An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signified by trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons. An award may carry a monetary prize given to the recipient, for example, the Nobel Prize for contributions to society or the Pulitzer Prize for literary achievements. An award may also simply be a public acknowledgment of excellence, without any tangible token or prize.

Overview

Awards can be given by any person or institution, although the prestige of an award usually depends on the status of the awarder. Usually, awards are given by an organization of some sort, or by the office of an official within an organization or government. For instance, a special presidential citation (as given by the President of the United States) is a public announcement giving an official place of honor (''e.g.'', President Ronald Reagan gave a special presidential citation in 1984 to the Disney Channel for its excellent children's television programming.)

People who have won certain prestigious awards, such as the Nobel Prize, a championship title in a sport, or an Academy Award (Oscar), can have the award become their identity, thereafter being known primarily for winning the award, rather than for any other achievement or occupation.

Mock awards, which typically recognize failures or atypical achievements, are also popular. They are usually given by people and organizations of lower or average prestige, such as comical organizations and individual writers. Popular mock awards include:

Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), a satirical counterpart to the Academy Award which recognizes the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing, and films that the film industry had to offer

Ig Nobel Prize, a satirical counterpart to the Nobel Prize, given for achievements that "first make people laugh, and then make them think."

Darwin Awards, "given to people who seem to improve the human gene pool by accidentally killing or sterilizing themselves during a foolish or careless mistake."

One common type of award in the United States is the ''Employee of the Month'' award, where typically the recipients' names are listed in a prominent place in the business for that month. A common mock award is the wooden spoon, given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition.

Some awards are given only after a fee is paid by the recipient, such as the German Design Award.

See also

Award ceremony

References

bn: পুরস্কার de:Auszeichnung (Ehrung) id:Penghargaan it:Onorificenza he:פרס (זכייה) ml:പുരസ്കാരം ja:賞 no:Utmerkelse pt:Prêmio ru:Награда simple:Award fi:Palkinto ta:விருது zh:獎勵

Coordinates	51°30′09″N0°07′39.7″N
birth name	Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez
birth date	February 19, 1967
birth place	Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
years active	1987–present
occupation	Actor, producer
children	Delilah Stewart }}

Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rican actor and film producer. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award for his role as Javier Rodríguez in ''Traffic'' (2000). He is also known for his roles as Fred Fenster in ''The Usual Suspects'' (1995), Dr. Gonzo in ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' (1998), Franky Four Fingers in ''Snatch'' (2000), Jackie Boy in ''Sin City'' (2005), and Che Guevara in ''Che'' (2008). He is the third Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award.

Early life

Benicio del Toro was born and grew up in Santurce, Puerto Rico, a district of San Juan. He is the son of Gustavo Adolfo del Toro Bermúdez and Fausta Genoveva Sánchez Rivera, who were both lawyers. He has an older brother, Gustavo, who is a pediatric oncologist at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. He is of Italian and Spanish ancestry.

Del Toro, whose childhood nicknames were "Skinny Benny" and "Beno", was raised a Roman Catholic and he attended Academia del Perpetuo Socorro (The Academy of Our Lady of Perpetual Help), a Roman Catholic school in Miramar, Puerto Rico. When del Toro was nine years old, his mother died of hepatitis. At age 12, he moved with his father and brother to Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where he was enrolled at the Mercersburg Academy. He spent his adolescence and attended high school there. After graduation, del Toro followed the advice of his father and pursued a degree in business at the University of California, San Diego. Success in an elective drama course encouraged him to drop out of college and study with noted acting teachers Stella Adler and Arthur Mendoza, in Los Angeles, as well as at the Circle in the Square Theatre School, in New York City.

Career

Del Toro began to surface in small television parts during the late 1980s, playing mostly thugs and drug dealers on programs like ''Miami Vice'' and the NBC miniseries ''Drug Wars: The Camarena Story''. He had a cameo in Madonna's 1987 music video clip "La Isla Bonita" as a background character (the kid sitting on the car). Work in films followed, beginning with his debut in ''Big Top Pee-wee'' and in the 007 film ''Licence to Kill'', in which 21-year-old del Toro held the distinction of being the youngest actor ever to play a Bond villain. Although both films were considered box office disappointments, del Toro continued to appear in movies like ''The Indian Runner'' (1991), ''China Moon'' (1994), ''Christopher Columbus: The Discovery'' (1992), ''Money for Nothing'' (1993), ''Fearless'' (1993) and ''Swimming with Sharks'' (1994).

His career gained momentum in 1995 with his breakout performance in ''The Usual Suspects'', where he played the mumbling, wisecracking Fred Fenster. The role won him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor and established him as a character actor. This led to more strong roles in independent and major studio films, including playing Gaspare in Abel Ferrara's ''The Funeral'' (1996) and winning a second consecutive Best Supporting Actor Independent Spirit Award for his work as Benny Dalmau in ''Basquiat'' (1996), directed by his friend, artist Julian Schnabel. Del Toro also shared the screen with Robert De Niro in the big budget thriller ''The Fan'', in which he played Juan Primo, a charismatic Puerto Rican baseball star.

For ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'', the 1998 film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's famous book, he packed on more than 40 lbs. (about 18 kg) to play Dr. Gonzo (a.k.a. Oscar Zeta Acosta), Thompson's lawyer and drug-fiend cohort. The surrealistic film, directed by Terry Gilliam, has earned a cult following over the years. Returning from a two-year hiatus after ''Fear and Loathing'', del Toro would gain a mainstream audience in 2000 with a string of performances in four high-profile films. First up was ''The Way of the Gun'', a crime yarn that reunited him with ''The Usual Suspects'' screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, making his directorial debut. A few months later, he stood out among a first-rate ensemble cast in Steven Soderbergh's ''Traffic'', a complex dissection of the North American drug wars. As Javier Rodriguez —a Mexican border cop struggling to remain honest amid the corruption and deception of illegal drug trafficking —del Toro, who spoke most of his lines in Spanish, gave a performance that dominated the film.

His performance swept all of the major critics awards in 2001. Del Toro won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the fourth living Oscar winner whose winning role was a character who speaks predominantly in a foreign language. Del Toro is also the third Puerto Rican actor to win an Oscar, after Jose Ferrer and Rita Moreno. The night he won his Oscar marked first time that two actors born in Puerto Rico were nominated in the same category (the other actor was Joaquin Phoenix). In his acceptance speech, del Toro thanked the people of both Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora and dedicated his award to them. In addition to the Oscar, he also won the Golden Globe Award and the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. ''Traffic'' was also a success at the box office, bringing to del Toro real Hollywood clout for the first time in his career. While ''Traffic'' was still playing in theaters, two other del Toro films were released in late 2000/early 2001. He had a brief role as the diamond thief Franky Four Fingers in Guy Ritchie's hip caper comedy ''Snatch'', and played a mentally-challenged Native American man in ''The Pledge'', directed by his old friend Sean Penn.

In 2003, del Toro appeared in two films: ''The Hunted'', co-starring Tommy Lee Jones, and the drama ''21 Grams'', co-starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. He went on to garner another Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his work in the latter. He then appeared in the film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel ''Sin City'', directed by Robert Rodriguez, and ''Things We Lost in the Fire'', the English language debut of celebrated Danish director Susanne Bier. ''Things We Lost in the Fire'' co-starred Halle Berry, Alison Lohman, and John Carroll Lynch.

