Tune may refer to:

A melody

A tune-family

A tune (folk music), a short piece of instrumental music, usually with repeating sections, and often played a number of times

British slang term, often said when referring to a piece of music that is enjoyed

Tune, Denmark, a village

Tune, Norway, a village

Tune ship, a museum exhibition in Norway

Tune Ventures, Malaysian investment company

''Tune'', a Japanese fashion magazine

See also

Tunes (disambiguation)

Tuner (disambiguation)

Tuning (disambiguation)

Tone (disambiguation)

ja:チューン

Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
name	T-Pain
birth name	Faheem Rasheed Najm
born	September 30, 1985 Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
genre	R&B;, hip hop
occupation	Singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, dancer, actor
instrument	Keyboard, vocals
years active	2000–present
label	Konvict MuzikJiveNappy BoyYoung Money Entertainment
associated acts	Akon, Tay Dizm, DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, Pitbull, Kanye West, Young Cash, Travis McCoy
website	}}

Faheem Rasheed Najm (born September 30, 1985), better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor. He began his career as a rapper in the group Nappy Headz. In 2005, he became a singer and released his debut album ''Rappa Ternt Sanga''. Throughout his career as a singer, T-Pain has extensively used the Auto-Tune pitch correction effect. Pain is currently signed with Young Money Entertainment but will leave Konvict Muzik after the release of ''RevolveR''.

Since the release of his debut album, T-Pain has produced numerous hits of his own and for other rappers and R&B; singers. In 2008, he won a Grammy with rapper Kanye West for the single "Good Life". In 2010, he won another Grammy with Jamie Foxx for the single "Blame It". T-Pain is also the founder of the record label Nappy Boy Entertainment, established in 2005.

Early life

Najm was born in Tallahassee, Florida on September 30, 1985. His stage name is short for "Tallahassee Pain" and was chosen because of the hardships he experienced while living there. He is a Muslim. At age ten, Najm turned his bedroom into a music studio, using a keyboard, a beat machine and a four-track recorder.

Career

2004–2006: Early career and ''Rappa Ternt Sanga''

T-Pain joined the rap group Nappy Headz in 2004 and later recorded "I'm Fucked Up", a cover version of Akon's single "Locked Up". Akon heard the song and immediately signed T-Pain to Konvict Muzik, his label. After being discovered, T-Pain began singing instead of rapping. T-Pain subsequently recorded and released his debut album, ''Rappa Ternt Sanga'', on December 6, 2005. The album reached number thirty-three on the Billboard 200, and has since been certified Gold by the RIAA, for reaching sales of 500,000 units.

The album was preceded by the lead single, "I'm Sprung", which was released in August 2005 and reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The second single, "I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper)", featuring Mike Jones, was released in December 2005 and reached number five on the Hot 100 and number ten on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Talking with Hustler Magazine T-Pain said the inspiration behind "I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper)" was "I took a friend of mine in Florida to a strip club. It was his first time. So I got ahold of one of the girls and gave her some money and told her to stay on him. And he fell in love with her! The next day we went to the studio, and I wrote the song." The third and final single from the album, "Studio Luv", was released in October 2006 but failed to chart.

2007–2008: ''Epiphany''

In mid-2006, T-Pain began work on his second album, now with the Zomba Label Group as well as Konvict Muzik and Jive Records.

T-Pain's second album ''Epiphany'', was released on June 5, 2007. The album sold 171,000 records in its first week, reaching number one on the Billboard 200. The record has since sold 819,000 records in the United States.

The album was preceded by the lead single "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" featuring Yung Joc in February 2007. The single reached number one on both the Hot 100 and Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming his first single to top charts. The album's second single, "Bartender", featuring Akon was released in June 2007 and reached number five on the Hot 100 and number nine on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The third and final single from the album, "Church", was released in October 2007 but failed to chart in the United States.

Speaking in May 2007 to noted UK R&B; writer Pete Lewis, of the award-winning Blues & Soul about his reason for naming his second album 'Epiphany', T-Pain stated: "One of the two dictionary meanings of epiphany is 'a sudden moment of insight or revelation'. And to me the title 'Epiphany' signifies the moment I realized that, to make the best music I can, I needed to just go in the studio and be myself, and not concentrate so hard on following other people's formulas."

While promoting his second album, T-Pain made guest appearances on multiple songs by other artists. T-Pain was featured on "I'm a Flirt" (remix) by R. Kelly with T.I., "Outta My System" by Bow Wow, "Baby Don't Go" by Fabolous, "I'm So Hood" by DJ Khaled with many other rappers, "Shawty" by Plies, "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown, "Low" by Flo Rida, and "Good Life" by Kanye West. In two weeks in late 2007, T-Pain was featured on four top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart

"Good Life" with Kanye West later won the BET Award for Best Collaboration and was nominated in several other categories. In 2008, the single won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song.

2007–2009: ''Thr33 Ringz''

In 2007, T-Pain began work on his third album with Rocco Valdes, Akon and Lil Wayne. The album was also his first under his Nappy Boy Entertainment.

T-Pain's third studio album, ''Thr33 Ringz'', was released on November 11, 2008. The album sold 168,000 records in its first week, reaching number four on the Billboard 200. A mixtape, ''Pr33 Ringz'', was released in early 2008 before the album.

