Show business, sometimes shortened to ''show biz,'' is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side (including managers, agents, producers and distributors) to the creative element (including artists, performers, writers, musicians and technicians). It applies to every aspect of entertainment including cinema, television, radio, theater and music. The term was in common usage throughout the 20th century. By the latter part of the century it had acquired a slightly arcane quality associated with the era of variety, but the term is still in active use.

See also

List of show business families

List of entertainment industry topics

''This Is Show Business'', television series from 1949 to 1956

Category:Performing arts

az:Şou-biznes br:Chobiz cs:Showbyznys es:Farándula fr:Industrie du spectacle ko:연예인 ltg:Pavalis industreja nl:Showbusiness ja:芸能人 pl:Przemysł rozrywkowy pt:Indústria do entretenimento ro:Showbiz ru:Шоу-бизнес ur:تماش کاری zh-yue:藝人 zh:艺人

Name	A Tribe Called Quest
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Jamaica, Queens, New York, USA
Genre	Hip hop, jazz rap, alternative hip hop
Years active	1985–19982006–present
Label	Jive
Associated acts	Native Tongues, Consequence, De La Soul, Leaders of the New School, Black Sheep, Jungle Brothers, Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep
Website	atribecalledquest.com
Current members	Q-Tip (1988–1998, 2006–present)Phife Dawg (1988–1998, 2006–present)Ali Shaheed Muhammad (1988–1998, 2006–present)Jarobi White (1988–1990, 2006–present) }}

A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip (Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, formerly Jonathan Davis), rapper Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006. Along with De La Soul, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Their innovative fusing of hip hop and jazz has had a lasting impact on hip hop music, helping to expand the art of hip hop production. Many of their songs, such as "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Scenario", "Check the Rhime", "Jazz (We've Got)", "Award Tour" and "Electric Relaxation" are regarded as classics.

They released five albums between 1990 and 1998. The first three LPs were highly acclaimed, but the group disbanded in 1998. In 2006, the group reunited and toured the U.S., and planned to release an album after some works in the studio. The group is regarded as iconic pioneers of alternative hip hop music, having helped to pave the way for innovative hip hop artists. John Bush of Allmusic called them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s," while the editors of About.com ranked them #4 on their list of the "25 Best Rap Groups of All Time." In 2005, A Tribe Called Quest received a Special Achievement Award at the ''Billboard'' R&B; Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. In 2007, the group was formally honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors.

Biography

History

Q-Tip and Phife Dawg were childhood friends that had grown up together in Queens, New York. Initially, Q-Tip had been performing as a solo artist (MC Love Child), occasionally teaming up with Muhammad as a rapper/DJ duo. Although the pair frequently made demos with Phife (as Crush Connection), the sports enthusiast was still courting ambitions of playing professional basketball, and remained somewhat reluctant to become a full member of the group, only later relenting after Jarobi also joined, thus making the group a quartet. The group's final name was coined in 1988 by the Jungle Brothers, who attended the same high school as Tribe. Q-Tip made two separate appearances on the Jungle Brothers' classic debut album, ''Straight Out the Jungle''; the songs "Black Is Black" and "In Time", respectively. Afrika Baby Bam of the group introduced Q-Tip to De La Soul when he took the aspiring artist along to a studio session for the recording of the remix for the group's song "Buddy". Produced by Prince Paul, the remix of "Buddy" was to be an all-round Native Tongue affair, and the eccentric producer encouraged Q-Tip to contribute to the now-classic record.

In early 1989 they signed a demo deal with Geffen Records and produced a five song demo which included later album tracks including "Description Of A Fool", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" and "Can I Kick It?". Geffen however, decided against offering the group a full-fledged recording contract and the group was granted permission to shop for a deal elsewhere while retaining the Geffen financed songs.

After receiving lucrative offers for multi-album deals from a variety of labels both big and small, the group showed early savvy in opting for a modest deal offered by Jive Records, then known as an independent rap label that specialized in and owed its success to building careers of artists like Boogie Down Productions and Too Short, and for placing emphasis on longevity, and paying attention to grass-roots fan bases.

''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm''

In less than a year, and under the management of DJ Red Alert, the group released their first single, "Description of a Fool", to a lukewarm reception, and without a music video in advance of their debut album ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm''. Similar to De La Soul's ''3 Feet High and Rising'', ''People's Instinctive Travels'' was marked by a playful lyrical approach (as on the call-and-response inspired "Can I Kick It?"), light-hearted content (safe sex, vegetarianism, youthful experiences), and to a lesser extent, an idiosyncratic sense of humor, free from much of the posturing of both hardcore hip hop, and the more left-wing aspects of conscious hip hop. Also of note, was the album's sample material, largely based around jazzy loops and snippets from artists such as Cannonball Adderley, Roy Ayers, Lou Reed, Rotary Connection, and Les McCann. Through these samples, the group employs the use of horns, Rhodes, bass guitar and vibes.

Although now critically acclaimed, at the time of its inception ''People's Instinctive Travels'' was met with mixed enthusiasm. Greg Tate of ''The Village Voice'' called the album "upliftingly dope" and "so sweet and lyrical, so user-friendly. You could play it in the background when you're reading Proust." ''The Source'' also gave it a positive reception, even awarding it a five-mic rating - the magazine's highest possible rating. It was only the third album ever to receive this rating. However, Chuck Eddy of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that the album "is one of the least ''danceable'' rap albums ever" and he went on to say "it's impossible to imagine how people will put this music to use."

The album largely offended the record buying public, and for the time being the group remained in the shadows of their Native Tongue brethren, Jungle Brothers, and De La Soul. It would gain some momentum only after the release of the singles "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", and the group's later commercial success, eventually going gold six years after its release. After the release of the album, Jarobi left the lineup for personal reasons.The group soon changed its management from DJ Red Alert to Chris Lighty.

''The Low End Theory''

Following ''People's Instinctive Travels'', the group continued to gather a loyal fan base through touring and guest appearances such as on De La Soul's "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"". "Check the Rhyme" was the lead single from the group's landmark second album, ''The Low End Theory'', released on September 24, 1991. Based around a sample from Average White Band's "Love Your Life", the song largely established the now familiar tag-team interplay between Q-Tip and Phife, as until then, most of the group's songs had only featured vocals by Q-Tip.

The two MCs, known for their engaging, and free-wheeling lyrical styles, began to focus on a range of social issues, from date rape ("The Infamous Date Rape") to consumerism ("Skypager"). The songs were noticeably shorter, more abrupt, and bass-heavy. Guests on the album included Leaders of the New School (which included Busta Rhymes), Brand Nubian, and Vinia Mojica. By now, the group had mastered their pursuits of rare records from which to sample or gain ideas and inspiration. Their innovative sampling, layering, and structuring of jazz records led many critics to label their style as jazz rap - a term which Q-Tip disapproved of, as although he felt it described groups such as Stetsasonic quite well, it misinterpreted Tribe themselves, who (aside from the song "Jazz (We've Got)") did not base most of their songs around the topic of jazz.

Helping to gain exposure was a performance of the single "Scenario" with Leaders of the New School on ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' at the time, at the height of its popularity. The performance was particularly memorable for the expressive energy of Busta Rhymes, and his famous "raow! raow! Like a dungeon dragon!" line. Around this time, the group also began to make experimental and visually stylish music videos, one of the most memorable of which is the black-and-white promo clip for "Jazz (We've Got)", a duration of which is delegated to the song "Buggin' Out". This part of the video changes from black and white to color, and features the group members wearing prosthetics that make their eyeballs appear to be bulging out, relating to the song's theme about undergoing stressful situations.

Production wise, the album was a more confident effort than their debut, featuring less of a reliance on drum loops, and contributions from jazz great Ron Carter on upright bass. The album was produced by A Tribe Called Quest along with production from Skeff Anselm (co-production by A Tribe Called Quest), on two tracks. Producer Pete Rock also created the original rough draft version for "Jazz (We've Got)", and A Tribe Called Quest then recreated it. In contrast to most of the hip hop albums released in the early 90s, which featured rough beats that run at relatively fast tempos, such as the Bomb Squad-produced ''Amerikkka's Most Wanted'', or the slow menacing funk beats of Dr. Dre's ''The Chronic'', ''The Low End Theory'' featured low-key, bass-heavy, and plodding beats which emphasized the pensive nature of the record. The recording sessions and mixing for the album was handled by renown record engineer Bob Power at Greene Street Studios, and Soundtrack Studios, in New York City.

