Roberts may refer to:

People

Roberts (surname), a popular surname, especially among the Welsh

Places

;United States

Roberts, Idaho

Roberts, Illinois

Roberts, Wisconsin

Roberts County, Texas

Mount Roberts (New Hampshire), a summit in the Ossipee Mountains

Other uses

Roberts class monitor, a class of British warship

USS ''Samuel B. Roberts'' (FFG-58), a U.S. Navy frigate

Roberts Cycles, a cycle manufacturer (also known as Chas. Roberts)

Roberts Radio, a radio manufacturer

.257 Roberts, a medium-powered .25 caliber cartridge

See also

Strebor, a lock manufacturer (Roberts spelled backwards)

Trebor (disambiguation)

Robertson (disambiguation)

Robert (disambiguation)

Robarts (disambiguation)

ca:Roberts cs:Roberts de:Roberts (Begriffsklärung) fr:Roberts ko:로버츠 it:Roberts he:רוברטס lv:Robertsa nl:Roberts ja:ロバーツ pl:Roberts pt:Roberts ro:Roberts (dezambiguizare) ru:Робертс fi:Roberts sv:Roberts uk:Робертс vo:Roberts

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Nicola Roberts
background	solo_singer
birth name	Nicola Maria Roberts
born	October 05, 1985Stamford, Lincolnshire, England
origin	Runcorn, Cheshire, England
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop, R&B;, Dance-pop
occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress, presenter
years active	2002–present
label	Polydor, Fascination
associated acts	Girls Aloud
website	}}

Nicola Maria Roberts (born 5 October 1985) is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. After auditioning and successfully completing the reality television series and competition ''Popstars The Rivals'', Roberts became part of girl-group Girls Aloud. Their debut single "Sound of the Underground" topped the UK Singles chart. This success helped them win the competition and they were later entered in ''Guinness World Records'' as the most successful reality television music-group. The five-piece band enjoyed 20 consecutive top ten singles, spawning five albums and positive critical responses. But during her time with the band Roberts was referred to as "the ugly one" for her pale skin tone which left her depressed with her fame derived from the time with Girls Aloud.

In 2008, after releasing a pale skin make-up collection titled Dainty Doll, Roberts advocated the ban of underage usage of tanning beds with the documentary ''Nicola Roberts: The Truth About Tanning''. Her public stance with a British MP led to a bill which banned under 18's from using tanning beds. In 2011 Roberts released her debut album ''Cinderella's Eyes'' with her debut single "Beat of My Drum" with both earning acclaim commercial success was mixed. Two follow-up singles "Lucky Day" and "Yo-Yo" both gained equally positive critical responses but failed commercially. The album was described as electronic-influenced and garnered positive reviews and peaked at number 17 in the United Kingdom.

Life and career

Early life and ''Popstars'' (1985-2002)

Nicola Roberts was born on the 5, October 1985 in Stamford, Lincolnshire when her mother was just 17. At the time of her birth her father was working within the RAF and the resulting pay led to financial struggles which saw her father move to work for company Ford whilst her mother became a photographer to help the family monetary problems. Roberts grew up in a "rough" council estate, despite this she never felt threatened but expressed concern with her younger siblings exploring the area as they "probably wouldn't come back". Despite a history of drugs in the estate she called the situation a minority and found that estates in [2010] were much worse than her own. Aged 11 Roberts and her family moved from her council estate into a middle class area which Roberts believed was "too posh" for her and she found herself returning to the council estate spending time with "mischievous" children from lower class backgrounds. In school Roberts found herself shying away in contrast to her home life where she was outgoing even gaining the nickname Cilla from her family after the diva-like behaviors of singer Cilla Black. Academically Roberts performed well leaving school with ten GCSE's but declared her dislike with school and began discussing a musical career which led her to work with several girl groups recording demo tracks in several cases. Roberts acknowledged she had always wanted to be a singer and had been entering competitions and auditions with her father accompanying her and gaining support from other family members also.

''Popstars The Rivals''

Still a teenager Roberts auditioned for the reality television series ''Popstars The Rivals'', participants checked into a Kensington hotel in London before performing to a panel of celebrity judges with Roberts finding she "didn't really have much life experience" up to that point. During the auditions Roberts co-incidentally sat next to Kimberley Walsh who completed the competition to become one of five in the final line-up of the girl-band, and the two spent time rehearsing before their solo audition. Roberts felt confident before the audition but in contrast during the actual audition she was "terrified" and was unable to smile until celebrity judge Geri Halliwell complimented her performance stating "I think you're great, you're an individual, you really stand out". Roberts found her clothing and personality was different to the other participants of ''Popstars The Rivals'', most were well-trained vocalists and were well dressed whilst Roberts clothing was less fashionable due to lack of funds and she was not as vocally well-trained as the others. Further down the process of the competition Roberts was left as one of 15 remaining participants but found that the reality show was becoming increasingly based on personality instead of vocals, Roberts found her personality to be more concealed than others but was "confident" with her performances. One notable incident during the competition was when a show-producer expressed to Roberts' mother that she wouldn't win as she was not "outrageous" or as outgoing as others stating that vocals were secondary in the show which left her mother shocked with the politics of the show. After the final ten participants were selected Roberts was eliminated from the competition but in the following weeks she was enlisted as a wild-card to return to the show despite conflicts from judge Louis Walsh who didn't want her to return but he was overruled by judges Geri Halliwell and Pete Waterman. Her return to the show stemmed from participant Nicola Ward quitting and Roberts then made it through to the finale where she sang the track "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters and she was the second contestant to be selected for the group after member Cheryl Cole. That night the band was formed, and a party involving promotional photographs saw their introduction to band manager John McMahon who would become more of a personal friend for the group.