In 2008, del Toro was awarded the Prix d'interpretation masculine (or Best Actor Award) at the Cannes Film Festival for his characterization of Che Guevara in the biographical films ''The Argentine'' and ''Guerrilla'' (together known as ''Che''). During his acceptance speech del Toro dedicated his award "to the man himself, Che Guevara" along with director Steven Soderbergh. Del Toro was also awarded a 2009 Goya Award as the Best Actor for his depiction of Che. Actor Sean Penn, who won an Oscar for his role in ''Milk'', remarked that he was surprised and disappointed that ''Che'' and del Toro were not also up for any Academy Award nominations. During his acceptance speech for the Best Actor's trophy at the Screen Actors Guild Awards Penn expressed his dismay stating, "The fact that there aren't crowns on Soderbergh's and Del Toro's heads right now, I don't understand ... that is such a sensational movie, ''Che''." For the final portions of the film (shown here), del Toro shed 35 pounds to show how ill Guevara had become near the end of his life in the jungles of Bolivia.

In 2010, del Toro starred in and produced the remake of Lon Chaney, Jr.'s classic cult film ''The Wolf Man''. He was chosen to be the face of the 2011 Campari calendar, becoming the first male model for the Italian liquor company's calendar.

Personal life

While promoting his film ''The Wolfman'' in 2010, he described his romantic life as "in limbo". When asked if he had thoughts of settling down, he responded by saying "Why? Everyone says, 'Why isn’t he married?' But it’s like, F***! Why do I have to get married? Just so I can get divorced?" In an interview with ''The Times'' he mentioned he didn't want his West Hollywood apartment, which he described as his "cave", to be "invaded" by a wife and children.

On April 11, 2011, del Toro's publicist announced that del Toro and Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberly Stewart were expecting their first child, although they were not in a relationship. Stewart gave birth to a daughter, Delilah, on August 21, 2011.

Filmography

Films

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1988	''Big Top Pee-wee''	Duke, the Dog-Faced Boy
1989	''Licence to Kill''
1991	''''	Miguel Aguilera
1992	''Christopher Columbus: The Discovery''	Alvaro Harana
1993		Manny Rodrigo
1993	''Huevos de oro''	Bob, the friend from Miami	Also known as ''Golden Eggs''
1993		Dino Palladino
1994	''Swimming with Sharks''	Rex
1994	''China Moon''	Det. Lamar Dickey
1995	''''	Fred Fenster
1996	''''	Gaspare Spoglia
1996	''''	Juan Primo
1996		Himself	Cameo appearance
1996			Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
1996		Detective López
1997	''Excess Baggage''	Vincent Roche	Nominated — ALMA Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Crossover Role in a Feature Film
1998		Dr. Gonzo aka Óscar Zeta Acosta
2000		Javier Rodríguez
2000	''''	Longbaugh
2000		Franky 'Four Fingers'
2000		Himself	Cameo
2001	''''	Toby Jay Wadenah	Nominated — ALMA Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
2003	''21 Grams''	Jack Jordan
2003	''''	Aaron Hallam
2005		Jack Rafferty	Nominated — ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
2007		Jerry Sunborne
2008		Che Guevara	Also producer
2010	''''		Also producer
2010		Himself
2011		Roy Demeo
2012		Lado

Short films

''Caligula (film)#Cultural references ''That's So New York''

Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1995	''Submission''
2005	Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula'' ||	Naevius Sutorius Macro	Five minutes
2005	|	Himself	Three minutes

Television series

List of Miami Vice guest appearances#Season 3 ''Private Eye'' ''Drug Wars: The Camarena Story'' ''Tales from the Crypt (TV series) ''Fallen Angels (TV series) ''Todos Contra Juan''

Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1987	''Miami Vice''	Pito || Episode: "Everybody's in Showbiz"
1987	|		Episode: "Blue Movie"
1990	|	Rafael Caro Quintero	All episodes
1994	Tales from the Crypt'' ||	Bill	Episode: ""
1995	Fallen Angels'' ||	Fallen Angels (TV series)#Guest stars>Paco	List of Fallen Angels episodes>Good Housekeeping"
2008	|	Himself	Episode: "Juan & La Critica"

Selected awards

Independent Spirit AwardAcademy AwardsAcademy AwardsCannes Film Festival

Year	! Award	! Nomination	! Film
1995	Independent Spirit Award	Best Supporting Actor win
1996	|	Best Supporting Actor win	Basquiat (film)>Basquiat''
rowspan="9"	2000	Academy Award ||	Best Supporting Actor win	Traffic (2000 film)>Traffic''
Berlin International Film Festival	Silver Bear for Best Actor win >
British Academy of Film and Television Arts	British Academy Awards (BAFTA)
Chicago Film Critics Association
Golden Globe
Film criticism	National Society of Film Critics
New York Film Critics Circle
Screen Actors Guild
Toronto Film Critics Association
rowspan="4"	2003	Academy Award ||	Best Supporting Actor nomination	''21 Grams''
Chicago Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actor nomination
Los Angeles Film Critics Association	L.A. Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actor win
Screen Actors Guild	Best Supporting Actor nomination
rowspan="2"	2008	|	Best Actor win	Che (film)>Che''
Goya Awards

See also

List of Best Supporting Actor nominees

List of Puerto Ricans

References

External links

Benicio Del Toro on 'Che': Man on a Mission

Benicio Del Toro Gets to the Man Behind the T-Shirt Myth in "Che"

Category:1967 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Independent Spirit Award winners Category:Living people Category:Mercersburg Academy alumni Category:Actors from Pennsylvania Category:People from Santurce, Puerto Rico Category:Puerto Rican actors Category:Puerto Rican film actors Category:Puerto Rican television actors Category:Puerto Rican people of Italian descent Category:Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent Category:Best Actor Goya Award winners Category:Circle in the Square Theatre School alumni

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Coordinates	51°30′09″N0°07′39.7″N
birth date	October 12, 1992
birth place	Union, Kentucky, U.S.
birthname	Joshua Ryan Hutcherson
occupation	Actor, Voice actor
yearsactive	2002–present
homepage	Official site }}

Joshua Ryan "Josh" Hutcherson (born October 12, 1992) is an American film and television actor. He began working in the early 2000s, appearing in several minor film and television roles. He gained wider exposure with major roles in the 2005 films ''Little Manhattan'' and ''Zathura'', the 2006 comedy ''RV'', the 2007 family adventure film ''Firehouse Dog'', and the film adaptations of ''Bridge to Terabithia'', ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' and ''Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant''. On March 30, 2008, Hutcherson won a Young Artist Award (for Leading Young Actor). Hutcherson was also featured on a Celebrity Teens edition of the hit show ''MTV Cribs'', and is set to play Robert in the ''Red Dawn'' remake and Peeta Mellark in the upcoming 2012 film, ''The Hunger Games''.

Early life

Josh Hutcherson was born in Union, Kentucky. His mother, Michelle, is a former Delta employee who now assists Josh, and his father, Chris Hutcherson, is an analyst for the EPA. He has a younger brother, Connor, as well as many pets, including two dogs, Diesel and Nixon (a boxer). He has wanted to be an actor since he was four years old, but had only begun auditioning for roles in 2002, at the age of 9.