On its release, the album was met with a bevy of praises. ''Rolling Stone'' said of the album: "Each time Q-Tip rhymes over Carter's bass lines, the groove just gets deeper." The publication also named it #154 among the Best 500 Albums of All Time, and also as one of the Essential Recordings of the 90's. Further praises were given by ''Spin'' who listed it among the 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s. The praises continue to the present day with Allmusic calling it "one of the best hip-hop albums in history", and "a record that sounds better with each listen." Pop Matters music editor Dave Heaton has this to say about the album:

Among the accolades awarded to the album were:

5 Mic Album award from ''The Source'' (1990)

#2 in ''Ego Trip'''s ''Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98'' (1999)

#53 in ''Blender'''s ''100 Greatest American Albums of All time'' (2002)

#56 in Pitchfork Media's ''Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s'' (2003)

#154 in ''Rolling Stone'''s ''Best 500 Albums of All Time'' (2003)

Spin Magazine

* #32 in ''Top 90 Albums of the 90s'' (1999)

* #38 in ''Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years'' (2005)

* #87 in ''100 Alternative Albums'' (1995)

Propelled by "Scenario", and positive word of mouth, ''The Low End Theory'' performed very well on the charts, being RIAA-certified gold on February 19, 1992 (it reached platinum status by 1995). It exceeded all expectations, most of all for an album that offered little to no concessions towards the mainstream. In the aftermath of their unqualified success, the group once again hit the road and contributed the song "Hot Sex" to the soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy vehicle ''Boomerang'', in 1992.

Interrupting the proceedings was an encounter with new jack swing group Wreckx-N-Effect (W-N-E), who had taken an exception to some lines in the song "Jazz (We've Got)". Viewed as a premier new jack swing group, W-N-E had misinterpreted the following couplets by Phife as a sideway diss:

: I'm all into my music cuz it's how I make papes : Tryin' to make hits, like Kid Capri mix tapes : Me sweat another? I do my own thing : Strictly hardcore tracks, not a new jack swing

The misunderstanding resulted in a melee in which Q-Tip sustained an injury to one of his eyes. Thus, during the shooting of the promo clip for "Hot Sex", he wore a ski mask to cover up the abrasion. Soon after, Q-Tip was chosen to play the part of Markell, Janet Jackson's ill-fated partner, in the John Singleton-directed drama ''Poetic Justice'', which also starred Tupac Shakur. The minor part would nevertheless showcase Q-Tip's natural flair for acting and he would later receive offers for more diverse supporting roles. This film also allowed for a friendship to blossom between Q-Tip and Jackson, and the pair would go on to collaborate on her song "Got 'Til It's Gone", from her album ''The Velvet Rope'', in 1997.

During the ascendancy of ATCQ, other Native Tongue members were experiencing career-lows. The Jungle Brothers, once the trailblazers of the collective, were now becoming disaffected with their label due to the under-promotion of their previous effort. In addition, they distanced themselves from the collective, and their music began to lean towards the emerging, European-influenced trip hop sub-genre. However, ATCQ appeared to be maintaining an ongoing relationship with De La Soul.

''Midnight Marauders''

Trugoy of De La Soul appeared on the refrain of "Award Tour", the group's lead single from their third album ''Midnight Marauders'', released on November 9, 1993. Coming on the heels of ''The Low End Theory'', the album was highly anticipated and many were anxious to see if the group could maintain their artistic integrity in light of their commercial success. Boosted by their raised profile, "Award Tour" became the group's highest charting single to date, and helped to land the album within the US Top Ten. The critics proved to be as enthusiastic about the new set as the fans were. ''Entertainment Weekly'' said the album "sounds as fresh as their first... rappers Phife and Q-Tip manage to hold attention without resorting to gun references or expletives..." NME called it their "most complete work to date" Likewise, ''Melody Maker'' said "A Tribe Called Quest have expanded their vision with a lyrical gravitas and a musical lightness of touch that has hitherto eluded them across a whole album". The album was voted #21 by ''The Village Voice'' in that year's Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.

Musically, ''Midnight Marauders'' built upon many of the ideas that were present on ''The Low End Theory'', although the results were noticeably different, and the music was more immediate. Whereas ''Theory'' had been an exercise in subdued minimalism, and simplicity, the grooves found on ''Marauders'' are mostly up tempo, and full of charging drums, suave basslines, melodious riffs, complementary horns, and catchy hooks, all delivered in an efficient 50 minute time frame. The intermittent voice of a tour guide (the titular 'midnight marauder') also serves to add further cohesion to the album.

The group was now famous for their unique choices of sample material on their albums and ''Midnight Marauders'' was no exception. Lead single "Award Tour" contained an infectiously sunny loop taken from Weldon Irvine's "We Gettin' Down". Irvine, a little known but well-respected jazz virtuoso was enthused to have been sought by the group and lent his assistance towards the sampling of the song. Another outside musician to contribute to the record was Raphael Saadiq (credited as Raphael Wiggins) of Tony! Toni! Toné!, on the song "Midnight". Aside from the aforementioned, producers Large Professor, and Skeff Anselm handled two tracks - "Keep It Rollin'" and "8 Million Stories" respectively, the former also rapping over his production.

Lyrically, the album benefited from an even more confident duo in Phife Dawg and Q-Tip, whose nimble verbal interplay is utilized to its fullest on songs like "Electric Relaxation" and "Oh My God". Opening song "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" - which includes the lines "You know that I'm the rebel, throwin' out the wicked like God did the Devil" - is named after the slain South African human rights activist and political revolutionary Steve Biko. Some of the other topics on the album are police harassment and nocturnal activity ("Midnight"), religious faith ("God Lives Through"), and hip hop itself, as on the song "We Can Get Down" where Phife asks:

: How can a reverend preach, when a rev can't define : The music of our youth from 1979 : We rap about what we see, meaning reality : From people bustin' caps and like Mandela being free : Not every MC be with the negativity : We have a slew of rappers pushin' positivity

Another song, the sometimes controversial "Sucka Nigga", deals with the candid use of the word "nigga". In the song, Q-Tip notes the negative purpose of the word but subsequently emphasizes its subjective nature when he says:

: It means that we will never grow, you know the word dummy : Other niggas in the community think its crummy : But I don't, neither does the youth cause we : Em-brace adversity it goes right with the race : And being that we use it as a term of endearment : Niggas start to bug to the dome as where the fear went

The three singles for the album received memorable music videos, such as the one for second single "Electric Relaxation" which was shot in black and white, and takes place mostly in a diner. The song was the cause of an amusing mystery, as few people were certain of what is said during the hook, which is more or less mumbled out by Q-Tip (although there is now a consensus that the words are "relax yourself girl, ease that playin'"). The third single to be released was "Oh My God", the video for which showed the group in a neighborhood setting and surrounded by young fans. It also included a cameo by a typically manic Busta Rhymes. The group performed as one of a handful of rap acts at the 1994 Lollapalooza Festival, among acts such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Stereolab and The Verve.

Intermission and The Ummah

''Midnight Marauders'' remains A Tribe Called Quest's fastest-selling album; it was certified platinum on January 11, 1995, less than two years after its release (it had taken ''The Low End Theory'' about twice the amount of time to get such a certification). The album's success allowed the group a greater financial freedom and the members took a short break before the recording of their next album began. Q-Tip produced several tracks for other artists including "One Love" for Nas, "Illusions (Remix)" for Cypress Hill, and three tracks on the Mobb Deep album ''The Infamous''. He also went through a religious awakening and converted to Islam. Tragedy would strike when an improperly disposed cigarette at a house party escalated into a full-blown fire, burning down his home, a vast record collection, and many works in progress. Friends and producers like Pete Rock and Large Professor helped him building up a record collection by donating records to him.

Phife, who rapped on "Oh My God" that he owned "more condoms than TLC", made cameo appearances on that group's hugely successful album, ''Crazy Sexy Cool'', in 1994. He would also marry his fiancee and relocate to Atlanta, Georgia.

Ali Shaheed Muhammad worked on outside projects with artists such as D'Angelo (''Brown Sugar''), Shaquille O'Neal ("Where Ya At?"), and Gil Scott-Heron ("Don't Give Up"). The group contributed to ''The Show'' soundtrack in 1995, before returning the following year with their fourth album.

While on tour, Q-Tip's friend Amp Fiddler would introduce him to a young producer from Detroit named Jay Dee. The pair clicked immediately and Q-Tip took the talented newcomer under his wing, and introduced him to the rest of Tribe, who agreed to the idea of forming a production unit and having Jay Dee as member, albeit under the guise of "The Ummah" (Arabic for "the [worldwide] Muslim community"). The Ummah would now handle all the production on the rest of the group's albums, although they would credit the production crew whether a song was a team effort by the three or a solo work from one of the producers. This was also the case for remixes and outside production the three members worked on during the few years The Ummah was active.