Career with Girls Aloud, personal struggles and Dainty Doll (2003-2010)

After winning ''Popstars: The Rivals'' the group went onto record their debut music video in addition to a large stint of publicity which left the band exhausted with band manager John McMahon continually pressuring them to promote single "Sound of the Underground". At this point the competition with ''Popstars: The Rivals'' was still ongoing with the two bands; Girls Aloud and boy-band One True Voice competing to outsell each other with their debut single releases. Girls Aloud ultimately won the competition with their single topping the UK Singles Chart and gaining a record deal from Polydor records but in the following days news broke that the group's manager John McMahon had died in a car accident shortly after texting Roberts who was too busy to respond. The death of McMahon had a large impact on Roberts who found herself increasingly emotionally unstable and came at a time when she moved in with colleague Cheryl Cole becoming the first time she had lived without her family. It was at this time that Roberts was in the midst of several problems including the death of McMahon, leaving home but the most problematic was the constant media criticism of her image in which critics labelled her "unattractive". Girls Aloud as a group enjoyed many successes including two entries into the ''Guiness Book of World Records'' for "Most Successful Reality Television Group" and "Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a female group" in addition to this the band gathered five BRIT Award nominations winning Best British Single in 2009 for "The Promise". The group earned for UK number one singles, twenty consecutive UK top ten singles and critically they have been well-received with most albums although Roberts found at times critical opinion was "less than desirable". Their debut album ''Sound of the Underground'' peaked at number two in the UK and was certified Platinum, their second album ''What Will the Neighbours Say?'' was certified double platinum peaking at number six, their third album ''Chemistry'' saw a critical improvement but failed to enter the UK top ten and third album ''Tangled Up'' became another Platinum certified album peaking at number four and their fifth record ''Out of Control'' became their first UK number one album.

Despite a large amount of success as part of Girls Aloud Roberts found time away from her family increasingly difficult but after her parents divorced and conflicts with her boyfriend she found herself in a depressed state. Her hectic schedule led her to dissolve relations with family members and after stating her frustration at her living situation she started frequently returning to her home town in Liverpool. Her work-life and home-life saw her split into two different personalities and despite appreciating a career in the music industry the conflicts with her personal life made her question her career. Throughout her music career Roberts was coping with hypoglycemia which restricted what foods she could eat, and whilst spending time on the road touring she found it difficult not to divulge into convenience food. Her illness was diagnosed after extensive touring in which time Roberts complained of weakness and sickness which made it difficult to perform live concerts. Whilst she was on her Tangled Up Tour her dog named Elvis died just months after he was given as a gift to Roberts who found his death troubling finding she couldn't cope as she was on her Tangled Up Tour at the time. After her split from long-time boyfriend Carl Egerton in 2006 which ended amicably Roberts struggled with being single but found herself evolving into a more "independent" and "mature" woman and in 2008 she met Charlie Fennel and slowly built a relationship with him. In 2009 Girls Aloud took a break after embarking on their 2009 Out of Control Tour in support of the ''Out of Control'' album which became their most extensive tour and following this each band-member took time to work on solo projects. In 2008 Roberts had started a limited production of a make-up range called Dainty Doll aimed at the pale-skinned market whilst producing the Girls Aloud-related television series ''The Passions of Girls Aloud''. Then in the following 18 months Roberts expanded the collection which saw a major release with prestigious store Harrods in London exclusively stocking the items. The success led to a release across the United Kingdom with Roberts explaining the concept of Dainty Doll saying "The reason behind me doing this is because I had a point of difference and that was because of the pale skin and it was something I obviously felt really passionate about. I was aware that there weren't many make up brands that catered for women for extra pale skin so I feel proud that I've been the person to do it."

Solo debut with ''Cinderella's Eyes'' (2011-present)

In the Girls Aloud 2008 biography Roberts expressed an interest in writing and recording her own material, wanting to experiment in the studio for better understanding of the process. She then started work in the recording studio, with producers such as; Dragonette, Diplo and Joseph Mount. Roberts after a year of recording announced that she would be releasing her debut album, ''Cinderella's Eyes''. The first single "Beat of My Drum" had an on-sale release meaning it had little promotion beforehand and commercially it peaked at number 27 in the United Kingdom but critically it garnered acclaim from critics which Roberts described as "amazing". A second single "Lucky Day" was released shortly after and whilst gaining positive reviews it failed to make an impact commercially peaking at number 40 in the UK. The album was then released on 23 September 2011, Roberts described the album as "electronically lead", and the album was inspired by her time performing with Girls Aloud - "It would have been stupid for me to make an album that meant nothing" she said. For Roberts the album was about making a risky record, where there wasn't a guaranteed commercial success, explaining to ''The Guardian'': "It's taken every last bit of confidence just to release this record, or maybe I've just brainwashed myself into feeling more confident. I don't know if it's good, or if I've just told myself it's good." The album was released to universal positive reviews from critics, reviewers such as Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the ''Financial Times'', James Lachno of ''The Daily Telegraph'', Emily Mackay of ''NME'', Hugh Montgomery of ''The Independent'' and others hailed it as the best solo record from a member of Girls Aloud. Commercially in the United Kingdom the album peaked at number 17 whilst on the Digital charts it peaked at number 13, in Scotland it charted at number 21 whilst in Ireland it peaked at number 48.

In 2012 a third single from the album was released, titled "Yo-Yo" the song was described as a "shining example of her pop sensibilities". During the same month singer Rihanna chose Roberts to co-host a fashion talent show for Sky Living HD, Roberts will act as an executive-producer and will search "for the next generation of undiscovered designer talent". The show will last ten weeks premiering in summer 2012, Roberts discussed the show saying "I am so excited to be working with Rihanna on finding a new British up and coming designer. I was so flattered when she asked me to work with her on this show. I'm so excited for us to get started on finding a new up and coming British designer who just needs a chance, a little bit of help in getting their skills noticed."

Philanthropy

With the start of her music career, Roberts starting noting that other girls were dressing more "glamorous" than she was, and at aged 16 during her auditions for ''Popstars The Rivals'' she wished to look like them. It was at these times that Roberts would feel unattractive due to her pale complexion and soon began using fake-tan to darken her skin tone into what she later described as a "dirty mess" but at the time made her feel more attractive. Due to her pale skin tone Roberts found herself easinly burning in the sun which led to chronic pain and during the shoot of the Girls Aloud single "Love Machine" she had trouble filming due to severe burns which left her wanting to visit the hospital. During her time with Girls Aloud she filmed a television special titled ''Passions'' for which she travelled to Taiwan where she learnt about natural skin products, something she had been interested in due to her pale complexion and led her to develop the make-up line Dainty Doll. Following this Roberts began a stance against tanning which saw her produce and star in a BBC Three investigative documentary titled ''Nicola Roberts: The Truth About Tanning'' in which she revealed her own personal tanning issues and those of men and women throughout the UK who have excessively used tanning bed's. She met families of those deceased from melanoma who were actively pushing for a change in law for a ban on tanning bed's for under 18's which provoked Roberts to become an advocate for the ban of underage usage of tanning bed's, and with the help of British MP Julie Morgan the pair produced a bill to ban under 18's from using sun-bed's. At the launch of the bill Roberts said "Going into the streets of Liverpool and interviewing the young girls who are obsessed with having a tan and feeling like they had to be brown to be seen as attractive, that whole mentality that they had gathered was just a bigger problem than I ever thought it was."