Career

Hutcherson's first role was in the 2002 pilot episode, ''House Blend''; in the same year, he appeared in an episode of ''ER''. In 2003, he played the lead role in the comedy ''Miracle Dogs'' (which was released on Animal Planet), starred opposite Peter Falk and Timothy Daly in the made-for-television film, ''Wilder Days'', and had a minor role in the well-reviewed independent film, ''American Splendor''. He performed for the motion-capture imagery in 2004's ''The Polar Express''.

In 2005, Hutcherson appeared in several Hollywood films: he had a minor role in the Will Ferrell comedy ''Kicking & Screaming'', voiced Markl in the animated film ''Howl's Moving Castle'' (June), and played the lead roles in ''Little Manhattan'' (September) and ''Zathura'', which was released in November to positive reviews. The following year, Hutcherson appeared in the comedy ''RV'', playing the son of Robin Williams's character, and subsequently played Jesse Aarons in the drama ''Bridge to Terabithia'', which was filmed in New Zealand and released on February 16, 2007, performing well critically and commercially. He had not read the novel that the film is based on before being cast in the role.

Hutcherson's next role was in ''Firehouse Dog'' (released on April 4, 2007), in which he played Shane Fahey, a firefighter's son who befriends a dog. Hutcherson filmed ''Firehouse Dog'' before ''Bridge to Terabithia'', though the latter film was released first. His next roles were in the "very dark" independent film drama ''Winged Creatures'', and playing the nephew of Brendan Fraser's character in ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'', a new 3-D film version of the novel of the same name; filming on ''Journey'', which was released on July 11, 2008, began in Montreal in June 2006 and ended in October of that year. Hutcherson also appeared in a film adaptation of the book ''Cirque Du Freak''.

In 2010 he had a supporting role in the critically acclaimed movie ''The Kids Are All Right'' playing Laser.

Hutcherson has said that he would like to appear in every type of film genre.

On April 4, 2011, Lionsgate announced that Hutcherson had been cast as Peeta Mellark in the upcoming 2012 film, ''The Hunger Games''.

Personal life

Hutcherson has cited actor Jake Gyllenhaal as an inspiration.

On August 11, 2007, Hutcherson served as the Grand Marshal at the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

In September 2008, he went to Italy for the first time. He visited Rome and Milan, and participated in a local event about kids and cinema.

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
	''Becoming Glen''	Young Glen	TV Movie
	''Miracle Dogs''	Charlie Logan	TV Movie
''One Last Ride''	Joey
	Robin
''Wilder Days''	Chris Morse	TV Movie
	''Eddie's Father''	Eddie Corbett	TV Movie
''Motocross Kids''	TJ
''Party Wagon''	Toad E. Bartley	TV Movie (voice)
	Markl	voice: English version
		Bucky Weston
''Little Manhattan''	Gabe	Lead Role
''Zathura: A Space Adventure''	Walter	Lead Role
2006		Carl Munro
		Jess Aarons	Lead Role
''Firehouse Dog''	Shane Fahey
		Jimmy Jaspersen
	Sean Anderson
2009	''Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant''	Steve "Leopard" Leonard
		Laser
''The Third Rule''	Chuck	(short)
		Robert	Finished
	Clapton Davis
	Joshua Mason	Post-Production
	''Journey 2: The Mysterious Island ''	Sean Anderson	Filming
	Peeta Mellark	Filming
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
2002	''House Blend''	Nicky Harper	Only the pilot
Guest Appearances
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Episode
		Matt	First Snowfall
	''The Division''	Matthew Inwood	Till Death Do Us Part
	Donny Rawlings	Take the Money and Run
2004	''Justice League''	Van-El / Young Bruce Wayne (voice)	For the Man Who Has Everything
Video Game
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
	''Journey to the Center of the Earth''	Sean Anderson

Producer
! Year	! Title	! Note
	''Detention''

Awards and Nominations

! Year !! Award !! Category !! Work !! Result
2004		Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special - Leading Young Actor	''Wilder Days''	rowspan="2"
	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Ensemble Cast (shared with ''Motocross Kids'' Cast)	''Motocross Kids''
Outstanding Young Ensemble in a New Medium (shared with ''The Polar Express'' Cast)	''The Polar Express''	rowspan="2"
	Best Performance in a Feature Film (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actor
Saturn Awards	Best Performance by a Younger Actor	rowspan="2"
2007		Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor
	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Ensemble Cast (shared with ''Bridge to Terabithia'' Cast)		rowspan="2"
Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor
Saturn Awards	Best Performance by a Younger Actor	rowspan="2"
2009	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor
	Breakthrough of the Year Awards	Breakthrough Actor in Film
Gotham Awards	Best Ensemble Cast (shared with ''The Kids Are All Right'' Cast)	rowspan="7"
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards	Best Ensemble Acting (shared with ''The Kids Are All Right'' Cast)
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards	Youth in Film
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards	Best Ensemble Acting (shared with ''The Kids Are All Right'' Cast)
	Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards	Best Ensemble (shared with ''The Kids Are All Right'' Cast)
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	Best Acting Ensemble (shared with ''The Kids Are All Right'' Cast)
Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (shared with ''The Kids Are All Right'' Cast)
Chlotrudis Awards	Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast (shared with ''The Kids Are All Right'' Cast)

References

External links

People in Film: Josh Hutcherson - Focus Features

Josh Hutcherson MySpace

Josh Hutcherson personal YouTube Channel (JawsSweetEyes)

Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Actors from Kentucky Category:People from Boone County, Kentucky

ar:جوش هوتشرسن ca:Josh Hutcherson de:Josh Hutcherson es:Josh Hutcherson fr:Josh Hutcherson id:Josh Hutcherson it:Josh Hutcherson jv:Josh Hutcherson hu:Josh Hutcherson nl:Josh Hutcherson ja:ジョシュ・ハッチャーソン no:Josh Hutcherson pl:Josh Hutcherson pt:Josh Hutcherson ru:Хатчерсон, Джош simple:Josh Hutcherson fi:Josh Hutcherson sv:Josh Hutcherson th:จอช ฮัทเชอร์สัน tr:Josh Hutcherson uk:Джошуа Гатчерсон zh:喬許·哈卻森

Coordinates	51°30′09″N0°07′39.7″N
name	Salman Khan
birth name	Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan
birth place	Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
birth date	December 27, 1965
occupation	Film actor, television presenter and philanthropist
yearsactive	1988–present
residence	Bandra, Mumbai
othername	Sallu
parents	Salim KhanSalma Khan
relatives	Arbaaz Khan (brother)Sohail Khan (brother)Helen Richardson (step-mother) }}

Salman Khan (pronunciation : ; born Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan on 27 December 1965) is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.

Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama ''Biwi Ho To Aisi'' (1988), had his first commercial success with the blockbuster ''Maine Pyar Kiya'' (1989), for which he won a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He went on to star in some successful Hindi films of those times, such as ''Saajan'' (1991), ''Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!'' (1994), ''Karan Arjun'' (1995), ''Judwaa'' (1997), ''Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya'' (1998) and ''Biwi No.1'' (1999), having appeared in the highest earning films of seven separate years during his career.

In 1999, Khan won a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his extended appearance in ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' (1998), and since then has starred in several critical and commercial successes, including ''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'' (1999), ''Mujhse Shaadi Karogi'' (2004), ''No Entry'' (2005), ''Partner'' (2007), ''Wanted'' (2009), ''Dabangg'' (2010), ''Ready'' (2011) and ''Bodyguard'' (2011), which has become the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time. Khan has thus established himself as one of the most successful actors of Hindi cinema.

