to June and released in September, to wide critical acclaim. The release hit #13 on the Billboard chart. The 2004 recording featured his backup/touring band, including Beach Boys guitarist Jeff Foskett, members of the Wondermints and backup singer Taylor Mills. In this version, "Good Vibrations" features Tony Asher's original lyrics in the verses, instead of Mike Love's lyrics from the released 1966 version.

Wilson won his only Grammy Award in 2005 for the track "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire)" as Best Rock Instrumental. In 2004 ''Smile'' was taken on the road for a thorough tour of Australia, New Zealand and Europe. In December 2005, he also released ''What I Really Want for Christmas'' for Arista Records. The release hit #200 on the Billboard chart, though sales were modest. Wilson's remake of the classic "Deck The Halls" became a surprise Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit.

Though no longer a part of The Beach Boys touring band, Brian Wilson remains a member of the Beach Boys corporation, Brother Records Incorporated.

Post-''Smile'' to ''That Lucky Old Sun''

thumb|Brian Wilson and his group performing In Europe in 2005.In February 2005, Wilson had a cameo in the TV series ''Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century'' as Daffy Duck's spiritual surfing advisor. He also appeared in the 2005 holiday episode of ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'', performing "Deck the Halls" for a group of children with xeroderma pigmentosum (hypersensitivity to sunlight) at Walt Disney World Resort. On July 2, 2005, Wilson performed for the Live 8 concert in Berlin, Germany.

In September 2005, Wilson arranged a charity drive to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, wherein people who donated $100 or more would receive a personal phone call from Wilson. According to the website, over $250K was raised. In November 2005, former bandmate Mike Love sued Wilson over "shamelessly misappropriating... Love's songs, likeness, and the Beach Boys trademark, as well as the 'Smile' album itself" in the promotion of ''Smile''. The lawsuit was ultimately thrown out of court on grounds that it was meritless.

On November 1, 2006, Wilson kicked off a small but highly anticipated tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of ''Pet Sounds''. He was joined by Al Jardine.

Wilson released a new album ''That Lucky Old Sun'' on September 2, 2008. The piece originally debuted in a series of September 2007 concerts at London's Royal Festival Hall, and in January 2008 at Sydney's State Theatre while headlining the Sydney Festival. Wilson describes the piece as "consisting of five 'rounds', with interspersed spoken word". A series of US and UK concerts led up to its release.

On September 30, 2008, Seattle's Light in the Attic Records released ''A World of Peace Must Come'', a collaboration between Wilson and Stephen Kalinich, originally recorded in 1969, but later lost in Kalinich's closet.

''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin'' (2009–present)

In summer 2009, Wilson was approached by the Gershwin estate to record an album of covers of classic Gershwin songs, and to complete two piano pieces left unfinished by Gershwin at his death. The album, ''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin'', was released on August 17, 2010 on Disney's Pearl label. ''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin'' hit #1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart. Wilson signed a two-record deal with Disney; the second album will be a collection of classic Disney movie songs.

Biographical Movie

''The Tree of Life'' producer Bill Pohlad and veteran television writer/producer John Wells (''E.R.'', ''The West Wing'') have teamed to develop a drama based on Wilson's personal and professional story. They've acquired life rights from Wilson and his wife, Melinda, and hired Oren Moverman, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind the offbeat Bob Dylan film ''I'm Not There'', to write a script.

Awards and recognitions

Wilson and the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in January 1988, alongside The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

In 2000, Wilson was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Paul McCartney introduced Brian, referring to him as "one of the great American geniuses."

In March 2001, TNT and Radio City Music Hall hosted "An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson." This event featured performances and appearances by Elton John, Billy Joel, Chazz Palminteri host, David Crosby, Dennis Hopper, Paul Simon, Carly Simon, The Go-Go's, Cameron Crowe, Sir George Martin, Vince Gill, Brian's daughters Carnie & Wendy Wilson along with Chynna Phillips (Wilson Phillips), Jimmy Webb, Darius Rucker, Matthew Sweet, Ann and Nancy Wilson of (Heart), The Boys Choir of Harlem, and others.

''Pet Sounds'' has been ranked as one of the most influential records in popular music, and has been ranked #1 on several music magazines' lists of the greatest albums of all time. It is ranked #2 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

On May 10, 2004, Wilson was honored as a BMI Icon at the 52nd annual BMI Pop Awards. He was saluted for his "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers."

A 2005 concert, "Musicares: A Tribute to Brian Wilson," was held in Wilson's honor, during which he was named MusiCares Person of the Year. Performers included Jeff Beck, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Earth Wind & Fire, Barenaked Ladies, and The Backstreet Boys, among others.

On May 20, 2005, Wilson and the five other original-era Beach Boys were honored with the unveiling of the Beach Boys Historic Landmark on the former site of the Wilson family home in Hawthorne, California.

In 2005, Wilson won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Mrs. O'Leary's Cow.

In November 2006, Wilson was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Wilson performed "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" at the ceremony.

On December 2, 2007, the Kennedy Center Honors committee recognized Wilson for a lifetime of contributions to American culture through the performing arts in music.

May 20, 2011, Wilson received the UCLA George and Ira Gershwin Award at UCLA Spring Sing.

Discography

''Brian Wilson'' (July 12, 1988)

''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' (August 15, 1995)

''Orange Crate Art'' (with Van Dyke Parks) (October 24, 1995)

''Imagination'' (June 16, 1998)

''Live at the Roxy Theatre'' (June, 2000)

''Pet Sounds Live'' (June 11, 2002)

''Gettin' in Over My Head'' (June 22, 2004)

''Smile'' (September 28, 2004)

''What I Really Want for Christmas'' (October 18, 2005)

''That Lucky Old Sun'' (September 2, 2008)

''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin'' (August 17, 2010)

''In The Key Of Disney'' (October 25, 2011)

Additional Appearances:

''The Wilsons'' (1997)

See also

List of songs by Brian Wilson

Beach Boys Historic Landmark

A Tribute To Brian Wilson - Radio City Music Hall (March 29, 2001)

Notes

References

Badman, Keith. ''The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio'' (Backstreet Books, 2004). ISBN 0-87930-818-4.

Carlin, Peter Ames. ''Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson'' (Rodale Inc., 2006). ISBN 13 978-1-59486-749-1.

Leaf, David. ''The Beach Boys and the California Myth'' (Kingsport Press, 1978). ISBN 0-89471-412-0.

Lambert, Philip. ''Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: the songs, sounds and influences of the Beach Boys' founding genius'' (Continuum International Publishing Group Inc., 2007). ISBN 13 978 0 8264 1877 7.

