Paradise (Old Persian: ''pairidaeza'') and (Modern Persian Language: ''pardis'') is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and idleness. It is often used in the same context as that of utopia.

Paradisaical notions are cross-cultural, often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both. In eschatological contexts, paradise is imagined as an abode of the virtuous dead. In Christian and Islamic understanding, Heaven is a paradisaical relief, evident for example in the Gospel of Luke when Jesus tells a penitent criminal crucified alongside him that they will be together in paradise. In old Egyptian beliefs, the other-world is Aaru, the reed-fields of ideal hunting and fishing grounds where the dead lived after judgment. For the Celts, it was the Fortunate Isle of Mag Mell. For the classical Greeks, the Elysian fields was a paradisaical land of plenty where the heroic and righteous dead hoped to spend eternity. The Vedic Indians held that the physical body was destroyed by fire but recreated and reunited in the Third Heaven in a state of bliss. In the Zoroastrian Avesta, the "Best Existence" and the "House of Song" are places of the righteous dead. On the other hand, in cosmological contexts 'paradise' describes the world before it was tainted by evil. So for example, the Abrahamic faiths associate paradise with the Garden of Eden, that is, the perfect state of the world prior to the fall from grace, and the perfect state that will be restored in the World to Come.

The concept is a topos' in art and literature, particularly of the pre-Enlightenment era, a well-known representative of which is John Milton's ''Paradise Lost''. A paradise should not be confused with a utopia, which is an alternative society.

Etymology and semasiology

The word "paradise" entered English from the French ''paradis'', inherited from the Latin ''paradisus'', from Greek ''parádeisos'' (''παράδεισος''), and ultimately from an Old Iranian root, attested in Avestan as ''pairi.daêza-''. The literal meaning of this Eastern Old Iranian language word is "walled (enclosure)", from ''pairi-'' "around" + ''-diz'' "to create (a wall)". The word is not attested in other Old Iranian languages (these may however be hypothetically reconstructed, for example as Old Persian ''*paridayda-'').

By the 6th/5th century BCE, the Old Iranian word had been adopted as Akkadian ''pardesu'' and Elamite ''partetas'' "domain". It subsequently came to indicate walled estates, especially the carefully tended royal parks and menageries. The term eventually appeared in Greek as ''parádeisos'' "park for animals" in the ''Anabasis'' of the early 4th century BCE Athenian gentleman-scholar Xenophon. Aramaic ''pardaysa'' similarly reflects "royal park".

Hebrew ''pardes'' appears thrice in the Tanakh; in the Song of Solomon 4:13, Ecclesiastes 2:5 and Nehemiah 2:8. In those contexts it could be interpreted as a park, a garden or an orchard. In the 3rd-1st century BCE ''Septuagint'', Greek ''parádeisos'' was used to translate both Hebrew ''pardes'' and Hebrew '''', "garden": it is from this usage that the use of "paradise" to refer to the Garden of Eden derives. This usage also appears in Arabic and the Koran itself as ''firdaws''.

The idea of a walled enclosure was not preserved in most Iranian usage, and generally came to refer to a plantation or other cultivated area, not necessarily walled. For example, the Old Iranian word survives in New Persian ''pālīz'' (or "jālīz"), which denotes a vegetable patch. However, the word park, as well as the similar complex of words that have the same indoeuropean root: garden, yard, girdle, orchard, court, etc., all refer simply to a deliberately ''enclosed'' area, but not necessarily an area enclosed by walls.

For the connection between these ideas and that of the city, compare German ''Zaun'' ("fence"), English ''town'' and Dutch ''tuin'' ("garden"), or ''garden/yard'' with Nordic ''garðr'' and Slavic ''gard'' (both "city").

Religious use

Judaism

The word ''pardes'', borrowed from the Persian word, does not appear before the post-Exilic period (post-538 BCE); it occurs in the Song of Songs 4:13, Ecclesiastes 2:5, and Nehemiah 2:8, in each case meaning "park" or "garden", the original Persian meaning of the word, where it describes to the royal parks of Cyrus the Great by Xenophon in Anabasis.

Later in Second Temple era Judaism "paradise" came to be associated with the Garden of Eden and prophesies of restoration of Eden, and transferred to heaven. The Septuagint uses the word around 30 times, both of Eden, (Gen.2:7 etc.) and of Eden restored (Ezek. 28:13, 36:35) etc. In the Apocalypse of Moses, Adam and Eve are expelled from paradise (instead of Eden) after having been tricked by the serpent. Later after the death of Adam, the Archangel Michael carries the body of Adam to be buried in Paradise, which is in the Third Heaven.

Later in Rabbinical Judaism the word 'Pardes' recurs, but less often in the Second Temple context of Eden or restored Eden. Tosefta Hagigah14b uses the word of the veil around mystic philosophy.

The Zohar gives the word a mystical interpretation, and associates it with the four kinds of Biblical exegesis: ''peshat'' (literal meaning), ''remez'' (allusion), ''derash'' (anagogical), and ''sod'' (mystic). The initial letters of those four words then form – ''p(a)rd(e)s'', which was in turn felt to represent the fourfold interpretation of the Torah (in which ''sod'' – the mystical interpretation – ranks highest).

Christianity

The New Testament use and understanding of paradise parallels that of contemporary Judaism. The word is used three times in the New Testament writings:

Luke 23:43 - by Jesus on the cross, in response to the thief's request that Jesus remember him when he came in his kingdom.