Early life

Khan is the eldest son of screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Salma (''née'' Sushila Charak). His paternal grandfather was a Muslim from Afghanistan who came to India and settled in Madhya Pradesh, whereas his mother is a Marathi Hindu. Khan himself had once said that he is "half Muslim and half Hindu". His stepmother is Helen, a former actress, who has co-starred with him in a few films. He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, and two sisters, Alvira and Arpita. Alvira is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri. Khan finished his schooling through St. Stanislaus High School in Bandra, Mumbai, as did his younger brothers Arbaaz and Sohail. Earlier, he studied at The Scindia School, Gwalior for a few years along with younger brother Arbaaz.

Career

1980s

Salman Khan made his acting debut with a supporting role in the 1988 film ''Biwi Ho To Aisi''. His first leading role in a Bollywood movie was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romantic family drama ''Maine Pyar Kiya'' (1989), one of India's highest grossing films. It earned him a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, as well as his first nomination for a Best Actor at Filmfare.

1990s

1990 saw one film release starring Khan, ''Baaghi: A Rebel for Love''. The film was a box office success, followed by four hit films in 1991, ''Patthar Ke Phool'', ''Sanam Bewafa'', ''Kurbaan'' and ''Saajan''. Despite these early successes, nearly all of his 1992–1993 releases resulted in box office failures. In 1995 he starred in Rakesh Roshan's ''Karan Arjun'' alongside Shahrukh Khan.

In 1996, Khan performed in two movies, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directional debut ''Khamoshi: The Musical'', a box office failure, but critically acclaimed; and Raj Kanwar's action hit ''Jeet''. He had two releases in 1997: ''Judwaa'' and ''Auzaar''. The former was a comedy directed by David Dhawan where he played a dual role of twins separated at birth.

Khan worked in five different films in 1998, his first release being the comedy ''Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya'' opposite Kajol, one of the biggest commercial successes of that year. This was followed by the moderately successful drama ''Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai''. and ''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'', which earned another Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare.

2000s

In 2000, Khan acted in films including ''Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega'' and ''Chori Chori Chupke Chupke''. ''Chori Chori Chupke Chupke'' addressed the issue of surrogate childbirth; Khan played the role of a rich industrialist, who hires a surrogate mother after his wife becomes infertile. Critics noted his turn towards a more serious role, which reportedly had more substance in comparison to his previous roles. In 2002 he starred in the delayed release ''Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam''.

For ''Tere Naam'', (2003) Taran Adarsh said of him, "Salman Khan is exceptional in a role that fits him to the T. He breathes fire in sequences that demand uneasiness. But beneath the tough exterior lies a vulnerable person and this facet in particular comes to the fore in the latter reels. His emotional outbursts are splendid..." He subsequently continued his success at the box office, with comedies like ''Mujhse Shaadi Karogi'' (2004) and ''No Entry'' ''(2005)''. He next appeared in the Hollywood movie, ''Marigold: An Adventure in India'' which told the love story of an Indian man and an American woman. Khan starred in three films throughout 2008, all of which underperformed.

Khan hosted the second season of ''10 Ka Dum'' in year 2009 which turned out to be even more successful than his first season as host of the game show in year 2008. The show got very high TRPs for Sony Entertainment Television and according to reports, the show helped Sony TV regain its third position in the Indian television ratings.

Khan's first film of 2009, ''Wanted'' directed by choreographer turned director Prabhu Deva. In the same year, he appeared in two other films, ''Main Aurr Mrs Khanna'' and ''London Dreams''. While ''London Dreams'' doing average business, only due to the uninspiring music, but ''Main Aurr Mrs Khanna'' made 21 crores through DTH Premiere.

2010s

Khan's first release of 2010 was Anil Sharma's commercially and critically unsuccessful film ''Veer''. His next release, ''Dabangg'', was produced by his brother Arbaaz Khan, and released on 10 September 2010. It made a record opening at the box office and Box Office India declared it an all-time blockbuster. For his performance in ''Dabangg'', Khan received a Star Screen Award for Best Actor and a Stardust Award for Star of the Year – Male and was nominated for his sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Anupama Chopra from NDTV wrote about his performance, "It's the role of a lifetime and Salman Khan bites into it like a starving man devours a feast. He inhabits it fully, strutting and swaggering and even, spoofing himself."

Khan's first release of 2011 was ''Ready'' which released on 3 June. The film broke several box office records and is currently the fourth highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. He next appeared in ''Bodyguard''. Upon release, the film Became a Blockbuster at the box office, with Khan's performance receiving favourable comments from critics and is currently the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.

Personal life

In 2004, he was voted seventh-best-looking man in the world and the best looking man in India by ''People'' magazine, US. Khan has been involved in several charities during his career.

On 11 October 2007, Khan accepted an offer from Madame Tussauds wax museum in London to have a wax replica made of himself. His life-size wax figure was installed there on 15 January 2008, making him the fourth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.

Khan has been the subject of several controversies, including certain legal troubles. On 28 September 2002, Khan was arrested for rash and negligent driving. His car had run into a bakery in Mumbai; one person who was sleeping on the pavement outside the bakery died and three others were injured in the mishap. Charges of culpable homicide were laid against him, but later dropped, and he was found not guilty. On 17 February 2006, Khan was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting the Chinkara, an endangered species. The sentence was stayed by a higher court during appeal. On 10 April 2006, he was handed a five year jail term and remanded to Jodhpur jail until 13 April when he was granted bail.

On September 2010, Khan was reported to have claimed during an interview to a Pakistani channel that the 26/11 attacks were hyped because the "elite" were targeted. During the interview the actor had said - "''It was the elite that was targeted this time. Five star hotels and all. So they panicked. Then they got up and spoke about it. My question is why not before. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much."'' Khan also said that Pakistan was not to be blamed for it, and that the Indian security forces had failed. Khan's comments had drawn strong reactions from Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Chagan Bhujbal, Shiv Sena, BJP and other political parties. The comments were also condemned by Ujwal Nikam, Special Prosecutor in the 26/11 trial. Khan later apologised for his comments.

His relationship with actress Aishwarya Rai was a well publicised topic in the Indian media. After their break-up in March 2002, Rai accused him of harassing her. She claimed that Khan had not been able to come to terms with their break-up and was hounding her; her parents lodged a complaint against him. In 2005, news outlets released what was said to be an illicit copy of a mobile phone call recorded in 2001 by the Mumbai police. It appeared to be a call in which he threatened Rai, in an effort to force her to appear at social events held by Mumbai crime figures. The call featured boasts of connections to organised crime and derogatory comments about other actors. However, the alleged tape was tested in the government's Forensic lab in Chandigarh, which concluded that it was fake.

After years of speculations, actress Katrina Kaif admitted in an 2011 interview for a magazine that she was in a serious relationship with Salman Khan for several years, which ended in 2010.

In August 2011 he admitted he suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, a facial nerve disorder commonly known as the suicide disease. In an interview he said that he has been quietly suffering it for the past seven years, but now the pain’s become unbearable. It has even affected his voice, making it much harsher.

Non film work

Khan has started an NGO called 'Being Human' which will sell T-shirts and other products online and in stores. A portion of the sales will go to a worthy cause supporting the underprivileged.

In January 2012, Khan has offered to pay for releasing around 400 prisoners from around 63 prisons in the state of Uttar Pradesh via his NGO. The prisoners had completed their term but due to economical reasons, they were unable to pay a legal fine for their charges.