Stebbins, Jon. ''The Lost Beach Boy'' (Virgin Books Ltd, 2007). ISBN 978-1-8522-7391-0.

External links

Official site

2004 Larry King Transcript where they speak about Wilson's mental illness

"After the wipe out" by Ginny Dougary in ''The Guardian'' (June 1, 2002)

"Four Decades Later, Wilson's 'Smile' Hits London" Audio review at NPR (February 25, 2004)

SMiLE Timeline

Brian Wilson Pictures from 2007 Consumer Electronics Show performance

January 2009 Interview with L.A. Record

This list of "outside productions" by members of the Beach Boys includes records Brian produced and-or wrote for other artists throughout his career

Cabin Essence, Web Page for Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson's Wave by Peter Ames Carlin, ''American Heritage'', August/September 2004.

Category:American composers Category:American record producers Category:American rock bass guitarists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:MusiCares Person of the Year Honorees Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:Sire Records artists Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Nonesuch Records artists Category:Musicians from California Category:People from the Greater Los Angeles Area Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:The Beach Boys members Category:1942 births Category:Songwriters from California Category:Living people Category:People with schizophrenia Category:American people of Swedish descent

cs:Brian Wilson da:Brian Wilson de:Brian Wilson es:Brian Wilson fr:Brian Wilson is:Brian Wilson it:Brian Wilson he:בריאן וילסון hu:Brian Wilson nl:Brian Wilson ja:ブライアン・ウィルソン no:Brian Wilson nn:Brian Wilson pl:Brian Wilson pt:Brian Wilson ru:Уилсон, Брайан simple:Brian Wilson fi:Brian Wilson sv:Brian Wilson uk:Вілсон Браян Дуґлас

name	Donna Summer
background	solo_singer
background	solo_singer
alias	Donna Gaines
birth name	LaDonna Adrian Gaines
born	December 31, 1948 Boston, Massachusetts, USA
origin	Dorchester, Massachusetts, USA
genre	Dance-pop, disco, pop, rock, new wave
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	1968–present
instrument	Vocals, piano
label	Oasis RecordsCasablanca (1975–1980)Geffen (1980–1988)Atlantic (1988–1991)Mercury (1994–1996) Warner-Elektra-Atlantic (Outside of U.S. 1980–1991)Epic (1999–2001)Burgundy (2006–present)
associated acts	Giorgio Moroder, Brooklyn Dreams }}

LaDonna Adrian Gaines (born December 31, 1948), known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US ''Billboard'' chart. She also charted four number-one singles in the US within a thirteen-month period.

Early life and career

Donna Summer was born on New Year's Eve 1948 in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, she was one of seven children raised by devout Christian parents. Influenced by Mahalia Jackson, Summer began singing in the church at a young age. In her teens, she formed several musical groups including one with her sister and a cousin, imitating Motown girl groups such as The Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas in Boston.

In the late 1960s, Summer was influenced by Janis Joplin after listening to her albums as member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and joined the psychedelic rock group the Crow as lead singer. Beforehand, Summer dropped out of school convinced that music was her way out of Boston, where she had always felt herself to be an outsider, even among her own family who ridiculed her for her voice and her looks. The group was short-lived, as they split upon their arrival in New York. In 1968, Summer auditioned for a role in the Broadway musical, ''Hair''. She lost the part of Sheila to Melba Moore. When the musical moved to Europe, Summer was offered the role. She took it and moved to Germany for several years. While in Germany, where she learned to speak German fluently, she participated in the musicals ''Godspell'' and ''Show Boat''. After settling in Munich, she began performing in several ensembles including the Viennese Folk Opera and even sang as a member of the pop group FamilyTree – "invented" and created by the German music producer Guenter "Yogi" Lauke & the Munich Machine. She came to the group in 1973 and toured with the 11-people pop group throughout Europe. She also sang as a studio session singer and in theaters. In 1971, while still using her birth name Donna Gaines, she released her first single, a cover of "Sally Go 'Round the Roses", though it was not a hit. In 1972, she married Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer and gave birth to their daughter Mimi Sommer in 1973. Citing marital problems caused by his frequent absences, she divorced him but kept his last name, changing the "o" to a "u".

1970s

It was while singing background for the hit-making 1970s trio Three Dog Night that Summer met producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. She eventually made a deal with the European label Groovy Records and issued her first album, ''Lady of the Night'', in 1974. The album was not released in America, but found some limited European success on the strength of the song "The Hostage", which reached number one in Belgium and number two in the Netherlands. Summer's early material consisted of pop rock and folk rock material. She stated years later that had she not recorded disco she would have been a black rock singer, but considering there was not a market for black rock singers, Summer thought it would be hard to get promoted as such.

In 1975, Summer approached Moroder with an idea for a song he and Bellotte were working on for another singer. She had come up with the lyrics "love to love you, baby". Moroder was interested in developing the new sound that was becoming popular and used Summer's lyric to develop the song. Moroder persuaded Summer to record what was to be a demo track for another performer. She later said that she had thought of how the song might sound if Marilyn Monroe had sung it and began cooing the lyrics. To get into the mood of recording the song, she requested the producers turn off the lights while she sat on a sofa inducing moans and groans. After hearing playback of the song, Moroder felt Summer's version should actually be distributed. Released as "Love to Love You" in Europe, some radio stations refused to play it, but the song found modest chart success in several countries there. The song was a real piece of work with sensual elegance.

The song was then sent to America and arrived in the office of Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart in hopes of getting an American release. Casablanca was known around the industry for throwing lavish parties. At one of these parties, Bogart, still undecided about releasing the song on his label, had "Love To Love You" played so he could gauge the reaction of people on the dancefloor. The crowd took to the song (which was less than five minutes) so strongly that they kept asking for it to be played over and over consecutively so they could continue dancing in the same groove. Soon after that night, Bogart informed Summer and Moroder he would release the song but requested that Moroder produce a longer version, about 15 to 20 minutes in length. Moroder, Bellotte, and Summer returned with a 17 minute version that included a soulful chorus and an instrumental break where Summer invoked even more moans. Bogart stated the name would be slightly changed to "Love to Love You Baby" for the American release. Casablanca signed Summer and it released the single in November 1975. The shorter version of the single was promoted to radio stations while clubs received the 17 minute version (the longer version would also appear on the album). When Casablanca released the 17 minute version in its entirety as a single, it became one of the first record labels, to help make popular a format that would later be known as the 12 inch. By early 1976, "Love To Love You Baby" had reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while the parent album of the same name sold over a million copies. The song generated controversy for Summer's moans and groans and some American radio stations, like several in Europe, refused to play it. ''Time magazine'' would report that 22 orgasms were simulated in the making of the song. Other upcoming singles included "Try Me, I Know We can Make It", US #80; "Could It Be Magic", US #52; "Spring Affair", US #58; and "Winter Melody", US #43. The subsequent albums ''Love Trilogy'' and ''Four Seasons of Love'' both went gold in the US.