2 Cor.12:4 - in Paul's description of a man's description of a third heaven paradise, which may in fact be a vision Paul himself saw.

Rev.2:7 - in a reference to the Gen.2:8 paradise and the tree of life

In the 2nd century AD, Irenaeus distinguished paradise from heaven. In ''Against Heresies'', he wrote that only those deemed worthy would inherit a home in heaven, while others would enjoy paradise, and the rest live in the restored Jerusalem (which was mostly a ruin after the Jewish–Roman wars but was rebuilt beginning with Constantine the Great). Origen likewise distinguished paradise from heaven, describing paradise as the earthly "school" for souls of the righteous dead, preparing them for their ascent through the celestial spheres to heaven.

Tension between these two competing Christian views of paradise may be responsible for a textual difference in one of the three New Testament verses using the word, Luke 23:43. For example the two early Syriac versions translate Luke 23:43 differently. The Curetonian Gospels read "Today I tell you that you will be with me in paradise", whereas the Sinaitic Palimpsest reads "I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise". Likewise the two earliest Greek codices with punctuation disagree: Codex Vaticanus has a pause mark in the original ink after 'today', whereas Codex Alexandrinus has the "today in paradise" reading. Today almost all translations follow the "today in Paradise", although there is some support among classical Greek scholars for the reading "today that"

In Christian art Fra Angelico's ''Last Judgement'' painting shows Paradise on its left side. There is a tree of life (and another tree) and a circle dance of liberated souls. In the middle is a hole. In Muslim art it similarly indicates the presence of the Prophet or divine beings. It visually says, 'Those here cannot be depicted.'

Slavic Christianity

Slavic languages, and Romanian which is not Slavic but Slavic-influenced, have a distinct term for "paradise", "raj" (read "rai") which is generally agreed to derive from Persian ''ray'' and co-exists alongside terms deriving from the Persian word ''pardeis''.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jehovah's purpose from the start was, and is, to have the earth filled with the offspring of Adam and Eve as caretakers of a global paradise. After God had designed this earth for human habitation, however, Adam and Eve rebelled against Jehovah and so they were banished from the Garden of Eden, or Paradise.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the wicked people will be destroyed at Armageddon and that many of the righteous (those faithful and obedient to Jehovah) will live eternally in an earthly Paradise. (Psalms 37:9, 10, 29; Prov. 2:21, 22). Joining the survivors will be resurrected righteous and unrighteous people who died prior to Armageddon (John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15). The latter are brought back because they paid for their sins by their death, and/or also because they lacked opportunity to learn of Jehovah's requirements prior to dying (Rom. 6:23). These will be judged on the basis of their post-resurrection obedience to instructions revealed in new "scrolls" (Rev. 20:12). This provision does not apply to those that Jehovah deems to have sinned against his holy spirit (Matt. 12:31, Luke 12:5).

One of Jesus' last recorded statements before he died were the words to an evildoer hanging alongside him on a torture stake, "You will be with me in Paradise".—Luke 23:43. Witnesses believe scriptures such as Matthew 12:40 and 27:63 and Mark 8:31 and 9:31 show that Jesus himself expected an interval of three days between his own death and resurrection, making impossible a reunion in Paradise on the same day as Jesus' ''"you will be with me in Paradise"'' statement.

Mormonism

In Latter Day Saint theology, paradise usually refers to the spirit world. That is, the place where spirits dwell following death and awaiting the resurrection. In that context, "paradise" is the state of the righteous after death. In contrast, the wicked and those who have not yet learned the gospel of Jesus Christ await the resurrection in spirit prison. After the universal resurrection, all persons will be assigned to a particular kingdom or degree of glory. This may also be termed "paradise".

Islam

In the Qur'an, Paradise is denoted as ''jannah'' (garden), with the highest level being called ''firdaus''. The etymologically equivalent word is derived from the original Avestan counterpart, and used instead of Heaven to describe the ultimate pleasurable place after death, accessible by those who pray, donate to charity, read the Qur'an, believe in: God, the angels, his revealed books, his prophets and messengers, the Day of Judgement and the afterlife, and follow God's will in their life. Heaven in Islam is used to describe the Universe. It is also used in the Qur'an to describe skies in the literal sense, i.e., above earth. In Islam, the bounties and beauty of Heaven are immense, so much so that they are beyond the abilities of mankind’s worldly mind to comprehend.

The Urantia Book

The Urantia Book portrays Paradise as the "eternal center of the universe of universes," and as "the abiding place of the Universal Father, the Eternal Son, the Infinite Spirit, and their divine co-ordinates and associates." The book states that paradise is the primal origin and the final destiny for all spirit personalities, and for all the ascending creatures of the evolutionary worlds of time and space.

See also

References

External links

Etymology of "paradise", Balashon.com

Etymology OnLine, etymonline.com

Category:Christian eschatology Category:Christian cosmology Category:Afterlife Category:Latter Day Saint concepts of the afterlife Category:Concepts of Heaven Category:Iranian loanwords Category:Persian loanwords

an:Paradiso az:Cənnət ba:Ожмах be:Рай be-x-old:Рай bg:Рай bs:Raj ca:Paradís cs:Ráj co:Paradisu da:Paradis el:Παράδεισος es:Paraíso eo:Paradizo fa:پردیس fr:Paradis fy:Paradys fur:Paradîs ko:파라다이스 (낙원) hi:पैराडाइज hr:Raj io:Paradizo it:Paradiso ka:სამოთხე kk:Жәннәт lt:Rojus na:Paradis nl:Paradijs no:Paradis nrm:Paradis pt:Paraíso (religião) ro:Rai ru:Рай sq:Parajsa simple:Paradise sk:Raj sl:Raj ckb:پاردێز sr:Рај sh:Raj sv:Paradis tl:Paraiso uk:Рай

Mike Tompkins (born November 29, 1948) is a U.S. politician who was the Natural Law Party vice presidential candidate during the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections.