''Beats, Rhymes and Life''

''Beats, Rhymes and Life'', the group's fourth album, was recorded during the turbulent East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry, which engulfed many rappers from both coasts and even some from in between. The group saw it fit to address these issues, a decision based partly on principle, but also probably based on the fact that, despite being from the East, they were well respected on both coasts. Cuts like "Get A Hold", and "Keep It Moving" contain references to the state of affairs, and are some of the most sober songs the group has ever recorded.

In addition to the heavier subject matter, The Ummah's production style was now a smoother (but darker) hybrid of the group's previous incarnations, where the snare possessed a much sharper crack on most tracks. Jay Dee, a big fan of the Tribe, appeared to have had a hand in re-shaping the sound, crafted in the shadow of ''The Low End Theory'', with songs like the plucky "Keep It Moving", or the disconcertingly unaccented "Wordplay". While these new beats fit the album's direction, another ingredient left many puzzled. Consequence, Q-Tip's cousin, and an aspiring rapper, was present on no less than six songs, including the second single "Stressed Out", which caused only Consequence to think he had been officially added to the lineup. This factor only magnified Phife's slightly reduced participation. After their breakup, Phife Dawg would reveal how he had begun to lose interest in recording as a part of the group by the fourth album:

The album shot straight to #1 in the charts and went gold by the end of the year; it would go platinum by 1998. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, as was the lead single, "1nce Again", which received a nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Critical reactions were largely divided but mostly positive. While some welcomed the new material, others found it to be a step below their past work. ''Rolling Stone'' called it "near-flawless", going on to say that "few hip-hop acts have so sharply captured the surreal quality that defines what it means to be African-American, a quality in which poker-faced humor and giddy tragedy play tag team with reality." ''The Source'' awarded it 4 out of 5 mics and called The Ummah "the most proficient in the rap game at using samples as instruments in themselves". Despite his apparent lack of motivation ''Spin'' thought Phife sounded "tougher and more playful than ever", while ''Melody Maker'' saw the album as "providing both their best and worst thus far", and "magnetic yet frustrating". In a 1998 farewell article in ''The Source'', Questlove, drummer for The Roots, summarized the album's partially frosty reception:

Following ''Beats, Rhymes and Life'', the group appeared on the ''Men in Black'' soundtrack with the song "Same Ol' Thing", and released, ''The Jam'', a 4-track EP which included the aforementioned song, "Mardi Gras At Midnight" (with Rah Digga) and two songs from ''Beats, Rhymes and Life'', "Get A Hold" and "Jam". 1997 also saw the first coming together of the three main Native Tongue groups since 1989, when the Jungle Brothers invited both Tribe and De La Soul to guest on "How Ya Want It We Got It", a cut from their album ''Raw Deluxe''. The Ummah continued producing for a diverse range of artists such as Janet Jackson, Keith Murray, Faith Evans, and Whitney Houston.

''The Love Movement'' and split

Prior to the unveiling of ''The Love Movement'', the group announced that it would be their last album together. Fans were surprised, as the breakdown had been kept discreet. In an interview with ''The Source'', the group cited their frustration with Jive Zomba as a significant factor in the breakup. Phife:

''The Love Movement'' was preceded by the fun-spirited "Find a Way"; a song memorable for its swirly otherworldly production and catchy staccato hook. It also received a stylish Paul Hunter-directed music video (the last video the group ever made). Musically, the somewhat somber tone of the previous album was largely absent and replaced by a familiar carefree optimism. Tracks like "Give Me", with Noreaga exemplify the group's approach for much of the album. Driven by a pulsing beat, the opening song "Start It Up" was perhaps even more minimal than anything found on ''The Low End Theory''. Likewise, "Against The World" relies on little more than crisply mixed down drums and a two note bassline. The theme of the album was firmly focused around the topic of love; love for oneself, love for another, love for mankind, love in the face of hate.

Critical reception for ''The Love Movement'' was fairly positive, although some factions viewed the album as too subtle to be thoroughly effective. ''Rolling Stone'', for example, remarked that "the mature, accomplished niceness of ''The Love Movement'' proves that the Tribe still have the skills – they're just short on thrills." The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, in 1999.

Solo ventures

Q-Tip

Under the management of Violator, Q-Tip launched a successful solo career, which saw two sizable hits ("Vivrant Thing", and "Breathe and Stop"), and the Gold-certified album ''Amplified'', released in 1999. Some saw Q-Tip's arguably radio-friendly material as pandering to the mainstream; something his former group was highly respected for avoiding during their run. The album was produced by Q-Tip and Jay Dee (as The Ummah), and DJ Scratch.

After ''Amplified'', Q-Tip changed directions and recorded 2002's ''Kamaal the Abstract'', an album which saw him in the role of singer and bandleader. Unlike his work with Tribe, or even his own solo work, ''Kamaal'' was constructed around live music, and "abstract" song concepts, all orchestrated by Q-Tip himself. Unfortunately, Arista Records refused to release the album, fearing it would be unmarketable coming from a rapper. Undeterred, Q-Tip recorded 2005's ''Open'', a slightly more accessible album, featuring contributions from André 3000, Common, and D'Angelo. Once again, the record was rejected by Arista, after which Q-Tip left the label. He subsequently signed to Motown/Universal and released the largely self-produced ''The Renaissance'' in late 2008.

Phife Dawg

Ironically, the most notable of Q-Tip's critics was Phife, who took his former partner to task on his solo album ''Ventilation: Da LP'', released in 2000. The Hi-Tek-produced lead single, "Flawless", contained the lines "Go 'head, play yourself with them ho-like hooks / sing ballads if it's all about the Maxwell look" (an allusion to Q-Tip's then afro hairstyle). ''Ventilation'' also included production by Jay Dee and Pete Rock. Q-Tip and Phife soon patched up their differences. Since then, Phife, who is diabetic, has maintained a relatively low-profile whilst recording his long delayed follow-up album, ''Songs In The Key Of Phife: Volume 1 (Cheryl's Big Son)''.

Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Teaming up with two other artists from former groups, Raphael Saadiq of Tony! Toni! Toné!, and Dawn Robinson of En Vogue, Ali Shaheed's next project was the "supergroup" Lucy Pearl. The group scored a huge hit single with "Dance Tonight", and a warm hit with "Don't Mess With My Man", and their one and only self-titled album was certified Gold a few months after its release in 2000. Following a dispute between Saadiq and Robinson, the latter left the group and was replaced by Joi, however this new incarnation would only last for the remainder of touring. Ali Shaheed then focused on developing a stable of artists, most of whom were showcased on his debut solo album ''Shaheedullah and Stereotypes'', released independently in 2004.

Reunion

The group first reunited on November 13, 2004, headlining the Rock the Bells concert held in the Angels Stadium parking lot in Anaheim, California. This was the night that Ol' Dirty Bastard died, and as such the group opened up with a 10-minute tribute set to the Wu-Tang Clan and continued a 2-hour highly energetic show.

In 2006, the group reunited and performed several sold-out concerts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. A Tribe Called Quest was a co-headliner at the 2006 Bumbershoot festival in Seattle, but have not announced any plans to release a new album. The group is also appearing in 2K Sports' Bounce Tour promoting the ''NBA 2K7'' game and a remix of their song, "Lyrics to Go", which is included in the game. According to Phife, ATCQ plans to release an album since they owe Jive Records one more in their six album contract. The date of its release is still unconfirmed, and Phife has urged fans to hold on as the group does not wish to release an LP which might damage their reputation. Speaking about the possibility of a new album showing up soon, Phife said:

ATCQ was the headlining act in 2008 at the Rock the Bells series of concerts, and were also co-headliners on the 2010 Rock the Bells festival series, alongside Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan.

Film

The group is the subject of a 2011 documentary entitled ''Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest'', directed by Michael Rapaport.

Discography

Albums

1990: ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm''

1991: ''The Low End Theory''

1993: ''Midnight Marauders''

1996: ''Beats, Rhymes and Life''

1998: ''The Love Movement''

Compilations

1992: ''Revised Quest for the Seasoned Traveller''

1999: ''The Anthology''

2003: ''Hits, Rarities & Remixes''

2006: ''The Lost Tribes''

2008: ''The Best of A Tribe Called Quest

References

External links

A Tribe Called Quest - Official site

A Tribe Called Quest at Jive Records

A Tribe Called Quest at Discogs

Category:Alternative hip hop groups Category:American hip hop groups Category:East Coast hip hop groups Category:Musical groups established in 1988 Category:Native Tongues Posse

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name	Rob Wells
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
origin	Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
instrument	Piano & Drums
genre	Rock, Pop, R&B;
occupation	Record Producer, Songwriter & Musician
website
notable instruments	}}

Rob Wells is a multi-platinum, award-winning producer/songwriter based in Toronto & Los Angeles.

