clubname	Doncaster Rovers
fullname	Doncaster Rovers Football Club
nickname	The RoversDonny
shortname	DRFC
founded	1879
ground	Keepmoat StadiumDoncasterSouth YorkshireEngland
capacity	15,231
chairman	John Ryan
manager	Sean O'Driscoll
league	The Championship
season	2010–11
position	The Championship, 21st
topscorer	Tom Keetley (180)
current	2011–12 Doncaster Rovers F.C. season | pattern_la1_red_hoops|pattern_b1_drfc_1011|pattern_ra1_red_hoops|pattern_sh1_black_thinstripe_color|pattern_so1 | leftarm1FFFFFF|body1FFFFFF|rightarm1FFFFFF|shorts1FFFFFF|socks1000000 | pattern_b2|pattern_so2 | leftarm200BFFF|body200BFFF|rightarm200BFFF|shorts200BFFF|socks200BFFF }}

Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.

The club was founded in 1879 and turned professional in 1885. Doncaster have spent the majority of their playing history between the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system and are one of three clubs to win the Division 3/League Two title 3 times.

Since 2008 they have been playing in the second tier of English football. This marks only the fourth time they have played at this level in their history and is the highest league the team has ever played in. They were elected into the old Second Division in 1901 where they only spent two years before going back into the regional league. They were once again re-elected to the league in 1904, but only lasted a year before failing to be re-elected in 1905. Their third stint at this level of English football was for 8 years from 1950 to 1958. This is seen as the club's most successful period.

The club's colours have traditionally been red and white. Their home strip is red and white hoops which has been the main design of the club’s home shirt since 2001.

Sean O’Driscoll has been the manager of the club since August 2006, joining from Bournemouth after the late summer departure of Dave Penney. The current club captain is Brian Stock.

History

The club was formed in September 1879 by Albert Jenkins, a fitter at Doncaster's Great Northern Railway works in response to the emerging popularity of the game in the nearby city of Sheffield. The team turned professional in 1885 and were first elected to the Football League in 1901, as a replacement for New Brighton Tower. Their first season in the League was precisely the one when Doncaster achieved their highest position ever (7th in the Football League Second Division). They only lasted two seasons in the league before being voted out in favour of local rivals Bradford City due to finishing the 1902–03 season in the bottom three. They spent the subsequent season in the non-league Midland League. A second attempt, in 1904–05, lasted only one season with Doncaster finishing dead last and being voted out once again. They would have to wait until 1923 before playing English league football again, when they were elected to the Football League Third Division North to replace Stalybridge Celtic.

The club did not have a permanent ground until 1885 when they started playing their games at the Intake Ground. They played their football there until August 1914 when the club went into liquidation. A new company did take over the club soon after but all English league competition was suspended in 1915 due to the First World War and the club was closed down and the ground was turned into an Army base. The club reformed in 1920 after the war's end and due to losing their old ground to the Army were forced to build a new ground. The ground was called Belle Vue and initially had a capacity of 10,000. Doncaster played their first game there in 1922. Belle Vue was Doncaster's home for 84 years and in that time only received one major upgrade when in 1938 the grounds capacity was increased to 40,000.

They hold the record for the most games won in a league season (33 in 1946–47, when they won the Third Division North title). In 1997–98, Doncaster also set the record for losses in a season, suffering the humiliation of enduring 34 league defeats as they finished bottom of Division Three and went into the Football Conference. Just after this relegation, the then chairman Ken Richardson was sent to prison for four years after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson after a fire in June 1995 within the Main Stand at Belle Vue. They returned to the Football League five years later as Conference playoff winners, and were Division Three champions the following season.

Doncaster were the first team to win the Fourth Division/Third Division (fourth level) championship three times, in 1966, 1969, and 2004). Football League rules state that any team who wins a trophy 3 times can keep it. When Rovers tried to retain ownership of the actual Third Division trophy, the Football League claimed that Rovers could not keep the trophy because the league names had changed and so they had not won that particular league 3 times. The titles won in 1966 and 1969 were in fact Fourth division (albeit the same in all but name) and Doncaster were the last team to win the Division Three before it was renamed League Two.

In 2005–06, Doncaster beat two Premiership teams in the League Cup – Manchester City and Aston Villa. They reached the quarter finals of the competition where they met Arsenal. They went ahead in normal time and Arsenal equalised, and in extra time Rovers went up for a second time but Gilberto Silva equalised in injury time and the North London side went on to win on penalties.

Harry Gregg kept goal for Doncaster in the 1950s, and was sold to Manchester United in December 1957 for £23,500. At the time, he was the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. He went on to help save lives in the Munich air disaster and was a regular goalkeeper for Northern Ireland.

The late Billy Bremner, who achieved fame for his playing career with Leeds United and Scotland, managed Doncaster twice, his final spell ending in November 1991 – six years before his death.

Doncaster Rovers were involved in the longest ever football match, against Stockport County at Edgeley Park on 30 March 1946. The match was the second in a Division Three (North) two-legged cup tie and, after 30 minutes of extra time, was deadlocked at 2–2 (also the score in the first leg). After the referee had sought advice from the authorities, it was decided that the game would carry on until one team scored. However, after 203 minutes, and with darkness closing in, the game was finally stopped. Stories abound of fans leaving the game, going home for their tea, and coming back to watch the end of the game. The replay, at Doncaster, was won by Rovers 4–0.

The club underwent difficult times in the 1980s and 1990s, culminating in relegation to the Conference in 1998. This was the third time Doncaster had been demoted from Football League status. Only Lincoln City have left the league more times. However, Doncaster's fortunes soon began to turn round, due to owner John Ryan's commitment to invest heavily into the club. The club returned to the fourth tier (known at the time as Division Three) after winning the 2003 Conference Play-Off and they found their best form in 50 years in the 2000s. The club has few financial worries and a new stadium was completed in December 2006. Their first game at the new Keepmoat Stadium was against Huddersfield Town on New Year's Day, 2007 and the first goal scored at the Stadium was by Mark McCammon.

Promotion the first season back in the Football League in 2003–2004 under the helm of manager Dave Penney returned them to the third tier, now renamed Coca Cola League I. Penney left in August 2006 feeling he had taken the club as far as he could and was swiftly replaced with former AFC Bournemouth manager Sean O'Driscoll, with Richard O'Kelly as assistant manager.

On 1 April 2007, Doncaster Rovers travelled with their new manager to the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff to play Bristol Rovers in the Johnstones Paint Trophy final. Playing in front of over 59,000 people, this was Rovers' first major cup final in the club's history. They got off to the perfect start when a tap in from Jonathan Forte and brilliant finish from Paul Heffernan put Rovers 2–0 up within the first 5 minutes. However, after a brave fight back from Bristol, the game finished 2–2, so it went to extra time. In the second half of extra time a Sean Thornton corner was headed home by skipper Graeme Lee who had come forward from his central defensive position. Doncaster held on to claim their first major trophy.