Education and career

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he graduated from Harvard University in 1970 and completed his post-graduate studies at Maharishi European Research University (MERU) in Seelisberg, Switzerland in 1984, where he received a doctorate in the Science of Creative Intelligence. He became an associate director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi that defines itself as a "progressive policy think tank."

Political campaigns

In 1992, Tompkins joined John Hagelin as the first national candidates for the Natural Law Party. Hagelin, a quantum physicist, was the director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy and director of the physics department at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. Hagelin and Tompkins received ballot placement in 32 states and their campaign qualifed for federal matching funds.

In 1996, Hagelin and Tompkins ran again as the presidential and vice presidential candidates on the Natural Law Party. During a campaign stop at the University of Houston, Tompkins defended the party’s place in the U.S. political landscape by stating, "The Natural Law Party was founded as an alternative to the Republicans and Democrats, and an answer to the great many issues and great many solutions that were not being brought to the public. We are building this party as a permanent part of the American political landscape. We want to win and influence debate…(America has) the least democratic society. We have made a political system that excludes new voices, new people and new ideas."

Hagelin and Tomkins received 39,000 votes, or 0.04% of the total voter input, in 1992. In 1996, they were on the ballot in 44 states and received 110,000 votes, or 0.1% of the total voter input. In 2000, Hagelin ran for president again on the Natural Law Party, but Tompkins was replaced as the vice presidential candidate by Internet entrepreneur Nat Goldhaber.

References

Category:American people of English descent Category:Harvard University alumni Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts Category:Transcendental Meditation practitioners Category:United States vice-presidential candidates, 1992 Category:United States vice-presidential candidates, 1996 Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:Natural Law Party (United States) politicians

name	Fedde le Grand
landscape	yes
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Fedde le Grand
birth date	September 07, 1977
Birth place	Utrecht, Netherlands
genre	Eurodance, House, Electro house, Tech House, Techno
occupation	DJ, producer Fiancè- Tana StCyr 2002-Current
years active	2003-present
label	Flamingo Recordings, Ministry of Sound Australia, Toolroom Records
website	Official Web Site }}

Fedde le Grand (born 7 September 1977) is a Dutch house DJ and producer whose single "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit" (UK/US) / "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit" (Europe, excluding UK) reached number one on the UK's singles and the top 5 in the Dutch singles chart, and spent five weeks in the Spanish dance chart. On 28 October 2009, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records artist Fedde le Grand placed at #29., climbing to #21 in 2010 and #14 in 2011.

Biography

1998 - 2000

Inspired by Masters At Work and Mousse T, Fedde le Grand kicks off his DJ career in the Danssalon in Eindhoven. For two years he is the resident DJ on the Sunday night. He also plays Dutch clubs like Panama, the Escape and the Love Boat in Amsterdam, and Jackies, Thalia, Discothèque and Now & Wow in Rotterdam, De Rechter in Eindhoven and he can also be seen at Extrema. Fedde le Grand is also popular abroad and performs in Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Russia, Greece and Israel.

2001 - 2006

From 2001 Fedde le Grand works on his own productions. His first release, under the name F.L.G., is the Electronic EP on Flamingo Recordings, a co-production with Robin M and with contributions from Funkerman (Ardie van Beek). Le Grand's records are released on labels such as Little Mountain Recordings (Sander Kleinenberg's label), Influence, Work and the British labels CR2 Records and Toolroom. Le Grand makes remixes for artists like Anita Kelsey (Every Kiss, 2004), Erick E (Boogie Down, 2005 and The Beat Is Rockin', 2006), Funkerman (The One, 2005), Olav Basoski (Proper Tunes, 2006) and Camille Jones (The Creeps, 2006). The DJ is a regular guest in Dutch radio show Ministry of Beats on 3FM radio. Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit (2006), an electro track with vocals by Mc Gee, is officially awarded 'the summer anthem of Ibiza 2006'. The single climbs to the top slot of the UK charts and is also a big dance hit in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Australia. Hiphop crew D12 from Detroit (known for their work with Eminem) puts out a vocal version of the hit record. Le Grand provides a remix for Robbie Williams' single Bongo Bong/Je Ne T'Aime Plus.

2007

In March the DJ commences an Australian tour and as of May he tours the US. Fedde le Grand wins three prizes at the International Dance Music Awards staged at the Winter Music Conference in Miami (March). Not only he is Best Breakthrough Solo Artist, but also his hit Put Your Hands Up For Detroit is awarded in the categories Best Breaks/Electro Track and Best Underground Dance Track. On March 31 he receives a Danish Dance Award. On July Fedde le Grand he appears at Amsterdam's Westerpark edition of the worldwide Live Earth festival, supervised by climate guru Al Gore, who raises awareness for the global warming problem. Especially for this event Fedde le Grand writes the Mirror070707 Anthem. The festival is broadcast live on public Nederland 3 (TV) en 3FM (radio). At the same day Le Grand is prominently on the bill of dance event Sensation White at the Amsterdam Arena. During the tenth edition of the DJ Awards on Ibiza, Fedde Le Grand wins in the category Breakthrough. Le Grand's remix of Let Me Think About It, sung by Danish singer Ida Corr, reaches the Top 3 of the British charts. This makes it the third British hit single for the producer within a year. In the annual Top 100 of the influential British DJ Mag Le Grand the 22nd place which makes him the Highest New Entry. Under the name The Flamingo Project the single Take No Shhhhhhhh is released.