In 1977, Summer released the concept album ''I Remember Yesterday''. This album included her second top ten single, "I Feel Love", which reached number six in the US and number one in the UK. These US Hot 100 entries on the singles chart would help get Summer deemed in the press as "The First Lady of Love", a title which she was not totally comfortable with.

Another concept album, also released in 1977, was the double album, ''Once Upon a Time'', which told of a modern-day Cinderella "rags to riches" story through the elements of orchestral disco and ballads. This album would also attain gold status. In 1978, Summer released her version of the Richard Harris ballad, "MacArthur Park", which became her first number one US hit. The song was featured on Summer's first live album, ''Live and More'', which also became her first album to hit number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, and went platinum selling over a million copies. Other studio tracks included the top ten hit, "Heaven Knows", which featured the group Brooklyn Dreams accompanying her on background and Joe "Bean" Esposito singing alongside her on the verses. Summer would later be involved romantically with Brooklyn Dreams singer Bruce Sudano and the couple married two years after the song's release. Also in 1978, Summer acted in the film, ''Thank God It's Friday'', playing a singer determined to perform at a hot disco club. The film met modest success, but a song from the film, entitled "Last Dance", reached number three on the Hot 100 and resulted in Summer winning her first Grammy Award. Its writer, Paul Jabara, won an Academy Award for the composition. Despite her musical success, Summer was struggling with anxiety and depression and fell into a prescription drug addiction for several years.

In 1979, Summer was a performer on the world-televised Music for UNICEF Concert. The United Nations organization Unicef had declared 1979 as the Year of the Child. Summer joined contemporaries like Abba, Olivia Newton-John, the Bee Gees, Andy Gibb, Rod Stewart, John Denver, Earth, Wind and Fire, Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson for an hour's TV special that raised funds and awareness for the world's children. Artists donated royalties of certain songs, some in perpetuity, to benefit the cause.

''Bad Girls'' and the break from disco

Following her recovery from prescription drug addiction, Summer worked on her next album with Moroder and Bellotte. The result was ''Bad Girls'', an album that had been in production for nearly two years. Summer based the concept of the album on a prostitute, as was made clear in the lyrics. The album became a success, spawning the number one hits "Hot Stuff" and Bad Girls, and the number two ballad "Dim All the Lights" With ''MacArthur Park'', ''Hot Stuff'', ''Bad Girls'', and the Barbra Streisand duet "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" (which appeared on Streisand's album ''Wet''), Summer achieved four number-one hits within a thirteen month period. Those aforementioned songs, along with ''Heaven Knows'', ''Last Dance'', ''Dim All The Lights'', and ''On the Radio'' (from her upcoming double-album) would give her eight US Top 5 singles within a two year period. "Hot Stuff" later won her a second Grammy in the Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, which was the first time that category was ever brought to the award's show. That year, Summer played eight sold-out nights at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles.

Summer released her first greatest hits set in 1979, a double-album entitled ''On The Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & 2''. The album reached number one in the US, becoming her third consecutive number one album. A new song from the compilation, "On the Radio", reached the US top five.

1980s

After the release of the greatest hits album, Summer wanted to branch out with other musical styles in addition to disco. This led to tensions between her and Casablanca Records. Sensing that they could no longer come to terms, Summer and the label parted ways in 1980, and she signed with Geffen Records, the new label started by David Geffen.

Summer's first release on Geffen Records was ''The Wanderer''; it replaced the disco sound of Summer's previous releases with more of the burgeoning new wave sound and elements of rock, such as the material being recorded at this time by Pat Benatar. The first single, the title track, became a hit and peaked at #3 in the US, subsequent singles were moderate hits. The album achieved gold status in the US, but met limited success on the UK charts.

Summer's projected second Geffen release, entitled ''I'm a Rainbow'', was shelved by Geffen Records (though two of the album's songs would surface in soundtracks of the 1980s films ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' and ''Flashdance''). Summer reluctantly parted company with Moroder after seven years working together as Geffen had recruited Quincy Jones to produce her next album. The result was the 1982 album ''Donna Summer''. The album had taken a lengthy six months to record. The album's first single, the dance track "Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)", became an American top ten hit on the Hot 100, followed by more moderate hits "State of Independence"(#41 pop) and "The Woman In Me"(#33 pop). Problems then increased between Summer and Geffen Records after they were notified by Polygram Records, the parent company of Summer's former label Casablanca, that she needed to deliver them one more album to fulfill her agreement with them. Summer delivered the album ''She Works Hard for the Money'' and Polygram released it on its Mercury imprint in 1983. The title song became a hit reaching number three on the US Hot 100, and would provide Summer with a Grammy nomination. The album also featured the reggae-flavored top 20 UK hit "Unconditional Love", which featured the group Musical Youth who were riding high from the success of their single "Pass the Dutchie". The third US single, "Love Has A Mind of Its Own", reached the top forty of the Billboard R&B; chart. The album was certified gold. During the '80's Donna Summers stage and wardrobe designer was James Hopkins of Jopkin Design designing costumes and wardrobe that help tell the story of her music.

In late 1984, with no more albums due to Polygram, Summer returned on Geffen Records with her next release. Geffen, wanting to keep the momentum going, enlisted ''She Works Hard For the Money'''s producer Michael Omartian to produce ''Cats Without Claws''. The album, however, was not as successful as ''She Works Hard For the Money'' and failed to attain gold status of 500,000 copies sold in the US, becoming her first album since her 1974 debut not to do so. It did include a moderate hit in "There Goes My Baby", which peaked at #21.

Controversy

In the mid 1980s, Summer was in the midst of a controversy. She had allegedly made anti-gay remarks regarding the then-relatively new disease AIDS, which as a result had a significantly negative impact on her career and saw thousands of her records being returned to her record company by angered fans. Summer, by this time a born-again Christian, was alleged to have said that AIDS was a punishment from God for the immoral lifestyles of homosexuals. However, she later denied that she had ever made any such comment and, in a letter to the AIDS campaign group ACT UP in 1989, she claimed that it was a ''"terrible misunderstanding. I was unknowingly protected by those around me from the bad press and hate letters....If I have caused you pain, forgive me."'' She went on to apologise for the delay in refuting the rumors and closed her letter with quotes from Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians from the Bible.