2007–08 proved to be one of the most exciting seasons in Doncaster's history. After a slow start they were in serious contention for a top-six finish for much of the second half of the season. Defeat away at Cheltenham Town on the final day of the season cost them automatic promotion and they finished third, with Nottingham Forest taking 2nd place. After a 0–0 draw away to Southend United in the playoff semi-finals first leg, Rovers beat their opponents 5–1 at home in the second leg including a James Coppinger hat-trick to advance to the League One play-off final at Wembley on Sunday 25th May 2008 where they beat Leeds United 1–0 to move into Football League Championship after a half century absence. A James Hayter headed goal in the 47th minute was enough to secure victory in front of over 75,000 fans at Wembley.

The first half of the 2008–09 season saw Doncaster struggling to adapt to the Championship despite a promising start with an away win over newly relegated Derby County. A long run of bad results saw them bottom of the Championship on the 20th December 2008 following a narrow 1–0 defeat to Wolves at home. Rovers managed to turn things around soon after and enjoyed an undefeated run of 8 Championship games, starting with a thrilling 4–2 win at relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day. This run included derby victories against Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday. The win against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday 14 February was especially memorable considering it was the first time Doncaster had defeated the Owls in any league competition. The streak ended at the hands of Swansea City on Saturday 21 February after a 3–1 defeat at the Liberty Stadium. Doncaster Rovers secured their place in the Championship for the 2009–10 season after an emphatic 3–0 win at Home Park against Plymouth Argyle. Doncaster ended their first season in the Championship comfortably in 14th position, finishing above 8 former Premier League teams, including Charlton Athletic, Watford, Crystal Palace and Derby County. The survival was also a major feat, as before the start of that season, they were tipped by many as strong favourites for relegation.

The 2009–10 season's success became a football league record. Having become the first team to be bottom of the table at Christmas, but still managed to survive the drop.

Doncaster started the 2009–10 season away at Vicarage Road with a 1–1 draw against Watford. Their first win of the season came at home against Cardiff City 5 games into the season when they won 2–0. Doncaster finished the 2009–10 season marginally better than their first season back in the Championship, finishing two places higher in 12th and earning two more points than the previous season finishing on 60 points. This was despite a promising period towards the end of the season which saw Doncaster close to the play-off places, thanks in part to Sheffield United loanee Billy Sharp who scored 15 goals for Doncaster during his stay.

The 2010–11 season proved to be Doncaster’s most trying season in the Championship thus far. Despite a club record signing of £1.15 million for Billy Sharp, the season was plagued by injuries to key players, as well as poor form. Doncaster did however manage to ensure their Championship survival, finishing in 21st place, 6 points clear of relegated local rivals Sheffield United and Scunthorpe United. This meant Rovers would spend a fourth successive season in the second tier of English football.

League History

Doncaster Rovers have played their football in the following leagues:

Midland Football League: 1891–92 to 1900–01; 1903–04; 1905–06 to 1922–23

Football League: 1901–02 to 1902–03; 1904–05; 1923–24 to 1997–98; 2003–04 to present:

* 2nd Tier – Division 2: 1901–02 to 1902–03, 1904–05, 1935–36 to 1936–37, 1947–48, 1950–51 to 1957–58, Championship: 2008–09 to present;

* 3rd Tier – Division 3 North: 1923–24 to 1934–35, 1937–38 to 1946–47, 1948–49 to 1949–50, Division 3: 1958–59, 1966–67, 1969–70 to 1970–71, 1981–82 to 1982–83, 1984–85 to 1987–88, League 1: 2004–05 to 2007–08;

* 4th Tier – Division 4: 1959–60 to 1965–66, 1967–68 to 1968–69, 1971–72 to 1980–81, 1983–84, 1988–89 to 1991/92, Division 3: 1992/93 to 1997–98, 2003–04)

Football Conference: 1998–99 to 2002–03

League Standings for last 11 Seasons

Crests

Like most of the early English football clubs, the original crest adopted by Doncaster Rovers was that of the local coat of arms. The coat of arms of Doncaster at the time was of two lions holding Yorkshire roses in their mouths as well as a red shield depicting the old medieval Doncaster Castle. The coat of arms is primarily red and white which explains the teams decision to adopt red and white as their colours. The club stop using Doncaster’s coat of arms in 1972 when the Viking crest was introduced.

The actual reason behind the Viking appearing on the crest dates back to a sponsorship deal struck between the club and a local Rover car dealership back in 1972 by then owner Morris Setters. The Rover Car Company’s mascot was the Viking, and therefore the decision was made to include a Viking as part of the club’s new crest to subtly symbolise the sponsorship deal between the club and car dealership. The fact that Doncaster was called ‘The Rovers’ was purely coincidental.

When the new crest was introduced it included a monochrome Viking image overlayed over a red and white circle, which denoted the club's colours, along with the year of the club’s formation 1879. The Viking image would become known as “The Turk's Head”. Also included on the crest was a shield with the club’s initials – D.R.F.C as well as the Yorkshire white rose in reference to the club’s location. The inset shield was also coloured red and white to denote the teams colours. In the early 1990s the crest was altered, omitting the red and white circle background and the Viking image was coloured gold.

A further modification to the Doncaster Rovers' crest was introduced in 2006 and is the one currently in use today. The new adaptation includes a new Yorkshire rose design on the shield as well as a slightly different Viking image in dark yellow.

Kits

History

The club's main colours have been red and white since 1885. However, from 1879 to 1885 they played in blue and white. The club's first strip was a navy blue and white strip with a yellow diagonal cross. The kit was worn along with a blue Tam O'Shanter with a red toorie at the centre. The pattern of the home shirts has varied throughout the years. However, it has always been either a solid red shirt, a solid white shirt, a red and white striped shirt, or a red and white hooped shirt. A solid red shirt with a black collar was the first design adopted when the club first entered the English Football league in 1901. Since 2001 the club has always played in a red and white hooped home shirt.

Kit manufacturers

1978–1979: Umbro

1979–1981: Sereena

1981–1982: Lynx

1982–1987: Hobbott

1987–1989: Spall

1990–1992: Ribero

1992–1996: Matchwinner

1996–1997: Patrick

1997–1998: Olympic Sports

1998–1999: Asics

1999–2001: Viking Leisurewear

2001–2003: Vandanel

2003–2006: Carlotti

2006–2007: Streetwise Sports

2007–2008: Carlotti

2008–2010: Vandanel

2010–present: Nike

Kit sponsors

1982–1984: Cil

1984–1987: Pilkington Glass

1987–1988: St. George's Car Centre

1988–1993: Doncaster Free Press

1993–1994: European Car Rental

1994–1995: Doncaster Star

1995–1996: Hayselden Motors

1996–1998: East Riding Sacks

1998: Transform Medical Group

1998–2001: Beazer Homes

2001–2002: One Call Insurance

2002–2003: Ledger Mobility

2003–2006: Streetwise Sports

2006–2007: Carlotti

2007–2010: Wright Investments

2010–present: One Call Insurance

Stadium

1885–1915: Intake Ground

1922–2006: Belle Vue ''(renamed Earth Stadium from 2003 to 2006)''