Wells has worked with Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Adam Lambert, Nick Lachey, Miranda Cosgrove, Mika, Backstreet Boys, Paloma Faith, Cyndi Lauper, Olivia Newton John, Daisy Dares You, Boyzone, Matt Dusk, Marie-Mai, Shiloh, RyanDan, Ry Cuming & many others.

Rob's work has been featured on ''So You Think You Can Dance'', ''Dancing With The Stars'', ''One Tree Hill'', ''The View'', ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Laguna Beach'', ''House Of Carters'', ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'', ''Instant Star'', & 20th Century Fox's ''Flicka''.

In 2005, Wells (along with Christopher Ward) placed first in the International Songwriting Competition's Top40/Pop Category with the song "There's Us", which was later recorded by Backstreet Boys and Alexz Johnson.

Wells received a SOCAN #1 award for Matt Dusk's "All About Me", having reached the top of the Canadian AC Radio Charts in August 2006.

In the summer and fall of 2008, Rob appeared on YTV's "The Next Star" as a music producer. He was also on an episode of E!'s "House Of Carters".

In the winter of 2011, his co-written song "Comme Avant" with Marie-Mai spent 11 weeks at #1 in Quebec.

He is the younger brother of writer/producer Greg Wells.

Selected discography

''Stereos (Self Titled)'' by Stereos

''My World'' by Justin Bieber

''My Worlds Acoustic'' by Justin Bieber

''For Your Entertainment'' by Adam Lambert

''Kiss & Tell'' by Selena Gomez

''''Unbreakable'''' by Backstreet Boys

''''What's Left Of Me'''' by Nick Lachey

''Brother'' by Boyzone

''Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?'' by Paloma Faith

''Duet'' by Ronan Keating

''Sparks Fly'' by Miranda Cosgrove

''Happy Ending'' by Mika

''''Back In Town'''' - by Matt Dusk

''Stereos'' by Stereos

''Picture Imperfect'' by Shiloh

''''Somewhere Else'''' by Eva Avila

References

External Websites

Rob Wells on Myspace Rob Wells on Songwriters Association of Canada

Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Canadian songwriters Category:Canadian record producers

birth name	Joseph Lane
birth date	February 03, 1956
birth place	Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
occupation	Actor/Singer/Writer
years active	1975–present }}

Nathan Lane (born February 3, 1956) is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in ''The Lisbon Traviata'', Albert in ''The Birdcage'', Max Bialystock in the musical ''The Producers'', Ernie Smuntz in ''MouseHunt'', Nathan Detroit in ''Guys and Dolls'', Pseudolus in ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'', and his voice work in ''The Lion King'' and ''Stuart Little''. In 2008, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

Early life

Lane was born Joseph Lane in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of Irish American Catholic parents. He was named after his uncle, a Jesuit priest. His father, Daniel, was a truck driver and an aspiring tenor who died from alcoholism when Lane was eleven; his mother, Nora, was a housewife and secretary, who suffered from manic-depression, and died in 2000. He has two brothers, Robert and Daniel. Lane attended Roman Catholic schools in Jersey City, including Jesuit-run St. Peter's Preparatory High School, where he was selected Best Actor in 1974.

Career

1970s-1980s

His brother Dan accompanied him to what was supposed to be his first day at St. Joseph's College in Philadelphia, where he had received a drama scholarship. When they arrived, they learned he still couldn't cover enough of the expenses for him to stay, without taking out another student loan, so he decided to go back home. "I remember him saying to me, 'College is for people who don't know what they want to do,'" Dan Lane recalled. Because there already was a Joseph Lane registered with Actors Equity, he changed his name to Nathan after the character Nathan Detroit from the musical ''Guys and Dolls''. He moved to New York City where, after a long struggle, his career began to take off, first with some brief success in the world of stand-up comedy with partner, Patrick Stack, and later with Off-Broadway productions at Second Stage Theatre, the Roundabout Theatre, the Manhattan Theatre Club, and his 1982 Broadway debut in a revival of Noel Coward's ''Present Laughter'' as Roland Maule (Drama Desk nomination) with George C. Scott, Kate Burton, Dana Ivey, and Christine Lahti.

His second Broadway appearance was in the 1983 musical ''Merlin'', starring Chita Rivera and magician Doug Henning. This was followed by ''Wind in the Willows'' as Mr. Toad, ''Some Americans Abroad'' at Lincoln Center, and the national tour of Neil Simon's ''Broadway Bound''.

1990s

In 1991 Lane starred with George C. Scott again in a revival of Paul Osborne's ''On Borrowed Time'' at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway.

In 1992, he starred in the revival of ''Guys and Dolls'', receiving his first Tony nomination, as well as Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, playing the character who lent him his name, opposite Peter Gallagher and Faith Prince.

His professional association with his close friend the playwright Terrence McNally includes roles in ''The Lisbon Traviata'' (Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards), ''Bad Habits'', ''Lips Together, Teeth Apart'', ''Love! Valour! Compassion!'' (Obie, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards), ''Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams'' (Drama Desk nomination), The Last Mile on PBS Great Performances, and the film version of Frankie and Johnny. The early 1990s began a stretch of successful Broadway shows for Lane. In 1993, he portrayed Sid Caesar-like Max Prince in Neil Simon's ''Laughter on the 23rd Floor'', inspired by Simon's early career writing sketches for ''Your Show of Shows''. In 1996, he starred in the revival of ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'', for which he won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

His association with Sondheim began with the workshop of ''Assassins'', and after ''Forum'' he appeared with Victor Garber in the workshop of ''Wise Guys'' (later retitled ''Road Show''). Their collaboration continued when he revised the original book for and starred in the Broadway debut of the composer's ''The Frogs'' at Lincoln Center in 2004. He also sang a song written especially for him by Sondheim in the film ''The Birdcage'', for which he received his first Golden Globe nomination.

In addition to the McNally plays, Lane has appeared in numerous other Off Broadway productions, including ''Love'' (the musical version of Murray Schisgal's ''Luv''), ''Measure for Measure'' directed by Joseph Papp in Central Park, for which he received the St. Clair Bayfield Award, ''The Common Pursuit'', ''The Film Society'', ''Mizlansky/Zilinsky or Schmucks'', ''In a Pig's Valise'', ''Trumbo'', ''She Stoops to Conquer'', ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' and ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. In fact, in 1992 he won an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance. He also appeared at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in ''The School for Scandal'' and John Guare's ''Moon Over Miami'' .

Lane performed in 1995's ''The Wizard of Oz in Concert'' at Lincoln Center to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The performance was originally broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT), and issued on CD and video in 1996.

2000s

Lane won his second Tony Award for his portrayal of Max Bialystock in the musical version of Mel Brooks's ''The Producers'', as well as Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. He later replaced Richard Dreyfuss in the role in 2004 at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane at the last minute, and went on to win the Olivier Award as Best Actor in a Musical. He recreated his performance for the film version, for which he received his second Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.

Lane has performed two roles originated by Zero Mostel, Pseudolus in ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' and Max Bialystock in ''The Producers''. He declined the role of Tevye in the 2004 Broadway revival of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' because he didn't want to be seen as always following in Mostel's footsteps. Coincidentally, both of Lane's Tony Awards were for Mostel's roles.

In 2000 he starred in the Roundabout revival of ''The Man Who Came to Dinner'' as Sheridan Whiteside, with Jean Smart and Harriet Harris. Prior to that he starred in the Encores! production of ''Do Re Mi''.

In 2005, Lane rejoined his ''Producers'' co-star Matthew Broderick for a successful limited run of ''The Odd Couple''. In 2006, he took on a primarily dramatic role in a revival of Simon Gray's ''Butley'', having played the role to great success at The Huntington Theater in Boston in 2004. He and Broderick were awarded adjacent stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a joint ceremony on January 9, 2006. They were also immortalized as Max and Leo at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. He then played the President of the United States in the new David Mamet political satire, ''November'', directed by Joe Mantello, followed by the critically acclaimed revival of ''Waiting for Godot'' as Estragon(Outer Critics Circle nomination) with Bill Irwin as Vladimir. He next starred in the musical version of ''The Addams Family'' as Gomez (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations). In 2008 he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

2010s

Nathan Lane has committed to starring in a revival of the Eugene O'Neill play 'The Iceman Cometh' at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. Lane will assume the role of Hickey, with Brian Dennehy playing the role of Larry Slade. The production will be directed by the Artistic Director of the Goodman Theatre Robert Falls. The play is slated to begin performances in April 2012 and run for six weeks.