2008

Fedde le Grand's club hit Put Your Hands Up For Detroit is mixed with Madonna's Music during the opening of Madonna's live shows. The American singer asks Le Grand to do a remix of her single Give It 2 Me, which is to be released in July. After Junkie XL Fedde Le Grand is now the second Dutchman to do a remix for Madonna.

2009

The title track of Le Grand's debut album Output (September) is used in the promo videos of the OUTPUT World Tour and the Flamingo Nights. It's also being played by the DJ during the Ultra Festival in March in Miami. The first single of the album is released in May: Scared of Me, with vocals by Mitch Crown and a remix by Dutch producer Hardwell (Robbert van de Corput). Mitch Crown can also be heard on the Let Me Be Real (August). One of the remixes of the fusion between pop and dance is done by Kraak & Smaak.

2010

The single Back & Forth has vocals by MC Mr. V. from New York (real name: Victor Font), whom Fedde Le Grand has met at the Miami Winter Music Conference in 2008. Le Grand again travels around the world for performances. He plays in Las Vegas and Chicago (January), Lausanne, Lyon, Munich, Bangkok and Jakarta (February), São Paulo and Miami (March), Casablanca, Berlin, Budapest, Birmingham and Düsseldorf (April), Hong Kong, Singapore, Quebec, Toronto, Seattle and San Francisco (May), Ibiza, London, Los Angeles and Broek op Langendijk (June). The DJ has just finished his set at the Love Parade in Duisburg, Germany, on 24 July, when 20 people are crushed to death at the entrance to the festival grounds. He offers his condolences to the victims on Twitter. The world tour continues in July and Augustus with performances in England, France, Turkey, Lebanon, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Romania. A tour around the USA with stop in New York, Los Angeles, and The Necto (nightclub) in Ann Arbor.

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		! style="width:45px;"
! scope="row"		* Release date: 19 October 2009	* Label: Flamingo Records	Compact disc>CD	63

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions												Album
		! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"
2004		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
		15	—	14	30	12	—	12	—	22	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	40	—	—	—
	8	56	14	—	5	—	1	34	5	—	61	—
		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	14	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	22	—	—	—
	14	13	21	—	12	—	—	29	—	12	23	1
		—	—	—	—	—	12	—	—	39	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	39	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
v	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	-
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

External links

Artist Site at Ultra Records

References

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch DJs Category:Dutch house musicians Category:People from Utrecht (city) Category:Ultra Records artists

da:Fedde le Grand de:Fedde le Grand es:Fedde le Grand fr:Fedde le Grand hr:Fedde le Grand it:Fedde Le Grand nl:Fedde le Grand no:Fedde Le Grand pl:Fedde Le Grand pt:Fedde le Grand ro:Fedde le Grand ru:Федди Ле Гранд tr:Fedde le Grand

Name	John Prine
Landscape	yes
Background	solo_singer
Birth date	October 10, 1946
Origin	Maywood, Illinois, United States
Instrument	VocalsGuitar
Genre	CountryFolkProgressive bluegrass
Occupation	Singer-songwriterGuitarist
Years active	1971–present
Label	Atlantic, Asylum, Oh Boy, Rhino
Associated acts	Steve Goodman
Website	www.johnprine.net }}

John Prine (born October 10, 1946, in Maywood, Illinois) is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.

Biography

Prine is the son of William Prine and Verna Hamm. Prine started playing guitar at age 14, taught by his brother, David. Prine attended Proviso East High School, and was a member on the school's gymnastic team. He was a postman for five years and served in the Army during the Vietnam War era, serving in Germany, before beginning his musical career in Chicago.

In the late 1960s, while Prine was delivering mail in Maywood, Illinois, he began to sing at open mic evenings at the Fifth Peg on Armitage Avenue. Prine was initially a spectator, reluctant to perform, but eventually did so in response to a "You think you can do better?" comment made to him by another performer. Chicago ''Sun-Times'' movie critic Roger Ebert heard him there and wrote the first review Prine ever received, calling him a great songwriter. He became a central figure in the Chicago Folk Revival, which also included such singer-songwriters as Steve Goodman, Bonnie Koloc, Jim Post and Fred Holstein. Joined by such established musicians as Jethro Burns and Bob Gibson, Prine performed frequently at such clubs as the Earl of Old Town, the Quiet Knight, Somebody Else's Troubles, The 5th Peg, and the Bulls.

John Prine is currently living in Nashville with his third wife, Fiona Whelan. They have three children, stepson Jody Whelan, Tommy and Jack. Prine has a second residence in Pinellas County, Florida.