2007–present: Keepmoat Stadium

Doncaster Rovers' first permanent ground was established in 1885 after six years of playing football wherever they could. The ground was based near the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb and so was known as the Deaf and Dumb Ground. A year later the stadium was officially named as the Intake Ground. When professional competition was suspended in 1915, the club closed down and the Intake Ground was taken over by the Army and used as a military depot. In the summer of 1920 Rovers were revived but were without a home ground as the Army were still using their former home. A new ground was built and named Belle Vue. The stadium opened in 1922. In 1938 the capacity of Belle Vue was increased to 40,000 and it was in 1947 that the stadium recorded its highest attendance of 37,099 against Hull City, although apocryphal accounts refute this and claim that many more gained entry to the ground by climbing over walls and thus avoided having to pay. Belle Vue was Doncaster's home for 84 years. In 2003 it was renamed the Earth Stadium after the Rotherham-based finance company Earth Finance started sponsoring the ground. When John Ryan took over the club in 1998 one of his first guarantees was to help establish a new stadium for the club. Belle Vue had never been upgraded heavily since 1938 and despite minor cosmetic changes and the addition of some seating was really showing its age by the time Ryan took over. A new 15,000 all-seated stadium was completed in December 2006 and their first game at their new Keepmoat Stadium was against Huddersfield Town on New Year's Day, 2007.

Supporters and rivalry

Rivalries

Doncaster Rovers main rivals are usually those of neighbouring football teams with Rotherham United considered by fans their main rival. Others include Leeds United, Barnsley, Scunthorpe United, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City, York City and Grimsby Town. A rivalry of sorts has also arisen with Nottingham Forest who were promoted alongside Doncaster to the Championship in 2008 and spent most of the 2008–09 season battling against the Rovers to avoid relegation back to League One. During Doncaster's days in the Football Conference, rivalries also emerged with clubs such as Chester City, Boston United, Rushden and Diamonds and Yeovil Town.

Players

Current squad

:''As of August 2011.''

Out on Loan

Notable players

''For notable Doncaster Rovers players in a sortable-list format, see List of notable Doncaster Rovers players''

''For all Doncaster Rovers players with a Wikipedia article, see :Category:Doncaster Rovers F.C. players''

Internationals Players signed to, and have played for Doncaster that have had full international caps during their careers, those in bold gained caps during their time at Doncaster. Appearances and (goals).

{| |- style="vertical-align: top;" | ;England Terry Cooper 20 (0) Sam Cowan 3 (0) Brian Deane 3 (0) Kerry Dixon 8 (4) Colin Grainger 7 (3) Charlie Richards 1 (0) George Shaw 1 (0) ;Scotland Billy Bremner 54 (3) Steve Nicol 27 (0) Neil Sullivan 28 (0) ;Wales Brian Flynn 66 (7) Graham Moore 21 (1) John Oster 13 (0) Eddie Perry 3 (1) Gareth Roberts 9 (0) Neil Roberts 4 (0) Stephen Roberts 1 (0) Brian Stock 3 (0) Gareth Taylor 15 (1) | ;Ireland Peter Doherty 16 (3) Christy Giles 1 (0) Paddy McConnell 2 (0) ;Northern Ireland Hugh Dowd 3 (0) Stuart Elliott 36 (4) Len Graham 14 (0) Harry Gregg 25 (0) Kevin Horlock 32 (0) Jon McCarthy 18 (0) Eddie McMorran 15 (4) Dean Shiels 9 (0) David Healy 87 (35) Jimmy Walker 1 (1) ;Republic of Ireland Gerry Daly 48 (13) Paul Green 9 (1) Alfie Hale 14 (2) Kit Lawlor 3 (0) Brendan O'Callaghan 6 (0) John Sheridan 34 (5) | ;Barbados Mark McCammon 5 (4) ;Canada Paul James 47 (2) Colin Miller 61 (5) ;Iceland Guðmundur Torfason 26 (4) ;Jamaica Jamie Lawrence 24 (1) Darren Moore 3 (0) ;Montserrat Anthony Griffith 1 (0) ;Netherlands Antilles Shelton Martis 3 (0) ;New Zealand Dave Mulligan 28 (3) Colin Walker 15 (10) ;Saint Kitts and Nevis Dean Walling ? (?) ;Saint Lucia Warren Hackett 21 (2) ;South Africa Quinton Fortune 46 (2) |}

Managers

Management team

Manager: Sean O'Driscoll

Assistant Manager: Richard O'Kelly

Director of Football: Mickey Walker

Goalkeeping Coach: Lee Butler

Academy Manager: Paul Wilson

Academy Head Coach: Paul Stancliffe

Physiotherapists: John Dickens

Kit Managers: Dave Richards

Managerial history

Below is a list of all the permanent managers that Doncaster Rovers have had since the appointment of Arthur Porter in 1920. In the 41 years prior to Newbould's appointment, the team was selected by club committee, a standard practice by football clubs at the time. The club's current manager, Sean O'Driscoll, is their 26th in all, and was appointed in October 2006, as a successor to Dave Penney who resigned in September 2006.

{| |- style="vertical-align: top;" | 2006–: Sean O'Driscoll 2001–2006: Dave Penney 2000–2001: Steve Wignall 2000: Dave Penney, Mark Atkins 1998–2000: Ian Snodin 1997–1998: Mark Weaver 1997: Danny Bergara 1996–1997: Kerry Dixon 1994–1996: Sammy Chung 1993–1994: Ian Atkins | 1991–1993: Steve Beaglehole 1989–1991: Billy Bremner 1987–1989: Dave Mackay 1985–1987: Dave Cusack 1978–1985: Billy Bremner 1975–1978: Stan Anderson 1971–1975: Maurice Setters 1968–1971: Lawrie McMenemy 1967–1968: George Raynor 1966–1967: Keith Kettleborough | 1964–1966: Bill Leivers 1962–1964: Oscar Hold 1961–1962: Danny Malloy 1960–1961: Norman Curtis 1959–1960: Jackie Bestall 1958–1959: Jack Crayston 1958: Jack Hodgson 1958: Syd Bycroft 1949–1958: Peter Doherty 1946–1949: Jackie Bestall | 1944–1946: Bill Marsden 1936–1940: Fred Emery 1928–1936: David Menzies 1923–1927: Dick Ray 1922–1923: Arthur Porter 1921–1922: Harry Tufnell 1920–1921: Arthur Porter |}

Board of Directors and Ownership

Chairman: John Ryan

Chairman of Football Operations: John Ryan

President: Trevor J Milton

Vice Chairman: Dick Watson

Chief Executive Officer: David Morris

Director: Mike Collet

Director: Stuart Highfield

Director: Andrew Liney

Directors: Peter Hepworth, Paul May, Terry Brammall

Mascot

The team's mascot, previously portrayed by Andrew Liney, is a brown dog known as ''Donny Dog'' that wears a red and white Rovers jersey. Before a scheduled appearance during the game against Huddersfield Town at the Galpharm Stadium on 4 March 2006, police prevented Liney from entering the stadium in costume, citing unspecified "police intelligence", and refused him permission to wear any part of the costume within 50 metres of the stadium. Mr Liney later received a full written apology for these unfounded allegations from the head of West Yorkshire Police. The mascot was next portrayed by Tracy Chandler until June 2011, when she was relieved from the position after she posed in her underwear for a Sunday newspaper.