Awards and nominations

Filmography

Actor

! Year	! Title	! Role	Other notes
1988	''Biwi Ho To Aisi''	Vicky Bhandari
1989	''Maine Pyar Kiya''	Prem Choudhary	Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1990	''Baaghi: A Rebel for Love''	Saajan Sood
1991	''Sanam Bewafa''	Salman Khan
1991	''Patthar Ke Phool''	Inspector Suraj
1991		Akash Singh
1991		Prithvi
1991	''Saajan''	Akash Varma
1992		Vicky/Suryavanshi Vikram Singh
1992	''Ek Ladka Ek Ladki''	Raja
1992	''Jaagruti''	Jugnu
1992	''Nishchaiy''	Rohan Yadav/Vasudev Gujral
1993	''Chandra Mukhi''	Raja Rai
1993	''Dil Tera Aashiq''	Vijay
1994	''Andaz Apna Apna''	Prem Bhopali
1994	''Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!''	Prem
1994	''Chaand Kaa Tukdaa''	Shyam Malhotra
1994	''Sangdil Sanam''	Kishan
1995	''Karan Arjun''	Karan Singh/Ajay	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1995	''Veergati''	Ajay
1996	''Majhdhaar''	Gopal
1996	''Khamoshi: The Musical''	Raj
1996		Raju	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
1996	''Dushman Duniya Ka''		Special appearance
1997	''Judwaa''	Raja/Prem Malhotra
1997	''Auzaar''	Inspector Suraj Prakash
1997		Captain Jeet Sharma	Incomplete film
1997	''Deewana Mastana''	Prem Kumar	Special appearance
1998		Suraj Khanna	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1998	''Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai''	Suraj Dhanrajgir
1998			Special appearance
1998		Raju
1998	''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''	Aman Mehra	Extended guest appearanceFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
1999	''Jaanam Samjha Karo''	Rahul
1999	''Biwi No.1''	Prem	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role
1999	''Sirf Tum''	Prem	Special appearance
1999	''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam''	Sameer Rafillini	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1999		Hero
1999	''Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United''	Prem
2000	''Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge''	Raja Oberoi
2000	''Chal Mere Bhai''	Prem Oberoi
2000	''Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega''	Raj/Romi
2000	''Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke''		Special appearance
2000		Prem Kapoor
2001	''Chori Chori Chupke Chupke''	Raj Malhotra
2002	''Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge''	Veer Singh Thakur/Ali
2002	''Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam''	Suraj
2002	''Yeh Hai Jalwa''	Raj 'Raju' Saxena/Raj Mittal
2003	''Love at Times Square''		Special appearance
2003			Special appearance
2003	''Tere Naam''	Radhe Mohan	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2003		Alok Raj	Special appearanceNominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
2004	''Garv: Pride and Honour''	Inspector Arjun Ranavat
2004	''Mujhse Shaadi Karogi''	Sameer Malhotra
2004	''Phir Milenge''	Rohit Manchanda	Extended guest appearance
2004	''Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa''	Rishabh
2005	''Lucky: No Time for Love''	Aditya
2005	''Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?''	Dr. Samir Malhotra
2005	''No Entry''	Prem	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role
2005	''Kyon Ki''	Anand
2006	''Saawan... The Love Season''	Sameer Sam	Extended guest appearance
2006	''Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar''	Ayaan
2006	''Jaan-E-Mann''	Suhaan Kapoor
2006		Avinash Kapoor
2007	''Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love''	Rahul
2007		Prem Love Guru
2007	''Marigold: An Adventure in India''	Prem	English language film
2007	''Om Shanti Om''	Himself	Special appearance in song "Deewangi Deewangi"
2007	''Saawariya''	Imaan	Extended guest appearance
2008	''God Tussi Great Ho''	Arun Prajapati
2008		Chetan Bhagat	Special appearance
2008		Balkar Singh/Jassvinder Singh
2008	''Yuvvraaj''	Deven Yuvvraaj
2009		Radhe/Rajveer Shikhawat
2009	''Main Aurr Mrs Khanna''	Samir Khanna
2009	''London Dreams''	Mannu (Manjit Khosla)
2009	''Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani''	Himself	Special appearance
2010		Veer
2010	''Prem Kaa Game''	The Sutradhaar (Narrator)	Special appearance
2010	''Dabangg''	Inspector Chulbul Pandey(Robinhood Pandey)	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2010	''Tees Maar Khan''	Himself	Special appearance in song "Wallah Re Wallah"
2010	''Isi Life Mein''	Himself	Special appearance
2011		Prem Kapoor
2011		Lovely Singh	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2011	''Tell Me O Kkhuda''		Cameo
2011	''Do Aur Do Paanch''		Extended guest appearance
2012	''Ek Tha Tiger''		Filming
2012	''Dabangg 2''	Inspector Chulbul Pandey(Robinhood Pandey)	Filming

Television presenter

''10 Ka Dum'' (Seasons 1 & 2)

''Bigg Boss'' (Seasons 4 & 5)

Writer

''Baaghi: A Rebel for Love'' (1990)

''Veer'' (2010)

Producer

''Chillar Party'' (2011)

See also

List of Indian Actors

List of people from Madhya Pradesh

References

Further reading

External links

Category:1965 births Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian television presenters Category:People from Indore Category:Hindi film actors Category:Living people Category:Scindia School alumni Category:Bigg Boss Category:Indian people of Afghan descent

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Coordinates	51°30′09″N0°07′39.7″N
name	Big Star
alt	Prominent in the foreground, two guitarists concentrate on their playing, while the drummer, a little behind them to their left, toils away.
background	group_or_band
origin	Memphis, Tennessee, United States
genre	Rock, power pop
years active	1971–1974, 1993–2010
associated acts	The Box Tops, The Posies
website	bigstarband.com
past members	Alex ChiltonJody StephensAndy HummelChris BellJohn LightmanJon AuerKen Stringfellow }}

Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel. The group broke up in 1974, but reorganized with a new line-up nearly 20 years later. In its first era, the band's musical style drew on the work of British Invasion groups including The Beatles and The Kinks, as well as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, and other U.S. acts. To the resulting power pop, Big Star added dark, nihilistic themes, and produced a style that foreshadowed the alternative rock of the 1980s and 1990s. Before it broke up, Big Star created a "seminal body of work that never stopped inspiring succeeding generations" in the words of ''Rolling Stone'', earning recognition decades later, according to Allmusic, as the "quintessential American power pop band" and "one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll".

Big Star's first album—1972's ''#1 Record''—met with enthusiastic reviews, but ineffective marketing by Stax Records and limited distribution stunted commercial success. Frustration took its toll on band relations and by the time a second album was completed in January 1974, both Bell and Hummel had left. Like ''#1 Record'', ''Radio City'' received excellent reviews, but record company problems again thwarted sales—Columbia Records, which had assumed control of the Stax catalog, effectively vetoed its distribution. After a third album was deemed too uncommercial for release and shelved before receiving a title, the band broke up late in 1974. Four years later, the first two Big Star LPs were released together as a double album. The band's third album was finally issued soon afterward; titled ''Third/Sister Lovers'', it found limited commercial success. Shortly thereafter, Chris Bell was killed in a car accident at the age of 27.