Recordings

In 1971 Prine's self-titled debut album was released. He and friend Steve Goodman had each been active in the Chicago folk scene before being "discovered" by Kris Kristofferson (Kristofferson remarked that Prine wrote songs so good that "we'll have to break his thumbs"). The album included his signature songs "Illegal Smile," "Sam Stone," and the folk and country standards "Angel from Montgomery" and "Paradise." The album also included "Hello In There", a song about aging that was later covered by numerous artists and "Far From Me," a lonely waltz about lost love for a waitress that Prine later said was his favorite of all his songs. The album received many positive reviews, and some hailed Prine as "the next Dylan." Bob Dylan himself appeared unannounced at one of Prine's first New York City club appearances, anonymously backing him on harmonica.

Prine's second album, ''Diamonds In The Rough'', was a surprise for many after the critical success of his first LP; it was an uncommercial, stripped-down affair that reflected Prine's fondness for bluegrass music and features songs reminiscent of Hank Williams's work as Luke The Drifter. Highlights include the allegorical "The Great Compromise," which features a recitation and addresses the Vietnam War, and the touching ballad "Souvenirs," which Prine later recorded with Goodman.

Later albums include ''Sweet Revenge'' (1973), containing such fan favorites as "Dear Abby," "Grandpa Was A Carpenter," and "Christmas In Prison", and ''Common Sense'' (1975), with "Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard". The latter album was Prine's first to be charted in the US Top 100 by ''Billboard'', reflecting growing commercial success. It was produced by Steve Cropper. Many veteran Prine fans view the release of 1978's ''Bruised Orange'' as a creative highpoint. The Steve Goodman-produced album gave listeners songs such as "The Hobo Song," "Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone," and the title track showing that he could capture the human condition as easily as writing politically inspired anthems.

In 1974, singer David Allan Coe achieved considerable success on the country charts with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name", co-written by Prine and Goodman. The song good-naturedly spoofed stereotypical country music lyrics. Prine refused to take a songwriter's credit and the tune went to Goodman, although Goodman bought Prine a jukebox as a gift from his publishing royalties.

The 1979 album ''Pink Cadillac'' features two songs produced by legendary Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, who by this time rarely did any studio work. The first song, "Saigon," is about a Vietnam vet traumatized by the war ("The static in my attic's gettin' ready to blow"). During the recording, one of the guitar amps blew up (which is evident on the album track). The other song Phillips produced is "How Lucky," about Prine's hometown. "Chinatown," the first song on the record, contains what is Prine's most controversial lyrics, including a reference to "a slant-eyed chicky" and the line "I got a sugar rush that'd make a nigger blush." The song initially appears completely at odds with the liberal-minded songwriter's previous work and baffled many fans and critics. It should be noted, however, that other songwriters of the era, such as Randy Newman and John Lennon, also wrote songs using strong, potentially offensive language, and Prine may have been assuming a character in a song whose lyrics did not reflect his own beliefs.

Prine continued writing and recording albums throughout the 1980s and formed his own record label, Oh Boy Records. His songs continued to be covered by other artists; the country supergroup The Highwaymen recorded "The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over," which had been written by Prine and Goodman. Steve Goodman died of leukemia in 1984 and Prine continues to perform many of Goodman's songs in concert to this day, such as "My Old Man."

In 1991, Prine released the Grammy Award-winning ''The Missing Years'', his first collaboration with producer and Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein. The title song records Prine's humorous take on what Jesus did in the unrecorded years between his childhood and ministry. In 1995, ''Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings'' was released, another collaboration with Epstein. Prine followed in 1999 with ''In Spite of Ourselves'', which was unusual for him in that it contained only one original song—the rest were covers of classic country songs—and all were duets with well-known female country vocalists, including Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Dolores Keane, and Iris DeMent (whom Prine appeared with on the Letterman Show & referred to as his "favorite girl singers".)

In 2001 John co-starred in the Billy Bob Thornton movie Daddy & Them (Alvin Montgomery), and "In Spite of Ourselves" can be heard as the end credits roll .

Cancer

In early 1998, Prine was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer on the right side of his neck. He had surgery to remove the diseased tissue and was left with a substantial loss of tissue. This was followed by six weeks of radiation therapy. The surgery altered his vocals, and has added a "gravel" tone to his voice.

Awards and influence

In 2003, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting by the UK's BBC Radio 2 and that same year was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The following year saw his song "Sam Stone" covered by Laura Cantrell for the Future Soundtrack for America compilation.

Prine has taken his place as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. In 2009, Bob Dylan told the Huffington Post that Prine was one of his favourite writers, stating "Prine's stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. I remember when Kris Kristofferson first brought him on the scene. All that stuff about "Sam Stone," the soldier junkie daddy, and "Donald and Lydia," where people make love from ten miles away. Nobody but Prine could write like that." In Johnny Cash's autobiography ''Cash'', he admitted "I don't listen to music much at the farm, unless I'm going into songwriting mode and looking for inspiration. Then I'll put on something by the writers I've admired and used for years (Rodney Crowell, John Prine, Guy Clark, and the late Steve Goodman are my Big Four)..." When asked by ''Word Magazine'' in 2008 if he heard Pink Floyd's influence in newer British bands like Radiohead, Roger Waters replied "I don't really listen to Radiohead. I listened to the albums and they just didn't move me in the way, say, John Prine does. His is just extra-ordinarily eloquent music—and he lives on that plane with Neil Young and Lennon." Prine received the Artist of the Year award at the Americana Music Awards on September 9, 2005. The award was accepted in his name by awards host and long-time friend Billy Bob Thornton.