After winning ''Popstars The Rivals'' becoming one fifth of Girls Aloud Roberts soon found herself subject to bullying. She was branded "the ugly one" of the group, and would often "cry herself to sleep" finding herself to be a victim of "faceless" bullying fueled by celebrities such as Chris Moyles and Lily Allen. Soon after the comments had an effect on her menatal stability after suffering from an "identity crisis" the taunts brought her close to a breakdown leaving her feeling "miserable and confused" and finding comfort in alcohol. Prior to her fame Roberts never found flaws with her red hair calling it a "prized possession" but after critics picked up on her image she saw it as a flaw with Roberts explaining "I hated it and I hated people judging me. I'd put on the telly and there'd be someone saying something cruel, or I'd open up a magazine and read it. Normal people don't have people telling them day to day they're ugly or miserable. [...] I'd think, "stop being so vain, you've got this amazing job" but it wasn't enough. It didn't stop me feeling bad". "People feel they can say nasty things and have anonymity behind the net – as they did with all the nasty comments about me – without fear of recrimination", Roberts said, and five years after the bullying she found herself in a "better place", with critics commenting on her image positively with writers such as Clemmie Moodie from British newspaper ''Daily Mirror'' saying "the 25-year-old radiates confidence and, with a string of fashion successes has blossomed."

Roberts then wrote the track "Sticks + Stones" in response to these times, finding herself cautioned by the serious subject matter, she wanted to write a track that was not self-indulgent featuring a "universal" chorus" and lyrics such as "I was too young for so many things. Yet you thought I’d cope with being told I’m ugly.". After the release of her debut album ''Cinderella's Eyes'' which featured the track Roberts appeared on the British television show ''BBC Breakfast'' to discuss bulluing in relation to the track. Soon after she advocated the issue on ''BBC News'' where they discussed the lyrical themes of the track, and during the interview Roberts named social networking site Twitter as being a tool of which highlights the severity of the bullying issue finding the problem to be "out of control" in a schooling environment. Roberts continued to advocate the bullying-issue and with an interview to ''Rolling Stone'' Roberts stated she was "sick" of an image-driven society. After her success with the anti-tanning bill Roberts took a similar stance with bullying saying "it doesn't need to happen" and found that British laws were failing to combat the issue with Roberts saying "People are still scared to go to school, kids are threatening to kill themselves; it's disgusting that it persists. So, again, I'm giving a voice to a cause, to hopefully affect change." Roberts then progressed to the British education secretary Michael Gove to raise the issue.

Discography

''Cinderella's Eyes'' (2011)

References

External links

Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Reality show winners Category:Girls Aloud members Category:English female singers Category:Musicians from Cheshire Category:People from Runcorn Category:People from Stamford, Lincolnshire Category:Cosmetics businesspeople

bg:Никола Робъртс es:Nicola Roberts fr:Nicola Roberts it:Nicola Roberts hu:Nicola Roberts nl:Nicola Roberts pl:Nicola Roberts pt:Nicola Roberts ru:Робертс, Никола sv:Nicola Roberts

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Monty Roberts
birth name	Marvin Earl Roberts
birth date	May 14, 1935
birth place	Salinas, California, United States
occupation	Horse trainer, author
nationality	American
subject	Horse training
website	http://www.montyroberts.com/
portaldisp	}}

Marvin Earl "Monty" Roberts (born May 14, 1935) is a horse trainer whose 1996-1997 autobiography, ''The Man Who Listens to Horses'', became a best-seller. He later published other books about working with horses (''see below:'' Publications).

Monty Roberts wrote that by personally observing horses in the wild, he learned to "listen" to their non-verbal "language"; that when horses understood that they can trust you, they will decide to be with you. Roberts registered as his term for "hooking on", the phrase "Join~Up", in which a trainer negotiates with an untamed horse to form a voluntary relationship with him.

Background

Roberts, the son of Marvin Roberts, was born in Salinas, California. He began observing wild mustangs in Nevada at the age of thirteen. Roberts wrote that he was sent there to round up horses for the Salinas Rodeo Association’s Wild Horse Race and spent hours silently watching the feral horses interact with each other. He wrote that he realized that they used a discernible, effective and predictable body language to communicate, set boundaries, show fear and express annoyance, relaxation or affection. Roberts wrote that it was then that he understood that utilizing this silent language would allow training to commence in a much more effective and humane manner, encouraging true partnership between horses and humans. ''Equus'' is the term coined by Roberts to refer to this language.

An event that would change the direction of his life was a call was from the offices of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom and an avid horsewoman. She had heard about Roberts' work and invited him to come to her country and show her staff his "Join~Up" method. After watching his demonstration, the Queen urged him to write a book about his nonviolent horse-training methods. That book became ''The Man Who Listens to Horses''.

Today, Roberts travels around the world, demonstrating his method of nonviolent horse training. He volunteers his time speaking to incarcerated youth in juvenile detention facilities, gentles wild horses in front of live audiences, teaches his techniques to a growing number of students at his Equestrian Academy in Solvang, California, acts as a consultant at schools with disciplinary issues in the UK and the US, and advises executives at Fortune 500 companies.

The father of Monty Roberts was Marvin Roberts, who described his methods of horse training in his own book written in 1957 and according to Monty Roberts:

...trained horses to carry riders in the traditional way — "breaking" horses by breaking their will, almost torturing the animals into submission.

Roberts claimed to have been beaten by his father, but other sources deny this. Roberts' brother, Larry Roberts, said that their father was a gentle and kind man known for his generosity. Roberts' aunt, Joyce Renebome, and cousin, Debra Ristau, in their book ''Horse Whispers & Lies'', also deny claims of beatings and other abuse.

Career

Books and documentaries

Roberts has written several books.

Monty Roberts: The Man Who Listens to Horses is a 1996 autobiography published in hard cover by Random House in 1997 and re-issued in paperback in 1998 by Ballantine Books (ISBN 0-345-42705-X). It spent 58 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list and has been translated into more than 15 languages. In 2007 it was re-released in an updated edition at its 10th year anniversary. It has sold over five million copies worldwide.

