Look up please in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Please may refer to:

Music [link]

• Please (Pet Shop Boys album), 1986
• Please (Matt Nathanson album), 1993
• "Please" (Toni Braxton song), 2005
• "Please" (The Kinleys song)
• "Please" (U2 song), 1997
• "Please (You Got That...)", a 1993 song by INXS
• "Please", a song by The Apples in Stereo from Velocity of Sound
• "Please", a song by Lamb from Between Darkness and Wonder
• "Please", a song by Tom McRae from The Alphabet of Hurricanes
• "Please", a song by Nine Inch Nails from The Fragile
• "Please", a song by Paul Hartnoll from The Ideal Condition
• "Please", a song by Chris Isaak from Speak of the Devil
• "Please", a song by Robin Gibb
• "Please", a song by Ludo
• "Please", a song by Staind

Other uses [link]

• Please! or Onegai, an anime series
• PLEASE, a keyword in the INTERCAL programming language

See also[link]

• "Please, Please", a song by McFly
• Please, Please, Please (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

Ice cubes in a glass of iced tea

Ice cubes are small, roughly cube-shaped pieces of ice, conventionally used to cool beverages. Ice cubes are sometimes preferred over crushed ice because they melt more slowly; they are standard in mixed drinks that call for ice, in which case the drink is said to be "on the rocks."

Ice cubes that are crushed or sheared into irregularly-shaped flakes may add an interesting aesthetic effect to some cocktails. Crushed ice is also used when faster cooling is desired, since the rate of cooling is governed by the number and average radius of the ice particles.^[1]

Melting ice cubes sometimes precipitate white flakes, commonly known as "floaties". This is calcium carbonate which is present in many water supplies and is completely harmless.^{[citation needed]}

Origin[link]

Gorrie's ice machine.

American physician and humanitarian John Gorrie built a refrigerator in 1844 with the purpose of cooling air. His refrigerator produced ice which he hung from the ceiling in a basin. Gorrie can be considered the creator of ice cubes, but his aim was not to cool drinks: he used the ice to lower the ambient room temperature. During his time, a dominant idea was that bad air quality caused disease. Therefore, in order to help treat sickness, he pushed for the draining of swamps and the cooling of sickrooms.

Methods of production[link]

Ice cubes are produced domestically by filling an ice cube tray with water and placing it in a freezer. Many freezers also come equipped with an icemaker, which produces ice cubes automatically and stores them in a bin from which they can be dispensed directly into a glass.

Ice cube tray[link]

Ice cubes in a tray

Ice cube trays are designed to be filled with water, then placed in a freezer until the water freezes to ice, producing ice cubes. Trays are often flexible, so the frozen cubes can be easily removed by flexing the tray. Twist ice trays have a simple spring loaded mechanism with a lever that is used to turn the tray upside down and flex at the same time such that the cubes drop are collected in a removable tray below and return the ice cube tray to its upright position without removing it from the freezer which can save time and reduces accidents and mess, though the tray has to be removed to be collected and the ice cube tray still has to be removed to be refilled. An alternative system is an aluminum tray with a lever that raises the ice cubes, freeing them from the tray. A motorized version of this is found in most automatic ice-making freezers.

While the usual shape of the ice 'cube' is roughly cubical, there are trays that dispense hemispherical or cylindrical blocks. These are commonly referred to as ice tubes. Some novelty trays produce blocks of ice in seasonal, festive or other shapes.

The first rubber ice cube tray was invented by Lloyd Groff Copeman. One day in 1928, while walking through some woods collecting sap for maple syrup, Copeman noticed that slush and ice flaked off his rubber boots rather than adhering to them. Having recalled this incident over lunch with his patent attorney, he conducted experiments using rubber cups. Later, he set about designing and then patenting different types of tray: a metal tray with rubber separators, a metal tray with individual rubber cups, and a tray made completely of rubber.^[2]

The first flexible stainless steel, all-metal ice cube tray was created by Guy L. Tinkham in 1933. The tray bent sideways to remove the ice cubes.

Several companies now offer pre-filled disposable ice trays for home freezing, which they claim provide better taste and reduced risk of contamination.^[3]

Large-scale ice cube production[link]

Dedicated ice-maker machines can be used to produce ice cubes for laboratories and academic use. Ice cubes are also produced commercially and sold in bulk; these ice cubes, despite their name, are often cylindrical, and may have holes through the center.

An interesting characteristic of commercially made ice cubes is that they are completely clear, lacking the clouding found in the center of domestically made ice cubes. Cloudy ice cubes result when water is frozen quickly, or when the water is high in dissolved solids. When water is cooled to its freezing point, and ice starts to form, dissolved gases can no longer stay in solution and come out as microscopic bubbles. However, as ice floats in water, once there is enough ice to form a layer on the surface, the ice layer traps all bubbles within the ice cube. Commercial ice-makers use a flowing source of purified water to make ice with cooling elements at the bottom, allowing the bubbles to be washed away from the top as the cube grows.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

Listen to this article (info/dl)

This audio file was created from a revision of the "Ice cube" article dated 2006-05-10, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)

More spoken articles

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ice cubes

• Ice pack
• Pagophagia
• Refrigeration
• Ice

References[link]

1. ↑ Rauch, Jeffrey (1975). "The mathematical theory of crushed ice". Partial differential equations and related topics (Program, Tulane Univ., New Orleans, La., 1974). Berlin, New York (the state): Springer-Verlag. pp. 370–379. MR0427863. 
2. ↑ "www.lloydcopeman.com: Biography". http://www.lloydcopeman.com/biography/CopemanStory.pdf. 
3. ↑ "After Bottled Water? Purified Ice Cubes". http://www.aquaice.com/PressRelease_WSJ_2006.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-03. 

External links[link]

Look up ice cube in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Hot water can freeze faster than cold water (Subscription required)

Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton on the Vh1 Divas 2009 Red Carpet
Background information
Birth name	Toni Michelle Braxton
Born	(1967-10-07) October 7, 1967 (age 44) Severn, Maryland, United States
Genres	R&B, soul, pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1989–present
Labels	LaFace, Arista, Blackground, Atlantic
Associated acts	The Braxtons, Tamar Braxton, Babyface, Kenny G, Lisa Lopes
Website	www.tonibraxton.com

Toni Michelle Braxton (born October 7, 1967)^[1] is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide. She has a contralto vocal type.^{[citation needed]}

Braxton topped the Billboard 200 with her 1993 self-titled debut album and continued that streak with her second studio album Secrets, which spawned the number-one hits "You're Makin' Me High" and "Un-Break My Heart". Although she had successful albums and singles, Braxton shortly filed for bankruptcy, but then returned with her chart-topping third album, The Heat. In 2009, she returned to the spotlight with "Yesterday", a #12 R&B hit which serves as the first single off her new album Pulse, released on May 4, 2010, which debuted at #1 on Billboard R&B Album Chart.^[2] Braxton was involved in the 7th season of the reality show Dancing with the Stars. Her professional partner was Alec Mazo. She was voted off in week five of the competition. It was announced on October 6, 2010 that Braxton once again had filed for bankruptcy. A reality series entitled Braxton Family Values, starring Toni and her sisters, debuted April 12, 2011 on WE tv. WE tv ordered a 13-episode second season of the show after the third episode of the first season. On September 18, 2011, Braxton was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Early life and education[link]

Braxton was born in Severn, Maryland. Toni's father, Michael Conrad Braxton, was a Methodist^[3][4] clergyman and power company worker, and her mother, Evelyn, a native of South Carolina, was a former opera singer and cosmetologist, as well as a pastor.^[5][6] The Braxton children were raised in a strict religious household.^[7] Braxton's first performing experience was singing in her church choir.^[7]

Toni and brother Michael Braxton Jr. are the eldest of the siblings, followed by younger sisters Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar.