Also in 1989, Summer told ''The Advocate'' magazine that ''"A couple of the people I write with are gay, and they have been ever since I met them. What people want to do with their bodies is their personal preference."''. A couple of years later she filed a lawsuit against ''New York'' magazine when it reprinted the rumors as fact just as she was about to release her album ''Mistaken Identity'' in 1991. According to an ''A&E; Biography'' program dedicated to Summer in which she participated in 1995, the lawsuit was settled out of court though neither side were able to divulge any details.

European success

In 1987, Summer returned with the album ''All Systems Go'', which did not sell well, becoming her second consecutive album not to achieve gold status. It featured the single "Dinner with Gershwin" (written by Brenda Russell), which was only a minor US hit, though it peaked at #13 in the UK. The album's title track, "All Systems Go", was released only in the UK where it peaked at #54.

For Summer's next album, Geffen Records hired the hit production team of Stock Aitken Waterman (or ''SAW''), who had experienced incredible success by writing and producing for such acts as Kylie Minogue, Dead or Alive, Bananarama, and Rick Astley among others. However, Geffen decided not to release the album, entitled ''Another Place and Time'', and Summer and Geffen Records parted ways in 1988. The album was released in Europe in March 1989 on Warner Bros. Records, which had been Summer's label in Europe since 1982. The single "This Time I Know It's For Real" had become a top ten hit in several countries in Europe, prompting the Warner Bros. subsidiary company Atlantic Records to sign Summer in the US and pick up the album for a North American release soon after. The single peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 in the US, and became her twelfth gold single there. It was also Summer's final Top 40 hit on the American pop charts, though she scored two more UK hits from the album, "I Don't Wanna Get Hurt" (UK #7) and "Love's About To Change My Heart" (UK #20).

1990s

In 1990, ''The Best of Donna Summer'' was released on Warner Bros. Records. It featured some of Summer's biggest hits from this period (with the exception of any material from the Mercury album, as this was not a division of Warner Bros.) plus a small selection of her 1970s disco hits licensed from PolyGram.

In 1991, Summer released the new jack swing style album ''Mistaken Identity''. It did not sell well, but did contain the #18 R&B; hit "When Love Cries".

In 1993, Polygram Records released an extended greatest hits collection entitled ''The Donna Summer Anthology''. It included 34 songs totally over two and a half hours of music. It not only included songs from the Polygram-owned labels of Casablanca and Mercury, but also material from Atlantic and Geffen Records as well.

In 1994, Summer return with a new album on Mercury/Polygram, a gospel-influenced Christmas album entitled ''Christmas Spirit''. It included classic Christmas songs such as "O Holy Night", "Joy To The World", and "O Come All Ye Faithful" as well as some original songs.

Some of Summer's dance releases including "Carry On" (her first collaboration with Moroder in a decade) and "Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved)" charted on the US Dance Chart, with "Melody of Love" reaching number one on that chart and also reaching number 21 on the UK Singles Chart

Also in 1994, Polygram would release yet another Summer album (Polygram's third Summer album within a two year period); a collection called "Endless Summer: Greatest Hits". The differences between this greatest hits album and the ''Anthology'' collection would be that this package contained 18 songs, while ''Anthology'' contained 34; and the songs here were mainly the radio versions heard at the time of their release, while ''Anthology'' contained somewhat longer versions of the songs.

While touring, Summer was offered a role guest-starring on the sitcom ''Family Matters'' as Steve Urkel's (Jaleel White) Aunt Oona in 1994, and again in 1997. In 1998, Summer received a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, being the first to do so, after a remixed version of her 1992 collaboration with Giorgio Moroder, "Carry On", was released in 1997. In 1999, Summer taped a live television special for VH1 titled ''Donna Summer – Live and More Encore'', producing the second highest ratings that year for the network, after their annual ''Divas'' special. A CD of the event was released by Epic Records and featured two studio recordings, "I Will Go with You (Con te partirò)" and "Love Is the Healer" reached number one on the Billboard Dance Charts.

2000s

Summer scored top ten hits on Billboard's Dance Chart in the beginning of the new millennium. In 2000, she also appeared on the third annual ''Divas'' special, dedicated to Diana Ross, though Summer sang her own material for the show. In 2004, Summer was inducted to the Dance Music Hall of Fame alongside The Bee Gees and Barry Gibb as an artist. Her classic song, "I Feel Love", was also inducted that night. Also, that year, she became one of the first acts, as both an Artist Inductee and a Record Inductee (for 1977’s “I Feel Love”) into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in New York City.

In 2008, Summer released her first studio album of original music in 14 years since 1994 '' (Christmas Spirit)''; years entitled ''Crayons'', which peaked at #17 on the US Top 200 Album Chart, and achieved modest international success. The album was released on the Sony BMG label Burgundy Records. The songs "I'm A Fire", "Stamp Your Feet", and "Fame (The Game)" reached number one on the US Billboard Dance Chart. The ballad "Sand on My Feet" was released to adult contemporary stations and reached number thirty on that chart.

While commenting on the album, Summer said “I wanted this album to have a lot of different directions on it. I did not want it to be any one baby. I just wanted it to be a sampler of flavors and influences from all over the world. There’s a touch of this, a little smidgeon of that, a dash of something else…like when you’re cooking.” On the song “The Queen Is Back”, Summer reveals her wry and witty self-awareness of her musical legacy and her public persona. “I’m making fun of myself,” she admits. “There’s irony, it’s poking fun at the idea of being called a queen. That’s a title that has followed me, followed me, and followed me. We were sitting and writing and that title kept popping up in my mind and I’m thinking, ‘Am I supposed to write this? Is this too arrogant to write?’ But people call me ‘the queen,’ so I guess it's ok to refer to myself as what everybody else refers to me as. We started writing the song and thought it was kind of cute and funny.” Summer wrote “The Queen Is Back” and “Mr. Music” with J.R. Rotem and Evan Bogart, the son of Neil Bogart, Casablanca Records founder. Neil Bogart died from cancer at the age of 39. He signed Summer to his Casablanca Records label in 1975 and released most of her biggest records during the 1970s. “I adored him and would have given up everything for him to be alive,” says Summer, remembering a time backstage long ago “when the nail person didn’t show up and Neil got on his knees and did my toenails. In many ways he was my mentor and I didn’t get to say goodbye to him.” When Summer met Evan Bogart, she was struck by his uncanny resemblance to his father. “It’s almost like they chiseled him out of his father,” Summer observed. “I’m in the studio looking at him and I get tears in my eyes, he has no idea why. I just wanted to hug him because it’s like I’m seeing someone I haven’t seen since his father passed away. It’s almost like Neil is looking at me through him. Evan and I hit it off immediately; there was a synergy that happened really quickly.”