Recent years

Prine recorded a version of Stephen Foster's "Old Kentucky Home" in 2004 for the compilation album ''Beautiful Dreamer'', which won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in 2005.

In 2005, Prine released his first all-new offering since ''Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings'', the album ''Fair & Square'', which tended toward a more laid-back, acoustic approach than, for example, ''Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings''. The album contains songs such as "Safety Joe," about a man who has never taken any risks in his life, and also "Some Humans Ain't Human," Prine's protest piece on the album, which talks about the ugly side of human nature and includes a quick shot at President George W. Bush. ''Fair & Square'' won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. The album contains original songs plus two covers: A.P. Carter's "Bear Creek Blues" and Blaze Foley's "Clay Pigeons."

2010 kicked off with a flurry of Prine activity, as he stopped by ''The Marty Stuart Show'' on RFD-TV in January to perform three of his most popular recordings: "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness," "Souvenirs," & "Paradise." Later in May Prine appeared on Late Show With David Letterman, performing "All The Best" with Jim James of the band My Morning Jacket.

On July 3, 2010, Prine appeared at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, broadcast on American Public Media's A Prairie Home Companion, playing several of his songs.

On September 30, 2011, Prine played a thirteen song set on the main Banjo Stage at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco, California.

Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows

On June 22, 2010 Oh Boy Records released a tribute album titled "Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows: The Songs of John Prine". The album features members of the modern folk revival including My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lambchop, Josh Ritter, Drive-By Truckers, Nickel Creek's Sara Watkins, Deer Tick featuring Liz Isenberg, Justin Townes Earle, Those Darlins, and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	Peak chart positions					Label
		! style="width:45px;"	! style="width:45px;"	! style="width:45px;"	! style="width:45px;"	! style="width:45px;"
1971							rowspan="5"
1972
1973
1975
1976	''Prime Prine: The Best of John Prine''
1978	''Bruised Orange''						rowspan="3"
1979
1980	''Storm Windows''
1984	''Aimless Love''						rowspan="4"
1986	''German Afternoons''
1988	''John Prine Live''
1991
	''Great Days: The John Prine Anthology''
''A John Prine Christmas''						rowspan="9"
1995	''Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings''
1997
1999	''In Spite of Ourselves''
2000
2005	''Fair & Square''
2007	''Standard Songs For Average People''(with Mac Wiseman)
2010	''In Person & On Stage''
2011	''Singing Mailman Delivers''

Guest singles

Year	Single	Artist	Peak positions	Album
			! width="65"
1992		Buzzin' Cousins	68	align="left"

References

External links

''A Literary Evening with John Prine and Ted Kooser.'' March 9, 2005. The Poetry and Literature Center at the Library of Congress.

Interview with John Prine - KyndMusic, September 2005

1971 Radio Interview with John Prine on WGLD Oak Park - fr JOHNPRINE.NET

Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:American country musicians Category:American folk singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Old Town School of Folk musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Cancer survivors Category:Folk musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Maywood, Illinois Category:Mail carriers

de:John Prine es:John Prine fr:John Prine nl:John Prine sv:John Prine

Name	Alejandro Sanz
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro
Birth date	December 18, 1968
Origin	Madrid, Spain
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano
Genre	Latin pop
Occupation	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1988–present
Label	Warner Music Benelux
Associated acts	Juanes, Shakira, Alicia Keys, Calle 13
Website	AlejandroSanz.com }}

Alejandro Sanz (born Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro on December 18, 1968) is a Spanish singer-songwriter and musician. For his work, Sanz has won a total of fifteen Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards. He has won the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year three times, more than any other artist. Throughout his career, he has released a total of ten studio albums and six DVDs. The singer is noted for his flamenco-influenced ballads, but he has also experimented with rock, salsa, and hip hop.

Born in Madrid, Sanz began playing guitar at age seven, taking influence from his family's flamenco roots. He released his debut album at age sixteen, although he did not gain commercial success until his second release, ''Viviendo Deprisa''. His next two records, ''Si Tú Me Miras'' and ''3'' also fared well commercially, but it was his 1997 breakthrough album ''Más'' that garnered international success. ''El Alma al Aire'' followed in 2000, selling more than a million copies in its first week.

In 2002, he became the first Spanish artist to record an ''MTV Unplugged'' album. His collaboration with Shakira on the single "La Tortura" reached number one on several charts worldwide. His albums ''No Es lo Mismo'' (2003) and ''El Tren de los Momentos'' (2006) showed Sanz experimenting with more diverse styles of music, while his most recent release, ''Paraíso Express'' (2009) served as a return to form for the musician. He signed to Universal Music Group in 2011 and is reported to be working on his tenth studio album.

Early life

Sanz was born in Madrid, Spain, on December 18, 1968, the youngest son of María Pizarro and Jesús Sánchez. He grew up in the high-crime neighborhood of Moratalaz in eastern Madrid. Sanz recalled that "Back then, kids grew up on the street...I was a bit like the group troubadour; the one who played the guitar and sang. That kept me out of a lot of trouble." Sanz's father, a door-to-door book salesman, played guitar professionally, which inspired seven-year-old Sanz to learn to play the instrument. He pursued the instrument with an intensity that eventually frustrated his mother, who broke his guitar one morning after his playing kept the family from sleeping.