The album was preceded by three singles. Its lead single, "Can't Believe It", featuring Lil Wayne, was released in July 2008. The single reached number seven on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album's second single, "Chopped 'N' Skrewed", featuring Ludacris, was released in September 2008. The single reached number twenty-seven on the Hot 100 and number three on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The third and final single from the album, "Freeze", featuring Chris Brown, was released in October 2008 and reached number thirty-eight on the Hot 100 and number thirty-nine on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Guest appearances on ''Thr33 Ringz'' included T.I., Lil Wayne, Ludacris, DJ Khaled, Ciara, Chris Brown and Kanye West among others. ''Pr33 Ringz'' was the introduction mixtape for the album. In 2008, T-Pain continued to appear on numerous rap singles, such as "She Got It" by 2 Pistols, "Go Girl" by Ciara, "The Boss" by Rick Ross, "Cash Flow" by Ace Hood, "Shawty Get Loose" by Lil Mama, "One More Drink" by Ludacris, and "Go Hard" by DJ Khaled with Kanye West. T-Pain and Ludacris collaborated to perform "Chopped 'N' Skrewed" and "One More Drink" on American late-night television programs ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'' on ABC in November 2008 and on NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'' in the same month. T-Pain appeared again on ''SNL'' in February 2009 (on the episode hosted by Bradley Cooper with musical guest TV on the Radio) in the ''SNL'' Digital Short. T-Pain also supported the album in 2009 with his ''Thr33 Ringz Tour'', which included sold out shows across North America. T-Pain and rapper Lil Wayne formed the duo T-Wayne in 2008. The duo released a self-titled mixtape in late 2008; it charted on the Billboard 200 in January 2009. Their debut album was going to be released in 2009, but never was.

2009–present: ''RevolveR''

In May 2009, T-Pain made an appearance on a live-action episode of ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' as Frylock, where he made his debut as an actor. He collaborated with country-pop singer Taylor Swift for the CMT Music Awards, and performed "Thug Story", a parody of Swift's hit single "Love Story". In an interview with MTV, T-Pain announced that he would release his fourth studio album in November 2009 and that its title was ''UBER''. He stated that although he originally wanted to release the album in the summer of 2010, his label had pushed the release forward. Regardless of these announcements, the album wasn't released in 2009. An iPhone application called "I Am T-Pain" features an auto tuner, allowing fans to record and modify their own voice to accompany an instrumental collection of T-Pain's music. It was released in September 2009. In July 2009, T-Pain endorsed the 2009 T-Pain Killa Cam-Pain, a grassroots effort to help him become elected as president of Florida State University.

In November 2009, T-Pain released the first single from his fourth studio album, "Take Your Shirt Off". The single only managed to reach number eighty on the Hot 100, and was later dubbed a promotional single. Later, in February 2010, he released the official lead single from his fourth studio album, "Reverse Cowgirl", featuring Young Jeezy. He later release an updated version of the song excluding Young Jeezy's verse and adding a new bridge. The single reached number seventy-five on the Hot 100 and number sixty-four on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming a mild hit. The single has since been dubbed a promotional single. T-Pain was later featured on the "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" single in February 2010, which reached number two on the Hot 100. In the fall of 2009, T-Pain began work with Cartoon Network's Adult Swim to produce and star in a television animated musical special based on Freaknik. Freaknik: The Musical aired on March 7, 2010.

In June 2010, T-Pain confirmed that his fourth studio album ''RevolveR'' has been completed and mastered, but that it will not be released until album sales increase. He elaborated upon this in August 2010, stating that the album probably wouldn't be released until 2011. T-Pain's first feature film, ''Lottery Ticket'', was released on August 20, 2010. In October 2010, T-Pain release his third promotional single, Rap Song. The song charted poorly, peaking at 89 on the Hot 100.

T-Pain released a Nappy Boy mixtape called ''T-Pain Presents: Nappy Boy All Stars Vol.1'' which contained Nappy Boy remixes to "Every Girl", "All The Way Turnt Up" and "Forever". Later he announced a mixtape for his album ''rEVOLVEr'' called ''prEVOLVEr''. the mixtape released three songs, the first being "Hoes & Ladies" which featured Lil Wayne and Field Mob's Smoke. The other two songs released were contest songs. The contest songs where meant for anyone willing to get on the track and who ever lays down the best verse will feature on the track and the actual album. The first contest song was called "Motivated" which was a rap song and the second song was an R&B; song for the singer, called "Merry Christmas." B. Martin of Albany, NY won the competition and will be featured on the mixtape. "T-Mixes" were made, which are T-Pain's remixes to some 2010 hit songs. The released remixes were "No Hands", "Black & Yellow", "Loving You No More", "Make It Rain" and "Like a G6". Two out of the five T-Mixes were made into the official remixes. They were "Black & Yellow" by Wiz Khalifa and featured him with Snoop Dogg & Juicy J. The other T-Mix that was made into an official remix was "Loving You No More" by Dirty Money, which originally featured Drake, but the remix features T-Pain and rapper Gucci Mane.