On December 11, 2009, Summer performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, in honor of US President Barack Obama. She was backed by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.

2010s

In August 2010, she released the single "To Paris With Love", co-written with Bruce Roberts and produced by Peter Stengaard. In October 2010, the single reached #1 on the US Billboard Dance Chart. Also that month, Summer appeared in the PBS Television Special ''Hitman Returns: David Foster and Friends''. In it, Summer performed with Seal on a medley of the songs "Unbreak My Heart / Crazy / On The Radio", before Summer closed the show with "Last Dance".

On July 29, 2010, Summer gave an interview with allvoices.com where she was asked if she would consider doing an album of standards. She replied:

:"I actually am, probably in September. I will begin work on a standards album. I will probably do an all-out dance album and a standards album. I'm gonna do both, and we will release them however were gonna release them. We are not sure which is going first."

On September 15, 2010, Summer appeared as a guest celebrity singing alongside rising star Prince Poppycock on the television show ''America's Got Talent''.

On October 16, 2010, she performed at a benefit concert at the Phoenix Symphony.

On June 6, 2011, Summer was a guest judge on the show, ''Platinum Hit'' in week two titled, Dance Floor Royalty. ''Platinum Hit'' is a reality competition series on Bravo launched in 2011 in which 12 singer-songwriters compete through innovative songwriting challenges that will test their creativity, patience and drive. Every episode features a different topic from a dance track to a love ballad, that require the contestants to write and perform lyrics from a multiple of genres, for a cash prize of $100,000, a publishing deal with songwriting collective The Writing Camp, and a recording deal with RCA/Jive label

In July, 2011 Summer was working at Paramount Recording Studios in Los Angeles with her nephew, the rapper and producer O'Mega Red. Together they worked on a track entitled "Angel".

Awards and recognition

One NAACP Image Award.

One time Juno Award nomination for Best Selling International Single,"I feel Love".

Three Multi-Platinum albums in the US.

Eleven of her albums went Gold in the US.

Twelve Gold singles.

Six American Music Awards.

She was the first female African American to receive an MTV Video Music Awards nomination. ("Best Female Video" and "Best Choreography" for "She Works Hard For The Money")

Academy Award for Best Original Song "Last Dance".

Two Golden Globe Award nominations (one win for "Last Dance" Song and one nominated for "The Deep" John Barry's Song).

Summer has received five Grammy Awards.

*1979 – Best R&B; Vocal Performance (Female), ''Last Dance''

*1980 – Best Rock Vocal Performance (Female), ''Hot Stuff''

*1984 – Best Inspirational Performance, ''He's a Rebel''

*1985 – Best Inspirational Performance, ''Forgive Me''

*1998 – Best Dance Recording, ''Carry On''

Twelve Grammy Award nominations (total of seventeen).

*1979 – Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), ''MacArthur Park''

*1980 – Album of the Year, ''Bad Girls''

*1980 – Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), ''Bad Girls''

*1980 – Best R&B; Vocal Performance (Female), ''Dim All the Lights''

*1980 – Best Disco Recording, ''Bad Girls''

*1981 – Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), ''On the Radio''

*1982 – Best Rock Vocal Performance (Female), ''Cold Love''

*1982 – Best Inspirational Performance, ''I Believe in Jesus''

*1983 – Best Rock Vocal Performance (Female), ''Protection''

*1983 – Best R&B; Vocal Performance (Female), ''Love is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)''

*1984 – Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), ''She Works Hard for the Money''

*2000 – Best Dance Recording, ''I Will Go with You (Con te Partiro)''

Summer placed a Top Forty hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in every year from 1976 ("Love to Love You Baby") to 1984 ("There Goes My Baby").

Summer was the first artist to score three consecutive number-one double albums.

Summer was twice honored by the Dance Music Hall of Fame; once with her induction as a recording artist and again with the induction for her influential single "I Feel Love". Summer's music career has landed her as the eighth most successful female recording artist in history according to ''Billboard'' .

Summer's career span of ''Billboard'' number-one Disco/Club Play hits spans from 1975's "Love to Love You Baby" through 2010's "[To Paris With Love]".

Summer was nominated for 2010 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but was not chosen.

Cover versions by other artists

"I Feel Love" has been sampled several times. The song was sampled by Madonna, Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Moloko, Britney Spears, Robbie Williams, Darren Hayes, Mylo, David Guetta, Stuart Price, and Moby among others. "I Feel Love" was recorded by classical pop musician Vanessa-Mae for her 1998 album ''Storm''. Italian company Gucci used a special version of it in the "Flora" perfume advertising, filmed by Chris Cunningham. "I Feel Love" has been covered onstage by Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante, Kylie Minogue, Blondie, Basement Jaxx, and Finnish progressive rock band Kingston Wall. Venus Hum with Blue Man Group also performed this song with Japanese singer Kumi Koda for their album ''The Complex'', and in 2006, Tracy Bonham stood in for Hum on the Blue Man Group tour, performing the song. Bronski Beat and Marc Almond released the track as a duet with an added bridge section and titled it "I Feel Love/Johnny Remember Me", reaching number 3 in the UK charts in April 1985. In 1992 U.K. alterna-pop group Curve recorded a version for the NME's 40th anniversary compilation ''Ruby Trax'', which became an instant underground classic.

"Love to Love You Baby" was sampled in Beyoncé Knowles's "Naughty Girl" and by TLC on their original version of "I'm Good at Being Bad", but was removed by request of Summer on later editions. The song has been covered in portions onstage by Dionne Warwick.

"I Feel Love" was covered by French Canadian artist Jorane for her 2004 album ''The You and the Now''. LA based band Dengue Fever covered this song on their album ''Radio Dance Floor''. Kylie Minogue's team also sampled this for her 2002 KylieFever. Kylie performed "Light Years" which contains elements of "I Feel Love".

Madonna combined her song "Future Lovers" from her hit album ''Confessions on a Dancefloor'' with "I Feel Love" as the opening song on her Confessions Tour in 2006.

Summer's "Starting Over Again" was a number one hit on the Hot Country Songs chart as a single for Dolly Parton in 1980. It also was a top-forty hit for Parton on the Billboard Hot 100. Reba McEntire named her 1995 album after the song, and McEntire's version hit no. 17 on the country singles chart in 1996. McEntire stated in the album's liner notes that her recording of the song was intended as something of a tribute to Summer and Parton, both artists whom she admired.