He was exposed to traditional flamenco music as a child while vacationing each summer in his parents' native Andalucía in southern Spain. Originally, Sanz intended to become a flamenco performer, but he found the music teachers to be overly strict. Commenting on his early experiences, Sanz explained, "Flamenco can be very hard on beginners. If you lose the rhythm, they toss you out with, 'You're no good, boy!' They're very strict and very cruel. But it's also a marvelous education, because you either learn to play or else." He felt that he could not compete with his peers, and decided to focus on creating pop music with flamenco influences, viewing flamenco to be a "lifestyle" better suited to others.

Recording career

1989–96: First four albums

As a teenager, Sanz performed in various venues in his hometown. He became acquainted with Miguel Ángel Arenas, a music industry executive who had signed several popular Spanish groups such as Mecano. Arenas helped Sanz find work, eventually leading to a record deal with the Spanish label Hispavox. In 1989, sixteen-year-old Sanz released his debut album, ''Los Chulos Son Pa' Cuidarlos'' under the name of Alejandro Magno (Spanish for "Alexander the Great"). The record, which fused techno and flamenco, was met with critical and commercial indifference, and today Sanz views the record to be "insignificant". However, the album is now considered to be a collector's item. In an attempt to promote ''Los Chulos Son Pa' Cuidarlos'', he performed at strip clubs, playing short sets between acts. This proved to be unsuccessful and Sanz took a break from music, choosing to study business administration. He also took a job at a recording studio in which he wrote material for other artists. He persuaded Arenas to send demos of his songs to record companies, which led to being signed by Warner Music Latina. At this time, he began performing under his current name.

Sanz's rise to fame began in 1991, when he released his first album from Warner, ''Viviendo Deprisa''. The record and the songs "Pisando Fuerte" and "Se le Apagó la Luz" helped him gain a dedicated fan base in Spain. In 1993, he released ''Si Tú Me Miras'' shortly followed by a live album, titled ''Básico''. That same year, he recorded a song entitled "Mi Primera Canción" with flamenco pioneer Paco de Lucía, whom Sanz idolized as a child. He released his third studio album, ''3'', in 1995. In addition to Spanish, ''3'' was also released in Italian and Portuguese. "La Fuerza del Corazón", the first single released from ''3'', was his first song to chart internationally. All three albums proved to be successful, reaching multi-platinum status in Spain.

1997–2002: ''Más'', ''El Alma al Aire'', and ''MTV Unplugged''

Sanz spent two years in Milan, Italy to work on a follow-up for ''3''. For the album, he wished to create a "true fusion" of many different sounds, and began studying the saxophone and piano in addition to guitar. In 1997, Sanz released his fifth studio album, ''Más'', a record containing ballads strongly influenced by flamenco, pop, and tropical rhythms. Driven by the singles "Corazón Partío", "Y, ¿Si Fuera Ella?", "Amiga Mía", "Aquello Que Me Diste", and "Siempre Es de Noche", ''Más'' sold more than two million copies in Spain and was certified 22× Platinum in the country, making it the best-selling album in Spanish history. The album remained on the ''Billboard'' Latin Albums chart for 74 weeks, and one year after the record's release, Sanz was granted an Ondas Award for Best Song for "Corazón Partío". According to David Cazares of the ''South Florida Sun-Sentinel'', the album "made Sanz an international star on the strength of the pop-salsa hit 'Corazón Partío', a song on the lips of fans from Spain to Cuba and the United States." Following the success of the album, Sanz began touring in United States for the first time.

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His fifth album, ''El Alma al Aire'', released September 26, 2000, featured Sanz exploring diverse genres of music, including jazz, R&B;, soul and tango. In Spain, the album sold more than one million copies in the first week, breaking the record of one million copies sold in four months, also set by Sanz with his previous album, ''Más''. At the 2001 Latin Grammy Awards, Sanz walked away with four awards: Best Pop Male Vocal Album and Album of the Year for ''El Alma al Aire'', and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for the title track from the album. Later that year, ''El Alma al Aire'' was released in a special edition including Sanz's duets with Irish band The Corrs. In October 2001, Sanz collaborated with Michael Jackson and various other artists on the Spanish version of the charity single "What More Can I Give", which benefited the victims of the September 11 attacks.

In 2002, Sanz recorded ''MTV Unplugged'' at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. He was the first Spanish artist to record and release an ''MTV Unplugged'' album. For Sanz, the recording of the album "changed the way I do my music. It was a rediscovery of how to perform, and also how to record, music with live musicians. That was the spirit of the music in its pure form, though [it is ironic] that the more people who are playing, the more simple it is." With the ''MTV Unplugged'', he garnered three Latin Grammy Awards (Album of the Year, Recording of the Year and Song of the Year for "Y Sólo Se Me Ocurre Amarte").

2003–07: ''No Es lo Mismo'' and ''El Tren de los Momentos''

On September 2, 2003, Sanz released his sixth studio album, ''No Es lo Mismo''. On this record, Sanz took a more political approach than he had on previous releases. The song "Sandy a Orilla do Mundo" discusses oil spills on the Spanish coast, while "Labana" tells the story of people fleeing from Cuba on makeshift rafts. The album won four awards at the 2004 Latin Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Sanz was unable to attend the event and his awards were accepted by presenters and colleagues. Also in 2004, he became the first Spanish musician to give a lecture at Harvard University, speaking about Hispanic culture at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies.