The thesis of this book is that it is possible to learn the nonverbal language of horses, and that such knowledge would enable a person to train a horse without resorting to physical force (see Natural horsemanship and Horse training).

The front flap says:

Monty Roberts is a real-life horse whisperer — an American original whose gentle training methods reveal the depth of communication possible between man and animal. He can take a wild, high-strung horse who has never before been handled and persuade that horse to accept a bridle, saddle, and rider in thirty minutes.

The book remained on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list for 58 weeks.

Next was ''Shy Boy: The Horse That Came in from the Wild''. It appeared in 1999 and also joined the best-seller lists.

Other books by Roberts include ''Horse Sense for People'' (2001), ''From My Hands to Yours'' (2002), ''The Horses in My Life'' (2005) and ''Ask Monty'' (2007).

Three documentaries on Roberts have been released. The first was the 1997 documentary BBC/PBS ''Monty Roberts: The Real Horse Whisperer''. It showed Roberts as he set out to tame a wild mustang without enclosures, and his developing relationship with the horse later known as Shy Boy. Other documentaries include the 1999 film ''Shy Boy: The Horse That Came in from the Wild'' and a 2005 documentary on Roberts' work with wild horses and another about his work with aboriginal youth on Palm Island, Australia. In 2006, a DVD series with 17 episodes, named ''A Backstage Pass!'' was completed and broadcast in the UK. The series has also been broadcast in the US on the HRTV cable channel.

Awards

In 2002, Roberts received an honorary doctorate in animal psychology from the University of Zurich in Switzerland and in 2005 he gained an honorary doctorate in animal psychology from the University of Parma in Italy. In 2004, the Girl Scouts of the USA commissioned a special Join-Up badge and training program in honor of Roberts’ work, and in 2005, he became the first foreign-born and first American to receive the German Silbernes Pferd (Silver Horse) Award for outstanding contributions to promoting the love of horses. In the Dec. 2008 issue of ''Your Horse'', a major British equestrian magazine, readers named Monty Roberts Personality of the Year 2008.

Between 1950 and 1969, Roberts won 11 National NIRA All-Around Championships, including National NIRA Champion Bulldogger, the NIRA National Team Roping Championship and the NIRA National All Around Championship. In 1966 he assisted in the founding of Flag Is Up Farms, of which he is now the full owner. From 1973 to 1986, he was a leading consignor to the Hollywood Park Two-Year-Old Thoroughbreds in Training Sale. In 2004, Roberts’ German-bred horse Sabiango won major races throughout the US.

In 1989, Queen Elizabeth II invited Roberts to Windsor Castle to demonstrate his training methods to her and her staff, and in 2002 Roberts again visited Windsor Castle as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Roberts was appointed Honorary Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in the 2011 Birthday Honours.

Publications

Roberts, Monty. ''The Man Who Listens to Horses''. Random House, August 1997, hardcover, 310 pages. ISBN 0-345-42705-X.

Roberts, Monty. ''The Man Who Listens to Horses'' - abridged audio book. Random House Audio, August 1997. ISBN 9780679460442.

Roberts, Monty. ''Shy Boy, the Horse that Came in from the Wild''. 1999, 239 pages.

Roberts, Monty. ''Horse Sense for People: The Man Who Listens to Horses Talks to People''. 2002, 256 pages.

See also

Natural horsemanship

Rarey technique

References

External links

Category:1935 births Category:Living people Category:Western horse trainers Category:Race horse trainers Category:Natural horsemanship Category:American biographers Category:Honorary Members of the Royal Victorian Order

da:Monty Roberts de:Monty Roberts fr:Monty Roberts it:Monty Roberts pl:Monty Roberts pt:Monty Roberts sk:Monty Roberts fi:Monty Roberts sv:Monty Roberts

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
birth date	October 28, 1967
birth name	Julia Fiona Roberts
birth place	Atlanta, Georgia
occupation	Actress
years active	1987–present
spouse	Lyle Lovett(m. 1993–1995; divorced)Daniel Moder(m. 2002–present; 3 children)
relatives	Eric Roberts (brother)Lisa Roberts Gillan (sister)Emma Roberts (niece)
Religion	Hinduism }}

Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy ''Pretty Woman'' (1990), which grossed $464 million worldwide. After receiving Golden Globe Awards and Academy Award nominations for ''Steel Magnolias'' (1989) and ''Pretty Woman'', she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in for her performance in ''Erin Brockovich'' (2000). Her films ''My Best Friend's Wedding'' (1997), ''Mystic Pizza'' (1988), ''Notting Hill'' (1999), ''Runaway Bride'' (1999), ''Valentine's Day'' (2010), ''The Pelican Brief'' (1993), ''Ocean's Eleven'' (2001) and ''Twelve'' (2004) have collectively brought box office receipts of over $2.4 billion, making her one of the most successful actors in terms of box office receipts.

Roberts had become one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, topping the ''Hollywood Reporter'''s annual "power list" of top-earning female stars from 2005 to 2006. Her fee for 1990's ''Pretty Woman'' was $300,000; in 2003, she was paid an unprecedented $25 million for her role in ''Mona Lisa Smile'' (2003). As of 2010, Roberts's net worth was estimated to be $140 million.

Roberts has been named one of ''People'' magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" eleven times, tied with Halle Berry. In 2001, ''Ladies Home Journal'' ranked her as the 11th most powerful woman in America, ahead of then national security advisor Condoleezza Rice and former first lady Laura Bush. Roberts has a production company called Red Om Films.

Early life and family

Roberts was born in Atlanta, Georgia, at Crawford Long Hospital (now Emory University Hospital Midtown), to Betty Lou (née Bredemus) and Walter Grady Roberts. She is of English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German, and Swedish descent. Her parents were Baptist and Catholic, and she was raised Catholic. Her older brother Eric Roberts (from whom she was estranged until 2004), sister Lisa Roberts Gillan, and niece Emma Roberts, are also actors. Julia's parents, one-time actors and playwrights, met while performing theatrical productions for the armed forces and later co-founded the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, off Juniper Street in Midtown. While her mother was pregnant with Julia, she and her husband ran an acting school for children in Decatur, Georgia. The children of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King attended the school. As a thank-you for their service, Mrs. King paid the hospital bill when Julia's mother gave birth to Julia. Julia's mother filed for divorce in 1971, with the divorce being finalized early in 1972. The family moved to Smyrna, Georgia in 1972, where Roberts attended Fitzhugh Lee Elementary School, Griffin Middle School, and Campbell High School. Her mother married Michael Motes and had daughter Nancy Motes in 1976. Julia's father died of cancer when she was ten.