Summer's "On the Radio" was covered by country artist Emmylou Harris for her 1983 album ''White Shoes''. British singer and actress Martine McCutcheon recorded a version that reached number 7 in the UK charts in February 2001. An acoustic rendition was released by alt. rock band Hypnogaja in January 2010.

Summer's "Sunset People" was covered by E.G. Daily on her ''Wild Child'' album (1985).

Summer's "Dim All the Lights" was a Top 40 Dance hit for Laura Branigan in 1995, appearing on her ''The Best of Branigan'' album.

Summer's "Last Dance" and "On the Radio" were covered by Tejano/pop singer Selena, most famously at one of her last shows at the Houston Astrodome, on February 26, 1995.

Summer's "All Through the Night" was covered in 1982 by KC and The Sunshine Band on their Painter album, and in 1995 by supermodel Naomi Campbell for her album ''Baby Woman'', featuring Luther Vandross on backing vocals.

Summer's "Bad Girls" was recorded by British Jazz and US pop singer Juliet Roberts in 1998, and again in 2000 by Cheryl Chase for the Nick film ''Rugrats in Paris: The Movie''.

Summer's "Love Is in Control" was covered by pop singer Sheena Easton on her 2000 disco album ''Fabulous''.

In 1985 Dusty Springfield reached number 83 on the UK charts with a cover of "Sometimes like Butterflies".

Summer's "Heaven Knows" was recorded by Faith Evans for inclusion on the soundtrack for the film, The Fighting Temptations.

Summer's "The Woman In Me" was recorded by Heart in the early 1990s.

Summer's "She Works Hard For The Money" was often performed by Millie Jackson during her 1980s concerts. "She Works Hard For The Money" was covered by Kris Allen during an American Idol Season 8 episode and recorded by Allen for the American Idol Season 8 CD.

Summer's "All Through The Night" from the album "Bad Girls", is recorded by model Naomi Campbell in 1994 included in her album "BabyWoman".

Jeffree Star covered her song "Bad Girls" for the upcoming movie called "Turn The Beat Around" for MTV.

Monica Naranjo Fuego de pasion "Love's About To Change My Heart".

Mexican singer Lorena Herrera samples "Try Me ,I Know We Can Make It" in her song Dame Amor from the album Desnudame el Alma.

In 2010, Keri Hilson portrayed Summer in her music video for her hit-single, Pretty Girl Rock.

In 2010 – Rhythm Masters and MYNC Project released a remake of "I Feel Love" on CR2 Records in the UK, with vocals by American Electro/Pop/Dance Artist Wynter Gordon.

Donna Summer concert tours

''Once Upon A Time Tour'' (1977–1978)

''Bad Girls Tour'' (1979)

''The Wanderer Tour'' (1981)

''Hard For The Money Tour'' (1983)

''The Rainbow Tour'' (1984)

''Silver Girl Tour'' (1986)

''All Systems Go Tour'' (1987)

''Endless Summer Tour'' (1995)

''Mid Summer Nights Dream Tour'' ( 1996–1997)

''Live & More Encore Tour'' (1999)

''Greatest Hits Tour'' (2005)

''Crayons Tour'' (2008)

Discography

1974: ''Lady of the Night''

1975: ''Love to Love You Baby''

1976: ''A Love Trilogy''

1976: ''Four Seasons of Love''

1977: ''I Remember Yesterday''

1977: ''Once Upon a Time''

1979: ''Bad Girls''

1980: ''The Wanderer''

1981: ''I'm a Rainbow''

1982: ''Donna Summer''

1983: ''She Works Hard for the Money''

1984: ''Cats Without Claws''

1987: ''All Systems Go''

1989: ''Another Place and Time''

1991: ''Mistaken Identity''

1994: ''Christmas Spirit''

2008: ''Crayons''

See also

Brooklyn Dreams

Best selling music artists

References

External links

Official website

A hit search page

Category:African American actors Category:African American female singers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American expatriates in Austria Category:American expatriates in Germany Category:American Christians Category:American dance musicians Category:American disco musicians Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American mezzo-sopranos Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:African American rock musicians Category:American rock musicians Category:American rock singers Category:American soul singers Category:American television actors Category:Crossover (music) Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Actors from Massachusetts Category:Musicians from Massachusetts Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Sony BMG artists Category:Female rock singers Category:1948 births

ar:دونا سمر ca:Donna Summer cs:Donna Summer da:Donna Summer de:Donna Summer es:Donna Summer eo:Donna Summer fr:Donna Summer ga:Donna Summer hr:Donna Summer id:Donna Summer it:Donna Summer he:דונה סאמר hu:Donna Summer nl:Donna Summer ja:ドナ・サマー no:Donna Summer pl:Donna Summer pt:Donna Summer ru:Донна Саммер sk:Donna Summer sr:Дона Самер fi:Donna Summer sv:Donna Summer th:ดอนนา ซัมเมอร์ tr:Donna Summer uk:Донна Саммер

name	Arsenio Hall
birth date	February 12, 1956
Birth place	Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
occupation	Actor, comedian, television host
years active	1982–present
website	http://www.arseniohall.com/ }}

Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'', which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films ''Coming to America'' and ''Harlem Nights''.

Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the talk show ''Thicke of the Night''.

Early years

Hall was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Anne and Fred Hall, a Baptist minister. Hall performed as a magician when he was a child. He attended Warrensville Heights High School in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. After he graduated, he attended Ohio University, where he was on the speech team with Nancy Cartwright and Leon Harris. He then transferred to Kent State University.

Career

He later moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a career in stand-up comedy, making a couple of appearances on ''Soul Train''. Hall was the original voice of Winston Zeddemore in the cartoon ''The Real Ghostbusters'' from 1986–1987. In 1988, he co-starred in the comedy film ''Coming to America'' with Eddie Murphy. In 1984, he was also the announcer/sidekick for Alan Thicke during the short-lived talk show ''Thicke of the Night'' (a role for which he has on occasion noted his confusion with Monty Hall).

Talk shows

In 1986, the Fox network introduced ''The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers'', created to directly challenge ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. After a moderate start, ratings for the show sagged. Behind-the-scenes relations between Rivers and network executives at Fox quickly eroded, and Rivers left in 1987. Renamed ''The Late Show'', it featured several hosts including Ross Shafer, Suzanne Somers, Richard Belzer, and Robert Townsend before it was cancelled in 1988. Hall was chosen to host the show in the fall of 1987, and proved to be immensely popular.