She attended Bowie State University to obtain a teaching degree^[8] but decided to sing professionally after she was discovered by William E. Pettaway Jr., who heard her singing to herself while pumping gas.^[9]

Music career[link]

[edit] 1989–92: The Braxtons

Braxton and her four sisters (Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar) began performing as The Braxtons in the late 1980s and were signed to Arista Records in 1989. Their first single, "Good Life", was released in 1990.^[10] Though the song was not successful, it attracted the attention of Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.^[10]

With Braxton's low register sounding similar to that of Anita Baker,^{[citation needed]} Reid and Babyface recruited her to record a demo of "Love Shoulda Brought You Home", a song that they had written for Anita Baker for the soundtrack of Eddie Murphy's film, Boomerang. Baker, who was pregnant at the time,^[11] did not record the song but suggested that Braxton record it. Her recording was later included on the soundtrack along with "Give U My Heart", a duet by Braxton and Babyface. Braxton, meanwhile, was signed to Reid and Edmonds' Arista-distributed imprint, LaFace Records, and immediately began recording her solo debut album.

[edit] 1993–95: Toni Braxton

On July 13, 1993, LaFace Records released Braxton's self-titled debut album, Toni Braxton.^[12] The album, which was primarily produced by Reid, Babyface, and Daryl Simmons, peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart.^[13] The first single, "Another Sad Love Song", peaked at number seven and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts respectively.^[14] The album's second single, "Breathe Again" peaked in the top five of both the Hot 100 and R&B singles charts^[14] and no 2 in the UK.^[15] More singles from Toni Braxton were released in 1994, including "You Mean the World to Me", "Seven Whole Days", "I Belong to You", and "How Many Ways".^[14]

Braxton's debut album won her several awards, including three Grammy Awards (for Best New Artist and two consecutive awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1994 and 1995).^[16] She also won two American Music Awards (for Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist and Favorite New Adult Contemporary Artist)^[16] in 1994 and another one in 1995 (for Favorite Soul/R&B Album).^[16] Toni Braxton was certified 8x platinum in USA and has sales of over 10 million worldwide.^[17][18]

[edit] 1996–98: Secrets

In June 1996, Braxton released her second and most successful album, Secrets.^[19] Braxton has said about the album: "The motivation for this album was to include a little bit of everything. Our aim was to come up with material that would have a familiar 'feel' to the people who bought the first album without being musically redundant."^[20] Along with Babyface, Braxton also worked with R. Kelly, Tony Rich, and David Foster on the album.^[21] Braxton was the co-executive producer of the album and co-wrote two of its songs, including the 1997 single "How Could an Angel Break My Heart", which was also later included on Diana Princess of Wales Tribute, a Princess Diana memorial album.^[22]

With help from the album's first single, "You're Makin' Me High" (which became Braxton's first number-one hit on the Hot 100 singles chart),^[14] the album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart.^[23] "You're Makin' Me High" also topped the R&B singles chart for two weeks^[14] and saw similar success in Europe and Asia. The album's second single, "Un-Break My Heart" (written by Diane Warren)—which would later become the singer's signature song^{[citation needed]} —became the biggest hit of her career spending eleven weeks at number one on the Hot 100^[10] and also topping the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart for eleven weeks and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart for four weeks^[24] as well as reaching no 2 in the UK^[25] The song is the second biggest selling single by a female singer in Billboard history behind Whitney Houston's, "I Will Always Love You".^{[citation needed]} Other singles from the album included the double A-side "I Don't Want To"/"I Love Me Some Him" (which peaked at number one on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart)^[14] and "How Could an Angel Break My Heart" which featured Kenny G, with whom Braxton later toured.^[26] After 92 weeks in the charts, Secrets is certified 8x platinum, becoming Braxton's second straight 8 million seller. Internationally, Secrets sold more than 15 million copies, thus cementing Braxton's superstar status.^[18]

Braxton topped the Billboard Year-End Charts as the Top Hot 100 Singles Artist — Female,^[27] Top R&B Artist — Female (singles and albums),^[24] Top Hot R&B Singles Artist — Female,^[24] Top Hot Dance Club Play Artist, and Top Hot Adult Contemporary Artist, while "Un-Break My Heart" became the Top Hot Dance Club Play Single and the Top Hot Adult Contemporary Track of the year. She won two Grammy Awards; one for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance^[16] and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and two American Music Awards for Favorite Female Soul/R&B Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album.^[16]

[edit] 1999–01: The Heat

In March 2000, LaFace Records released "He Wasn't Man Enough", the first single from Braxton's third studio album, The Heat. By June 2000, the song peaked at number two on the Hot 100 chart. Braxton's music video for "He Wasn't Man Enough", which also featured actress Robin Givens, was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards including Best Female Video and Best R&B Video and a Billboard Music Video Award for Best R&B Clip of the Year.^{[citation needed]}

The Heat was released on April 25, 2000. Debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart with first week sales of 194,448 copies sold,^[28] it remained in the top 20 for fifteen consecutive weeks. Braxton again worked with producers Babyface and Foster; also included in the staple were Rodney Jerkins, and new beau musician Keri Lewis. Braxton herself also took a more hands-on approach, co-writing and co-producing a handful of the tracks. "Gimme Some", a track on "The Heat", featured a rap verse from TLC star Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes.

The album's second single, "Just Be a Man About It", peaked at number 32 on the Hot 100 and number six on the R&B Charts. The third single, "Spanish Guitar", peaked at number 98 on the Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Dance & Club charts. The fourth single, "Maybe", peaked at 74 on the R&B charts.