Honours

Football League Trophy Winners

*2006/2007

English 3rd tier

*Champions: 1934/1935, 1946/1947, 1949/1950Play-off winners: 2007/2008

English 4th tier Champions

*1965/1966, 1968/1969, 2003/2004

English 5th tier

*Play-Off Winners: 2002/2003

*Conference League Cup Winners: 1998/1999, 1999/2000

Sheffield & Hallamshire FA Senior Challenge Cup Winners

*1890/1891, 1911/1912, 2000/2001, 2001/2002

Club records

Highest Overall League Finish: 7th, Second Division, 1901–02 Season.

Record League victory: 10–0 v Darlington at Belle Vue, Football League Fourth Division, 25 January 1964 Record Cup victory: 7–0 v Blyth Spartans at Belle Vue, FA Cup First Round, 27 November 1937 Record defeat: 0–12 v Small Heath, Division 2, 11 April 1903 Record home attendance at Belle Vue: 37,149 vs Hull City, Football League Third Division North, 2 October 1948

Record home attendance at Keepmoat Stadium: 15,001 vs Leeds Utd, Football League One, 1 April 2008.

Record league points : 92, Division 3, 2003–04

Record league goals: 123, Division 3 (N), 1946–47 Record League goal-scorer: Tom Keetley, 180 league goals, between 1923 and 1929 Highest league scorer in a season: 42, Clarrie Jordan, Division 3 (N), 1946–47

Most goals in one match: 6 by Tom Keetley in 7–4 win at Ashington, 1928–29

Most capped player: Len Graham (14 caps for Northern Ireland) Record appearances: Fred Emery, 417 league matches, 504 total matches Youngest player: Alick Jeffrey (15 years, 229 days, 1954) Record Transfer Fee: £1,150,000 to Sheffield United for Billy Sharp Record Fee Received: £2,000,000 from Reading for Matthew Mills

In popular culture

Ricky Tomlinson's Mike Bassett is said to have played for Doncaster in 1975. This is affirmed by Mike's wife who states "I first met Mike in 1975, when he was with Crewe Alexandra, and he was at loan from Doncaster at the time so I remember thinking they might ask for him back, luckily Doncaster told Crewe they could keep him". Due to the following statement of Mike; "playing for 14 clubs, in 9 different positions, including goalie" (which is followed by a clip of Mike in net, and an atrociously bad back pass going past him).

References

External links

Official

Official website

Independent sites

Viking Supporters' Co-operative

Doncaster Rovers at footymad.net

Doncaster Rovers at skysports.com

Doncaster Rovers at teamtalk.com

Doncaster Rovers at vitalfootball.co.uk

Doncaster Rovers at NewsNow.com

BBC's Rovers 'Til I Die Documentary Feature Site

Category:English football clubs Category:Sport in Doncaster Category:Association football clubs established in 1879 Category:South Yorkshire football clubs Category:Football League clubs Category:Football League Trophy winners Category:1879 establishments in England

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background	solo_singer
born	December 01, 1930Shoreditch, London, England, UK
died	February 07, 1985Cromwell Hospital, London, England, UK
occupation	Singer
years active	1956–1985
label	Decca, Parlophone, Capitol, Columbia
website	http://www.mattmonro.com/
notable instruments	}}

Matt Monro (1 December 1930 – 7 February 1985) was an English singer who became one of the most popular entertainers on the international music scene during the 1960s. Throughout his 30-year career, he filled cabarets, nightclubs, music halls, and stadiums in Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.

Early career

He was born Terence Edward Parsons in Shoreditch, London and attended Duncombe School in Islington. Affectionately nicknamed "the singing bus driver" (because one of his many occupations prior to achieving fame was driving the Number 27 bus from Highgate to Teddington), he got his first break in 1956 when he became a featured vocalist with the BBC Show Band. An important influence on his early career was the pianist Winifred Atwell, who became his mentor, provided him with his stage name, and helped him sign with Decca Records.

In 1957 Monro released ''Blue and Sentimental'', a collection of standards. Despite the album's critical acclaim, Monro languished among the young male singers trying to break through at the end of the 1950s, many of them emulating Frankie Vaughan by recording cover versions of American hits. (Monro even recorded a version of Vaughan's "Garden of Eden" during this period.) A short recording contract with Fontana Records followed.

By the end of the 1950s, Monro's mid-decade fame had evaporated, and he returned to relative obscurity. He and his wife Mickie lived from her wages as a song plugger and his royalties from a TV advertising jingle for Camay soap. In 1959 he recorded a country pastiche song, "Bound for Texas", for ''The Chaplin Revue'', a feature-length compilation of Charlie Chaplin shorts. It would be the first of many Monro soundtrack themes.

International success

Prior to producing the Peter Sellers album ''Songs For Swinging Sellers'' in 1960, George Martin asked Monro to record a satirical ditty to help the comedian imitate the song with a Frank Sinatra-type styling. When Sellers heard the recording he decided to use it to open the record rather than record his own version. However, Sellers billed Monro as "Fred Flange," and though it was a demoralizing experience at the time, the incident developed into a lifelong friendship with Martin, who subsequently asked Monro to begin recording with him for EMI's Parlophone record label. Their second single, "Portrait of My Love," reached number three in the UK Singles Chart.

By the following year, he had been named Top International Act by ''Billboard''. In February 1961, the British music magazine, ''NME'' reported that Monro had won ITV's ''British Song Contest'' with "My Kind of Girl". His follow-up hits included that song, plus "Softly as I Leave You" (1962) and the song from the James Bond film ''From Russia with Love'' (1963). For the latter, his vocals were not used in the opening titles, as became the standard for the series; they were heard on a radio during the film and over the final credits. At the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest, singing "I Love the Little Things," he finished second behind Italy's 16-year-old Gigliola Cinquetti, despite an "excellent performance of the only English language song of the night." The Austrian entry "Warum Nur Warum?", sung by Udo Jürgens, caught Monro's ear, despite its sixth-place finish, and he recorded an English version titled "Walk Away" (with lyrics by Monro's manager Don Black), earning him another hit single late in 1964. He also had a hit with The Beatles' "Yesterday" in 1965, releasing the first single of the most recorded song of all time, predating even the Beatles' own. The following year, Monro sang the Oscar winning title song for the film, ''Born Free,'' which became his signature tune. The opening scene for the film ''The Italian Job'' featured Monro singing "On Days Like These." These two movie themes featured lyrics also written by Don Black, who started his career as a renowned songwriter when Monro challenged him to pen the English lyric that became "Walk Away". On 31 December 1976, Monro performed ''Walk Away'' on BBC1's A Jubilee Of Music, celebrating British pop music for Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Jubilee.