From January 2, 1989, until May 27, 1994, he hosted a syndicated late-night talk show, ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The show became known for its audience's distinctive alternative to applause: chanting "Roo, Roo, Roo!" while pumping/cranking their fists. The practice soon became such a ritual that by 1991 had become a "pop-culture stamp of approval"—one that Hall said had become "so popular it's getting on people's nerves." The gesture made it into films of the time: the title character played by Julia Roberts did it in a polo scene in ''Pretty Woman'' (1990), and characters played by Penny Marshall and Michael J. Fox did it in ''The Hard Way''. This popular gesture can also be found in the 1993 Mel Brooks' comedy ''Robin Hood: Men in Tights''.

He also had a rivalry with Jay Leno after the latter was named host of ''The Tonight Show'', during which Hall said that he would "kick Jay's ass" in the ratings game.

Perhaps one of the show's most noted guest stars was then-Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Bill Clinton, who performed a rendition of Elvis Presley's ''Heartbreak Hotel'' on the saxophone during his appearance in June 1992. However, the ratings for Hall's program began to struggle and he also butted heads with Paramount, his distributor. The tension arose from Hall's invitation to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in February 1994. Hall gave the entire hour to Farrakhan and did not do anything else besides conduct an interview. The program was canceled in May 1994.

Hall used his fame during this period to help fight worldwide prejudice against HIV and AIDS, after Magic Johnson contracted the disease; Hall and Johnson filmed a PSA about the disease that aired in the early 1990s.

Hall had previously appeared as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the talk show ''Thicke of the Night''.

Current work

Since ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' ended, Hall has made many appearances on television (including a short-lived 1997 sitcom called ''Arsenio'') starring in ''Martial Law'' with Sammo Hung from 1999–2000 and hosting the revival of ''Star Search'' in 2003. On the latter program, he tried to popularize the catch phrase "Hit me with the digits!"

Hall appeared as himself in ''Chappelle's Show'' in March 2004, when Dave was imagining "what Arsenio is doing right now" in a dinner scene.

As of 2008, Hall is a guest co-host on Wednesday evenings on ''The Tim Conway Jr. Show'' on KLSX 97.1 FM radio. Hall also hosted MyNetworkTV's comedic clip show ''The World's Funniest Moments'' and TV One's ''100 Greatest Black Power Moves''.

Hall was considered to be the host of the syndicated version of ''Deal or No Deal'' and filmed a pilot (there were six taped). However, by the time the syndicated series began on September 8, 2008, Howie Mandel was the host.

Hall continued to host the myNetworkTV show ''The World's Funniest Moments'' (premiered July 15, 2009), an ''America's Funniest Home Videos'' style show reviewing funny clips from the internet and viewers. He appeared regularly on ''The Jay Leno Show'' and was a guest on ''Lopez Tonight'' (November 25, 2009). George Lopez credits Arsenio for being the reason he has a late night show; he appeared on ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' more times than any other comedian. Lopez requested Hall be a co-host on ''Lopez Tonight'' (November 25, 2009) since he was his inspiration and the first "late night party show host". Aside from discussing the 16 appearances by Lopez on Hall's talk show, he also discussed his relationship with Paula Abdul.

Personal life

Hall has never been married. He has one son.

Filmography

''The 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour'' (1983) – Host

''Thicke of the Night'' (1983) – Himself (1984)

''New Love, American Style'' (1985)

''The Motown Revue Starring Smokey Robinson'' (1985)

''Solid Gold'' (1980) – Himself (1986–1987)

''The Real Ghostbusters'' (1986) – Winston Zeddemore (voice) (1986–1987)

''The Late Show'' (1986) TV Series – Himself/Host (1987)

''Amazon Women on the Moon'' (1987) – Apartment Victim

''Uptown Comedy Express'' (1987) – Himself

''Coming to America'' (1988) – Semmi/Extremely Ugly Girl/Morris/Reverend Brown

''Harlem Nights'' (1989) – Crying Man

''Comic Relief III'' (1989) (TV) – Himself

''Paula Abdul: Straight Up'' (1989) – Himself

''The Arsenio Hall Show'' (1989–1994) – Host

''Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS, and You'' (1992) – Host

''Blankman'' (1994) – Himself

''Arsenio'' (1997) – Michael Atwood

''Muppets Tonight'' (1997) - Himself

''Martial Law'' (1998) – Terrell Parker

''Star Search'' (2003–2005) – Host

''Chappelle Show'' (2003) – Himself

''The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie'' (2005) – Himself

''The Proud Family Movie'' (2005) – Dr. Carver/Bobby Proud (voice; taking over for Cedric the Entertainer)

''Scooby Doo! Pirates Ahoy!'' (2006) – Captain Crothers (voice)

''Flavor of Love 3'' (2008) – Himself

''Igor'' (2008) – Carl Cristall (voice)

''Meet Dave'' (2008)

''Brothers'' (2009) (TV) – Himself

''Black Dynamite'' (2009) – Tasty Freeze

''Tosh.0'' (2010) – Himself

Discography

In 1989, Hall released an album on MCA Records, ''Large & In Charge'' (ASIN B000008EAV), under the moniker "Chunky A". Chunky A was supposed to be Hall's overweight "little brother". The album had one minor hit "Owww!" and featured guest rappers Ice-T and KRS-One and guest musicians Cameo.

References

Further reading

''Arsenio Hall'' by Norman King. William Morrow & Co., 1993. ISBN 0517145987

External links

Category:African American comedians Category:African American film actors Category:African American television actors Category:African American television personalities Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American television personalities Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American voice actors Category:Kent State University alumni Category:Ohio University alumni Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio Category:People of the African Methodist Episcopal church Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Methodists

de:Arsenio Hall es:Arsenio Hall fa:آرسنیو هال fr:Arsenio Hall it:Arsenio Hall nl:Arsenio Hall pl:Arsenio Hall pt:Arsenio Hall simple:Arsenio Hall sv:Arsenio Hall tr:Arsenio Hall

Post	Mayor
Body	theCity and County ofSan Francisco
Insignia	Flag of San Francisco.svg
Insigniasize	100px
Insigniacaption	Flag of San Francisco, California
Incumbent	Edwin M. Lee
Incumbentsince	2011
Termlength	Four years, renewable once
Formation	1850
Inaugural	John W. Geary
Website	Office of the Mayor }}

The Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of San Francisco's city and county government. The mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the legislative branch. The mayor serves a four-year term and is limited to two successive terms. Because of San Francisco's status as a consolidated city–county, the mayor also serves as the head of government of the county; both entities have been governed together by a combined set of governing bodies since 1856.

There have been 42 individuals sworn into office. John W. Geary, elected in 1850, was the first mayor of the city. Charles James Brenham, who served as mayor during the 1850s, is the only person who has served two non-consecutive terms. The previous mayor, Gavin Newsom resigned to become the Lieutenant Governor of California on January 10, 2011. Edwin Lee was appointed by the Board of Supervisors on the following day to finish out Newsom's term.