The Heat was certified double platinum in the US with over 3 million copies sold worldwide.^[18] In February 2000, Braxton performed alongside Enrique Iglesias and Christina Aguilera during the Super Bowl Halftime show.^{[citation needed]} Braxton topped the Billboard Year-End Charts as the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist — Female, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Artist — Female, and Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Artist — Female. She also received the 2000 Aretha Franklin Award for Entertainer of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. Braxton also picked up her sixth Grammy Award for "He Wasn't Man Enough" which won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and the album was nominated for Best R&B Album. It won Best R&B/Soul Album at the 2001 American Music Awards, her third win in a row.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, while gearing up for the release of her fourth studio album, Braxton discovered she was pregnant with her second child. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to promote the album properly, she unsuccessfully lobbied Arista Records to get the label to postpone its release until after she was to give birth. Arista Records refused and the album was released as planned in November 2002. It received very little promotion from Arista and Braxton herself, due to a complicated pregnancy that confined her to bed rest. Braxton accused the company of being unwilling to compromise and punishing her from not putting her career over family. On the show VH1 Inside Out — Family Comes First, she documented the hardships of being pregnant with her second child at the same time as promoting an album.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2002–04: More Than a Woman

In November 2002, Braxton's fourth studio album More Than a Woman was released. Opening to an instant commercial disappointment, the album peaked at number 13. The first single, The Neptunes-produced "Hit the Freeway", failed at radio and peaked at number 86 on the Hot 100. The two singles that followed ("A Better Man", "Lies, Lies, Lies") also failed to make a dent and missed the Hot 100 completely. Meanwhile, a promotional vinyl was sent out to DJs for "Give It Back"/"Let Me Show You the Way (Out)".^{[citation needed]}

More Than A Woman was certified gold by RIAA and sold more 800,000 copies worldwide.^[29][30]

Prior to the release of the album, a dispute erupted between Braxton and Irv Gotti when he played a rough cut of "No More Love", a song that he produced for the album that was to be the first single. Disapproving of Gotti broadcasting the unfinished track, Braxton withheld it from being released. The same year, Braxton was further annoyed when Jay-Z used the same sample of 2Pac's "Me And My Girlfriend" that she had already used on her track "Me & My Boyfriend" for his and Beyoncé's "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". Furious, Braxton lashed out in a radio interview, accusing Jay-Z and producer Kanye West of taking money out of her children's college fund.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2003–06: Libra

In April 2003, Braxton abruptly left Arista Records, having been there for fourteen years, and immediately signed with Blackground Records—headed by Barry Hankerson, her manager at the time. The change of scenery, however, did not ultimately help her recording career. As had been the case during her final years at Arista—Braxton's fifth album, and first release on Blackground, Libra was released with scant promotion and accumulated poor sales.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2005, Braxton's new label, Blackground/Universal, released "Please"—the first single from her fifth album, Libra. The album was originally planned for a June release, but it was pushed back several times and was finally issued on September 27. Unfortunately for Braxton, her troubles with weak album promotion and lack of label commitment weren't over. "Please" peaked at number 36 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, while altogether missing the Hot 100. The album lacked promotion by Blackground, causing it to go under the radar of many.^{[citation needed]}

Despite this, Libra still managed to debut at number four on the Billboard 200 selling 114,593 copies in the first week. Libra also peaked at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Although that is strong for an album with little to no promotion, it became yet another commercial disappointment for Braxton. The album's second single, "Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)" received less airplay and peaked at number 67 on the R&B chart. The failure was ascribed to the non-video presence of the single and lack of label support. The album was certified gold in late 2005 and has since sold 679,000 copies worldwide.^[29]

Braxton, meanwhile, recorded a song with Il Divo titled "The Time of Our Lives". The song was used as the official 2006 FIFA World Cup anthem and was performed at the championship's opening day in Berlin, Germany on June 9. The song was also performed at the closing ceremonies making Braxton and Il Divo the first artists to be asked to perform for the opening and closing ceremonies.^[31] The song peaked at number 17 in Germany. As a result Edel Records decided to re-release Libra in Germany, including a new album cover, artwork, and the new anthem.^{[citation needed]}

Braxton made an appearance on the season finale of American Idol 5 where she performed Elvis Presley's "In the Ghetto" with soon-to-be winner Taylor Hicks.^[32]

[edit] 2006–08: Toni Braxton: Revealed

Flamingo Las Vegas at night featuring Braxton, January 2007.

On May 19, 2006, the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas announced that Braxton would replace Wayne Newton as the casino's new headlining act on August 3, 2006.^[33] The show, entitled Toni Braxton: Revealed, was to be performed six nights a week and was scheduled to run through March 2007. Braxton Later confirmed that she was extending her show through August 2007. The show became the first headlining show from an African American performer in Las Vegas to enter the top ten Vegas shows charting. Due to the success of the show, it was reported that Braxton would extend her show through August 2008. The singer subsequently took time off after being hospitalized for chest pains in April 2008.^{[citation needed]} The show was later cancelled, and it was announced that the show was officially shut down in order for the singer to focus on her health.^[34]

Braxton has been released from her contract with Blackground after a number of disputes with former manager Barry Hankerson.^[35]

On January 12, 2007, Braxton filed a lawsuit in the U.S District Court in Manhattan against Hankerson for $10 million, alleging "fraud, deception and double dealing," in addition to mismanaging her relationship with Arista Records.^[36] According to Braxton, Hankerson placed his own personal financial interests ahead of hers by using "double-talk" to compromise the relationship between Braxton and her former recording label, Arista Records, with Hankerson allegedly telling Arista that "Braxton no longer wanted to record for Arista" and telling Braxton that "Arista was not interested in working with her anymore".^[36] Braxton also accused Hankerson of failing to send her on request copies of accounting statements, lying about deals that he made on her behalf and engaging in a vendetta against her by refusing to provide information to other managers that she sought to employ to manage her career.^{[citation needed]}

The suit was settled with Braxton returning a $375,000 advance to Hankerson—who would also receive a percentage of the sales of her next album—and Hankerson releasing Braxton from her contract with him. The settlement also temporarily limited the companies in which Braxton can sign with.^[37][38]

In early August, various internet websites including TMZ.com and In Touch Weekly magazine began announcing that Braxton would be appearing on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars. The full cast of the next season of the show was confirmed on August 25, 2008 on Good Morning America, which confirmed Braxton as a contestant in the season with her partner being Alec Mazo.^[39] They were voted off in the fifth week of the competition.

Braxton, Lance Bass, Maurice Greene and Marlee Matlin headlined Dancing with the Stars winter tour starting in December 2008 and finishing in February 2009.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2009–10: Pulse

In October 2008, it was announced that Braxton signed to Atlantic Records. In the November 2008 issue of Jet, Braxton discussed her time spent on Dancing with the Stars as well as dealing with her son's autism. Braxton also talked about being signed to Atlantic Records and the debut of her upcoming single. She added that the complete CD is scheduled to come out in some time in 2009. She also hinted at a cooking show with fellow Dancing with the Stars competitor, Rocco DiSpirito.^{[citation needed]}

The DJ Frank E produced song "Yesterday" premiered on September 11, 2009 and features Trey Songz.^[40] It was released as the lead single from her sixth studio album Pulse.^[41] "Yesterday" peaked at #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart making it her highest chart performance since her 2000 single "Just Be a Man About It", which peaked at #6. The single has been released worldwide on May 3, 2010.^[42] In the UK, "Yesterday" became Braxton's first hit single since the release of "Hit the Freeway", peaking at #50 on the UK Singles Chart and at #17 on the UK R&B Singles Chart. The song also became a moderate hit in Europe, peaking at #20 on the German Singles Chart, at #17 on the Swiss Singles Chart and charting at #50 on the European Hot 100.