Monro achieved fame in the United States when "My Kind of Girl" (1961) and "Walk Away" (1964) hit the Top 40. In 1966, following the death of Nat King Cole, EMI moved Monro from Parlophone to Capitol. After relocating to California and recording several albums with American arrangers, Monro returned to the UK and began appearing on EMI's Columbia label, his final U.S. album release being ''Close To You'' in 1970. This LP contained "We're Gonna Change The World", a semi-satirical song about women's liberation, which was not a hit in either the US or the UK but was nevertheless widely played, and became enduringly popular, on BBC Radio 2.

He continued touring and recording until just before his death, releasing a single and promoting it throughout the UK and Australia in 1984. In one of his final appearances, he praised Boy George, noting the importance of quality recordings in all musical genres.

Death and legacy

Monro died from liver cancer in 1985 at the Cromwell Hospital, Kensington, London, leaving a widow, Mickie, and three children: Mitchell, Michele, and Matthew. Mitchell, a professional pilot, also died of cancer in 2004. A Memorial was held in Harrow.

The twentieth anniversary of Monro's passing spotlighted the continuing interest in his music, with a Top 10 tribute compilation CD (UK), a No. 1 concert DVD (UK), a BBC TV documentary, and an official website all appearing in 2005. A 2007 compilation CD entitled ''From Matt With Love'' reached the Top 40 of the UK Albums Chart during its first week of release. His songs were featured on Friday Night is Music Night on October 8, 2010.

In Autumn 2005 Matt Monro Jr. toured the United Kingdom with a tribute concert commemorating the anniversary. Also, EMI re-released ''Matt Sings Monro'', a 1995 duet album that combined his voice with the senior Monro's. Another posthumous Matt Monro duet, with Cliff Richard, appeared on Richard's duets CD, ''Two's Company'', in 2007.

Monro never recorded a "live" concert album, preferring the technical purity of the recording studio and wanting his public performances to retain an element of uniqueness. However, in the past few years, commercially-released concert albums have emerged following meticulous remastering of radio and television shows, private recordings he commissioned. These include an intimate 1967 cabaret performance from his first tour of Australia; a 1967 BBC concert with Nelson Riddle; a 1966 arena concert before 24,000 fans in Manila; and one of his final concerts, recorded on the last night of his fourteenth and final Australian tour in 1984.

In recent years, many singers riding the resurging wave of retro-pop have cited Matt Monro as a strong influence, including Michael Bublé, Monica Mancini, and Rick Astley. Musicians' biographies regularly note his stylistic influence on their subjects, including Cass Elliot and Karen Carpenter. He continues to feature prominently on radio stations and CD compilations featuring popular easy-listening vocalists.

His daughter Michele has written a biography, The Singer's Singer: The Life and Music of Matt Monro.

His music

Most of Monro's recordings were produced or overseen by George Martin. Unlike his contemporaries, Monro recorded very few Tin Pan Alley standards during his career. (The exception was ''Matt Monro sings Hoagy Carmichael'', one of his most highly-regarded albums.) Instead, he and Martin searched for material written by promising newcomers and commissioned English lyrics for dramatic melodies written by European composers. He also covered many of the most popular stage and screen songs of the 1950s and 1960s. Over the years, his recordings featured arrangements by Sid Feller, Billy May, John Barry, Buddy Bregman, Kenny Clayton and Colin Keyes, and Martin himself. He also had a long and fruitful musical partnership with British arranger Johnnie Spence. Monro also teamed up with American star arrangers Nelson Riddle and Billy May and leading British bandleader Ted Heath, for concerts broadcast by the BBC.

In 1973 Monro released a vocal version of the popular ''Van der Valk'' TV-series theme titled "And You Smiled". It was his final hit. In 1977 he recorded "If I Never Sing Another Song", which became a latter-day standard among his contemporaries, its lyrics referring to the "heyday" of fan mail, awards, and other trappings of celebrity that had faded for them.

Hit Albums

Year	Album	Peak positions	Certifications†
		! width="50"	! width="50"
1965		20	N/A
1966		25	N/A
1967		30	N/A
1980		5	Gold
1982		—	Gold
2005		7	Gold
2007		30	—
2010		28	—

† Before 1973 the BPI did not have an album/single certified award scheme.

Hit Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions
		! width="50"	US
1960		3	—
		5	18
	24	92
	44	—
		10	—
	46	—
	29	—
1963		20	—
		4	23
	23	135
		37	101
	8	—
1966		—	126
1973		28	—

Marriages

He was married twice:

Iris 1953 (divorced); one son Mitchell (died 2004)

Mickie Schuller born 19. July 1933 in Berlin, died 25th, February 2010 aged 76 in Middlesex, England (bone cancer) married 1959-1985; one daughter Michele and one son Matt Monro, Jr.

References

Category:1930 births Category:1985 deaths Category:People from Shoreditch Category:Deaths from liver cancer Category:English male singers Category:British Eurovision Song Contest entrants Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1964 Category:Parlophone artists Category:English crooners Category:Liberty Records artists Category:Cancer deaths in England Category:English bus drivers

bcl:Matt Monro de:Matt Monro es:Matt Monro fa:مت مونرو fr:Matt Monro nl:Matt Monro pl:Matt Monro pt:Matt Monro fi:Matt Monro

Name	Don Was
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Don Fagenson
Born	September 13, 1952
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genre	RockNew Wave
Occupation	Musician, record producer
Instrument	Bass guitar, vocals, piano
Years active	1979–present
Associated acts	Was (Not Was)Orquestra Was }}

Don Was (born Don Fagenson; September 13, 1952) is an American musician, bassist and record producer.

Life and career

Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School (Michigan) in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year. A journeyman musician, he grew up listening to the Detroit blues sound and the jazz music of John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

Using the stage name "Don Was", he formed the group Was (Not Was) with school friend David Weiss (David Was). The group found commercial success in the 1980s - releasing four albums and logging several hit records. A jazz/R&B; album of Hank Williams covers, "Forever's A Long, Long Time" was released in 1996, under the name Orquestra Was. In 2008, Was (Not Was) reunited for a acclaimed new album and tour.

Don Was has earned his recognition as a record producer, and has recorded with an array of artists, including The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Ziggy Marley, Bob Seger, Al Green, Garth Brooks, Ringo Starr, Iggy Pop, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Cocker, Hootie and The Blowfish, Amos Lee and Willie Nelson to Elton John, Stevie Nicks, George Clinton, Randy Newman, The Black Crowes, Carly Simon, Travis Tritt, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, The Barenaked Ladies, Old Crow Medicine Show, Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Richie Sambora, The Presidents of the United States of America, B.B. King, Paul Westerberg, Poison, Cheb Khaled, The B-52's, Zucchero, Todd Snider, Elizabeth Cook, Jill Sobule and Solomon Burke. He has received multiple Grammy Awards including Producer of the Year in 1995. He produced several albums for Bonnie Raitt including her ''Nick of Time'' album that won the 1990 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

He served as music director and/or consultant for several motion pictures such as ''Thelma and Louise'', ''The Rainmaker'', ''Hope Floats'', ''Phenomenon'', ''Tin Cup'', ''Honeymoon in Vegas'', ''8 Seconds'', ''Switch'', ''The Freshman'', ''Days of Thunder'', ''Michael'', ''Prêt-à-Porter'', ''Boys on the Side'', ''Toy Story'' and ''The Paper''.