T-Pain was featured on the hit single "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled, along with the remix. He featured on Wisin & Yandel's single "Imaginate" & Bun B's single "Trillionaire." In the last two quarters of 2010, he was featured on hit singles like Pitbull's "Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)" and Nelly's "Move That Body." He was also featured on another single by Wisin & Yandel along with rapper 50 Cent called "No Dejemos Que Se Apague." The last two single's T-Pain were featured on in 2010 were the official Remixes to Black & Yellow by rapper Wiz Khalifa & Loving You No More.

T-Pain was featured on the first single by DJ Khaled called "Welcome To My Hood" off his new album ''We the Best Forever''. The song featured him along with Rick Ross, Plies, & Lil Wayne. He is also expected to be featured on albums such as Drake's ''Take Care,'' Lil Wayne's ''Tha Carter IV,'' Tech N9ne's ''All 6s and 7s'', and many more. A new toy called "iAm T-Pain Microphone" will make its way to stores everywhere in 2011, at the price of $39.99. T-Pain is featured on a single called Electroman which is by house artist Benny Benassi. In January, JRandall released a single, "Can't Sleep", featuring T-Pain. On March 22, 2011 the next single off ''RevolveR'' will be released titled "Best Love Song" and features American singer Chris Brown. On his Twitter he stated that he would release his prEVOLVEr mixtape when he gets 500,000 followers and release his album rEVOLVEr when he gets 1,000,000 followers.

Musical style

He has called his style of music "Hard & B". T-Pain uses Auto-Tune, a pitch-correcting audio processor, for his vocals. Music critic Andy Kellman compared T-Pain's singing style to that of Cher in her 1998 hit "Believe", in which Cher used voice enhancements. In response to Jay-Z's single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)", T-Pain stated that he would still use the method. T-Pain's use of Auto-Tune has been cited as an influence on other urban artists' works, including Snoop Dogg's single "Sexual Eruption", Lil Wayne's single "Lollipop", and Kanye West's album ''808s & Heartbreak''. In November 2008, T-Pain demanded credit from other artists who used Auto-Tune.

Personal life

Family

T-Pain has been married to Amber since 2003. His song "I'm Sprung" is dedicated to her. They have three children: daughter Lyriq and sons Muziq and Kaydnz Kodah (born May 2009).

Legal issues

thumb|Mug shot of T-Pain taken in November 2007. He had two incidents of legal problems in 2007:

When he refused to cut his set short at Radio One's Spring Fest Concert in Miami on the evening of April 28, 2007, police presence escalated backstage. He became agitated after concert officials stopped his performance of "Buy You a Drink". Police chased T-Pain and his entourage out of the premises and detained them.

After a June 2007 concert of T-Pain's, Tallahassee police issued a warrant for his arrest over a suspended driver's license. T-Pain turned himself into the Leon County Jail on November 2, 2007.

Golf cart accident

On March 27, 2009, T-Pain was involved in a golf cart accident, the same day he was due for a music video shoot for Lil' Kim's Download song. He suffered cuts, bruises, and four missing teeth and had emergency dental work done. He returned to performing on March 29, 2009. The accident was later referenced in the music video of Glasses Malone's song "Sun Come Up" (which also featured T-Pain).

Discography

''Rappa Ternt Sanga'' (2005)

''Epiphany'' (2007)

''Thr33 Ringz'' (2008)

''RevolveR'' (2011)

Mixtape

''Pr33 Ringz'' (2008)

''PrEVOLVEr'' (2011)

Soundtracks

''Freaknik: The Musical Soundtrack'' (2010)

Filmography

''Freaknik: The Musical'' (2010)

''Lottery Ticket'' (2010)

Awards and nominations

American Music Awards

2007, Favorite Male Artist [Nominated].

BET Awards

*2009, Best Male R&B; Artist (Nominated)

*2009, Best Collaboration ("Blame It") with Jamie Foxx (Won)

*2009, Viewer's Choice ("Can't Believe It") with Lil Wayne (Nominated)

2008, Best Collaboration ("Kiss Kiss") with Chris Brown (Nominated)

2008, Best Collaboration ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)

2008, Viewer's Choice ("Kiss Kiss") with Chris Brown (Nominated)

2008, Best Collaboration ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Won)

2008, Video of the Year ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Nominated)

BET Hip Hop Awards

*2009. Producer of the Year (Nominated)

*2008, Best Ringtone ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)

*2008, Best Hip-Hop Video ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Won)

*2008, Best Hip-Hop Collabo ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)

*2008, Best Hip-Hop Collabo ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Nominated)

*2008, Track of the Year ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Nominated)

BMI Urban Awards

* Song Writer Of The Year (Won)

* Producer Of The Year shared with J.R. Rotem & Kanye West (Won)

Grammy Awards

*2010, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("I'm on a Boat") with The Lonely Island [Nominated]

*2010, Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or a Group ("Blame It") with Jamie Foxx [Won]

*2010, Best R&B; Song ("Blame It") with Jamie Foxx [Nominated]

*2010, Best Contemporary Album ''Thr33 Ringz'' [Nominated]

*2009, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Got Money") with Lil Wayne (Nominated)

*2009, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)

*2009, Best Rap Song ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)

*2008, Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group ("Bartender") with Akon (Nominated)

*2008, Best Rap/Sung Rap Song ("Good Life") With Kanye West (Nominated)

*2008, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Kiss Kiss") with Chris Brown (Nominated)