On January 29, Braxton's official website posted two new songs from the upcoming album, "Hands Tied" and "Make My Heart". The former peaked at #29 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, the latter was sent to dance/club radio.^[43] She performed Make My Heart on The Wendy Williams Show. Videos for both songs "Make My Heart" and "Hands Tied" have been shot.

Braxton released her sixth studio album Pulse on May 4, 2010 in the US ^[44] and on May 10, 2010 in the UK.^[2]

The album debuted at #9 on the US Billboard 200 chart and hit #1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Braxton's fifth US top-ten album. It also achieved moderate chart success around the world. In Canada it debuted at #72 on the Top 100 Albums chart and in the United Kingdom it debuted at #28 on the Top 40 Albums and at #7 on the R&B Albums chart. It entered at #18 on the German Album Chart. In Switzerland, the album hit #9. Pulse became Toni's first album to chart inside the European Top 100 Albums since her 2000 album The Heat.

On June 28, Braxton posted a video for Woman.^[45]

Toni Braxton was included as part of the "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" remake of the 1985 hit "We Are the World" to help benefit the people of Haiti following the January 12, 2010 magnitude 7.0 MW earthquake in Haiti. The new version of the song was recorded on February 1, 2010. Music legends Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie act as Executive Producers as well as Wyclef Jean. Artists involved included Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Janet Jackson, Tony Bennett, Wyclef Jean, Josh Groban, Pink, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Levine, Justin Bieber, LL Cool J, among others.

[edit] 2011-present : Braxton Family Values and I Heart You

In January 2011, WE tv Network confirmed that it had signed Braxton for a reality series, Braxton Family Values, which will be marketed as one of the network's flagship shows. The series debuted April 12, 2011, and looks at the relationship between the singer/songwriter Braxton, her mother, and her four sisters; Trina, Tamar, Traci and Towanda — all aspiring singers themselves — along with the interpersonal relationships of each family member. The show will also look at Braxton's heavily publicized separation from estranged husband, singer Keri Lewis.^[46] Toni parted ways with her long time manager Vincent Herbert, who is also husband of sister Tamar Braxton, and signed a new management deal with Los Angeles-based entertainment/production company 'The Collective'.^[47]

Braxton has confirmed work on her seventh studio album and that L.A. Reid would be producing on the album.^[48] Braxton announced at Mercedes-Benz 2012 Fall/Winter Fashion Week in an interview with Rocco Leo Gaglioti as a part of "Fashion News Live" that she would be releasing a new single titled "I Heart You" in March, and that there will be a total of ten songs on the new release (nine new songs with one remix).^[49] Braxton premiered "I Heart You" on 9 March 2012.^[50]

Acting career[link]

Braxton has appeared on two Disney Broadway shows: She made her Broadway debut as Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" beginning September 9, 1998 where she replaced Kim Huber.^[51] During her run in the show Alan Menken wrote a new song for the musical called "A Change in Me," which was specially written for Braxton and was used in the musical ever since.^[52] She left the production on February 28, 1999 and was succeeded by Andrea McArdle.^[53] Her role in "Beauty and the Beast" marked the first (and only) time a black woman commanded the leading role of Belle on Broadway. (In the UK, Michelle Gayle played the role in the West End.) It also marked the first time a black woman would star in a Disney musical on Broadway.^[54] She then starred in "Aida" as Aida beginning June 30, 2003 where she replaced Simone^[55] and left the cast on November 16, 2003 where she was replaced by Michelle Williams.^[56] In 2001, she made her movie acting debut in the feature film Kingdom Come.^[57] In 2004, Braxton appeared as herself, voicing a singing character named Toni, in a special episode and DVD release ^[58] of the children's television show Blue's Clues.^[59] In August 2005, Braxton announced that she would be shooting a sitcom pilot for The WB's fall 2006 line-up, though plans to put the show into full-production fell through when The WB announced it would cease to exist in fall 2006 (as part of a merger with UPN to form The CW), She has also starred in the TV sitcom, Kevin Hill.^[60] Braxton has recently^[when?] completed filming of "The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure" alongside Jaime Pressly and Cloris Leachman due to be released 2010.^{[dated info]} Her character - Rosalie Rosebud - is a singer, whose over-the-top personality was apparently inspired by Mariah Carey.^[61]

Personal life[link]

Marriage, family, and son's autism[link]

Braxton met musician Keri Lewis when his group, Mint Condition, opened for her on tour.^[62] On April 21, 2001, they were married.^[62] On December 2, 2001, she gave birth to their first child,^[63] a son named Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis. The couple's second son, Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis, was born on March 31, 2003.^[63]

In an October 2006 concert at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, it was reported that Braxton broke down in tears discussing her son, Diezel, who had recently been diagnosed with autism.^[64] Braxton has been outspoken regarding her doctor's failure to diagnose Diezel's condition earlier, contending that if he had been diagnosed earlier, he could have been helped.^[65]

As well as becoming a spokeswoman for Autism Speaks,^[66] she is also a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.

In November 2009, through her attorney Antavius Weems, Braxton announced that she and Lewis had separated.^[67]

Health problems[link]

As of August 2007, rumors surfaced that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Toni stated to Access Hollywood that the breast cancer rumors were false and that her health is in great condition. However, in 2008, she had a benign lump removed from her breast.^[68]

On April 8, 2008, near the end of her two-year run at the Flamingo Hotel, Braxton was briefly hospitalized and the remaining dates on the show, which was scheduled to end on August 23, 2008, were canceled. Later, while appearing on Season 7 of Dancing with the Stars, she stated that she has been diagnosed with microvascular angina (small vessel disease).^[69]

On November 18, 2010, Braxton admitted to CBS News that she suffers from systemic lupus erythematosus, a potentially life threatening autoimmune disease. Braxton's brother also suffers from the disease, and her uncle died of complications from lupus.^[70]

Discography[link]

• 1993: Toni Braxton
• 1996: Secrets
• 2000: The Heat
• 2001: Snowflakes
• 2002: More Than a Woman
• 2005: Libra
• 2010: Pulse

Tours[link]

• Secrets Tour (1997)
• Libra Tour (2006)

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

• 2001: Kingdom Come - Juanita Slocumb
• 2002: Play'd: A Hip Hop Story (TV) - Shonda
• 2005: Kevin Hill (3 Episodes, TV Series) - Terry Knox
• 2010: The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure - Rosalie Rosebud

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toni Braxton

• Official website
• Toni Braxton at Allmusic
• Toni Braxton at the Internet Movie Database
• Toni Braxton at AllRovi

Cee Lo Green
Cee Lo Green at a Gnarls Barkley concert in July 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Thomas DeCarlo Callaway[1]
Also known as	Cee Lo Green, Cee Lo
Born	(1974-05-30) May 30, 1974 (age 38)[1] Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genres	Soul, hip hop, neo soul, R&B, funk, alternative hip hop, hip hop soul
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Arista, Elektra
Associated acts	Gnarls Barkley, Goodie Mob, TLC, Kid Cudi, OutKast, Jazze Pha, Bruno Mars
Website	ceelogreen.com

Thomas DeCarlo Callaway (born May 30, 1974),^[1] better known by his stage name Cee Lo Green, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. Originally came to prominence as a member of the southern hip hop group Goodie Mob, later launching a critically acclaimed solo career^[2] and forming Gnarls Barkley with DJ Danger Mouse.