In 1995, Don Was earned a Grammy Award for Producer of the Year. In 1997, he directed and produced a documentary, ''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'', about former-Beach Boy Brian Wilson. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and won the San Francisco Film Festival's Golden Gate Award. He also received the British Academy Award (BAFTA) for Best Original Score in recognition of his compositions for the film ''Backbeat''.

Was, who is a fan of the Rolling Stones and saw them in concert when he was age 12 in 1964, worked on the remastered Rolling Stones's album ''Exile on Main Street'' that was released in May 2010. Was scoured old master recordings of the album for lost gems, remixing some songs while adding entirely new lyrics and tracks on songs.

In 2009, he began hosting a weekly radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio's Outlaw Country channel called ''The Motor City Hayride''. Was is the named Producer for a contest called,"Gimme The Gig", sponsored by Ford. He is To produce the winning band,"Perry Acker" from Gig Harbor Washington. On one of American Idol's 2011 broadcasts Was worked with contestants Haley Reinhart, Lauren Alaina, Paul McDonald, and Scotty McCreery.

Personal life

Don is the father of Eve 6 drummer Tony Fagenson and also Henry and Solomon Fagenson. He is the brother of public official Dr. Nancy Fagenson Potok, former Principal Associate Director and Chief Financial Officer of the US Census Bureau and currently Deputy Undersecretary for Economic Affairs in the Obama Administration.

Selected discography

1985: ''Spoiled Girl'' - Carly Simon (producer)

1989: ''Nick of Time'' - Bonnie Raitt (keyboards, producer)

1989: ''Cosmic Thing'' - The B-52s (producer)

1990: ''Take it to Heart'' - Michael McDonald (programming, producer, synthesizer, sequencing, synthesizer programming)

1990: ''Brick by Brick'' - Iggy Pop (producer)

1990: ''Under the Red Sky'' - Bob Dylan (bass, producer)

1991: ''Death Tongue'' - Wayne Kramer (producer)

1991: ''Luck of the Draw'' - Bonnie Raitt (producer)

1991: ''The Fire Inside'' - Bob Seger (bass, producer)

1992: ''Arkansas Traveler'' - Michelle Shocked (producer)

1992: ''Time Takes Time'' - Ringo Starr (producer)

1992: ''Good Stuff'' - The B-52s (producer)

1992: ''Strange Weather'' - Glenn Frey (producer)

1992: ''King of Hearts'' - Roy Orbison (producer, Hammond organ, background vocals)

1993: ''Across the Borderline'' - Willie Nelson (producer)

1993: ''Thousand Roads'' - David Crosby (producer)

1993: ''I'm Alive'' - Jackson Browne (producer)

1994: ''Longing in Their Hearts'' - Bonnie Raitt (bass, producer)

1994: ''Voodoo Lounge'' - The Rolling Stones (producer)

1995: ''The Road Goes on Forever'' - The Highwaymen (producer)

1995: ''MTV Unplugged'' - Bob Dylan (mixing)

1995: ''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' - Brian Wilson (producer)

1995: ''Road Tested'' - Bonnie Raitt (producer)

1995: ''Stripped'' - The Rolling Stones (producer)

1996: ''The Restless Kind'' - Travis Tritt (producer)

1997: ''Bridges to Babylon'' - The Rolling Stones (bass, keyboards, executive producer, producer, Wurlitzer)

1997: ''Undiscovered Soul'' - Richie Sambora (producer)

1999: ''Suicaine Gratifaction'' - Paul Westerberg (producer)

1999: ''Spirit of Music'' - Ziggy Marley (producer)

1999: ''Avenue B'' - Iggy Pop (producer)

1999: ''In the Life of Chris Gaines'' - Garth Brooks (producer)

2000: ''Maroon'' - Barenaked Ladies (producer)

2001: ''Lions'' - The Black Crowes (bass, producer, mixing)

2003: ''Hootie & the Blowfish'' - Hootie & the Blowfish (producer)

2004: ''Live Licks'' - The Rolling Stones (producer)

2005: ''Countryman'' - Willie Nelson (producer)

2005: ''A Bigger Bang'' - The Rolling Stones (producer, piano)

2006: ''This Old Road'' - Kris Kristofferson (producer, piano, acoustic and upright bass)

2008: ''Last Days at the Lodge'' - Amos Lee (producer)

2008: ''Tennessee Pusher'' - Old Crow Medicine Show (producer)

2009: ''The Excitement Plan'' - Todd Snider (producer)

2009: ''Closer to the Bone'' - Kris Kristofferson (producer)

2010: ''Y Not'' - Ringo Starr (bass)

2010: ''Stone Temple Pilots'' - Stone Temple Pilots (producer)

2010: ''The Union'' - Elton John/Leon Russell (bass)

2011: ''Blessed'' - Lucinda Williams (producer)

References

}}

Category:1952 births Category:American male singers Category:American record producers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Michigan

da:Don Was de:Don Was nl:Don Was fi:Don Was sv:Don Was

name	Rebecca Black
background	solo_singer
birth date	June 21, 1997
birth place	Anaheim, California, U.S.
genre	Teen pop, bubblegum pop, dance-pop, pop
occupation	Singer
instrument	Vocals
years active	2011–present
label	RB
website
notable instruments	}}

Rebecca Black (born June 21, 1997) is an American pop singer who gained extensive media attention with her 2011 single "Friday". Her mother paid $4,000 to have the single and an accompanying music video put out as a vanity release through the record label ARK Music Factory. The song was co-written and produced by Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson of Ark Music Factory. After the video went viral on YouTube and other social media sites, "Friday" was derided by many music critics and viewers, who dubbed it "the worst song ever." The music video received around 167 million views, causing Black to gain international attention as a "viral star," before being removed from the site on June 16.

Biography

Rebecca Black was born on June 21, 1997, in Anaheim, California. She is the daughter of John Jeffery Black and Georgina Marquez Kelly, both veterinarians. An honor student, Black studied dance, auditioned for school shows, attended music summer camps, and began singing publicly in 2008 after joining the patriotic group Celebration USA. In 2011 Black left public school in favor of homeschooling, both in response to constant verbal bullying at school and in order to focus more of her time on her career.