Personal life

A reporter once asked Lane if he was gay; he replied, "I'm 40, single and work in the musical theater. You do the math." When he told his mother he was gay, she replied, "I'd rather you were dead," to which he replied, "I knew you'd understand." Lane, who came out publicly after the death of Matthew Shepard, has been a long-time board member of and fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and has been honored by the Human Rights Campaign, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and The Trevor Project for his work in the homosexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Lane resides in New York City with his long-time partner, producer Devlin Elliott. He has maintained close friendships with Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks, and Ernie Sabella.

Awards and nominations

Television

He has received three Daytime Emmy nominations for ''George and Martha'', ''Timon and Pumbaa'' and ''Teacher's Pet'', and won two Daytime Emmy Awards, in 1995 for Disney's ''Timon and Pumbaa'' and in 2000 for Disney's ''Teacher's Pet''. He has also received three Emmy nominations for guest appearances on ''Frasier'', ''Mad About You'' and ''Modern Family''. In 1999 he won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Series.

Film

1997 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast - ''The Birdcage''

1996 American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture - ''The Birdcage''

2002 National Board of Review Award for Best Ensemble Performance - ''Nicholas Nickleby''

;Nominations

1997 MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo - ''The Birdcage''

1997 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy - ''The Birdcage''

1997 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role - ''The Birdcage''

2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - ''The Producers''

Theatre

1986 St. Clair Bayfield Award for Shakespearean Performance - ''Measure For Measure''

1990 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, Lucille Lortel Award, Los Angeles Critics Circle Award - ''The Lisbon Traviata''

1992 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical - ''Guys and Dolls''

1992 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance

1995 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play - ''Love! Valour! Compassion!''

1995 Obie Award for Ensemble Acting - ''Love! Valour! Compassion!''

1996 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical - ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum''

1996 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum''

2001 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical - ''The Producers''

2001 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - ''The Producers''

2005 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical - ''The Producers''

;Nominations

1983 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play - ''Present Laughter'' * 1990 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play - "The Lisbon Traviata"

1992 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical - ''Guys and Dolls''

2006 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play - ''Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams''

2009 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play - ''Waiting For Godot''

2010 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical - ''The Addams Family'' * 2010 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical - ''The Addams Family''

Also the winner of four Outer Critics Circle Awards for Guys and Dolls, Love! Valour! Compassion!, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and The Producers

Other

2002 GLAAD Media Awards Vito Russo Award

2006 American Theatre Wing Honor for his commitment to and achievement in theatre

2007 The Trevor Project Hero Award 2007 Human Rights Campaign Equality Award

2010 The Drama League - Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater

2010 National Corporate Theatre Fund - Theatre Artist Award

Work

Television

His television credits include ''One of the Boys'' with Mickey Rooney and Dana Carvey, ''The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'', the title role in ''The Man Who Came to Dinner'', broadcast live on P.B.S., and the voices of the title characters in the animated series ''Teacher's Pet'', ''Timon & Pumbaa'', and ''George and Martha''. He has also made guest appearances on ''Miami Vice'', ''Mad About You'', ''Sex and the City'', ''Frasier'', ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', ''Absolutely Fabulous'', ''30 Rock'' and ''Modern Family''.

He has hosted ''Saturday Night Live'', ''The Tony Awards'' (one time as host for the 50th anniversary, and three as co-host, to Glenn Close and Gregory Hines; Rosie O'Donnell; and Matthew Broderick respectively), and appeared on ''Great Performances'' (''Alice In Wonderland'', The Last Mile , and as host of the 30th anniversary, A Celebration in Song). He has starred in two television films, ''The Boys Next Door'' and ''Laughter on the 23rd Floor''. With the ''Boston Pops'', he performed a tribute concert of Danny Kaye material, as well as appearing in the ''Harry Connick Christmas Special''; ''Merry Christmas, George Bailey''; ''The Wizard Of Oz in Concert''; and ''A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa''. His attempts at a regular series of his own, ''Encore! Encore!'' and ''Charlie Lawrence'', were ratings disappointments.

Filmography

''Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls'' [TV] [1981] as Stage Manager

''Ironweed'' (1987) as Harold Allen

''The Lemon Sisters'' (1990) as Charlie Sorrell

''Joe Versus the Volcano'' (1990) as Baw, Waponi Advance Man

''He Said, She Said'' (1991) as Wally Thurman

''Frankie and Johnny'' (1991) as Tim

''Addams Family Values'' (1993) as Desk Sergeant

''Life with Mikey'' (1993) as Ed Chapman

''Jeffrey'' (1995) as Father Dan

''The Birdcage'' (1996) as Albert Goldman

''The Boys Next Door'' (TV) (1996) as Norman Bulansky

''MouseHunt'' (1997) as Ernest "Ernie" Smuntz

''At First Sight'' (1999) as Phil

''Get Bruce!'' (1999) documentary, as himself

''Love's Labours Lost'' (2000) as Costard

''Isn't She Great'' (2000) as Irving Mansfield

''Trixie'' (2000) as Kirk Stans

''Laughter on the 23rd Floor'' (TV) (2001) as Max Prince

''Nicholas Nickleby'' (2002) as Vincent Crummles

''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002) as Mysterious Disco Man

''Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!'' (2004) as Richard Levy the Driven

''The Producers'' (2005) as Max Bialystock

''Trumbo'' (2007) documentary, as himself

''Swing Vote'' (2008) as Art Crumb

''The Nutcracker'' (2010) as Uncle Albert

''Snow White'' (2012) as Brighton

Theater

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1978-Off Broadway) as Francis Flute

''Present Laughter'' (1982-Broadway) as Roland Maule

''Merlin'' (1983-Broadway) as Prince Fergus

''Love'' (1984-Off Broadway) as Harry Berlin

''She Stoops to Conquer'' (1984-Off Broadway) as Tony Lumpkin

''Measure for Measure'' (1985-Off Broadway) as Pompey

''Wind in the Willows'' (1985-Broadway) as Toad

''The Common Pursuit'' (1986-Off Broadway) as Nick Finchling

''Claptrap'' (1987-Off Broadway) as Harvey Wheatcraft * "Broadway Bound" (1987-National Tour) as Stanley

''The Film Society'' (1988-Off Broadway) as Jonathan Balton

''In a Pig's Valise'' (1989-Off Broadway) as James Taxi

''The Lisbon Traviata'' (1989-Off Broadway) as Mendy

''Assassins'' (1989-New York reading) as Sam Byck

''Bad Habits'' (1990-Off Broadway) Jason Pepper, M.D./Hugh Gumbs

''Some Americans Abroad'' (1990-Broadway) as Henry McNeil

''Lips Together, Teeth Apart'' (1991-Off Broadway) as Sam Truman

''On Borrowed Time'' (1991-Broadway) as Mr. Brink

''Guys and Dolls'' (1992-Broadway) as Nathan Detroit

''Laughter on the 23rd Floor'' (1993-Broadway) as Max Prince

''Love! Valour! Compassion!'' (1994-Off Broadway and Broadway) as Buzz Hauser

''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (1996-Broadway) as Prologus and Pseudolus

''Angela Lansbury - A Celebration'' (1996-Broadway benefit) as Host

''Mizlansky/Zilinsky or "Schmucks"'' (1998-Off Broadway) as Davis Mizlansky

''Do Re Mi'' (1999-Off Broadway) as Hubert Cram

''Wise Guys'' (1999-New York workshop) as Addison Mizner

''The Frogs'' (2000-Library of Congress) as Dionysus

''The Man Who Came to Dinner'' (2000-Broadway) as Sheridan Whiteside

''The Producers'' (2001-Broadway) as Max Bialystock

''The Play What I Wrote'' (2003-Broadway) as Mystery Guest Star

''Trumbo: Red White and Blacklisted'' (2003-Off Broadway) as Dalton Trumbo * ''Butley'' (2003-Huntington Theater, Boston) as Ben Butley

''The Frogs'' (2004-Broadway) as Dionysus

''The Producers'' (2004-West End, London] as Max Bialystock

''Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams'' (2005-Off Broadway) as Lou Nuncle

''Catch Me If You Can'' (2005-New York reading) as Hanratty

''The Odd Couple'' (2005-Broadway) as Oscar Madison

''Catch Me If You Can'' (2006-New York Workshop) as Hanratty

''Butley'' (2006-Broadway) as Ben Butley

''Catch Me If You Can'' (2007-New York reading) as Hanratty

''November'' (2008-Broadway) as Charles Smith

''Waiting for Godot'' (2009-Broadway) as Estragon

''The Addams Family'' (2010-Broadway) as Gomez Addams

Voice

''The Lion King'' (1994) as Timon

''The Lion King II: Simba's Pride'' (1998) as Timon

''Stuart Little'' (1999) as Snowbell

''George and Martha'' (1999) as George

''Titan A.E.'' (2000) as Preed

''Stuart Little 2'' (2002) as Snowbell

''The Lion King 1½'' (2004) as Timon

''Teacher's Pet'' (2004) as Spot AKA Scott Leadready II

''Astro Boy'' (2009) as Hammegg

Other

Presented Mike Birbiglia's (2008) Off-Broadway show ''Sleepwalk With Me''.