Roberts wanted to be a veterinarian as a child. She played clarinet in the band in school. After graduating from Smyrna's Campbell High School, she headed to New York to pursue a career in acting. Once there, she signed with the Click Modeling Agency and enrolled in acting classes. She reverted to her original name, "Julia Roberts", when she discovered that a "Julie Roberts" already was registered with the Screen Actors Guild.

Career

1986–1989

Roberts made her first big screen appearance in the film ''Satisfaction'' (1988), released on February 12, 1988, alongside Liam Neesan and Justine Bateman, as a band member looking for a summer gig. She had previously performed a small role opposite her brother, Eric, in ''Blood Red'' (1986) (she has two words of dialogue), filmed in 1987 and released in 1989. Her first television appearance was as a juvenile rape victim in the initial season of the series ''Crime Story'' with Dennis Farina, in the episode titled "The Survivor", broadcast on February 13, 1987. Her first critical success with moviegoers was her performance in the independent film ''Mystic Pizza'' in 1988; that same year, she had a role in the fourth season finale of ''Miami Vice''. In 1989, she was featured in ''Steel Magnolias'', as a young bride with diabetes, and received both her first Academy Award nomination (as Best Supporting Actress) and first Golden Globe Award win (Motion Picture Best Supporting Actress) for her performance.

1990–2000

Roberts became known to worldwide audiences when she co-starred with Richard Gere in the Cinderella/Pygmalionesque story, ''Pretty Woman'', in 1990. Roberts won the role after Michelle Pfeiffer, Molly Ringwald, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Karen Allen, and Daryl Hannah (her co-star in ''Steel Magnolias'') all turned it down. The role also earned her a second Oscar nomination, this time as Best Actress, and second Golden Globe Award win, as Motion Picture Best Actress (Musical or Comedy). Her next box office success was the thriller ''Sleeping with the Enemy'', playing a battered wife who escapes her abusive husband, played by Patrick Bergin, and begins a new life in Iowa. She played Tinkerbell in Steven Spielberg's ''Hook'' in 1991, and also played a nurse in the 1991 film, ''Dying Young''. This work was followed by a two-year hiatus, during which she made no films other than a cameo appearance in Robert Altman's ''The Player'' (1992). In early 1993, she was the subject of a ''People'' magazine cover story asking, "What Happened to Julia Roberts?" She was offered the role of Annie Reed in ''Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), but turned it down.

Roberts co-starred with Denzel Washington in ''The Pelican Brief'' (1993), based on John Grisham's 1992 novel of the same name. In 1995, she appeared in season 2 of ''Friends'' (episode 13 "The One After the Superbowl"). Roberts recorded her scenes from January 6–8, 1996. She had a relationship with cast member Matthew Perry at the time, and an audience member said about their on-screen kiss, "Julia looked at Matt and said 'I'm glad we rehearsed this over the weekend'." She was offered the role of Lucy Eleanor Moderatz in ''While You Were Sleeping'' (1995), but also turned it down.

Roberts co-starred with Liam Neeson in ''Michael Collins'' (1996). Over the next few years, she starred in a series of films that were critical and commercial failures, such as Stephen Frears' ''Mary Reilly'' (1996). Roberts overcame these with the commercial and critical success of ''My Best Friend's Wedding'' in 1997. In 1998, she appeared on ''Sesame Street'' opposite the character Elmo, demonstrating her ability to change emotions. She was offered the role of Viola de Lesseps in ''Shakespeare in Love'' (1998), but turned it down. She starred with Hugh Grant in ''Notting Hill'' (1999). That same year she also starred in ''Runaway Bride'', her second film with Richard Gere. Roberts was a guest star on the ''Law & Order'' television series episode "Empire" with series regular Benjamin Bratt (at that time her boyfriend). Also in 1999 she starred in the critically panned film ''Stepmom'' (1998) alongside Susan Sarandon.

2001–2005

In 2001 Roberts received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Erin Brockovich, who helped wage a successful lawsuit against energy giant Pacific Gas & Electric. While presenting the Best Actor Award to Denzel Washington the following year she made a gaffe, saying she was glad that Tom Conti wasn't there. She meant the conductor, Bill Conti, who had tried to hasten the conclusion of her Oscar speech the previous year, but instead named the Scottish actor. Roberts team with ''Erin Brockovich'' director Steven Soderbergh for three more films: ''Ocean's Eleven'' (2001), ''Full Frontal'' (2002), and ''Ocean's Twelve'' (2004). Later in 2001 she starred in the road gangster comedy, ''The Mexican'', giving her a chance to work with long-time friend, Brad Pitt. In 2005 she was featured in the music video for the hit single "Dreamgirl" by the Dave Matthews Band; it was her first music video appearance.

2006–present

Roberts had two films released in 2006, ''The Ant Bully'' and ''Charlotte's Web''. Both films were animated features for which she provided voice acting. Her next film was ''Charlie Wilson's War'' (2007), with Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman, directed by Mike Nichols and based on the book by former CBS journalist George Crile; it was released on December 21, 2007. ''Fireflies in the Garden'' (2008), also starring Ryan Reynolds and Willem Dafoe, was released at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2008 and was subsequently shown in European cinemas; it did not get a North American release until 2011.

Roberts made her Broadway debut on April 19, 2006 as Nan in a revival of Richard Greenberg's 1997 play ''Three Days of Rain'' opposite Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd. Although the play grossed nearly US$1 million dollars in ticket sales during its first week and was a commercial success throughout its limited run, her performance drew criticism. ''New York Times''' critic Ben Brantly described her as being fraught with "self-consciousness (especially in the first act) [and] only glancingly acquainted with the two characters she plays." Brantley also criticized the production of "Greenberg's slender, elegant play," writing that “it's almost impossible to discern its artistic virtues from this wooden and splintered interpretation, directed by Joe Mantello." Julia starred with Clive Owen in the comedy-thriller ''Duplicity'' for which she received her seventh Golden Globe nomination. In 2010, she appeared in the ensemble romantic comedy ''Valentine's Day'', with Cooper, and starred in the film adaptation of ''Eat Pray Love''. ''Eat Pray Love'' had the highest debut at the box office for Roberts in a top-billed role since ''America's Sweethearts''. Later in the year, she signed a five-year extension with Lancôme for  million ( million). In 2011, she co-starred as Mercedes Tainot opposite Tom Hanks who directed and played the title role in the romantic comedy ''Larry Crowne''. The movie has received generally bad reviews with only 35% of the 175 Rotten Tomatoes reviews giving it high ratings, although Roberts' comedic performance was praised. Roberts will appear in the 2012 Tarsem Singh adaptation of ''Snow White'', called ''Mirror Mirror'' playing the Evil Queen.