Music career

In late 2010, a classmate of Black and music-video client of ARK Music Factory, a Los Angeles label, told her about the company. Black's mother paid $4,000 for Ark Music to produce her daughter's music video while the Blacks retained ownership of the master. The single, "Friday," written entirely by Ark, was released on YouTube and iTunes. The song's video was uploaded to YouTube on February 10, 2011, and received approximately 1,000 views in the first month. The video went viral on March 11, 2011, acquiring millions of views on YouTube in a matter of days, becoming the most-talked-about topic on social networking site Twitter, and garnering mostly negative media coverage. As of June 14, 2011, the video had received more than 3,190,000 "dislikes" on YouTube compared to more than 451,000 "likes". As of March 22, 2011, first-week sales of her digital single were estimated to be around 40,000 by ''Billboard.'' On March 22, 2011, Black appeared on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,'' during which she performed the single and discussed the negative reaction to it. The song has peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 58 and 33, respectively. In the UK, the song debuted at number 61 on the UK Singles Chart.

In an interview with ''The Sun'', Black said that she is recording a new song for possible release as a single. She is currently working without a record deal. She also said that she is preparing materials for her debut album at Flying Pig Productions studio in Los Angeles containing songs with themes similar to that of "Friday," as she wants it to be "appropriate and clean." Black teamed up with Funny or Die on April Fools Day (the site was renamed Friday or Die) for a series of videos, including one which addresses the controversy about the driving kids in her music video, stating "We so excited about safety." She has also stated that she is a fan of Justin Bieber, and expressed interest in performing a duet with him.

In response to the YouTube video of "Friday," Black began to receive death threats in late February 2011, specifically by phone and email. These threats are being investigated by the Anaheim Police Department.

In March 2011, Ryan Seacrest reportedly helped sign Rebecca to manager Debra Baum's DB Entertainment.

MTV selected Rebecca to host its first online awards show, the O Music Awards Fan Army Party in April 2011. As an homage to "Friday," Black appears in the music video for Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)," in which Black plays alongside Perry as the hostess of a party Perry attends. "Friday" was also performed on the second season of ''Glee'' in the episode, "Prom Queen," which originally aired May 10, 2011. When asked about why the song was covered on ''Glee'', show creator Ryan Murphy replied, "The show pays tribute to pop culture and, love it or hate it, that song is pop culture."

Black released a self-produced single titled "My Moment" on July 18, with an accompanying music video, publishing it to her YouTube channel; the video as of August 22 has received, approximately, 520,000 "dislikes" against 300,000 "likes." In the "My Moment" music video, director Morgan Lawley features real life video of Black's life from both before and after her fame. Black is set to release a digital 5-track EP in August.

Black appears as herself in the music video of Katy Perry's single "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". She appears as the host of a party in the house next door to that of "Kathy Beth Terry". At the end of the video Perry attempts to blame the excesses of the party (which had subsequently moved to her own house) on Black, only for her parents (Corey Feldman and Debbie Gibson) to disbelieve her. Later on, Perry (in character as Kathy Beth Terry) and Black hosted a livestream on Tinychat.com after weeks of Black being mentioned on Terry's twitter. Perry, who performs Friday routinely on stage as part of California Dreams Tour, also brought Black on stage to perform the song as a duet during her show at the Nokia Theater on August 5, 2011.

On August 10, 2011, Rebecca Black was featured in an ABC ''Primetime Nightline: Celebrity Secrets'' special entitled ''Underage and Famous: Inside Child Stars' Lives''.

RB Records

Rebecca Black established her own independent record label RB Records. The first release on the new label was "My Moment", the follow up single to "Friday".

Discography

Singles

61 —

scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"	Title	Year	Peak chart positions						Album
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"		! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"
! scope="row"	rowspan="2">2011	58	40	|	46	33	60	rowspan="2"	TBA
scope="row"	"My Moment"	—	—	|	—	—	—

Awards and nominations

In April 2011, the ''MTV O Music Awards'', one of the annual awards established by MTV to honor the art, creativity, personality and technology of music into the digital space nominated "Which Seat Can I Take?" for "Favorite Animated GIF" that included footage by Rebecca Black featuring 50 Cent and Bert. Black was named "Choice Web Star" at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards in August 2011.

Year	Nominated work	Event	Award	Result
	"Which Seat Can I Take?" (50 Cent, Rebecca Black, Bert)	MTV O Music Awards	Favorite Animated GIF
Herself	2011 Teen Choice Awards	Choice Web Star

References

External links

Official YouTube channel

Category:1997 births Category:American child singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American female pop singers Category:ARK Music Factory Category:Child pop musicians Category:Internet memes Category:Living people Category:People from Anaheim, California Category:Singers from California

ar:ريبيكا بلاك ca:Rebecca Black de:Rebecca Black es:Rebecca Black fr:Rebecca Black id:Rebecca Black it:Rebecca Black he:רבקה בלאק ka:რებეკა ბლეკი lv:Rebeka Bleka hu:Rebecca Black mk:Ребека Блек ml:റെബേക്കാ ബ്ലാക്ക് nl:Rebecca Black ja:レベッカ・ブラック no:Rebecca Black nn:Rebecca Black uz:Rebecca Black pl:Rebecca Black pt:Rebecca Black ru:Блэк, Ребекка simple:Rebecca Black sr:Rebeka Blek fi:Rebecca Black sv:Rebecca Black uk:Ребекка Блек vi:Rebecca Black zh:瑞贝卡·布莱克

name	Wiz Khalifa
alt	Wiz Khalifa holding a microphone
background	solo_singer
birth name	Cameron Jibril Thomaz
alias
born	September 08, 1987Minot, North Dakota, United States
origin	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper, Singer
years active	2005–present
label	Rostrum, Warner Bros., Atlantic
associated acts	Tinie Tempah, Snoop Dogg,Rick Ross, Curren$y, Big Sean, Fashawn, Mac Miller
website	wizkhalifa.com
notable instruments	}}

Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007. His eurodance-influenced single, "Say Yeah", received urban radio airplay, charting on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks charts in 2008. Khalifa parted with Warner Bros. and released his second album, ''Deal or No Deal'', in November 2009. He released the mixtape ''Kush and Orange Juice'' as a free download in April 2010; he then signed with Atlantic Records. He is also well-known for his debut single for Atlantic, "Black and Yellow", which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album for the label, ''Rolling Papers'', was released on March 29, 2011.

Early life

Khalifa was born on September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota, to a mother and a father serving in the military. His parents divorced when Khalifa was about three years old. His parents' military service caused him to move on a regular basis. Khalifa lived in Germany, England, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh where he attended Taylor Allderdice High School.

His stage name is derived from khalifa, an Arabic word meaning "successor", and wisdom, which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was fifteen. Khalifa stated to spinner.com that the name also came from being called "young Wiz 'cause I was good at everything I did, and my granddad is Muslim, so he gave me that name; he felt like that's what I was doing with my music." He got his stage name tattooed on his 17th birthday. He includes Camp Lo, The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony among his influences.

Career

2005-08: Early mixtapes and ''Show and Prove''

Khalifa released his first mixtape, ''Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania'', in 2005. The mixtape led to his first full length album entitled ''Show and Prove'' in 2006. Khalifa was declared an "artist to watch" that year in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine.