Lane provided the voice of Tom Morrow, the Audio-Animatronic host of Disneyland's Innoventions attraction.

References

External links

Lane interview, 2004, ''The Guardian''

Category:1956 births Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Gay actors Category:LGBT Christians Category:LGBT people from the United States Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:Obie Award recipients Category:Olivier Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Jersey City, New Jersey Category:Shakespearean actors Category:Tony Award winners Category:GLAAD Media Awards winners

de:Nathan Lane es:Nathan Lane fr:Nathan Lane (acteur) ko:네이선 레인 id:Nathan Lane it:Nathan Lane he:נתן ליין nl:Nathan Lane ja:ネイサン・レイン pl:Nathan Lane pt:Nathan Lane sh:Nathan Lane fi:Nathan Lane sv:Nathan Lane

birth name	Ethel Agnes Zimmermann
birth date	January 16, 1908
birth place	Astoria, Queens, New York, U.S.
death date	February 15, 1984
death place	New York City, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actress/Singer
voice type	Mezzo-soprano
years active	1930–1982
spouse	William Smith (1940–1941) Robert Levitt (1941–1952)Robert Six (1953–1960) Ernest Borgnine (1964; 32 days) }}

Ethel Merman (January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Some People", "Rose's Turn", "I Get a Kick Out of You", "It's De-Lovely", "Friendship", "You're the Top", "Anything Goes", and "There's No Business Like Show Business", which later became her theme song.

Early life

Merman was born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann in her maternal grandmother's house located at 26-5 4th Street in Astoria, Queens, in New York City in 1908, though she would later emphatically declare that it was actually 1912. Her father, Edward Zimmermann (1879–1977), was an accountant with James H. Dunham & Company, a Manhattan wholesale dry-goods company, and her mother, Agnes (née Gardner; 1883–1974), was a school teacher. Zimmermann had been raised in the Dutch Reformed Church and his wife was Presbyterian, but shortly after they were wed they joined the Episcopalian congregation at Church of the Redeemer, where Merman was baptized. Her parents were strict about church attendance, and every Sunday she spent the day there, first at morning services, followed by Sunday school, an afternoon prayer meeting, and an evening study group for children.

Merman attended P.S. 4 and William Cullen Bryant High School (which later named its auditorium in her honor), where she pursued a commercial course that offered secretarial training. She was active in numerous extracurricular activities, including the school magazine, the speakers' club, and student council, and she frequented the local music store to peruse the weekly arrivals of new sheet music. On Friday nights the Zimmermann family would take the subway into Manhattan to see the vaudeville show at the Palace Theatre, where Merman discovered Blossom Seeley, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, and Nora Bayes. At home she would try to emulate their singing styles, but her own distinct voice was difficult to disguise.

After graduating from Bryant in 1924, Merman was hired as a stenographer by the Boyce-Ite Company. One day during her lunch break, she met Vic Kliesrath, who offered her a job at the Bragg-Kliesrath Corporation for a $5 increase above the weekly $23 salary she was earning, and Merman accepted the offer. She eventually was made personal secretary to company president Caleb Smith Bragg, whose frequent lengthy absences from the office allowed her to catch up on the sleep she had lost the previous night when she was out late performing at private parties. During this period Merman also began appearing in nightclubs, and it was at this time she decided the name Ethel Zimmermann was too long for a theater marquee. She considered combining Ethel with Gardner or Hunter, her grandmother's maiden name, but finally abbreviated Zimmermann to Merman to appease her father.

Early career

During a two-week engagement at Little Russia, a club in midtown-Manhattan, Merman met agent Lou Irwin, who arranged for her to audition for Archie Mayo, a contract director at Warner Bros. He offered her an exclusive six-month contract, starting at $125 per week, and Merman quit her day job, only to find herself idle for weeks while waiting to be cast in a film. She finally urged Irwin to try to cancel her agreement with Mayo; instead, he negotiated her a better deal allowing her to perform in clubs while remaining on the Warners payroll. Merman was hired as a torch singer at Les Ambassadeurs, where the headliner was Jimmy Durante, and the two became lifelong friends. She caught the attention of columnists such as Walter Winchell and Mark Hellinger, who began giving her publicity. Soon after Merman underwent a tonsillectomy she feared might damage her voice, but after recovering she discovered it was more powerful than ever.

While performing on the prestigious Keith Circuit, Merman was signed to replace Ruth Etting in the Paramount film ''Follow the Leader'', starring Ed Wynn and Ginger Rogers. Following a successful seven-week run at the Brooklyn Paramount, she was signed to perform at the Palace for $500 per week. During the run, theatre producer Vinton Freedley saw her perform and invited her to audition for the role of San Francisco café singer Kate Fothergill in the new George and Ira Gershwin musical ''Girl Crazy''. Upon hearing her sing "I Got Rhythm", the Gershwins immediately cast her, and Merman began juggling daytime rehearsals with her matinee and evening performance schedule at the Palace.

''Girl Crazy'' opened on October 14, 1930 at the Alvin Theatre, where it ran for 272 performances. ''The New York Times'' noted Merman sang "with dash, authority, good voice and just the right knowing style," while ''The New Yorker'' called her "imitative of no one." Merman was fairly blasé about her notices, prompting George Gershwin to ask her mother, "Have you ever seen a person so unconcerned as Ethel?", and he made her promise never to work with a singing teacher.

During the run of ''Girl Crazy'', Paramount signed Merman to appear in a series of ten short musical films, most of which allowed her to sing a rousing number as well as a ballad. She also performed at the Central Park Casino, the Paramount Theatre, and a return engagement at the Palace. As soon as ''Girl Crazy'' closed, she and her parents departed for a much-needed vacation in Lake George in Upstate New York, but after their first day there Merman was summoned to Atlantic City to help salvage the troubled latest edition of ''George White's Scandals''. Because she was still under contract to Freedley, White was forced to pay the producer $10,000 for her services, in addition to her weekly $1,500 salary. Following the Atlantic City run, the show played in Newark and then Brooklyn before opening on Broadway, where it ran for 202 performances.

Merman's next show, ''Humpty Dumpty'', began rehearsals in August 1932 and opened—and immediately closed—in Pittsburgh the following month. Producer Buddy DeSylva, who also had written the book and lyrics, was certain it could be reworked into a success and, with a revamped script and additional songs by Vincent Youmans, it opened with the new title ''Take a Chance'' on November 26 at the Apollo, where it ran for 243 performances. Brooks Atkinson of ''The New York Times'' called it "fast, loud, and funny" and added Merman "has never loosed herself with quite so much abandon." Following the Broadway run, she agreed to join the show on the road, but shortly after the Chicago opening she claimed the chlorine in the city's water supply was irritating her throat, and Merman returned to Manhattan.

''Anything Goes'' proved to be the first of five Cole Porter musicals in which Merman starred. In addition to the title song, the score included "I Get a Kick Out of You", "You're the Top", and "Blow Gabriel Blow". It opened on November 21, 1934 at the Alvin Theatre, and the ''New York Post'' called Merman "vivacious and ingratiating in her comedy moments, and the embodiment of poise and technical adroitness" when singing "as only she knows how to do." Although Merman always had remained with a show until the end of its run, she left ''Anything Goes'' after eight months to appear with Eddie Cantor in the film ''Strike Me Pink''. She was replaced by Benay Venuta, with whom she enjoyed a long but frequently tempestuous friendship.

Merman initially was overlooked for the 1936 screen adaptation of ''Anything Goes'' when Bing Crosby insisted his wife Dixie Lee be cast as Reno Sweeney opposite his Billy Crocker, but when she unexpectedly dropped out of the project Merman was given the opportunity to reprise the role she had originated on stage. From the beginning, it was clear to Merman the film would not be the enjoyable experience she had hoped it would be. The focus was shifted to Crosby, leaving her very much in a supporting role. Many of Porter's ribald lyrics were altered to conform to the guidelines of the Motion Picture Production Code, and "Blow Gabriel Blow" was eliminated completely, replaced by a song Merman was forced to perform in a headdress made of peacock feathers while surrounded by dancers dressed as Chinese slave girls. The film was completed $201,000 over budget and seventeen days behind schedule, and Richard Watts, Jr. of the ''New York Herald Tribune'' described it as "dull and commonplace," with Merman doing "as well as possible" but unable to register "on the screen as magnificently as she does on the stage."