Internationally, Cee Lo is best known for his hip hop work, his most popular was Gnarls Barkley's 2006 worldwide hit "Crazy", which reached number one in various singles charts worldwide, including the UK. In the United States, "Crazy" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Parent album St. Elsewhere was also a hit, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the US Billboard 200 album charts. Gnarls Barkley's second album, The Odd Couple (2008), was less successful and missed the top ten in both the UK and U.S., where it charted at number 12 in the U.S. and 18 in the UK.

In 2010, Cee Lo took a break from recording with Gnarls Barkley and released the single "F**k You!" on August 19 as a solo recording artist. The song was an instant hit, with the radio-edit version "Forget You" reaching the top spot in the UK and the Netherlands and charted at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The parent album, The Lady Killer (2010) saw similar success, peaking within the top five of the UK Albums Chart and debuting within the top ten on the Billboard 200 album charts, and received a Gold certification from the BPI in the UK shortly after its release. His second single "It's OK" was a hit in Europe and the third single, "Bright Lights Bigger City" has also seen similar charting success. Cee Lo is also currently a vocal coach on the NBC reality talent show The Voice with Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton.

Early life[link]

Cee Lo Green was born Thomas DeCarlo Callaway in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated high school from Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville, GA., an All-Boy Boarding School. Both of his parents were ordained ministers and he started his music career in his church. His father died when he was two years old. His mother, Sheila J. Tyler-Callaway, was also a volunteer firefighter.^[3][4] She was involved in a car crash, leaving her paralyzed, and died two years after the accident. At the time, Cee Lo's career with Goodie Mob had just begun taking off. His mother's death led Cee Lo into depression, as is reflected in various songs throughout his career, including "Free" by Goodie Mob, songs on St. Elsewhere, and on The Odd Couple ("She Knows", "A Little Better").^[5][6] Cee Lo also expresses his love for his mother in the song "Guess Who" from Goodie Mob's Soul Food album. In an excerpt of "Cee Lo Distilled", a mini documentary produced by Absolut and The Fader released on YouTube, Cee Lo explained that his mother's death was a defining moment to "crossing that threshold over into a career".^[7]

Music career[link]

Goodie Mob[link]

Along with Big Gipp, T-Mo, and Khujo, Cee Lo was an original member of the Atlanta hip hop group Goodie Mob. He is the youngest of the four.^[8] The Goodie Mob were a part of the Atlanta rap collective the Dungeon Family, which also included OutKast. The group released their debut album, Soul Food in 1995. The album received much critical praise as a pioneering record for the then emerging Southern rap scene. It featured a distinctive soulful southern sound by production team Organized Noize, who had also produced OutKast's debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Cee Lo got considerable praise for his rapping and singing of hooks, particularly on the hit singles "Cell Therapy" and "Soul Food". The band has recently published a single "Fight to Win" and performed it on The Voice.

The group's second album, Still Standing came out in 1998 and also received much critical praise. Its commercial performance was slightly lower than the group's previous effort however. At this time, Cee Lo focused primarily on rapping over singing. While he did frequently sing hooks and did some singing, at this point he was a rapper first and foremost. Cee Lo took more creative control on the group's next album, World Party. Released in 1999, this album was more of a party record than the group's previous output, getting away somewhat from their socially conscious lyricism.^[9]

During the making of the album World Party, Cee Lo left the group to pursue a solo career under Arista and the remaining members continued to perform together under the Goodie Mob name with Koch Records. They did however collaborate in combinations in the Dungeon Family album Even in Darkness. Although the next Goodie Mob album seemed to mock Cee Lo with its title, One Monkey Don't Stop No Show, the group expressed that it was more of a jab at Arista and the music industry as a whole.

The song "Hold On" from Big Boi of OutKast's Got Purp? Vol. 2 album was the first newly recorded Goodie Mob song with all four members since World Party. (Khujo later revealed to fans at an album signing^{[original research?]} for his new album "Mercury", that the song "Hold On" was originally recorded in 1995 before Soul Food was released.)

Santana[link]

In 1999, Cee Lo, credited as "Cee-Lo" was one of ten famous guest musicians who contributed to the Santana album Supernatural. Lauryn Hill wrote "Do You Like The Way," and the two of them trade off on lead vocals.

Solo career[link]

Cee Lo at a Gnarls Barkley concert in the Netherlands, July 2008.

Cee Lo's Arista career was short lived, as he was dropped after only two albums due to low record sales. His first album, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections, was heavily in the vein of various other Dungeon Family releases, with southern soul/funk/jazz backings produced solely by himself and boasting appearances by fellow Dungeon Fam members Big Gipp and Backbone. The album explored his departure from Goodie Mob and his solo growth in the song "El Dorado Sunrise (Super Chicken)", as well as socio-political issues, and showcased his singing. The album did not sell very well, but Cee Lo achieved some airplay with the single "Closet Freak".

His second Arista album, Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine brought a more branched-out sound and more deeply explored southern rap music. This is evidenced by collaborations with Ludacris, T.I., and Pharrell Williams, as well as production from Timbaland, The Neptunes and Jazze Pha, among others. The only other Dungeon Family member that appeared on his second release was Big Rube. This album saw Cee Lo delve into other styles besides traditional rap. Timbaland proved to be Cee Lo's single producer as their song "I'll Be Around" received mild airplay. They performed the single on an episode in the second season of Chappelle's Show. "The One" featuring Jazze Pha and T.I. was also released as a single. On the heels of the success of Gnarls Barkley, Arista released a 17-track greatest hits collection of Cee Lo songs, Closet Freak: The Best of Cee-Lo Green the Soul Machine. It features predominantly Cee Lo solo tracks and several Goodie Mob songs. His new song "What Part of Forever" has been included in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.^[10]

After his second solo album, Cee Lo joined the group Gnarls Barkley (see below) with Danger Mouse, temporarily putting his solo career on hold. He would release two albums with that group, before again releasing solo material in 2010.