2008, Best Rap Song ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Won)

Ozone Music Awards

*2008, TJ's DJ's Hustler of the Year (Nominated)

*2008, Club Banger of the Year ("I'm So Hood") with DJ Khaled, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross, & Plies (Nominated)

*2008, Club Banger of the Year ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)

*2008, Best Rap/R&B; Collaboration ("She Got It") with 2 Pistols & Tay Dizm (Nominated)

*2008, Best R&B; Artist (Nominated)

*2008, Best TJ's DJ's Tastemaker Award (Won)

*2007, Best Male R&B; Artist (Won)

*2007, Best Rap/R&B; Collaboration ("Shawty") with Plies (Won)

*2007: Best Rap/R&B; Collaboration ("Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')") with Yung Joc (Nominated)

*2006, Best Rap/R&B; Collaboration ("I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper) (Remix)" with Twista, Pimp C, Paul Wall, R. Kelly, MJG, and Too Short) (Won)

MTV Video Music Award

*2008, Best Hip-Hop Video ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)

*2008, Best Male Video ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)

*2007, Monster Single of the Year ("Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin)"), featuring Yung Joc (Nominated)

People's Choice Awards

*2008, Favorite Hip-Hop Song, "Low" with Flo Rida [Won]

*2008, Favorite Hip-Hop Song, "Good Life" with Kanye West [Nominated]

Teen Choice Awards

*2008, Choice Hook-Up: Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain, "Low" (Nominated)

*2008, Choice Music: R&B; Artist – T-Pain (Nominated)

*2008, Choice Music: Rap/Hip-Hop Track – Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain, "Shawty Get Loose" (Won)

Vibe Awards

*2007, Best R&B; Artist (Nominated)

*2007, Best Collaboration ("Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin)") with Yung Joc (Nominated)

*2007, Song of the Year ("Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin)") with Yung Joc (Won)

References

External links

Official website

Nappy Boy Records

Strip Club Etiquette: T'Pain's Guide Hustler Magazine

Category:1985 births Category:African American singers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American male singers Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:African American Muslims Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Hip hop singers Category:Jive Records artists Category:Living people Category:People from Tallahassee, Florida Category:Rappers from Florida

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Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
name	Kristen Bell
birthname	Kristen Anne Bell
birth date	July 18, 1980
birth place	Huntington Woods, Michigan, United States
occupation	Actress
yearsactive	1992–present
partner	Dax Shepard (2007-present)
website	}}

Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearance in ''Polish Wedding'', Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''. After moving to Los Angeles, Bell landed various television guest appearances and small film parts before appearing in a lead role in the David Mamet film ''Spartan''. She gained fame and critical praise as the title role on the critically acclaimed television series ''Veronica Mars'' from September 2004 to May 2007.

During her time on ''Veronica Mars'', Bell appeared as Mary Lane in the film ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'', a reprise of the role she had played in the New York theatrical production of the musical on which the film was based. She also portrayed the lead role in ''Pulse'', a remake of a J-Horror film. In 2007, she joined the cast of ''Heroes'' playing the character Elle Bishop, and ''Gossip Girl'' as the off-screen titular narrator. In 2008, she played the title character in the comedy movie ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall.'' She has since appeared in a number of comedy films, such as ''Fanboys'', ''Couples Retreat'', and ''When in Rome''. Bell was also the voice of Cora in ''Astro Boy'' and is the voice and face of Lucy Stillman in the ''Assassin's Creed'' video game series. Bell has received a Satellite Award and Saturn Award, and has been nominated several times for Television Critics Association Awards and Teen Choice Awards.

Early life and family

Bell was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. She is the daughter of Tom Bell, the television news director for WOAI-TV in San Antonio, and Lori, a registered nurse. Bell is of Polish and Scottish descent. Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and she has two half sisters, Sara and Jody, from her father's second marriage. She has four step-siblings from her mother's second marriage to John Raymond Avedian, Laura, John, Matt Avedian, and Megan. Bell has strabismus, which affects her right eye. She inherited it from her mother, who had it corrected as a child. Bell claims that if she does not get enough sleep, it aggravates the ailment. She calls her right eye "Wonky".

At the age of four, Bell claimed she did not like her first name. Her mother convinced Bell to go by her middle name of Anne instead; she used the name Annie until high school. She attended Burton Elementary school in Huntington Woods.

Just before her freshman year of high school, Bell's parents decided to pull her from the public school system. She then attended Shrine Catholic High School in nearby Royal Oak, where she took part in the drama and music club. During her time at the school, she won the starring role in the school's 1997 production of ''The Wizard of Oz'' as Dorothy Gale and also appeared in productions of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (1995), ''Lady Be Good'' (1996), and ''Li'l Abner'' (1998). In 1998, the year she graduated, Bell was named the yearbook's "Best Looking Girl" by senior class vote.

When Bell was 17, her best friend, whom she met at age 11 during a Detroit community theater production, was killed in an automobile accident. Bell said that it was ''"both the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. [...] Once you learn not to take people for granted, you live a lot happier life"''.

Shortly after her high school graduation, Bell moved to New York City to attend the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, majoring in musical theater. In 2001, during her senior year at New York University, Bell left a few credits shy of graduating to take a role in the Broadway musical version of ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''.