In 2007, Khalifa signed to Warner Bros. Records and released two mixtapes through Rostrum Records: ''Grow Season'', hosted by DJ Green Lantern and released on July 4, 2007, and ''Prince of the City 2'', released on November 20, 2007. His debut Warner Bros. single "Say Yeah" reached number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Rhythmic Top 40 music chart and number 20 on ''Billboard's'' Hot Rap Tracks. The song samples "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay. Khalifa's vocals from "Say Yeah" appear near the end of Pittsburgh mash up producer Girl Talk's 2008 album, ''Feed the Animals'', over music from Underworld's "Born Slippy", Usher's "Love in This Club", and the Cure's "In Between Days". Khalifa appeared with The Game, David Banner and Play-n-Skillz at U92's Summer Jam at the USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah on August 2, 2008. Khalifa released the mixtapes ''Star Power'' in September 2008, and ''Flight School'' in April 2009 on Rostrum Records.

Khalifa parted ways with Warner Bros. Records in July 2009 after numerous delays in releasing his planned debut album for the label, ''First Flight''. Khalifa stated to the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' that, "I learned a lot during my time there and matured as an artist during the process. I'm happy to be moving on with all of my material and having the chance to be in control of my next moves". Khalifa appeared with Girl Talk, Modey Lemon, Donora, Grand Buffet, and Don Caballero at the Amphitheatre at Station Square in Pittsburgh on July 31, 2009, where he announced that his relationship with Warner Bros. was over.

2009-10: ''Deal or No Deal''

Continuing his association with Rostrum Records, Khalifa released the single "Teach U to Fly", and the mixtape ''How Fly'', a collaboration with New Orleans rapper Curren$y, on August 9, 2009. Khalifa introduced a more melodic style on the mixtape, alternating between singing and rapping. He opened for Wu-Tang Clan member U-God at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. Khalifa released the mixtape ''Burn After Rolling'' on November 2, 2009, where he raps over familiar beats from other artists, including the songs "If I Were A Boy" and "Diva" by Beyoncé, "Walking on a Dream" by Empire of the Sun, "Luchini AKA This Is It" by Camp Lo, and "Best I Ever Had" by Drake. Khalifa released his second album, ''Deal or No Deal'', on November 24, 2009.

Khalifa performed at Emo's in Austin, Texas in March 2010 as part of the 2010 South by Southwest Music Festival. He appeared on the cover of ''XXL'' magazine that same month, for the magazine's annual list of Top 10 Freshman, which included Donnis, J. Cole, Pill, Freddie Gibbs, and Fashawn. Wiz Khalifa was named 2010 "Rookie Of The Year" by "The Source", with alongside Rick Ross, "The Man Of The Year". He toured with rapper Yelawolf on a 20-date tour, the Deal Or No Deal Tour. Khalifa released the free mixtape ''Kush and Orange Juice'' for download on April 14, 2010. Due to Khalifa's devoted grassroots fan base, the mixtape became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter with the hash tag #kushandorangejuice, and "Kush and Orange Juice download” ranked No. 1 on Google’s hot search trends.

2010: Signing with Atlantic Records

Citing music industry insiders, ''New York'' magazine wrote that Khalifa signed with Atlantic Records in April 2010, although the rapper did not confirm it. He stated to AllHipHop in June 2010 that he was working on a new album, but was weighing his options and had not yet decided on a label to distribute it. Khalifa confirmed to MTV on July 30 that he was signing an Atlantic Records deal.

Khalifa was featured in a remix and video for the 2010 Rick Ross single "Super High", alongside Curren$y. He guested on the mixtape ''Grey Goose, Head Phones, and Thirsty Women '' by St. Louis rapper M.C, and was featured on the track "The Breeze (Cool)" on rapper Wale's August 2010 mixtape ''More About Nothing''. Khalifa was named MTV's Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010, winning with nearly 70,000 votes, and beating out finalists Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Travis Porter, and Diggy Simmons.

Khalifa appeared at the Soundset 2010 festival in May 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, alongside Method Man & Redman, Del the Funky Homosapien and Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Murs, Cage, and others. He also performed at the 2010 Rock the Bells festival, along with hip hop veterans Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, KRS-One, Jedi Mind Tricks and Slick Rick. Khalifa declined an invitation to tour with rapper Drake and launched his own "Waken Baken" tour, a 50-city national tour with rapper Yelawolf. The tour, scheduled to last from September to November 2010, has, as of October, sold out every venue. On November 2010, during his "Waken Baken" tour at East Carolina University, Wiz Khalifa was arrested for possession and trafficking of marijuana. He was then released the next morning after a $300K bail, and resumed his tour. Khalifa performed in a cypher during the 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards. He recited his verse from the song, "The Check Point", from his mixtape with Curren$y, ''How Fly''.

2010-11: Mainstream success and ''Rolling Papers''

Khalifa released "Black and Yellow", his first single for Rostrum/Atlantic, produced by Stargate, which has received radio airplay. The single was peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; the title of the song refers to the colours of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Khalifa will release his debut album with Atlantic Records in 2011. He appeared with Curren$y on the track "Scaling the Building" on producer Ski Beatz' 2010 album, ''24 Hour Karate School''. Khalifa's fanbase is known as the Taylor Gang, named after his love of Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes.

On March 29, 2011, Khalifa released his first studio album, ''Rolling Papers''. The album debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States.

On June 26, 2011, Khalifa was nominated and won Best New Artist at the BET Awards of 2011.

Khalifa collaborated with the prolific British rapper Tinie Tempah whom Tinie announced in an interview with Rolling Stone that his next single is to be called "Till I'm Gone" and would feature Wiz Khalifa and is to be produced by Stargate. The single and the video song were released at the end of June 2011.

Personal life

Thomaz is dating Amber Rose, the former girlfriend of Thomaz's fellow hip-hop star Kanye West. He is also personal friends with rapper Yelawolf, and fellow Pittsburgh rapper, Mac Miller.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Show and Prove'' (2006)

''Deal or No Deal'' (2009)

''Rolling Papers'' (2011)

References

External links

Wiz Khalifa at MTV

Category:1987 births Category:Military brats Category:African American rappers Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:People from Minot, North Dakota Category:Rappers from Pennsylvania

bs:Wiz Khalifa ca:Wiz khalifa cs:Wiz Khalifa da:Wiz Khalifa de:Wiz Khalifa es:Wiz Khalifa fa:ویز خلیفا fr:Wiz Khalifa hr:Wiz Khalifa it:Wiz Khalifa he:ויז קאליפה nl:Wiz Khalifa ja:ウィズ・カリファ no:Wiz Khalifa pl:Wiz Khalifa pt:Wiz Khalifa ro:Wiz Khalifa ru:Wiz Khalifa simple:Wiz Khalifa sh:Wiz Khalifa fi:Wiz Khalifa sv:Wiz Khalifa vi:Wiz Khalifa zh:维兹·卡利法