The Big Star discography drew renewed attention in the 1980s when R.E.M. and other popular bands acknowledged its influence. In 1992, further interest was stimulated by Rykodisc's reissues of the band's albums, complemented by a collection of Bell's solo work. In 1993, Chilton and Stephens reformed Big Star with recruits Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies, and gave a concert at the University of Missouri. The band remained active, performing tours in Europe and Japan, and released a new studio album, ''In Space'', in 2005. Chilton died on March 17, 2010, after being admitted to a New Orleans hospital with heart problems. Hummel, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, died on July 19, 2010. These deaths leave Stephens as the sole surviving founding member.

First era: 1971 to 1974

Formation of the band

Alex Chilton was the lead singer for the blue-eyed soul group The Box Tops from 1967 to 1970 when the band had a #1 hit with the song "The Letter". At the age of sixteen, Alex Chilton recorded a solo studio album. He was offered the role of lead vocalist for Blood, Sweat & Tears, but turned the offer down as "too commercial". Chilton had known Chris Bell for some time: both lived in Memphis, each had spent time recording music at Ardent Studios, and each, when aged 13, had been struck by the music of The Beatles during the band's 1964 debut U.S. tour. A song Chilton wrote nearly six years after he first witnessed a Beatles performance, "Thirteen", referred to the event with the line "Rock 'n' roll is here to stay". Chilton asked Bell to work with him as a duo modeled on Simon & Garfunkel; Bell declined, but invited Chilton to a performance by his own band, Icewater, comprising Bell, drummer Jody Stephens, and bassist Andy Hummel. Attracted by Icewater's music, Chilton showed the three his new song "Watch The Sunrise", and was asked to join the band. Both "Watch the Sunrise" and "Thirteen" were subsequently included on Big Star's first album, ''#1 Record''. The now four-piece band adopted the name Big Star when one member was given the idea from a grocery store often visited for snacks during recording sessions. One of many Big Star Markets outlets in the Memphis region at the time, it had a logo consisting of a five-pointed star enclosing the words "Big Star"; as well as the store's name, the band used its logo but without the word "Star" to avoid infringing copyright.

''#1 Record''

Although all four members contributed to songwriting and vocals on the first album, Chilton and Bell dominated as a duo intentionally modeled on John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The album was recorded by Ardent founder John Fry, with Terry Manning contributing occasional backing vocals and keyboards. The title ''#1 Record'' was decided towards the end of the recording sessions and evinced, albeit as a playful hope rather than a serious expectation, the chart position to be achieved by a big star. Although Fry—at the band's insistence—was credited as "executive producer", publicly he insisted that "the band themselves really produced these records". Fry recalled how Ardent, one of the first recording studios to use a sixteen-track tape machine, worked experimentally with the band members: "We started recording the songs with the intent that if it turned out OK we'd put it out [...] I wound up being the one that primarily worked on it: I recorded all the tracks and then they would often come late at night and do overdubs. One by one, they all learned enough engineering."

Describing the mix of musical styles present on ''#1 Record'', ''Rolling Stone'''s Bud Scoppa notes that the album includes "reflective and acoustic" numbers, saying that "even the prettiest tunes have tension and subtle energy to them, and the rockers reverberate with power". Scoppa finds that in each mode, "the guitar sound is sharp-edged and full".''#1 Record'' was released in June 1972, and quickly received strong reviews. ''Billboard'' went as far as to say, "Every cut could be a single". ''Rolling Stone'' judged the album "exceptionally good", while ''Cashbox'' stated, "This album is one of those red-letter days when everything falls together as a total sound", and called it "an important record that should go to the top with proper handling". Proper handling, however, was not forthcoming: Stax Records proved unable to either promote or distribute the record with any degree of success, and even when the band's own efforts to get airplay generated interest, fans were unable to buy it as Stax could not make it available in many stores. Stax, in an effort to improve its catalog's availability, signed a deal with Columbia Records, already successful distributors in the U.S., making Columbia responsible for the entire Stax catalog. But Columbia had no interest in dealing with the independent distributors previously used by Stax and removed even the existing copies of ''#1 Record'' from the stores.

''Radio City''

The frustration at ''#1 Record'''s obstructed sales contributed to tension within the band. There was physical fighting between members: Bell, after being punched in the face by Hummel, retaliated by smashing Hummel's new bass guitar to pieces against the wall. Hummel took revenge at a later date: finding Bell's acoustic guitar in the latter's unattended car, he repeatedly punched it with a screwdriver. In November 1972, Bell quit the band. When work continued on songs for a second album, Bell rejoined, but further conflict soon erupted. A master tape of the new songs inexplicably went missing, and Bell, whose heavy drug intake was affecting his judgment, attacked Fry's parked car. In late 1972, struggling with severe depression, Bell quit the band once more, and by the end of the year Big Star disbanded.

After a few months Chilton, Stephens and Hummel decided to reform Big Star, and the three resumed work on the second album. The title chosen, ''Radio City'', continued the play on the theme of a big star's popularity and success, expressing what biographer Robert Gordon calls the band's "romantic expectation". As Hummel put it, Stephens recalled: "''Radio City'', for me, was just an amazing record. Being a three-piece really opened things up for me in terms of playing drums. Drums take on a different role in a three-piece band, so it was a lot of fun. [...] ''Radio City'' was really more spontaneous, and the performances were pretty close to live performances."

Although uncredited, Bell contributed to the writing of some of the album's songs, including "O My Soul" and "Back of a Car". Shortly before the album's release, Hummel left the band: judging that it would not last, and in his final year at college, he elected to concentrate on his studies and live a more normal life.

''Rolling Stone'''s Ken Barnes, describing the musical style of ''Radio City'', opens by noting as a backdrop that the band's debut, ''#1 Record'', established it as "one of the leading new American bands working in the mid-Sixties pop and rock vein". ''Radio City'', Barnes finds, has "plenty of shimmering pop delights", although "the opening tune, 'O My Soul,' is a foreboding, sprawling funk affair"; Barnes concludes that "Sometimes they sound like the Byrds, sometimes like the early Who, but usually like their own indescribable selves". ''Radio City'' was released in January 1974 and, like ''#1 Record'', received excellent reviews. ''Record World'' reported, "The sound is stimulating, the musicianship superb, and the result is tight and rollickingly rhythmic." ''Billboard'' judged it "a highly commercial set". ''Rolling Stone'''s Bud Scoppa, then with ''Phonograph Record'', affirmed, "Alex Chilton has now emerged as a major talent, and he'll be heard from again". ''Cashbox'' called it "a collection of excellent material that hopefully will break this deserving band in a big way". But just as ''#1 Record'' had fallen victim to poor marketing, so too did ''Radio City''. Columbia, now in complete control of the Stax catalog, refused to process it following a disagreement. Without a distributor, sales of ''Radio City'', though far greater than those of ''#1 Record'', were minimal at only around 20,000 copies.

''Third/Sister Lovers''

In September 1974, eight months after the release of ''Radio City'', the two remaining members of Big Star returned to Ardent Studios to work on a third album. Chilton and Stephens were assisted by producer Jim Dickinson and an assortment of musicians including drummer Richard Rosebrough, and Lesa Aldridge, Chilton's girlfriend, who contributed on vocals. The sessions and mixing were completed in early 1975, and 250 copies of the album were pressed with plain labels for promotional use.