In 2005, Sanz collaborated with Shakira on her song "La Tortura". Co-written by Sanz, the song became an international hit, breaking the record for the most weeks at the number one spot on the Hot Latin Songs chart. The song exposed Sanz to a more diverse audience, and helped build anticipation for his next release. The first single from the album ''El Tren de los Momentos'', "A la Primera Persona", became his first song to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 100 on the chart. The record was also noted for its guest appearances, which featured Shakira, Juanes, Alex González of Maná, and Residente of Calle 13.

In the spring of 2007, Sanz suffered a mental breakdown and took two months off in the middle of a world tour at the request of his doctor. The breakdown was caused by several events in his personal life, including the death of his father in 2005, his separation with Mexican model and actress Jaydy Mitchel, and his announcement that he had a three-year-old son outside of his marriage with Mitchel. He commented on the situation, saying "You have to put things in perspective. It was stress, something that had never affected me, but this time, yes, it did. So I had to pay. A doctor told me to stop for a couple of months to recuperate completely." Sanz spent time in therapy, a time which "helped [him] a lot" and gave him "more power" to perform.

In a press conference in late 2007, he criticized Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, calling him "undemocratic" in the wake of a petition made by Venezuelan citizens to prevent Chávez from running for re-election. Sanz further stated "If they gave me 3 million signatures to stop singing, I would stop singing immediately." Supporters of Chávez subsequently gathered 230,000 signatures in response to Sanz' comments.

2008–present: ''Paraíso Express''

To promote his new record, ''Paraíso Express'', Sanz started a campaign in which fans could create a video about their definition of paradise and upload it to his YouTube channel. Artists such as Shakira, Laura Pausini and Paulina Rubio also participated. On November 10, 2009, Sanz released ''Paraíso Express''. This record was described as a return to form for Sanz, focusing more on melody as opposed to the experimentation he pursued on his previous two albums. He commented that "On this album, I first composed the melody and then the lyrics. It is more of a rock album than my past releases, with more elegant and positive lyrics and a happier and more rhythmic spirit."

The bilingual single "Looking for Paradise" featuring Alicia Keys reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart. At the 2010 Latin Grammy Awards, the album was nominated Album of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Album, while the single "Desde Cuándo" received both Record and Song of the Year nominations. On February 15, 2011, Sanz announced that he would be signing with Universal Music Group after twenty years with Warner.

Musical style

Sanz is known for his distinctive raspy vocals, which he attributes to his flamenco roots, crediting singer Camarón de la Isla as a major influence. His song "Sí, He Cantado Mal" (Yes, I Have Sung Badly) from ''No Es lo Mismo'' references this, with Sanz saying "I'm laughing a little at myself so that I can laugh at other things. Sometimes, I'm harder on myself than any music critic can be. I'm laughing at that." Throughout his youth, Sanz was heavily influenced by English-language heavy metal groups such as Iron Maiden and Dio, referring to himself as a "heavy metal radical". He also feels that living in the city of Cadiz had a major impact on his musical style, where "Any 7-year-old kid you find knows how to play guitar, play the cajón, knows how to sing. When the family comes together we start to sing. In a way it's not just music, it's culture."

Early in his career, his music generally consisted of romantic ballads. However, in the late 1990s, his collaborations with other artists greatly expanded his musical style. On ''No Es lo Mismo'', he experimented with rock, salsa, and hip hop. While recording the album, he noted that he often entered the studio with a rough idea for a song and the guest artists would "contaminate it with their rhythms...in a good way." ''El Tren de los Momentos'' continued this pattern of musical experimentation, featuring diverse genres such as funk, jazz, and country. Despite this, Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic described his musical evolution by saying "Even as Sanz broadened his style over the years, he never ventured far from his strength: romantic songs, generally ballads, tinged with flamenco and sung wholeheartedly with his distinct voice."

Personal life

Sanz married Mexican fashion model and actress Jaydy Michel in Bali on December 30, 1999, but this marriage was never legally recognized in either of their home countries. Sanz felt that having a legally recognized marriage was unnecessary: "My wife is my wife and I am her husband. For me, that has enough validity...I am married with the heart." The couple separated in 2005. Their daughter, Manuela Sánchez Michel, was born in 2001. Sanz later had a son named Alexander with Valeria Rivera, a Puerto Rican fashion designer.

Sanz welcomed his third child in New York, a boy named Dylan (b. July 2011), the first child from his relationship with girlfriend and former assistant, Raquel Perera. Sanz chose flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía to be the godfather to his son. Sanz and Perera are godparents to David Bisbal's daughter, Ella. On May 23, 2012, Sanz married Raquel Perera in a private ceremony in Barcelona.

In addition to music, Sanz enjoys painting, which he often does while trying to create ideas for new songs. He explains that painting "teaches you that taking risks rarely leads to failure. In fact, from the moment you assume a risk, you have succeeded."

Discography

Studio albums

1989: ''Los Chulos Son Pa' Cuidarlos''

1991: ''Viviendo Deprisa''

1993: ''Si Tú Me Miras''

1993: ''Básico''

1995: ''3''

1997: ''Más''

2000: ''El Alma al Aire''

2003: ''No Es lo Mismo''

2006: ''El Tren de los Momentos''

2009: ''Paraíso Express''

External links

Alejandro Sanz's Official Site Alejandro Sanz's Official Red Alejandro Sanz Biography

References

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Spanish singers Category:Spanish male singers Category:Spanish-language singers Category:Italian-language singers Category:Portuguese-language singers Category:Spanish singer-songwriters Category:People from Madrid Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:People from Miami, Florida Category:World Music Awards winners

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