Career

Early work (1992–2003)

In 1992, Bell went to her first audition and won a dual role as a banana and a tree in a suburban Detroit theater's production of ''Raggedy Ann and Andy''. Her mother had established her with an agent before Bell was 13, which allowed her to appear in newspaper advertisements for several Detroit retailers and television commercials. She also began private acting lessons. In 1998, she appeared with an uncredited role in the locally filmed movie ''Polish Wedding''.

Kristen Bell also portrays Sally Wister in The History Channel's Choosing Sides: Young Voices on the Revolution currently showing at Independence Hall visitors center in Philadelphia.

In 2001, Bell left New York University to take a key role as Becky Thatcher in the short-lived Broadway musical of ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''. That same year she made her credited film debut in ''Pootie Tang.'' Her one line in the film was cut and her appearance exists only as a scene shown during the credit sequence. Additionally, she auditioned for the television series ''Smallville'' for the role of Chloe Sullivan, a part eventually won by Allison Mack. In 2002, she appeared in the Broadway revival of ''The Crucible'' with Liam Neeson, Angela Bettis and Laura Linney. Bell then moved to Los Angeles, California in 2002 because of her friendship with writers Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, and appeared in a handful of television shows as a special guest, finding trouble gaining a recurring role in a television series. Bell had "tested like eight times and booked nothing and every show [she] tested for got picked up," including auditions for ''Skin'' and a Norm Macdonald series. In 2003, she landed a role in the Hallmark Channel movie ''The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay''.

Bell appeared on the show ''Punk'd''.

Breakout (2004–06)

In 2004, Bell appeared in the Lifetime television movie ''Gracie's Choice'', which received one of the network's highest ratings. She made her debut in a theatrically released film, with David Mamet's ''Spartan'', as Laura Newton, the kidnapped daughter of the U.S. President, acting alongside Val Kilmer. Bell also guest-starred on the HBO's drama ''Deadwood'' in a two-episode story arc ("Bullock Returns to the Camp" and "Suffer the Little Children").

At 24 she won the role of the title character in UPN's drama ''Veronica Mars'', which was launched in the fall of 2004. Created by Rob Thomas, the series starred Bell as the seventeen year old detective Veronica, which put her alongside actors Enrico Colantoni who played her father, Jason Dohring, Percy Daggs III and Ryan Hansen. Bell noted the parallels between the character of Veronica and her own life — Bell's parents had divorced and her best friend had also died, like that of Veronica. The series earned positive reviews from television critics, as did Bell's performance. Some critics felt that she was overlooked, however, and deserved an Emmy Award nomination.

In 2005, Bell starred in ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'', reprising the role she played in the short-lived 2001 off-broadway musical. The musical was a spoof of the 1936 exploitation film of the same name. ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'' debuted on the Showtime network on April 16, 2005. On September 18, 2005, Bell performed the theme song from ''Fame'' on the "Emmy Idol" portion of the ''57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards''. She and the cast of ''Veronica Mars'' were nominated for two Teen Choice Awards in 2005: "Choice Breakout Actress" and "Choice Breakout TV Show".

In 2006, Bell won the Saturn Award for "Best Actress on Television" for her acting on ''Veronica Mars'', while the series was nominated for "Best Network Television Show". Aside from working on ''Veronica Mars'', in April, Bell starred as Gracie in ''Fifty Pills'', an entry for the Tribeca Film Festival. She appeared in a short independent film called ''The Receipt'' and the horror film ''Roman'', which was directed by her ''The Crucible'' co-star Angela Bettis. Released on August 11, 2006, ''Pulse'' starred Bell as the lead Mattie. A remake of the Japanese horror film ''Kairo'', the film grossed US$27.9 million worldwide, however it garnered negative response from critics. Frank Scheck of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' commented, "despite the starring presence of Kristen Bell, [the] young actress has far less interesting material to work with here than she does as [the character] "Veronica Mars.""

Recent and future roles (2007–present)

''Veronica Mars'' continued on UPN until the third season, in which the show was renewed and returned on the newly created The CW. On January 19, 2007 CW Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff announced that, while she was pleased with the gradual improvement of ''Veronica Mars's'' ratings, the series would be put on hiatus after February sweeps to air a new reality series, ''Pussycat Dolls Present''. On May 17, 2007 Ostroff announced the cancellation of the series. The two-hour series finale aired in the United States on May 22, 2007, and on June 11, 2007 Thomas officially announced in an email to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello that ''Veronica Mars'' had been canceled by the CW. A ''Veronica Mars'' feature film and comic book series continuation had been discussed, and for a short time there was talk of another collaboration between Bell and creator Thomas that would be unrelated to the ''Veronica Mars'' series.

Following the cancellation of ''Veronica Mars'', Bell had voiced interest in appearing on ''Heroes'' because she was a fan prior to being cast. On July 29, 2007, during a train ride back to Los Angeles from the San Diego Comic-Con with ''Heroes'' actors Zachary Quinto and Masi Oka, and writers from the series, the writers had mentioned that if she "ever want[ed] to come on ''Heroes'', give us [writers] a call," to which Bell said she would "love to." She was also spoken to about a role on ''Lost'', but turned down the role to portray Charlotte Staples Lewis. Announced in August 2007, Bell was to portray Elle Bishop, a "mysterious young lady" with an "awesome power". She did not have to audition for the role of Elle, who made her first appearance in an October 2007 episode, and will appear in at least thirteen episodes during the run of the series. The casting of Bell, as ''Heroes'' creator Tim Kring explains, "was not easy to pull off", but because of the large ensemble cast of the series and multiple story arcs, "we found a way to jump into a small window in [Bell's] schedule." Concurrently with filming on ''Heroes'', she narrates as title character in the CW series ''Gossip Girl''.