American Girl films

Roberts has brought to life some of the books from ''American Girl'' as films, serving as executive producer alongside her sister Lisa. The company's product lines and services are focused on pre-teen-girl characters from various periods of American history, embodied as dolls and featured in narratives including books and movies. Roberts has produced four movies.

Personal life

Relationships

Roberts has had reported romantic relationships with numerous famous men, including Liam Neeson, Dylan McDermott, Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Lyle Lovett, Matthew Perry, and Benjamin Bratt. She was briefly engaged to McDermott, her ''Steel Magnolias'' co-star, whom she broke up with during the making of Pretty Woman. Her subsequent engagement and breakup with Kiefer Sutherland led to Roberts' suffering from "mental issues" according to director Steven Spielberg on the set of the film ''Hook''. She met Sutherland in 1990, when he was her co-star in ''Flatliners''. In August 1990, Roberts and Sutherland announced their engagement, with an elaborate studio-planned wedding scheduled for June 14, 1991. Roberts broke the engagement three days before the wedding. Roberts subsequently went to Ireland with Jason Patric, a friend of Sutherland's. On June 25, 1993, she married country singer Lyle Lovett. The wedding took place at St. James Lutheran Church in Marion, Indiana, near where Lovett was appearing on tour with his band. In March 1995, the couple separated, and subsequently divorced.

In 1998, Roberts began dating ''Law & Order'' star Benjamin Bratt, and he was her escort for the March 25, 2001 Academy Awards ceremony at which she won her Oscar. Three months later, in June 2001, Roberts and Bratt announced that they were no longer a couple. "It's come to a kind and tenderhearted end," she said of their relationship.

Roberts met her current husband, cameraman Daniel Moder, on the set of her film ''The Mexican'' in 2000, while she was still dating Bratt. At the time, Moder was married to Vera Steimberg Moder. He filed for divorce a little over a year later, and after it was finalized, he and Roberts wed on July 4, 2002, at her ranch in Taos, New Mexico. Together, they have three children, twins Hazel Patricia Moder and Phinnaeus "Finn" Walter Moder (born November 28, 2004) and Henry Daniel Moder (born June 18, 2007).

Beliefs

Roberts disclosed in a 2010 interview for ''Elle'' magazine that she believes in and practices Hinduism. Roberts is a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj-ji). A picture of Neem Karoli Baba drew Roberts to Hinduism.

Charities

Roberts has given her time and resources to UNICEF as well as to other charitable organizations. On May 10, 1995, Roberts arrived in Port-au-Prince, as she said, "to educate myself". The poverty she found was overwhelming. "My heart is just bursting", she said. UNICEF officials hoped that her six-day visit would trigger an outburst of giving: $10 million in aid was sought at the time.

In 2000, Roberts narrated ''Silent Angels'', a documentary about Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder, which was shot in Los Angeles, Baltimore and New York. The documentary was designed to help raise public awareness about the disease. In July 2006, Earth Biofuels announced Roberts as a spokeswoman for the company and as chair of the company's newly formed Advisory Board promoting the use of renewable fuels.

Filmography

+ Film
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1987		Babs
1988	''Blood Red''	Maria Collogero
1988	''Mystic Pizza''	Daisy Arujo
1988		Daryle	Also known as ''Girls of Summer''
1989	''Steel Magnolias''	Shelby Eatenton Latcherie	Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion PictureNominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1990	''Pretty Woman''	Vivian Ward
1990	''Flatliners''	Rachel Mannus	Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
1991		Tinkerbell	Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress
1991	''Dying Young''	Hilary O'Neil
1991		Sara Waters/Laura Burney	Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress
1992	''''		Cameo
1993		Darby Shaw
1994		Anne Eisenhower	Also known as ''Ready to Wear''National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
1994		Sabrina Peterson
1995		Grace King Bichon
1996	''Everyone Says I Love You''	Von Sidell
1996		Kitty Kiernan
1996		Mary Reilly	Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Actress
1997		Alice Sutton
1997	''My Best Friend's Wedding''	Julianne Potter	[[Blockbuster Entertainment Award
1998		Isabel Kelly	Nominated—[[Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
1999		Maggie Carpenter	Nominated—Blimp Award for Favorite Movie Actress (also for ''Notting Hill'')Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Comedy/RomanceNominated—Csapnivalo Award for Best Female PerformanceNominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance
1999		Anna Scott	Nominated—Blimp Award for Favorite Movie Actress (also for ''Runaway Bride'')Nominated—Blimp Award for Favorite Movie Couple (shared with Hugh Grant)Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Comedy/RomanceNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
2000		Erin Brockovich	Academy Award for Best ActressBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleBroadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – DramaEmpire Award for Best ActressGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture DramaLondon Film Critics Circle Film Award for Actress of the YearLos Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress MTV Movie Award for Best Female PerformanceNational Board of Review Award for Best ActressSan Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Teen Choice Award for Film – Choice ActressNominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated—Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Line from a Movie (For "Bite my ass, Krispy Kreme!")Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable FemaleNominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
2001		Tess Ocean	Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
2001	''America's Sweethearts''	Kathleen "Kiki" Harrison
2001	''''	Samantha Barzel
2002	''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind''	Patricia Watson
2002	''Grand Champion''	Jolene
2002		Catherine/Francesca
2003	''Mona Lisa Smile''	Katherine Ann Watson
2004	''Ocean's Twelve''	Tess Ocean	Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
2004		Anna Cameron	National Board of Review Award for Best CastNominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
2006		Charlotte the Spider (voice)
2006	''Beslan: Three Days In September''	Narrator
2006	''''	Hova (voice)
2007	''Charlie Wilson's War''	Joanne Herring	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
2008	''Fireflies in the Garden''	Lisa Waechter
2009		Claire Stenwick	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
2010		Kate
2010	''Eat Pray Love''	Elizabeth Gilbert	Nominated—37th People's Choice Awards
2011	''[[Larry Crowne''	Mercedes Tainot
2012
2012	''August: Osage County''	Barbara Fordham

+ Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1987		Tracy	Episode "The Survivor" (1.19)
1988	''Miami Vice''	Polly Wheeler	Season 4 episode 22: "Mirror Image"
1988	''Baja Oklahoma''	Candy Hutchins	TV
1996	''Friends''	Susie Moss
1999	''Law & Order''	Katrina Ludlow	Episode "Empire (Law & Order episode)
2003	''[[Freedom: A History Of Us''	Virginia Eyewitness	2 episodes: "What Is Freedom?" (1.07); "Yearning to Breathe Free" (1.10)
2010	''Hope For Haiti Now''	Herself	Telethon for Haiti earthquake relief

References

Further reading

Mark Bego. ''Julia Rica's Sweetheart'' (New York: AMI Books, 2003)

Paul Donnelley. ''Julia Roberts Confidential: The Unauthorised Biography'' (London: Virgin, 2003)

Frank Sanello. ''Julia Roberts: Pretty Superstar'' (Edinburgh: Mainstream 2000)

James Spada. ''Julia: Her Life'' (New York: St Martin's Press, 2004)

External links

Category:1967 births Category:Actors from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Actors Studio alumni Category:American female models Category:American film actors Category:American Hindus Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Best Drama Actress Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe Category:Converts from Roman Catholicism Category:Converts to Hinduism Category:Georgia State University alumni Category:Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute alumni Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:People from Cobb County, Georgia Category:People from Taos County, New Mexico

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Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Oral Roberts
birth date	January 24, 1918 in Ada, Oklahoma, U.S.
death date	December 15, 2009 in Newport Beach, California, U.S.
church	Pentecostal
congregations	Pentecostal Holiness Church;United Methodist Church
offices held	Founder and President, Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association;Co-founder, President, and Chancellor, Oral Roberts University
salary	$161,872 from Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association
Spouse	Evelyn Lutman Roberts; married 1938–2005 (her death)
Children	Ronald Roberts (deceased)Richard RobertsRebecca Nash (deceased)Roberta Potts
Parents	Ellis Melvin RobertsClaudius Priscilla Roberts(nee Irwin)
Website	http://www.oralroberts.com/oralroberts/ }}

Granville "Oral" Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University.

As one of the most well-known and controversial religious leaders of the 20th century, Roberts' ministries reached millions of followers worldwide spanning a period of over six decades. His healing ministry and bringing American Pentecostalism into the mainstream had the most impact, but he also pioneered TV evangelism and laid the foundations of the prosperity gospel and abundant life teachings.

Early life

Roberts was born in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, the fifth and youngest child of the Reverend Ellis Melvin Roberts and Claudius Priscilla Roberts (née Irwin) (d. 1974). According to an interview on ''Larry King Live'', Irwin was of Cherokee descent. Roberts was a card-carrying member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Roberts began life in poverty and nearly died of tuberculosis at age 17. After finishing high school, Roberts studied for two years each at Oklahoma Baptist University and Phillips University. In 1938 he married a preacher's daughter, Evelyn Lutman Fahnestock.

Roberts became a traveling faith healer after ending his college studies without a degree. According to a ''TIME Magazine'' profile of 1972, Roberts originally made a name for himself with a large mobile tent "that sat 3,000 on metal folding chairs" where "he shouted at petitioners who did not respond to his healing."

Ministry and university

1947 came as a turning point. Up until that time Roberts had struggled as a part-time preacher in Oklahoma. But at the age of 29 Roberts claims he picked up his Bible and it fell open at the Third Epistle of John where verse two read: "I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." Roberts decided immediately that it was all right to be rich. The next day he said he bought a Buick and God appeared, he said, telling him to heal the sick.

Roberts resigned his pastoral ministry with the Pentecostal Holiness Church to found Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (OREA). He conducted evangelistic and faith healing crusades across America and around the world. Thousands of sick people would wait in line to stand before Oral Roberts so he could pray for them. He appeared as a guest speaker for hundreds of national and international meetings and conventions. Through the years, he conducted more than 300 crusades on six continents, and personally laid hands in prayer on more than 2 million people. He also ran direct mail campaigns of seed-faith, which appealed to poor Americans, often from ethnic minorities. At its peak in the early 1980s, Roberts was the leader of a $120 million-a-year organization employing 2,300 people. This spanned not only a university but also a medical school and hospital as well as buildings on south of Tulsa valued at $500 million. Another part of the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, the Abundant Life Prayer Group (ALPG), was founded in 1958.

In 1963, he founded Oral Roberts University (ORU) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, stating he was obeying a command from God. The university was chartered during 1963 and received its first students in 1965. Students were required to sign an honor code pledging not to drink, smoke, or engage in premarital sexual activities. The Prayer Tower, opened in 1967, is located at the center of the campus.

Roberts was a pioneer televangelist, and attracted a vast viewership. He began broadcasting by radio in 1947, and began broadcasting his revivals by television in 1954. His television ministry continued with ''The Abundant Life'' program reaching 80% of the United States by 1957, and quarterly Prime Time Specials from 1969 through 1980. In 1996, he founded Golden Eagle Broadcasting.

Roberts had a vast impact on the Protestant community. According to one authority, in conservative Protestant culture, his ministry had a worldwide impact second only to Billy Graham. His divine healing ministry called for prayer to heal the whole person — body, mind and spirit. Many labeled him a faith healer, but he rejected this with the comment: "God heals — I don't." He played a major role in bringing American Pentecostal Christianity into the mainstream. From 1968 through 1987, Roberts was a member of the United Methodist Church’s ministry. Even though Roberts was often associated with the prosperity gospel and the faith movement because of his close doctrinal and personal ties with Word-Faith teachers, his abundant life teachings did not fully identify him with that movement.

In 1977, Roberts claimed to have had a vision from a 900-foot-tall Jesus who told him to build City of Faith Medical and Research Center, and the hospital would be a success. In 1980, Roberts said he had a vision which encouraged him to continue the construction of his City of Faith Medical and Research Center in Oklahoma, which opened in 1981. At the time, it was among the largest health facilities of its kind in the world and was intended to merge prayer and medicine in the healing process. The City of Faith operated for only eight years before closing in late 1989, but the importance of treating the whole person – spirit, mind, and body – was conveyed to many medical professionals. The Orthopedic Hospital of Oklahoma still operates on its premises. In 1983 Roberts said Jesus had appeared to him in person and commissioned him to find a cure for cancer.