Merman returned to Broadway for another Porter musical, but despite the presence of Jimmy Durante and Bob Hope in the cast, ''Red, Hot and Blue'' closed after less than six months. Back in Hollywood, Merman was featured in ''Happy Landing'', a minor comedy with Cesar Romero, Don Ameche, and Sonja Henie; the box office hit ''Alexander's Ragtime Band'', a pastiche of Irving Berlin songs interpolated into a plot that vaguely paralleled the composer's life; and ''Straight, Place or Show'', a critical and commercial flop starring the Ritz Brothers. She returned to the stage in ''Stars in Your Eyes'', which struggled to survive while the public flocked to the 1939 New York World's Fair instead and finally closed short of four months. Merman followed this with two more Porter musicals. ''DuBarry Was a Lady'', with Bert Lahr and Betty Grable, ran for a year, and ''Panama Hattie'', with Betty Hutton, June Allyson, and Arthur Treacher, fared even better, lasting slightly more than fourteen months.

Shortly after the opening of the latter, Merman—still despondent about the end of her affair with Stork Club owner Sherman Billingsley—married her first husband, Treacher's agent William Smith. She later said she knew on their wedding night she had made "a dreadful mistake," and two months later she filed for divorce on grounds of desertion. Shortly after she met and married Robert D. Levitt, promotion director for the ''New York Journal-American''. The two eventually had two children and divorced in 1952 due to his excessive drinking and erratic behavior.

In 1943, Merman was a featured performer in the film ''Stage Door Canteen'' and opened in another Porter musical, ''Something for the Boys'', produced by Michael Todd. Her next project was ''Sadie Thompson'', a Vernon Duke/Howard Dietz musical adaptation of a W. Somerset Maugham short story, but Merman found she was unable to retain the lyrics and resigned twelve days after rehearsals began.

In August 1945, while in the hospital recovering from the Caesarean birth of her second child, Merman was visited by Dorothy Fields, who proposed she star as Annie Oakley in a musical she and her husband Herbert were writing with Jerome Kern. Merman accepted, but in November Kern suffered a stroke while in New York City visiting Rodgers and Hammerstein (the producers of the show) and died a few days later. Producers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II invited Irving Berlin to replace him, and the result was ''Annie Get Your Gun'', which opened on May 16, 1946 at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for nearly three years and 1,147 performances. During that time, Merman took only two vacations and missed only two performances due to illness. Merman lost the film version to Judy Garland, who eventually was replaced by Betty Hutton, but she did star in a Broadway revival two decades later.

Merman and Berlin reunited for ''Call Me Madam'' in 1950, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, and she went on to star in the 1953 screen adaptation as well, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her performance. The following year she appeared as the matriarch of the singing and dancing Donahue family in ''There's No Business Like Show Business'', a film with a Berlin score.

Merman returned to Broadway at the behest of her third husband, Continental Airlines executive Robert Six, who was upset she had chosen to become a Colorado housewife following their wedding in 1953. He expected her public appearances to engender publicity for the airline, and her decision to forgo the limelight did not sit well with him. He urged her to accept the lead in ''Happy Hunting'', with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (who had written ''Call Me Madam'') and a score by the unknown team of Harold Karr and Matt Dubey. Merman acquiesced to her husband's demands, although she clashed with the composers from the start and soon was at odds with co-star Fernando Lamas and his wife Arlene Dahl, who frequently attended rehearsals. Based on the Merman name, the show opened in New York with an advance sale of $1.5 million and, despite the star's dissatisfaction with it, garnered respectable reviews. Although Brooks Atkinson thought the score was "hardly more than adequate", he called Merman "as brassy as ever, glowing like a neon light whenever she steps on the stage." Several months into the run, she insisted two of her least favorite numbers be replaced by songs written by her friend Roger Edens who, because of his exclusive contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, credited them to Kay Thompson. She lost the Tony Award to Judy Holliday in ''Bells Are Ringing'', and the show closed after 412 performances, with Merman happy to see what she considered "a dreary obligation" finally come to an end.

Later career

What many consider Merman's greatest triumph as a stage performer opened on May 21, 1959 at The Broadway Theatre. ''Gypsy'' was based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee and starred Merman as her domineering stage mother Rose Hovick. Although Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book, was deeply unhappy with her interpretation of the role, she was lauded by the critics. In the ''New York Post'', Richard Watts called her "a brilliant actress," and Brooks Atkinson of the ''New York Times'' said "she gives an indomitable performance, both as actress and singer." Despite the acclaim, Merman lost the Tony Award to her close friend Mary Martin in ''The Sound of Music'' and jokingly quipped, "How are you going to buck a nun?" Shortly after she divorced Six when his affair with television actress Audrey Meadows became public, and she found solace in her work.

Throughout the 702-performance run of ''Gypsy'', Mervyn LeRoy saw it numerous times, and he repeatedly assured Merman he planned to cast her in the film adaptation he was preparing. Shortly prior to the show's closing, however, it was announced Rosalind Russell had been signed to star instead. Russell's husband, theatre producer Frederick Brisson (whom Merman later called "the lizard of Roz"), had sold the screen rights to the Leonard Spigelgass play ''A Majority of One'' to Warner Bros. with the stipulation his wife star in both films. Because Russell was still a major box office draw, with the success of ''Auntie Mame'' a few years earlier, and Merman never having established herself as a popular screen presence, the studio agreed to Brisson's terms. Merman was devastated at this turn of events and called the loss of the role "the greatest professional disappointment of her life." Following the Broadway closing of ''Gypsy'' on March 25, 1961, Merman half-heartedly embarked on the national tour. In San Francisco, she severely injured her back but continued to play to packed houses. During the Los Angeles run, LeRoy visited her backstage and claimed Russell was so ill "I think you're going to end up getting this part." Believing the film version of ''Gypsy'' was within her grasp, she generously gave him the many house seats he requested for friends and industry colleagues, only to discover she had been duped.

Over the next several years, Merman was featured in two films, the wildly successful ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' and the flop ''The Art of Love'', and made dozens of television appearances, guesting on variety series hosted by Perry Como, Red Skelton, Dean Martin, Ed Sullivan, and Carol Burnett, on talk shows with Mike Douglas, Dick Cavett, and Merv Griffin, and in episodes of ''That Girl'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Batman'', and ''Tarzan'', among others.

Producer David Merrick encouraged Jerry Herman to compose ''Hello, Dolly!'' specifically for Merman's vocal range, but when he offered her the role she declined it. She finally joined the cast on March 28, 1970, six years after the production opened. On her opening night, her performance continually was brought to a halt by prolonged standing ovations, and the critics unanimously heralded her return to the New York stage. Walter Kerr described her voice "exactly as trumpet-clean, exactly as pennywhistle-piercing, exactly as Wurlitzer-wonderful as it always was." The seventh actress to portray the scheming matchmaker, she remained with the musical for 210 performances until it closed on December 27. She received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance for what proved to be her last appearance on Broadway.

For the remainder of her career, Merman worked as frequently as offers were made. In 1979, she recorded ''The Ethel Merman Disco Album'', with many of her signature show-stoppers set to a disco beat. Her last screen role was a self-parody in the 1980 comedy film ''Airplane!'', in which she portrayed Lieutenant Hurwitz, a shell shocked soldier who thinks he is Ethel Merman. In the cameo appearance, Merman leaps out of bed singing ''Everything's Coming Up Roses'' as orderlies restrain her. She appeared in multiple episodes of ''The Love Boat'', guested on a CBS Television tribute to George Gershwin, did a summer comedy/concert tour with Carroll O'Connor, played a two-week engagement at the London Palladium, performed with Mary Martin in a concert benefitting the theatre and museum collection of the Museum of the City of New York, and frequently appeared as a soloist with symphony orchestras. She also volunteered at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, working in the gift shop or visiting patients.

Later life and death

Unfortunately, with advancing age, Merman began to become forgetful, and on occasion had difficulty with her speech, and at times her behavior was erratic, causing concern among her friends.

On April 7, 1983, she was preparing to leave for Los Angeles to appear on the 55th Academy Awards telecast when she collapsed in her apartment. She was diagnosed with glioblastoma and underwent brain surgery to have the malignant tumor removed.

Early on the morning of February 15, 1984, she died in her sleep. Her private funeral service was held in a chapel at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, where she frequently had worshiped. On October 10, 1984, an auction of her personal effects, including furniture, artwork, and theatre memorabilia, earned in excess of $120,000 at Christie's East.