On August 14, 2010, Cee Lo released the single "Fuck You!" to YouTube ahead of his planned solo album release, due to its partial leak on April 13. "Fuck You!" was an instant viral smash hit,^[2] registering over two million plays in less than a week. Two weeks later on September 1, Cee Lo released to YouTube an official music video of the song.^[11] "Fuck You" made a debut at No.1 on the UK charts, notably beating out "Shame" from the recently reunited Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow. On December 1, 2010, Cee Lo received five Grammy nominations for "Fuck You!", which has been certified Gold in the United States^[12] and Denmark.^[13] The single achieved platinum status in Canada,^[14] New Zealand,^[15] and the UK;^[16] and multi-platinum status in Australia.^[17]

When discussing his most recent album, The Lady Killer (released on November 9, 2010, by Elektra Records and Roadrunner Records),^[18] Cee Lo said: "I suppose this is a more clear, concise, consistent, conceptual, entire album. It's a complete thought, because it's written to be like a score. The album's meant to be a motion picture, you know? I've never taken that approach to doing an album before."^[19] The album was certified Gold in the UK on December 6, 2010.^[20]

Green is touring with an all-female backing band named "Scarlet Fever" (made up of Sharon Aguilar, Brittany Brooks, Theresa Flaminio, and Regina Zernay Roberts), performing for Taratata,^[21] the BBC,^{[22][23][24][25]} Late Show with David Letterman,^[26] W's Symmetry Live Concert Series,^[27][28] Saturday Night Live,^[29][30] the Jimmy Kimmel Live! special show following the Academy Awards,^[31] and many other venues. Green also performed "Forget You", a sanitized version of his hit "Fuck You", with Gwyneth Paltrow and several puppets provided by The Jim Henson Company at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011, a shoutout to Elton John, who wore a very similar costume in a Muppet show performance in 1977.^[32] At the 2011 BRIT Awards two days later, he was joined by British vocalist Joelle Bennett in another duet of "Fuck You".^[33][34] Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Green will be joining Rihanna and J. Cole on the North American leg of Rihanna Loud Tour in the summer of 2011.^[35] However, he later dropped out of the tour citing that his busy work schedule which includes his commitment to judging “The Voice”, writing a new book and recording a new album as the reason for his withdrawal.^[36] On August 14, 2011, Green performed at WWE SummerSlam performing "Forget You" and the event's theme, "Bright Lights, Bigger City".

Cee Lo released his debut album The Lady Killer as a Platinum Edition on November 28, 2011.^[37] The repackaged album contained the original 16 tracks (including remixed versions of Bright Lights Bigger City (feat. Wiz Khalifa) and I Want You (Hold On To Love) plus one extra track, written by Bruno Mars, Anyway. The new track, Anyway, served as the album's sixth overall single and first Platinum Edition single.

Gnarls Barkley[link]

Gnarls Barkley at the Mini V festival in Melbourne, 2007

Along with DJ Danger Mouse, Cee Lo was part of a duo called Gnarls Barkley. They first met when Danger Mouse took second in a talent contest and opened for OutKast and Goodie Mob at a University of Georgia concert in 1998. Afterwards, Danger Mouse gave Cee Lo an instrumental demo tape and told him to call him if he was interested.^{[citation needed]} They did not make contact again until Cee Lo was contacted to be featured in a remix of the Danger Mouse and Jemini song "What U Sittin' On?" from the album Ghetto Pop Life. They worked together again on the 2005 Danger Doom (Danger Mouse and MF Doom collaboration) album The Mouse and The Mask on the song "Benzi Box" where Cee Lo sings the chorus.

Gnarls Barkley's first collaborative album, St. Elsewhere, was released on April 24, 2006, in the UK and May 2, 2006, in the United States. St. Elsewhere entered the charts at No.1 in the UK, as did the first single "Crazy". "Crazy" is the first single to go straight to No.1 in the UK based on digital download sales alone and is ranked by Rolling Stone as the No.1 song of the decade. The album is Cee Lo's greatest selling venture yet, having shipped over 3 million copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[8] A second album by Gnarls Barkley, titled The Odd Couple, was released in March 2008. Its first single was released in January called "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)".^[8]

Future projects[link]

Cee Lo is collaborating with producer Jazze Pha to release an album called Happy Hour on Jazze’s record label. The songs "Happy Hour" (as well as the remix with Bun B, Snoop Dogg & Tone Tone), "Man of the Hour", and "Disco Bitch" (featuring The Pussycat Dolls) from the album have already been released as singles and B-sides. Jazze Pha has produced numerous hit singles with many artists, but this project is his rapping and singing debut. Cee Lo is co-producing the album with him, so both artist and producer share equal roles in vocals and production. Also, Melody Thornton confirmed that she is currently in the studio with Cee Lo working on her solo album. In 2010, he recorded a song for the Sex and the City 2 soundtrack which reached number 9 in the charts and was written by him and produced by T-Pain which is called "Language of Love". He along with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder were rumored to be appearing on British DJ Paul Oakenfold's upcoming album. Also, Cee-Lo has recorded a song with Alien Ant Farm that is expected to be released on their upcoming 2012 album.^[38] Green will voice Murray the Mummy in the upcoming film, Hotel Transylvania.

In March 2012 Green performed at a fundraiser for President Barack Obama with the president present.^[39] He began singing Fuck You! with the original profane lyrics, but then switched to the non-profane lyrics, apparently unaware that the profane lyrics were inappropriate at a presidential fundraiser.^[40]

In May 2012, The alcohol trade magazine 'The Tasting Panel' featured a cover story detailing Cee Lo Green's part ownership of an alcohol brand called TY KU. ^[41]

Television and film career[link]

Cee Lo, along with the rest of the Goodie Mob, had a cameo in the 1999 film Mystery Men as a member of the Not So Goodie Mob, in which he was credited as "Thomas Burton aka Cee lo". He also has done voice acting work, voicing Prime Cut Miggity-Mo' Macdaddy Gizzabang Doggy Dog Dog on the Brak Show episode "Brakstreet" in 2002, Frank and Buddy Z Class of 3000's Christmas special and as Godzilla in the Robot Chicken episode "Squaw Bury Shortcake" in 2007, and Rev. Rollo Goodlove in the Boondocks episodes "The S-Word" and "The Hunger Strike" in 2008. In 2010, he appeared in T-Pain's Freaknik: The Musical as Light Skin.

On January 15, 2011, Cee Lo both acted and performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow, who, in November 2010, covered his song "Forget You" on an episode of Glee.^[42]

Cee Lo is currently one of the coaches for contestants on the singing TV show The Voice.^[43] He also made a guest-star appearance in the episode "Tales From the Luncheonette" of Parenthood season 3.^[44][45]

On August 14, 2011, Cee Lo appeared at WWE SummerSlam and performed both "'Bright Lights Bigger City", the official theme song for the event, and his hit "'Forget You".

On September 25, 2011, Cee Lo appeared as himself in a live action/voice appearance and as the voice of a hot tub in the American Dad! episode "Hot Water".^[46]

On February 5, 2012 Cee Lo appeared in the Super Bowl halftime show with Madonna.

On March 31, 2012, Cee Lo Green appeared in the 2012 Kids' Choice Awards. Near the end of the show, he was revealed to be the evil mastermind that was trying to ruin the show, and the only reason he was evil was because he wanted to get slimed. However, the show's host, Will Smith, refused to slime him, and he "ice cream sundaed" him instead, claiming it was the "second-best thing" compared to sliming.