Parke Putterbaugh of ''Rolling Stone'' described ''Third/Sister Lovers'' as "extraordinary". It is, he wrote, "Chilton's untidy masterpiece. [...] beautiful and disturbing"; "vehemently original"; of "haunting brilliance":

To listen to it is to be "plunged into a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. Songs are drenched in strings and sweet sentiment one minute, starkly played and downcast the next. No pop song has ever bottomed out more than "Holocaust", an anguished plaint sung at a snail's pace over discordant slide-guitar fragments and moaning cello [...] On the up side, there's the delicious pop minuet "Stroke It Noel," the anticipatory magic of "Nightime" ("Caught a glance in your eyes and fell through the skies," Chilton rhapsodizes) [...] Big Star's baroque, guitar-driven pop reaches its apotheosis on songs like "Kizza Me," "Thank You Friends" and "O, Dana". [...] Without question, ''Third'' is one of the most idiosyncratic, deeply felt and fully realized albums in the pop idiom.

Fry and Dickinson flew to New York with promotional copies and met employees of a number of record labels, but could not generate interest in the album. When a similar promotion attempt failed in California, the album was shelved as it was considered not commercial enough for release. Fry recalled, "We'd go in and play it and these guys would look at us like we were crazy". In late 1974, before the album was even named, the band broke up, bringing Big Star's first era to its end. Dickinson later said that he was "nailed for indulging Alex on Big Star ''Third'', but I think it is important that the artist is enabled to perform with integrity. What I did for Alex was literally remove the yoke of oppressive production that he had been under since the first time he ever uttered a word into a microphone, for good or ill.

Since quitting the band in 1972, Bell had spent time in several different countries trying to develop his solo career. In 1978, after his return to Memphis, the first two Big Star albums were released together in the UK as a double album, drawing enthusiastic reviews and interest from fans. Soon afterwards Big Star's recognition grew further when, four years after its completion, the third album too was released in both the U.S. and the UK. By now, the hitherto untitled ''Third/Sister Lovers'' had become known by several unofficial names including ''Third'' (reflecting its position in the discography), ''Beale Street Green'' (acknowledging the legendary site nearby, once a focal point for Memphis blues musicians) and ''Sister Lovers'' (because during the album's recording sessions, Chilton and Stephens were dating sisters Lesa and Holliday Aldridge).

Not long after the release of ''Third/Sister Lovers'', Bell died in a car accident. He apparently lost control of his car while driving alone and was killed when he struck a lamp post after hitting the curb a hundred feet before. A blood test found that he was not drunk at the time, and no drugs were found on him other than a bottle of vitamins. Bell is believed to have either fallen asleep at the wheel or become distracted.

Second era: 1993 to 2011

Big Star returned in 1993 with a new line-up when guitarist Jon Auer and bassist Ken Stringfellow joined Chilton and Stephens. Auer and Stringfellow remain members of The Posies, founded by the pair in 1986. Stringfellow is also known for his work with R.E.M. and The Minus 5. First-era material dominates Big Star's performances, with the occasional addition of a song from the 2005 album ''In Space''; Stringfellow recalled that during the 1990s, "We were working out the set list and we went to this little cafe. Little did I know we'd be playing that set for the next ten years". The resurrected band made its debut at the 1993 University of Missouri spring music festival. A recording of the performance was issued on CD by Zoo Records as ''Columbia: Live at Missouri University''. The concert was followed by tours of Europe and Japan, as well as an appearance on ''The Tonight Show''.

''In Space'' was released on September 27, 2005 on the Rykodisc label. Recorded during 2004, the album consists of new material mostly co-written by Chilton, Stephens, Auer and Stringfellow. Reviewing ''In Space'', ''Rolling Stone'''s David Fricke first points out the context for its release: "a world expecting that American Beatles ideal all over again" from a band that "achieved its power-pop perfection when no one else was looking". In Fricke's estimation, the seemingly unrealistic expectation is in part met: "It's here—in the jangly longing and ice-wall harmonies of 'Lady Sweet'"; Fricke finds though that such songs are interleaved with "the eccentric R&B; and demo-quality glam rock that have made Chilton's solo records a mixed blessing", and that "'A Whole New Thing' starts out like old T.Rex, then goes nowhere special". Warming nevertheless to "the rough sunshine" of "Best Chance", Fricke says in conclusion: "''In Space'' is no ''#1 Record'', but at its brightest, it is Big Star in every way".

The band appeared at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium on October 20, 2007. San Francisco-based band Oranger, performed as opening act. Big Star performed at the 2008 Rhythm Festival, staged from 29–31 August in Bedfordshire, UK. On June 16, 2009, the ''#1 Record''/''Radio City'' double album was reissued in remastered form. The same month, it was announced that a film of Big Star's history, based on biographer Rob Jovanovic's book ''Big Star: The Story of Rock's Forgotten Band'', is in pre-production. On July 1, 2009, Big Star performed at a concert in Hyde Park, London, UK. On September 15, 2009, Rhino Records issued a four-CD box set containing 98 recordings made between 1968 and 1975. ''Keep An Eye On The Sky'' includes live and demo versions of Big Star songs, solo work, and material from Bell's earlier bands Rock City and Icewater.

Chilton died on March 17, 2010 after being admitted to hospital with heart problems. He had been scheduled to perform with Big Star in Memphis, Tennessee three days later. The remaining members, joined by special guests original bassist Andy Hummel, M. Ward, Evan Dando, R.E.M.'s Mike Mills, and Chris Stamey, staged the concert as a tribute to him. Hummel, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, died on July 19, 2010. Asked about the band's future plans, Stephens told Billboard, "It's music we all really love to play, and we love to play it together, so we're trying to figure out a way forward where we can keep doing it."

After the EP ''Live Tribute to Alex Chilton'' was released in June 2011, Stephens wrote on the Ardent blog that the tribute performance in May 2010 was the last performance for Big Star as a band.

Musical style and influences

Bell took up guitar when twelve or thirteen, but only on hearing the first Beatles records was he motivated to play the instrument regularly. He acted as lead and rhythm guitarist and vocalist for a sequence of bands, performing songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Zombies and The Animals. Chilton's first awareness of music came at the age of six when his brother repeatedly played a record by The Coasters. His father's liking for jazz then exposed him over the next few years to the music of Glenn Miller, Ray Charles and Dave Brubeck. Chilton's enthusiasm for music took hold when at age thirteen he first heard Beatles records; he recalled having known of 1950s rock and roll but "by 1959 Elvis was syrup and Jerry Lee was pretty much gone, and the rockabilly thing was sort of over so I didn't get really caught up in the rock scene until the Beatles came along".

Chilton took up electric guitar at thirteen, playing along with Beatles songs, later saying, "I really loved the mid-sixties British pop music [...] all two and a half minutes or three minutes long, really appealing songs. So I've always aspired to that same format, that's what I like. Not to mention the rhythm and blues and the Stax stuff, too". Chilton abandoned his guitar-playing when with The Box Tops, then took up the instrument again; he met Roger McGuinn, guitarist for The Byrds, and developed particular interest in electric guitar and acoustic folk. Stephens enjoyed the music of Otis Redding, The Isley Brothers, The Who, The Kinks and, in particular, The Beatles. He first played drums at home with his brother, then with a handful of bands in the years before Big Star formed. Hummel likewise was a member of more than one band during his early musical years, again influenced by The Beatles and other British Invasion acts. The bassist also played acoustic guitar for personal enjoyment, following the styles of Simon & Garfunkel and Joni Mitchell and using finger-picking techniques to play folk and bluegrass. Most songs on the first three albums are credited to either Bell/Chilton or Chilton, but some credit Hummel, Stephens and others, as either writer or co-writer. At the only seven live performances in the original era, the last of which took place before the second album's release, all four members contributed vocally.