Performance style

Merman was known for her powerful, belting mezzo-soprano voice, precise enunciation and pitch. Because stage singers performed without microphones when Merman began singing professionally, she had a great advantage, despite the fact that she never took any singing lessons. In fact, Broadway lore holds that George Gershwin advised her never to take a singing lesson after she opened in his ''Girl Crazy''. Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the lyrics for Merman's ''Gypsy'', remembered that she could become "mechanical" after a while. "She performed the dickens out of the show when the critics were there," he said. He added, "or if she thought there was a celebrity in the audience. So we used to spread a rumor that Frank Sinatra was out front. That night however, Judy Garland was out front. I'll tell you one thing [Merman] did do, she steadily upstaged everybody. Every night, she would be about one more foot upstage, so finally they were all playing with their backs to the audience. I don't think it was conscious. But she sure knew her way around a stage, and it was all instinctive."

Personal life

Merman was married and divorced four times: #William Smith, theatrical agent (1940–1941) #Robert Levitt, a newspaper executive (1941–1952) #Robert Six, President, Continental Airlines (1953–1960) #Ernest Borgnine, the actor, in 1964. Merman filed for divorce 32 days later.

With Levitt, Merman had two children: Ethel (born July 20, 1942). and Robert Jr. (born August 11, 1945), they divorced in 1952. Ethel Levitt died in 1967 of a drug overdose that was ruled accidental. Her son, Robert, was married to actress Barbara Colby.

Merman co-wrote two memoirs, ''Who Could Ask for Anything More?'' (1955) and ''Merman'' (1978). In a radio interview, Merman commented on her many marriages, saying that "We all make mistakes, that's why they put rubbers on pencils, and that's what I did. I made a few loo-loos!" In the latter book, the chapter entitled "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine" consists of one blank page.

Merman was notorious for her love of vulgar jokes. She delighted in telling dirty jokes and vulgar stories at public parties; she once shouted a dirty joke across the room at José Ferrer during a formal reception. Merman also enjoyed sending out greeting cards with obscene jokes in them. Reportedly, the first time she heard the title of the song "Everything's Coming Up Roses," she quipped "Everything's coming up Rose's what?" Merman was known for swearing during rehearsals and meetings. While rehearsing a guest appearance on ''The Loretta Young Show'', she was told she had to pay $1 each time she swore since Young could not abide foul language. As she was being shoehorned into an ill fitting gown for the next number Merman exclaimed, "Oh shit, this damn thing's too tight." Young advanced on her waving her curse box and said, "Come on Ethel, put a dollar in. You know my rules." Merman's retort reportedly was, "Ah, honey, how much will it cost me to tell you to go fuck yourself?!?"

In popular culture

The character "Helen Lawson" in Jacqueline Susann's novel ''Valley of the Dolls'' is based on Ethel Merman.

The British Psychobilly band The Meteors recorded an instrumental called "Return Of The Ethel Merman" for their 1986 album ''Sewertime Blues''.

In the play "Red Herring" by Michael Hollinger, one of the lead characters comments on his marriage to a 'different' Ethel Merman than the one who sang "There's No Business Like Show Business."

Merman is mentioned a lot in the musical series Forbidden Broadway making fun of the wireless microphones and soft singing used in The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical).

In the film ''Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987), USAF radio disc jockey Adrian Cronauer (played by Robin Williams) alluded to Merman's distinctive, brassy style and powerful voice during one of his improvised comic news bulletins. "Ethel Merman used to jam Russian radar. {''belting in imitation of Merman''} 'Oh, I've got a feeling that love is here to stay!' When asked for a reply, the Russians said 'Vat de hell vas dat?'"

Robin Williams imitates Merman again in the song "Prince Ali" from the Disney animated feature ''Aladdin'' (1992).

In the 1990 ''Seinfeld'' episode "The Robbery", Elaine complains about her actress roommate by telling Jerry she is "living with Ethel Merman without the talent."

In the early 1990s, the television program ''Sesame Street'' created a parody character called "Miss Ethel Mermaid" (voiced and puppeteered by Louise Gold) she sang "I Get A Kick Out Of U" (a parody of Merman singing "I Get A Kick Out Of You").

In the film ''The Producers'' (2005), the actor playing the part of Adolf Hitler, Roger de Bris, sings the lyric "I'm the German Ethel Merman, don'tcha know."

In the song "Change the World" by Nellie McKay, off her debut album "Get Away from Me", she sings "Please Ethel Merman help me out this jam".

Merman's final on-screen appearance was in the film ''Airplane!'' (1980), where she has a cameo as shell-shocked soldier "Lt. Hurwitz", who believes he is Ethel Merman. She briefly sings her classic "Everything's Coming Up Roses".

Merman is mentioned in the film ''Terms of Endearment'' (1983), and even appears on the soundtrack.

In the 2000 episode of ''Saturday Night Live'', a segment called "The Ladies Man" featuring Dwayne Johnson and Tim Meadows where Meadows was Leon Phelps described Johnson's cross-dressing undercover police lady character that when he first saw him she was dressed up like a young Ethel Merman. "It was wall to wall: big sexy ladies" Meadows character Leon described. "Tell them who you were" said Leon and Johnson responded back "I was Ethel Merman". "A Young Ethel Merman, she was sexy!"

Popular blogger Ree Drummond of award-winning blog, The Pioneer Woman, frequently mentions Merman in her posts, and says she "channels Lucille Ball, Vivien Leigh, and Ethel Merman".

Audio samples of Ethel Merman

''Courtesy of NPR'' Windows Media Player Required

Ethel Merman with Jimmy Durante "You Say the Nicest Things"

Ethel Merman Sings: "The World is Your Balloon"

Ethel Merman Sings: "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend"

Theatre performances

''Girl Crazy'' (1930)

''George White's Scandals of 1931'' (1931)

''Take a Chance'' (1932)

''Anything Goes'' (1934)

''Red, Hot and Blue'' (1936)

''Stars in Your Eyes'' (1939)

''DuBarry Was a Lady'' (1939)

''Panama Hattie'' (1940)

''Something for the Boys'' (1943)

''Sadie Thompson'' (1944) (left during rehearsals; replaced by June Havoc)

''Annie Get Your Gun'' (1946)

''Call Me Madam'' (1950)

''Happy Hunting'' (1956)

''Gypsy'' (1959)

''Annie Get Your Gun'' (1966) (revival)

''Call Me Madam'' (1968) (revival) (summer stock)

''Hello, Dolly!'' (1970) (replacement)

''Mary Martin & Ethel Merman: Together On Broadway'' (1977) (benefit concert)

Filmography

''Follow the Leader'' (1930)

''Let Me Call You Sweetheart'' (1932)

''We're Not Dressing'' (1934)

''Kid Millions'' (1934)

''The Big Broadcast of 1936'' (1935)

''Strike Me Pink'' (1936)

''Anything Goes'' (1936)

''Happy Landing'' (1938)

''Alexander's Ragtime Band'' (1938)

''Straight, Place or Show'' (1938)

''Stage Door Canteen'' (1943)

''Call Me Madam'' (1953)

''There's No Business Like Show Business'' (1954)

''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963)

''The Art of Love'' (1965)

''Journey Back to Oz'' (1974) (voice)

''Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood'' (1976)

''Airplane!'' (1980)

Television

''The Ford 50th Anniversary Show'' (1953)

''Panama Hattie'' (1954)

''Merman On Broadway'' (1961)

''The Lucy Show'', two-parter, as herself (1963)

''The Judy Garland Show'', two episodes (1963)

''Maggie Brown'' (1963) (unsold pilot)

''An Evening with Ethel Merman'' (1965)

''Annie Get Your Gun'' (1967)

''Tarzan and the Mountains of the Moon'' (1967)

''Batman'', "The Sport of Penguins", two-parter as Lola Lasagne (1967)

''That Girl'', two episodes, as herself (1967–1968)

'''S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin'' (1972)

''Ed Sullivan's Broadway'' (1973)

''The Muppet Show'' (1976)

''Match Game PM'' (1976), (1978)

''You're Gonna Love It Here'' (1977) (unsold pilot)

''A Salute to American Imagination'' (1978)

''A Special Sesame Street Christmas'' (1978)

''Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July'' (1979) (voice)

''The Love Boat'', five episodes, (1979–1982)

''Night of 100 Stars'' (1982)

References

External links

[ Ethel Merman] at Allmusic

They Say She Was Wonderful: Ethel Merman at 100, ''The House Next Door'' By N.P. Thompson

Obituary, ''The New York Times,'' February 16, 1984, "Ethel Merman, Queen of Musicals, Dies at 76"

NPR's Susan Stamberg's Report on the Memory of Ethel Merman

Category:American Episcopalians Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American mezzo-sopranos Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American stage actors Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Deaths from brain cancer Category:Grammy Award winners Category:People from Astoria, Queens Category:Tony Award winners Category:Traditional pop music singers Category:Vaudeville performers Category:Cancer deaths in New York Category:1908 births Category:1984 deaths

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