Personal life[link]

Cee Lo has described himself as having been a "goon" in his youth.^[47][48] At age 16 years old, Cee Lo's mother was pulled to safety from an almost fatal car accident by local volunteer firefighters. His mother also served as a volunteer firefighter herself, and these two things inspired Cee Lo's 2011 song "Thank You" (a reworking of "Forget You"), which pays tribute to firefighters.^[49]

Cee Lo was married to Christina Johnson until they divorced in 2005. Together they have a son Kingston; and Cee Lo was a stepfather to Christina's daughters, Sierra and Kalah. Sierra appeared on the MTV show My Super Sweet 16.

Controversies[link]

At the April 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Cee Lo was booed by fans after he showed up late, drew fan disapproval, had his set cut off, and then stormed off stage.^[50] Cee Lo had arrived 25 minutes late, for which he apologized to disgruntled fans at the top of his set, saying, "Sorry guys, I just landed. Y'all still gonna party with me? I only have 20 minutes. It ain't my fault. They should have ... given me a better time slot." Things then took a turn for the worse, and after performing five songs, including "Fuck You" and a cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'," Green's set was cut. He then stormed off stage.^[51]

On June 16, 2011, journalist Andrea Swensson of City Pages negatively reviewed one of Green's performances, writing that it "failed to measure up to the fun factor of his recorded material. Green spent most of the set stationed in front of a microphone at the center of the stage, barely moving an inch while he sang and flanked by two forgettable back-up singers and a DJ that was all but hidden behind a giant LCD display”.^[52] In response, the following day Green tweeted "I respect your criticism but be fair! People enjoyed last night! I'm guessing ur gay? And my masculinity offended u? well fuck U!”.^[53] Green promptly received angered responses from some of his followers on Twitter, to which he replied "Apologies gay community! what was homophobic about that?"^[54] In a subsequent interview with magazine Us Weekly, Green stated that his comments were in good fun, adding that "I am not harboring any sort of negative feeling toward the gay community" and that "I am one of the most liberal artists that I think you will ever meet, and I pride myself on that".^[55] Green has since deleted the tweets pertaining to this review.^{[citation needed]}

On December 31, 2011, at Times Square in New York City, Green sang John Lennon's "Imagine" just prior to the ball dropping to ring in the new year. In his rendition, Green replaced the line "and no religion, too" with the words "and all religion is true".^[56] Many saw this as a substantial revision of the meaning behind Lennon's original lyrics.^[56] Green also sang the words "imagine no possessions" while wearing a full-length fur coat and large gold watch. Shortly after the performance, Green responded via Twitter: "Yo I meant no disrespect by changing the lyric guys! I was trying to say a world where u could believe what u wanted that's all" [sic] ^[57] Green deleted a series of tweets pertaining to this event shortly thereafter.^[58]

Discography[link]

• Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections (2002)
• Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine (2004)
• The Lady Killer (2010)
• Cee-Lo Green... Is Everybody's Brother (2012)^[59]

Awards and nominations[link]

BET Awards[link]

Billboard Music Awards[link]

Brit Awards[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

Soul Train Music Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Cee-Lo discography at Discogs
• Cee Lo Green at the Internet Movie Database
• Cee Lo Green on BBC Music
• Official Jazze Pha & Cee Lo website
• Cee Lo Green Storytellers on VH1
• Cee-Lo Documentary on Youtube Part 1
• Cee-Lo Documentary on Youtube Part 2

This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (November 2010)

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Cee-lo is a gambling game played with three six-sided dice. There is not one standard set of rules, but there are some constants that hold true to all sets of rules. The name comes from the Chinese Sì-Wŭ-Liù (四五六), meaning "four-five-six". In America it is also called "See-Low," "Four-Five-Six," "The Three Dice Game," "Chinchirorin," and by several alternative spellings, as well as simply "Dice." In China it is also called "Sānliù Bàozi" (三六豹子), or "three-six dice".

The constants include the number of dice used, which is always three. All rules describe certain winning combinations that can be rolled, and 4-5-6 is always treated as a winning combination for the first player who rolls it (though in some variants without a banker, it may be possible for several players to make a "winning combination," requiring a second shootout). Besides the winning combinations, all Cee-lo rules include certain rolls that establish a "point," and there are situations where two or more players will roll and compare their points to determine a winner. If for any reason the dice were to leave the playing area (ex: rolling off of the table and hitting the floor) the player would be deemed an automatic loss.

The various sets of rules can be divided into two broad categories according to how betting is handled. In banking games, one player serves as a banker, who covers the individual bets of the other players, each of whom competes directly with the bank. In non-banking games, each player has essentially equal status, and rules must exist for the players to pool their bets and attempt to win from a common pot.

Origins and history[link]

This game was first brought to the United States by Chinese immigrants, who played it with their colleagues.^[when?] Many today still play the game, mostly in very rural areas.

Recently Cee-lo has had a resurgence in popularity in American settings. A 2003 Associated Press article presented by CBS News as "Kids Gambling - And Losing" identified Cee-lo as a current fad at schools, "played for money even by preteens."[1]

A variant of Cee-lo has been sold under the name Chinchirorin [2], which is described in detail at BoardGameGeek. According to the rules of this game, Chinchirorin is a traditional Japanese Game. Whatever renown this game may have, it has been attributed to the inclusion of a Chinchirorin "mini-game" in a popular PlayStation Game, Genso Suikoden^{[citation needed]}. Mainly played by older people in Japan, the game is reportedly gaining in popularity as a gambling game in that country.^[1]

Rules[link]

Cee-lo can either be played with one central player (the bank) making individual bets with each other player, or as a winner take all game. The rules for play both with and without a bank are described below, including some common variants of each.

Casual players can still play the game "with a bank", as it includes rules that dictate when the duty of "being the bank" should pass to a new player.

Cee-lo with a bank[link]

By definition, Cee-lo is a banking game, meaning that the players bet against an established banker, and it is a "point game", meaning that some dice rolls establish a point for the player (similar to the popular dice game craps).

In this game, one person is established as the banker, and all other players make even money bets against the bank. If a player makes a $10 bet, then they stand to either win or lose $10 depending on the roll of the dice. The Banker has a slight advantage relative to the other players (amounting to 2½ percent of the amount bet).[3] The privilege of being the banker can pass from one player to another throughout a playing session according to specific rules.

When a player is established as the banker, they put up an initial stake known as the bank, or center bet. Once they have placed their stake, and announced the amount, the other players have a chance to cover or "fade" their bet. Starting with the player to the banker's left, and proceeding clockwise around the circle, each player in turn can fade a portion of the bank, as much as they like, until the entire bank is covered or every player has had a chance to make a bet.

If the initial stake is $100.00, the first player might choose to fade $20, the next player $20, and the next player $60. Then the entire bank is covered and no more bets are placed this round. Or, if the initial stake is $100.00, six players choose to fade $10 each, and no one else wishes to bet, then the banker pockets the unfaded portion of the bank ($40) and plays for only the stakes that were covered.