Shortly after the cancellation of ''Veronica Mars'' in early 2007, Bell filmed on location in Hawaii for her starring role as the title character in the Judd Apatow comedy ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall''. She noted that the improvisational comedy in the film was "a lovely experience". The film, written by and also starring Jason Segel, was released theatrically on April 18, 2008. Bell lent her voice and likeness to the video game ''Assassin's Creed'' which was released on November 13, 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and April 8, 2008 for the PC. Bell reprises her role of Lucy in ''Assassin's Creed II'' released on November 17, 2009, and again in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', released on 16 November 2010. In the spring of 2006, she finished filming the ''Star Wars''-themed comedy ''Fanboys'', which had its release date pushed to January 14, 2008. This was due to additional funding given to director Kyle Newman to shoot new scenes, however, the busy schedules of the actors only allowed for filming in September 2007, thus moving the release date to accommodate that. Bell will voice the character of Marybelle in the animated feature ''Sheepish'', which also has a 2008 release date. She also starred in the 2009 comedies ''Serious Moonlight'', alongside Meg Ryan, and ''Couples Retreat'', which chronicled four couples who partake in therapy sessions at a tropical island resort. Jason Bateman played her husband. On March 31, 2008, Bell began shooting for the Mark Steven Johnson-written Disney film ''When in Rome'' in locations in Rome and New York; the film was released in 2010. Bell reprised her role as Sarah Marshall for a cameo appearance in the film ''Get Him to the Greek'', a spin-off sequel from ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', released June 4, 2010.

Bell has also said that when she is free from film and television roles, she would like to perform on stage again. She co-starred with singers Christina Aguilera and Cher in the movie-musical ''Burlesque'' which was released on Thanksgiving in 2010.

Bell had a cameo in ''Scream 4'', which was released on April 15, 2011. She is also attached to the films ''Everybody Loves Whales'' and ''Dance of the Mirlitons''.

She has also appeared in the music video for "Madder Red" by Brooklyn experimental rock band Yeasayer.

Bell portrays the role of "Mary Magdalene" in "The Truth & Life Dramatized Audio New Testament Bible," a 22-hour, celebrity-voiced, fully-dramatized audio New Testament which uses the RSV-CE translation.

She recently shot the pilot for the new series ''House of Lies'' directed by Stephen Hopkins.

In the media

In 2005, Bell was named by ''Jane'' magazine as "one of the 11 people you'd most like to see naked", and in 2006, Bell was selected "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" on PETA's yearly poll. She was placed #68 on ''Maxim'''s 2005 "Hot 100" list, #11 in ''Maxim'''s 2006 "Hot 100" list, and #46 in ''Maxim'''s 2007 "Hot 100" list in which she was stated to have "single-handedly saved the CW from becoming the worst network ever." In 2006, ''Maxim'' also placed Bell at the top of the "Fall TV's Criminally Sexy Investigators" List. In 2008, she was featured at #59 on ''Ask Men'''s Top 99 Women of 2008 List. Reflecting on her admitted popularity with "geeks", Bell was voted the fourth sexiest woman on TV by the staff at ''Wizard'' magazine.

She stated to have never thought of herself as womanly because she "always play[ed roles] and look[ed] and act[ed] 10 years younger than [she is]", however as she explains, "Something magical happened when I turned 25 — I looked in the mirror and was like, You might not get carded for an R-rated movie anymore. Like I didn't have a little stick figure anymore." Bell has said that many of the characters she has played are tomboys because she was "not homely enough to play the nerdy girl and not nearly pretty enough to play the pretty girl".

Bell has been associated with the idea that "nerdy is the new cool", and she explains, "what was previously perceived as nerdy is now viewed as original. What I like about nerdiness, geekiness, is it doesn't really matter what you're into — it just means you're not a follower." She has also said, "I love nerds. Comic-Con junkies are the tastemakers of tomorrow. Isn't that funny? The tables have turned." Vanessa Juarez of ''Entertainment Weekly'' commented that Bell's role on ''Veronica Mars'', ''Heroes'' and as a ''Star Wars'' fanatic in ''Fanboys'' has "solidif[ied] her placement at the center of the geek universe", while Rodney Rothman stated, "I guess she's cornered the market on losers." Bell's work is often compared to Sarah Michelle Gellar's portrayal of the titular character on the cult television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Frank Scheck of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' stated that Bell was "arguably the television successor [to Gellar's portrayal of Buffy] when it comes to fighting bad guys." Bell is sometimes confused with Lauren Conrad from the show ''The Hills''. "Yeah, sometimes fans yell, 'Hey, Lauren' to me, but usually from a distance," said Kristen.