Roberts' fundraising was controversial. In January 1987, during a fundraising drive, Roberts announced to a television audience that unless he raised $8 million by that March, God would "call him home." Some were fearful that he was referring to suicide, given the impassioned pleas and tears that accompanied his statement. He raised $9.1 million. Later that year, he announced that God had raised the dead through Roberts' ministry. Some of Roberts' fundraising letters were written by Gene Ewing, who headed a business writing donation letters for other evangelicals such as Don Stewart and Robert Tilton.

Roberts maintained his love of finery and one obituary claimed that even when times become hard, "he continued to wear his Italian silk suits, diamond rings and gold bracelets – airbrushed out by his staff on publicity pictures".

He stirred up controversy when ''Time'' reported in 1987 that his son Richard Roberts claimed that he had seen his father raise a child from the dead. That year, the ''Bloom County'' comic strip recast its character Bill the Cat as a satirized televangelist, "Fundamentally Oral Bill." In 1987 ''Time'' stated that he was "re-emphasizing faith healing and [is] reaching for his old-time constituency." However, his income continued to decrease (from $88 million in 1980 to $55 million in 1986, according to the ''Tulsa Tribune'') and his largely vacant City of Faith Medical Center continued to lose money.

Harry McNevin said that in 1988 the ORU Board of Regents "rubber-stamped" the "use of millions in endowment money to buy a Beverly Hills property so that Oral Roberts could have a West Coast office and house". In addition, he said a country club membership was purchased for the Roberts' home. The lavish expenses led to McNevin's resignation from the Board.

His organizations were also affected by scandals involving other televangelists and the City of Faith hospital was forced to close in 1989 after losing money. Roberts was forced to respond with the sale of his holiday homes in Palm Springs and Beverly Hills as well as three of his Mercedes cars.

Oral Roberts' son Richard Roberts resigned from the presidency of ORU on November 23, 2007 after being named as a defendant in a lawsuit alleging improper use of university funds for political and personal purposes, and improper use of university resources. The university was given a donation of $8 million by entrepreneur Mart Green, and although the lawsuit was still in process, the school submitted to an outside audit, and with a good report an additional $62 million was given by Green. Oral Roberts continued in his role as ORU chancellor, helping in the leadership of ORU along with Billy Joe Daugherty, who was named as the executive regent to assume administrative responsibilities of the Office of the President by the ORU Board of Regents. Oral Roberts continued as the ORU chancellor until his death, but in 2009 eleven months before his death, handed over the leadership of ORU to its incoming president, Mark Rutland.

Even though Roberts' prosperous lifestyle, unorthodox fund-raising techniques, and the expanse of his organizations raised criticism and controversy, there was no credible evidence of malfeasance while he was in charge, he did not have sex-and-money scandals like some other televangelists, and he was not named among the six prosperity teachers in the financial investigations launched by U.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) in 2007. The Oklahoma Senate adopted a resolution honoring the life of Oral Roberts, and he accepted this honor in 2009 at the age of 91, seven months before his death. The Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters (OAB) elected Roberts to the OAB Hall of Fame one month before his death. The legacy he left behind upon his passing was worthy of his favorite quote: "Make No Small Plans Here."

Personal life

Roberts was married to Evelyn Lutman Fahnestock (April 22, 1917 - May 4, 2005) for 66 years from December 25, 1938 until her death from a fall at the age of 88. Their daughter Rebecca Nash died in an airplane crash on February 11, 1977 with her husband, businessman Marshall Nash. Their elder son, Ronald Roberts, committed suicide by shooting himself in the heart on 10 June 1982, five months after receiving a court order to undergo counseling at a drug treatment center and six months after coming out as gay. The other two Roberts children are son Richard, an evangelist and former president of Oral Roberts University (ORU), and daughter Roberta Potts, an attorney. Roberts' gay grandson, Randy Roberts Potts, talked about his uncle Ronald Roberts, and wrote an article discussing growing up gay in the Oral Roberts family.

Oral Roberts died on December 15, 2009 at the age of 91. He had been "semi-retired" and living in Newport Beach, California.

According to a 1987 article in the ''New York Review of Books'' by Martin Gardner, the "most accurate and best documented biography is ''Oral Roberts: An American Life'', an objective study by David Harrell Jr., a historian at Auburn University. Two out-of-print books take a more critical stance: James Morris' ''The Preachers'' (St. Martin's Press, 1973) and Jerry Sholes' ''Give Me That Prime-Time Religion'' (Hawthorn, 1979)."

See also

Healing Revival

Charismatic Christianity

List of television evangelists

References

Further reading

;About Roberts

''The Faith Healers'', by James Randi, Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1987. ISBN 0-87975-369-2

''Oral Roberts: An American Life'', by David Edwin Harrell, Jr., Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-15844-3

;By Roberts

''The Call: An autobiography''. by Oral Roberts, Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday, 1972.

''Expect a miracle: my life and ministry''. by Oral Roberts, Nashville : T. Nelson, 1995. ISBN 0-7852-7752-8

''Oral Roberts' life story, as told by himself.'' by Oral Roberts, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1952.

External links

Webcast of Chancellor Oral Roberts' Memorial Service

Oral Roberts Ministries

Oral Roberts University

''Oral Roberts: The Man. The Mission. The Ministry.'', online archive at ''Tulsa World''

Life With Oral Roberts slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Voices of Oklahoma interview with Oral Roberts. First person interview conducted with Oral Roberts on August 11, 2009. Last interview before his death. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.

Category:1918 births Category:2009 deaths Category:American evangelists Category:American Pentecostals Category:American television evangelists Category:American people of Cherokee descent Category:American people of Choctaw descent Category:Faith healers Category:Deaths from pneumonia Category:Infectious disease deaths in California Category:Oklahoma Baptist University alumni Category:Oral Roberts University people Category:People from Oklahoma Category:People from Pontotoc County, Oklahoma

ko:오럴 로버츠 nl:Oral Roberts no:Oral Roberts pt:Oral Roberts fi:Oral Roberts sv:Oral Roberts uk:Орал Робертс