While primarily inspired by the music of The Beatles and other British Invasion bands, acknowledging too the jangle pop and power pop of the period, Big Star also incorporated dark, nihilistic themes to produce a striking blend of musical and lyrical styles. The body of work resulting from the first era was a precursor of the alternative rock of the 1980s and 1990s, at the same time yielding material today considered an outstanding example of power pop. The stylistic range is evident from modern day critiques. Bogdanov et al., commenting on ''#1 Record'' in their ''All Music Guide to Rock'', perceive in "The Ballad of El Goodo" a "luminous, melancholy ballad", whereas John Borack's ''Ultimate Power Pop Guide'' singles out ''Radio City'''s "September Gurls" as a "glorious, glittering jewel" of power pop. Borack notes too that ''Third/Sister Lovers'' is "slower, darker and a good deal weirder" than the first two albums, identifying "Holocaust" as "Alex Chilton at his haunting best", yet finds "Thank You Friends" exemplifying "left-field gems" also present in which "the hooks are every bit as undeniable" as before. Jovanovic writes that when recording what Peter Buckley in his ''Rough Guide to Rock'' terms the "snarling guitar rock" of the first album's "Don't Lie To Me", the band, deeming conventional instruments inadequate for the task, wheeled two Norton Commando motorcycles into the studio and gunned the engines to intensify the song's bridge. Bogdanov et al. reserve "snarl" for a ''Radio City'' song, "Mod Lang"; here Buckley writes that "the power of the performance and the erratic mix gave a sense of chaos which only added to the thrill".

Legacy and influence

Although Big Star's first era came to an end in 1974, the band acquired a cult following in the 1980s when new acts began to acknowledge the early material's significance. R.E.M.'s Peter Buck admitted, "We've sort of flirted with greatness, but we've yet to make a record as good as ''Revolver'' or ''Highway 61 Revisited'' or ''Exile on Main Street'' or Big Star's ''Third''. I don't know what it'll take to push us on to that level, but I think we've got it in us." Chilton, however, told an interviewer in 1992, "I'm constantly surprised that people fall for Big Star the way they do... People say Big Star made some of the best rock 'n roll albums ever. And I say they're wrong."

Today, critics cite Big Star's first three albums as a profound influence on subsequent musicians. ''Rolling Stone'' notes that Big Star "created a seminal body of work that never stopped inspiring succeeding generations of rockers, from the power-pop revivalists of the late 1970s to alternative rockers at the end of the century to the indie rock nation in the new millennium". Jason Ankeny, music critic for Allmusic, identifies Big Star as "one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll", whose "impact on subsequent generations of indie bands on both sides of the Atlantic is surpassed only by that of the Velvet Underground". Ankeny describes Big Star's second album, ''Radio City'', as "their masterpiece—ragged and raw guitar-pop infused with remarkable intensity and spontaneity".

In 1992, Rykodisc generated further interest in the band when it reissued ''Third/Sister Lovers'' and released a posthumous compilation of Bell's solo material, ''I Am The Cosmos''. In his 2007 book ''Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide'', John Borack ranks the ''#1 Record''/''Radio City'' double album at #2 in his chart "The 200 Greatest Power Pop Albums". ''Rolling Stone'' includes ''#1 Record'', ''Radio City'' and ''Third/Sister Lovers'' in ''The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time'' and "September Gurls" and "Thirteen" in ''The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time''. In addition to R.E.M., artists including Teenage Fanclub, The Replacements, Primal Scream, the Posies, and Bill Lloyd and the dB's cite Big Star as an inspiration, and the band's influence on Game Theory, Matthew Sweet and Velvet Crush is also acknowledged.

Big Star's "I'm In Love With A Girl" from ''Radio City'' features in the soundtrack of the 2009 film "Adventureland". The 2006 tribute album ''Big Star, Small World'' includes Big Star covers by The Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Gin Blossoms, Wilco, Afghan Whigs, Whiskeytown and others. The 1987 tribute song "Alex Chilton", co-written by three members of The Replacements, was released as a single from the album ''Pleased to Meet Me'' and contains the lyric "I never travel far without a little Big Star". In 1998, ''#1 Record'''s "In the Street" was used as the theme song for the sitcom ''That '70s Show'', and in 1999, a new version titled "That '70s Song (In the Street)" was recorded by Cheap Trick for the show. "That '70s Song" and Big Star's own "September Gurls" are included on the 1999 album ''That '70s Album (Rockin')'' released by the television program's producers. "September Gurls", Borack says, "was and is the sine qua non of power pop, a glorious, glittering jewel with every facet cut and shined to absolute perfection. [...] a peerless, aching distillation of love and longing. 'September Gurls' may not actually be the greatest song ever recorded, but for the duration of its 2:47 running time, you can be forgiven for believing it is."

Personnel

Alex Chilton – guitars, piano, vocals (1971–1975, 1993–2010)

Jody Stephens – drums, vocals (1971–1975, 1993–2010)

Chris Bell – guitars, vocals (1971–1972)

Andy Hummel – bass, vocals (1971–1973)

John Lightman – bass, backing vocals (1974)

Jon Auer – guitar, vocals (1993–2010)

Ken Stringfellow – bass, vocals (1993–2010)

Discography

;Studio albums

''#1 Record'' (Ardent/Stax, 1972)

''Radio City'' (Ardent/Stax, 1974)

''Third/Sister Lovers'' (PVC, 1978)

''In Space'' (Rykodisc, 2005)

''Third [Test Pressing Edition]'' (Omnivore Recordings, 2011)

;Live albums

''Live'' (Rykodisc, 1992)

''Columbia: Live at Missouri University 4/25/93'' (Zoo, 1993)

''Nobody Can Dance'' (Norton, 1999) – rehearsals and live recordings

;Compilations

''Biggest'' (Line Records, 1994) – greatest hits

''The Best Of'' (Ace Records, 1999) – greatest hits

''Big Star Story'' (Rykodisc, 2003) – greatest hits with one new track

''Keep an Eye on the Sky'' (Rhino, 2009) – box set with a live disc

Notes

References

Ankeny, Jason. [ Big Star Biography]. Allmusic.com. Accessed June 29, 2009.

Bogdanov, Vladimir, Woodstra, Chris, Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. ''All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul''. Backbeat Books, 2002. ISBN 978-0-87930-653-3.

Borack, John M. ''Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide''. Shake Some Action — PowerPop, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9797714-0-8.

Buckley, Peter. ''The Rough Guide to Rock''. Rough Guides, 2003. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0.

Eaton, Bruce. ''Big Star's "Radio City" (33 1/3)''. Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8264-2898-1.

Gordon, Robert. ''It Came From Memphis''. New York: Pocket Books, 1995. ISBN 0-7434-1045-9.

Jovanovic, Rob. ''Big Star: The Story of Rock's Forgotten Band''. London: Fourth Estate, 2004. ISBN 0-00-714908-5.

External links

Official site

Category:American power pop groups Category:Musical groups established in 1971 Category:Musical groups from Memphis, Tennessee Category:Musical quartets Category:Musical trios Category:Norton Records artists Category:Pre-punk groups Category:Rock music groups from Tennessee Category:Rykodisc artists Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1974 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 1993 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2011

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