After all the bets are settled according to the roll of the dice (explained below), if the same player maintains control of the bank, he may add as much money as he wishes to his stake, or let the bank stand at whatever amount remains after all the bets are settled. A new round begins, the players fade again just as above, and so the game continues.

Control of the bank can change under certain circumstances. If all the players beat the banker in one round, they break the bank, and control of the bank then passes to the next player to the banker's left, who establishes his own initial stake as above. Otherwise, the first player to beat the banker by rolling 4-5-6 or triples will become the new banker (after the existing banker settles the remaining bets and pockets whatever remains of his bank).

The banker rolls the dice[link]

When all the bets have been established, the banker rolls the dice. There are four outcomes: automatic win, automatic loss, set point, re-roll

• Automatic Win: If the banker rolls 4-5-6, "triples" (all three dice show the same number), or a pair (of non-6s) with a 6 then he/she instantly wins all bets. In Chinese these are called "4-5-6 straight kill" (四五六通杀), "leopards" (豹子 baozi), and "Big Six" (大六).
• Automatic Loss: If the banker rolls 1-2-3, or a pair (of non-1s) with a 1, he/she instantly loses all bets (the players break the bank). :In Chinese this is "1-2-3 straight lose" (一二三通赔) and "asshole ones" (幺屁眼).
• Set Point: If the banker rolls a pair and a single (2, 3, 4, or 5), then the single becomes the banker's "point." E.g. a roll of 2-2-4 gives the banker a point of 4. Note that you can not set a point of 1 or 6, as those would result in an automatic loss or win, respectively (see above).
• Re-roll: If the dice don't show any of the above combinations, then the banker rolls again and keeps rolling until he/she gets an instant win or an instant loss, or sets a point.

The Players roll the dice[link]

If the banker does not roll an automatic win or loss, they will have rolled a point of 2, 3, 4, or 5. Each player then rolls the dice to settle his individual bet against the banker. The player wins with a 4-5-6, triple, or any point higher than the Banker's. They lose with a 1-2-3, or any point lower than the banker's. If they tie the banker's point, then it's a "push", no winner or loser, and the player pockets his stake. If they don't roll win, loss, or point, they continue to roll the dice until they do so.

The first player to win with a 4-5-6 or triple commonly gets the privilege of being the next banker after all the bets of this round are settled. It's also often the case that 4-5-6 pays double, triples pay three times, and triple 1s pay five times the wager, though different betting systems may be agreed upon.

Variations in rules for the banking game[link]

Some variants of Cee-lo have been described that reverse the rules of winning and losing rolls for the player who is not a banker, making a 1-2-3 a win for the player, and 4-5-6 a loss.^[2] If such a rule is followed to the extent that triples become a losing roll for the player, then this slightly increases the advantage to the banker.

Cee-lo without a bank (winner take all)[link]

In this version of the game, each round involves two or more players of equal status. A bet amount is agreed upon and each player puts that amount in the pile or pot. Each player then has to roll all three dice at once and must continue until a recognized combination is rolled. Whichever player rolls the best combination wins the entire pot, and a new round begins. In cases where two or more players tie for the best combination, they must have a shoot out to determine a single winner.

The combinations are similar to those described above, and can be ranked from best to worst as:

4-5-6 

The highest possible roll. If you roll 4-5-6, you automatically win.

Trips 

Rolling three of the same number is known as rolling "trips". Higher trips beat lower trips, so 4-4-4 is better than 3-3-3.

Point 

Rolling a pair, and another number, establishes the singleton as a "point". A higher point beats a lower point, so 5-5-6 is better than 5-5-2.

1-2-3

The lowest possible roll. If you roll 1-2-3, you automatically lose.

Any other roll is a meaningless combination and must be rerolled until one of the above combinations occurs.

Other non-banking variants[link]

Some players rule that a 4-5-6 is an instant win for the first player who rolls it, and it can't be tied. To see who picks the order, each person rolls a die and the person with the highest number chooses the order. If it is a tie, then those people roll again and again until one person has a higher number. Other rules allow for a 4-5-6 to be tied, which may be referred to as "catch up" rules but this is usually not the case.

Some non-banking games treat 1-1-1 as a losing roll, and may refer to this as an "ace out".

One variant rules that if a player wins with "trips" or 4-5-6, all players must pay double the original bet. This is known as "doubling down".

Some players designate a limited surface where players can roll, instead of throwing the dice off a wall, such as a table or a cardboard box. If the dice roll off the surface, it is called a "loose roll" or "sloppy dice," resulting in an automatic loss for the player.

Some rule that if a player rolls the dice 3 times without getting a meaningful combination, they are out.

One variation assigns a point based on the pair rolled, rather than the singleton. I.e., a 5-5-2 gives a "pair of fives" (also known by various slang terms such as "fevers"), which beats a 3-3-6 "pair of threes" (a.k.a. "treys").

A variation described as a "West Coast Version" ranks the combinations somewhat differently. It ranks pairs according to the highest pair, ignoring the singleton (as described immediately above), then treats all "trips" as an instant loss. 1-2-3 is treated as just another meaningless roll.

In a two player game, dealer/player who rolls a "1" on the odd die is considered to have been "aced out", losing automatically. If the odd die is a "6," or "head crack", the player wins automatically.

Cee-lo Roll Chart and Roll Probability[link]

Win Roll: 4-5-6

Lose Roll: 1-2-3

Trips: 6-6-6, 5-5-5, 4-4-4, 3-3-3, 2-2-2, 1-1-1

Points: 6-6-1, 6-6-2, 6-6-3, 6-6-4, 6-6-5, 5-5-1, 5-5-2, 5-5-3, 5-5-4, 5-5-6, 4-4-1, 4-4-2, 4-4-3, 4-4-5, 4-4-6, 3-3-1, 3-3-2, 3-3-4, 3-3-5, 3-3-6, 2-2-1, 2-2-3, 2-2-4, 2-2-5, 2-2-6, 1-1-2, 1-1-3, 1-1-4, 1-1-5, 1-1-6

Worthless Rolls: 1-2-4, 1-2-5, 1-2-6, 1-3-4, 1-3-5, 1-3-6, 1.4.5, 1-4-6, 1-5-6, 2-3-4, 2-3-5, 2-3-6, 2-4-5, 2-4-6, 2-5-6, 3-4-5, 3-4-6, 3-5-6

Win Roll: 6/216 = 2.78%

Lose Roll: 6/216 = 2.78%

Trips: 6/216 = 2.78%

Points: 90/216 = 41.67%

Worthless Rolls: 108/216 = 50%

Total sum: 216/216 = 100%

References[link]

Crary, David (July 14, 2003). "Kids Gambling - And Losing". The Associated Press. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/14/health/main563015.shtml. "...played for money even by preteens." 

"Chinchirorin". BoardGameGeek. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/23392. "Chinchirorin... also known by other names, including See-Low" 

External links[link]

• The New York Times, Sarah Maslin Nir: Playing Cee-Lo on Harlem's Streets
• dice-play: The Three Dice Game
• BoardGameGeek description of Chinchirorin
• Early description of the game