Despite "new celebrity" status, Bell claims that she is not concerned because "no one ever recognizes [her] anyway". As Bell explains, "I hang out with Hayden quite a bit — they never take pictures of me. I just step to the side, and I push myself in front of her when she wants to get out of it, or put her in the car." Bell is a recurring guest on ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'', appearing in interviews as well as sketches. On the Late Late Show, she is shown to have garnered a humorous hostility towards Craig's robot skeleton sidekick Geoff Peterson, claiming that she had wanted to be Craig's sidekick on his show and taking it upon herself to cut Geoff down every chance she gets.

In January 2011 it was announced that Kristen would be the new face of Neutrogena.

Personal life

At age 11, Bell became a vegetarian. In an interview with PETA, Bell stated, "I have always been an animal lover. I had a hard time disassociating the animals I cuddled with — dogs and cats, for example — from the animals on my plate, and I never really cared for the taste of meat. I always loved my Brussels sprouts!" During her time in Michigan, Bell fostered animals from Michigan Humane Society and she now supports the San Diego-based Helen Woodward Animal Center. Bell often attends fund raisers for the ASPCA and other non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting animals. She owns a Welsh Corgi-Chow Chow mix named Lola, a Welsh Corgi-Chihuahua mix named Shakey, and a black Labrador Retriever named Sadie, who was 11 years old when she was rescued from Hurricane Katrina and adopted by Bell in 2005.

She and many of those who worked on ''Veronica Mars'', including personal friend Ryan Hansen, are involved with the charity organization Invisible Children Inc. The goal of the organization is to create awareness regarding the plight of Northern Ugandans who are caught in the midst of a civil war between the government and Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army. Bell has also done a public service announcement for Do Something's Healthy Living Campaign.

Bell supported and campaigned for Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election. Along with Rashida Jones, she visited college campuses in Missouri to discuss the candidates and encourage voter registration. Bell has shown her support for the Writers Guild of America in the writer's strike, appearing in the picket lines in December 2007 stating, "the writers are just looking for some fairness."

In 2007, Bell ended a five-year relationship with former fiancé Kevin Mann, and went on to date actor Dax Shepard. As of January 2010, she is engaged to Shepard. She told ''Complex'' magazine that dating "makes me want to vomit. And not out of grossness — OK, a little bit out of grossness, but just nerves." Bell explains, "I've always been a serial monogamist."

As she is a Detroit native, she is also an avid fan of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team.

Filmography

;Film and television

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1998	''Polish Wedding''	Teenage Girl (uncredited)
2001	''Pootie Tang''	Record Executive's Daughter
2002	''The Cat Returns''	Hiromi (voice)	English version
2002	''People Are Dead''	Angela's Friend #1
2003	''The Shield''	Jessica Hintel
2003	''American Dreams''	Amy Fielding	Episode: "Act of Contrition"
2003	''The O'Keefes''	Virginia's Owner	Episode: "Substitute Teacher"Episode: "Jobs"
2003	''The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay''	Alison Dodge	TV movie
2003	''Everwood''	Stacey Wilson
2004	''Gracie's Choice''	Gracie Thompson	TV movie
2004		Laura Newton
2004		Flora Anderson	Episode: "List of Deadwood episodes#Season 1: 2004
2004–2007	''[[Veronica Mars''		64 episodes
2005	''Last Days of America''	Friend in New York #1	Video
2005		Mary Lane
2005		Nurse Laurie
2005	''The Receipt''	Pretty Girl	Short film
2006	''Fifty Pills''	Gracie
2006		Mattie Webber
2006		The Girl / Isis
2007	''Flatland: The Movie''	Hex (voice)	Short film
2007–2008		Elle Bishop	12 episodes
2007–present			87+ episodes
2008	''Forgetting Sarah Marshall''	Sarah Marshall
2008		Zoe
2009		Sara
2009	''The Cleveland Show''	Mandy (voice)	Episode: "Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance"
2009		Cora (voice)
2009	''Couples Retreat''	Cynthia
2009–2010	''Party Down''	Uda Bengt	Episode: "Stennheiser-Pong Wedding Reception"	Episode: "Party Down Company Picnic"
2010		Beth Martin
2010	''Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates''	Cora (voice)	Video short
2010	''Get Him to the Greek''	Sarah Marshall	Cameo
2010	''Lost Masterpieces of Pornography''	June Crenshaw	Video short
2010	''You Again''	Marni Olivia Olsen
2010		Nikki
2010	''Movie 43''	Supergirl	Post-production
2011	''Scream 4''	Chloe
2011	''Dance of the Mirlitons''	Corinne	Post-production
2012	''Everybody Loves Whales''	TBA	Filming
2012	''House of Lies''	Jeannie Van Der Hooven	Filming

; Theatre

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2001	''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''	Becky Thatcher
2002	''The Crucible''	Susanna Walcott
2003	''Sneaux''
2004	''A Little Night Music''

; Video games

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2007	''Assassin's Creed''	Lucy Stillman	Voice & likeness
2009	''Assassin's Creed II''	Lucy Stillman	Voice & likeness
2009	''Astro Boy: The Video Game''	Cora
2010	''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''	Lucy Stillman	Voice & likeness
2011	''Assassin's Creed: Revelations''	Lucy Stillman	Voice & likeness