Elections

The mayor of San Francisco is elected every four years; elections take place one year before United States presidential elections on election day in November. Candidates must live and be registered to vote in San Francisco at the time of the election. The mayor is usually sworn in on the January 8 following the election. The next election for the mayor will be in 2011.

Under the California constitution, all city elections in the state are conducted on a non-partisan basis. As a result, candidates' party affiliations are not listed on the ballot, and multiple candidates from a single party can run in the election since primary election is not held.

Mayoral elections were originally run under a two-round system. If no candidate received a simple majority of votes in the general election, the two candidates who received the most votes competed in a second runoff election held several weeks later. In 2002, the election system for city officials was overhauled as a result of a citywide referendum. The new system, known as instant-runoff voting, allows voters to select and rank three candidates based on their preferences. If no one wins more than half of the first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and second-choice votes (and third-choice votes, if necessary) are counted until a candidate captures the majority. This eliminates the need to hold a separate runoff election and saves money. This was first implemented in the 2004 Board of Supervisors election after two years of preparation. In 2007, the new system was implemented in the mayoral election for the first time.

Duties and powers

The mayor has the responsibility to enforce all city laws, administer and coordinate city departments and intergovernmental activities, set forth policies and agendas to the Board of Supervisors, and prepare and submit the city budget at the end of each fiscal year. The mayor has the powers to either approve or veto bills passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, participate in meetings of the Board of Supervisors and its committees, appoint a replacement to fill vacancies in all city elected offices until elections, appoint a member of the Board as acting mayor in his/her absence, and to direct personnels in the case of emergency.

Succession

If the mayor dies in office, resigns, or is unable to carry out his/her duties and he/she did not designate an acting mayor, the president of the Board of Supervisors becomes acting mayor until the full Board select a person to fill the vacancy and finish the previous mayoral term. (In the case that both the president of the Board of Supervisors and the mayor are incapacitated, the order of succession is followed.) This has happened four times: James Otis died in office and was succeeded by George Hewston, James Rolph resigned and was succeeded by Angelo Rossi, George Moscone was assassinated and was succeeded by Dianne Feinstein, and Gavin Newsom resigned and was succeeded by Edwin Lee.

List

To date, 42 individuals have served as mayor. There have been 43 mayoralties due to Charles James Brenham's serving two non-consecutive terms: he is counted chronologically as both the second and fourth mayor. The longest term was that of James Rolph, who served over 18 years until his resignation to become the California governor. The length of his tenure as mayor was largely due to his popularity. During his term, San Francisco saw the expansion of its transit system, the construction of the Civic Center and the hosting of the World's Fair. The shortest term was that of Charles Boxton, who served only eight days before resigning from office. Two mayors have died in office: Otis died from illness and Moscone was assassinated. Feinstein is the only woman, Willie Brown is the only African American and Edwin Lee is the only Asian American to have served as mayor.

Eleven mayors are native San Franciscans: Levi Richard Ellert, James D. Phelan, Eugene Schmitz, Rolph, Elmer Robinson, John Shelley, Joseph Alioto, Moscone, Feinstein, Frank Jordan and Gavin Newsom. Four mayors are foreign-born: Frank McCoppin and P. H. McCarthy (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, present-day Ireland), Adolph Sutro (Prussia, present-day Germany) and George Christopher (Greece).

This list does not include all acting mayors, of which there have been many, as an acting mayor is typically appointed by the mayor whenever he or she will be out of the city.

{|class="wikitable sortable" ! align=center|# ! Mayor ! Term start ! Term end ! class=unsortable|  ! style="border-left-style:hidden;padding:0.1em 0em"|Party |- |align=center|1 | |align=center| |align=center| |  |No party |- |align=center|2 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Whig |- |align=center|3 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|4 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Whig |- |align=center|5 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Whig |- |align=center|6 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Know Nothing |- |align=center|7 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|8 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |American |- |align=center|9 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |American |- |align=center|10 | |align=center| |align=center| | |Vigilance People's |- |align=center|11 | |align=center| |align=center| | |Vigilance People's |- |align=center|12 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|13 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|14 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|15 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Populist |- |align=center|16 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|17 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Populist |- |align=center|18 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|19 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|20 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|21 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|22 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|23 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|24 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Populist |- |align=center|25 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|26 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Union Labor |- |align=center|27 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Union Labor |- |align=center|28 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|29 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Union Labor |- |align=center|30 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|31 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|32 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|33 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|34 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Republican |- |align=center|35 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|36 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|37 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|38 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|39 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|40 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|41 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|42 | |align=center| |align=center| |bgcolor=| |Democratic |- |align=center|43 | |align=center| |align=center|''incumbent'' |bgcolor=| |Democratic |}

Other offices held

The following is a list of congressional, gubernatorial and other offices held by mayors, before or after their term(s). :

!Mayor	!Mayoral term	Other offices held	References
		Governor of Kansas
		[[California State Assemblyman (1857–1858)
		Governor of California* (1931–1934)
		California State Senate
		[[California State Assemblyman (1976–1988)
		California State Assemblyman (1964–1995)
		Lieutenant Governor of California* (2011–present)

Living former mayors

As of January 2011, five former mayors are alive, the oldest being Dianne Feinstein (1978–1988; born 1933). The most recent mayor to die is George Christopher (1956–1964; born 1907), on September 14, 2000.

!Mayor!!Mayoral term!!Date of birth
		(age )
		(age )
		(age )
		(age )
		(age )

Notes

In July 1907, Eugene Schmitz was convicted of extortion and sentenced to 5 years in prison. The Board of Supervisors replaced Schmitz with Supervisor Charles Boxton who had also taken bribes. Boxton served for eight days before he resigned. The Board then replaced Boxton with Edward Taylor. James Rolph resigned to become the Governor of California in 1931. The Board replaced Rolph with Angelo Rossi. On November 27, 1978, George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated by former Supervisor Dan White. Supervisor and Board President Dianne Feinstein was named acting mayor. She served the remainder of Moscone's term and was subsequently re-elected twice. Gavin Newsom resigned to become the Lieutenant Governor of California on January 10, 2011. Supervisor and Board President David Chiu briefly served as acting mayor until city administrator Edwin Lee was unanimously appointed on the following day by the Board to finish out Newsom's term.

References

;General

;Specific

Category:Government of San Francisco, California Category:History of San Francisco, California San Francisco Category:Lists of people from California

de:Liste der Bürgermeister von San Francisco pt:Prefeito de São Francisco