Awards

Wins

;2006 :Saturn Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :Jury Prize at the Austin Fantastic Fest, for ''Roman'' :Family Film Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' (shared with Enrico Colantoni) ;2005 :Satellite Award, for ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical''

Nominations

;2009 :Teen Choice Award, for ''Heroes'' :Saturn Award, for ''Heroes'' :MTV Movie Award, for ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' ;2008 :Teen Choice Award, for ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' ;2007 :Saturn Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' ;2006 :Satellite Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :Teen Choice Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' ;2005 :Satellite Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :Saturn Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :Teen Choice Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :TCA Award, for ''Veronica Mars''

References

External links

Kristen Bell at ''Complex''

Couples Retreat Video Interview at AMCtv.com

Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American people of Polish descent Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American vegetarians Category:Actors from Michigan Category:People from Oakland County, Michigan Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni

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Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
Name	Rocky Lockridge
Height	5'6.5
Weight	Super featherweight
Reach	67 in
Nationality	American
Birth date	January 30, 1959
Birth place	Seattle, Washington
Home	Camden, New Jersey
Style	Orthodox
Total	53
Wins	44
Ko	36
Losses	9
Draws	0
No contests	0

Rocky Lockridge (born January 30, 1959 in Seattle, WA), is a former professional boxer and world champion. As a pro, he is perhaps best known for defeating Roger Mayweather with a first round knockout for WBA Super Featherweight Title. Lockridge also gave Mayweather his first professional career loss.

Amateur career

Lockridge started boxing as an amateur out of the Tacoma Boys Club. He was one of four world champions to originate from Tacoma: Freddie Steele, Leo Randolph, and Johnny Bumphus were the others. His highlights as an amateur include:

1977 National AAU Bantamweight Champion, stopping David Douglas of the U.S. Army in the 2nd round of the final.

1978 National Golden Gloves Champion in Bantamweight Class

1978 Runner Up in National AAU Championships in Bantamweight Class, losing to Jackie Beard in Biloxi, MS

Defeated in Quarterfinals of World Amateur Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia by Fazlija Šaćirović of Yugoslavia (3-2)

Retirement and later years

For the past two decades, Rocky Lockridge has suffered drug problems; he became homeless and suffered a stroke that forced him to walk with a cane. He was recently featured in A&E;'s ''Intervention'', claiming that the intervention and the help of his sons saved his life. His appearance on the show, specifically, a scene where he is crying, has become an Internet meme, known as the "Best Cry Ever". In recent interviews he expressed a desire to be drug-free and stated that he had never been this clean, even in his fighting days. "I feel so good today that if I hadn't suffered the stroke I would go for a title shot," he stated. He also expressed his interest in becoming a boxing trainer.

External links

Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:American boxers Category:Bantamweight boxers Category:Super-featherweight boxers Category:People from Dallas, Texas Category:People from Paterson, New Jersey Category:Internet memes Category:International Boxing Federation Champions Category:World Boxing Association Champions

fr:Rocky Lockridge ja:ロッキー・ロックリッジ

Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
alt	A mid-twenties African American man wearing a sequined military jacket and dark sunglasses. He is walking while waving his right hand, which is adorned with a white glove. His left hand is bare.
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson
alias	Michael Joe Jackson, MJ, King of Pop
birth date	August 29, 1958
birth place	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
death date	June 25, 2009
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B;, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
years active	1964–2009
label	Motown, Epic, Legacy
associated acts	The Jackson 5
relatives	Janet Jackson (sister)
website	}}

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5, then the Jacksons in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B;, pop and rock artists.

Jackson's 1982 album ''Thriller'' is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including ''Off the Wall'' (1979), ''Bad'' (1987), ''Dangerous'' (1991), and ''HIStory'' (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

Life and career

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family who lived in a small 3-room house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city near Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B; band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy. A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe.

The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.

Move to Epic and ''Off the Wall'' (1975–81)

In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career. In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album, Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B; Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B; Album and Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist. Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt ''Off the Wall'' should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

''Thriller'' and ''Motown 25'' (1982–83)

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows. The album topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." ''Thriller'' was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work. Thanks to the ''Bad'' album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989. ''HIStory'' received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. However, the sales for ''Invincible'' were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG. With ''Thriller'', Christopher Connelly of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers. In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media. "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to ''West Side Story'', and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey. He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona. ;Bibliography

George, Nelson (2004). ''Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.

Further reading

External links

Michael Jackson Live: Best Pics – slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Michael Jackson at MTV

FBI file on Michael Jackson

Category:1958 births Category:2009 deaths Category:African American dancers Category:African American male singers Category:African American record producers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American beatboxers Category:American businesspeople Category:American child singers Category:American choreographers Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American disco musicians Category:American male singers Category:American boogie musicians Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American rock singers Category:American soul singers Category:American tenors Category:American vegetarians Category:Boy sopranos Category:Brit Award winners Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Category:Child pop musicians Category:Drug-related deaths in California Category:English-language singers Category:Epic Records artists Category:Expatriates in Bahrain Category:Former Jehovah's Witnesses Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Legend Award Michael Jackson Category:Manslaughter victims Category:Motown artists Category:Musicians from Indiana Category:People acquitted of sex crimes Category:People from Gary, Indiana Category:People from Santa Barbara County, California Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Songwriters from Indiana Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Michael Jackson Category:World Music Awards winners Category:Young Artist Award winners

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