name	American Dream
director	Barbara KoppleCo-directors:Cathy CaplanThomas HanekeLawrence Silk
producer	Arthur CohnBarbara Kopple
music	Michael Small
cinematography	Tom HurwitzMathieu RobertsNesya Shapiro
editing	Cathy CaplanThomas HanekeLawrence Silk
distributor	Channel 4 FilmsCabin Creek
released	October 6, 1990(New York Film Festival)
runtime	100 minutes
country	United StatesUnited Kingdom
language	English
website	}}

''American Dream'' (1990) is a ''cinéma vérité'' documentary film directed by Barbara Kopple and co-directed by Cathy Caplan, Thomas Haneke, and Lawrence Silk.

The film recounts an unsuccessful strike in the heartland of America against the Hormel Foods corporation.

Synopsis[link]

The film is centered on unionized meatpacking workers at Hormel Foods in Austin, Minnesota between 1985 and 1986. Hormel had cut the hourly wage from $10.69 to $8.25 and cut benefits by 30 percent despite posting a net profit of $30 million. The local union (P-9) opposed the cut, but the national union, the United Food and Commercial Workers, disagrees with their strategy.

The local union is shown hiring a freelance strike consultant, Ray Rogers, who comes in with charts, graphs and promises of a corporate campaign to draw national press attention. Rogers delivers in the short term, but, it is not enough to defeat opposition from Hormel management and the UFCW international union.

Soon, despite the efforts of a seasoned negotiator sent by the parent union, the company has locked out the workers and hired replacement workers, leading to a series of violent conflicts amongst members of the community. The workers' resolve progressively fades as the battle extends into months and years, and the financial hardships they and their families suffer leads some to doubt the value of their efforts. Kopple, who had previously covered an extended miner's strike in the acclaimed 1977 documentary Harlan County, USA, focuses on the personalities and emotions behind the strike, creating a highly charged portrait of labor that is sympathetic to the workers' distress without ignoring the strike's greater ambiguities.

''American Dream'' features footage of union meetings and press releases, Hormel press releases, news broadcasts, and in-depth interviews with people on both sides of the issue, including Jesse Jackson.

Exhibition[link]

The film premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 6, 1990. In January 1991 it was screened at the Sundance Film Festival. On March 18, 2002, it opened in New York City.

Critical reception[link]

Roger Ebert liked the documentary and its message, and he wrote, "This is the kind of movie you watch with horrified fascination, as families lose their incomes and homes, management plays macho hardball, and rights and wrongs grow hopelessly tangled...The people in this film are so real they make most movie characters look like inhabitants of the funny page."

''The Austin Chronicle'''s film critic Marjorie Baumgarten also appreciated the film, and she wrote, "Kopple's Academy Award-winning documentary ''American Dream'' exposes the human cost of Reaganomics...What ''American Dream'' wants to learn is: how did this human tragedy happen—at Hormel of all places, a company with a reputation for progressivism? Decades ago it was among the first to furnish its workers with guaranteed annual wages and profit-sharing plans. Generations of family members worked at the plant, taking pride in their products and their relationship to the manufacturing process. The answer the movie presents is Reaganomics, the 'as long as I've got mine, the hell with everyone else' attitude prevalent in the 1980s".

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 100% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on six reviews.

Awards[link]

Wins Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Documentary, Barbara Kopple and Arthur Cohn; 1991.

International Documentary Association: IDA Award; Barbara Kopple; 1991.

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards: LAFCA Award; Best Documentary; 1991.

Sundance Film Festival: Audience Award Documentary; Filmmakers Trophy Documentary; Grand Jury Prize Documentary; all for Barbara Kopple; 1991.

Directors Guild of America: DGA Award; Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary/Actuality; Barbara Kopple; 1992.

National Society of Film Critics Awards: NSFC Award; Best Documentary; 1993.

See also[link]

List of American films of 1990

References[link]

External links[link]

''American Dream'' at Barbara Kopple official website (includes film clip)

Category:1990 films Category:1990s documentary films Category:American films Category:American documentary films Category:Best Documentary Feature Academy Award winners Category:British documentary films Category:Documentary films about the labor movement Category:English-language films Category:Films directed by Barbara Kopple Category:Hormel Category:Sundance Film Festival award winners Category:United Food and Commercial Workers Category:Documentary films about American politics

de:American Dream (Film) nl:American Dream (film)

name	Casting Crowns
background	group_or_band
origin	Daytona Beach, Florida, USA
genre	Contemporary ChristianChristian rockSoft rock
years active	1999–present
label	Sony BMG/Beach Street/Reunion (U.S.)Sony Music Philippines (Philippines)
website	castingcrowns.com
current members	Mark Hall (lead vocals)Juan DeVevo (lead guitar)Hector Cervantes (rhythm guitar)Melodee DeVevo (violin, backing vocals)Megan Garrett (piano)Chris Huffman (bass guitar)Brian Scoggin (drums)
past members	Andy Williams (drums)
notable instruments	}}

Casting Crowns is a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band. Casting Crowns was started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida as part of a youth group. He now serves as a lead vocalist. Later they moved to Stockbridge, Georgia and more members joined creating the band now known as Casting Crowns. Some members of the band currently work as ministers for Eagles Landing First Baptist Church in Stockbridge, Georgia.

History[link]

Formation and self-titled debut[link]

Christian rock group Casting Crowns began as a student worship band in Daytona Beach, FL, in 1999. Led by singer, songwriter, and youth pastor Mark Hall, the group initially included guitarists Juan DeVevo and Hector Cervantes and violinist Melodee DeVevo. The group relocated to Stockbridge, GA, in 2001, adding Chris Huffman on bass, Megan Garrett on keyboards and accordion, and drummer Andy Williams. This augmented version of Casting Crowns released two independent albums on CD, both of which were well received in the Atlanta area. Both independent albums were efforts on the part of Mark Hall and the rest of the group as outreach projects for youth in the area. The group won the GMA regional songwriters competition at Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, Florida in both the "Best Song" and the "Best Artist" categories in 2004. Although the group was not searching for a record label, one of the group's albums found its way into the hands of Mark Miller, lead singer for country group Sawyer Brown, who was struck by Casting Crowns' driving pop/rock style and Hall's vocal delivery of his hard-hitting but devout songs. Miller signed Casting Crowns to his fledgling Beach Street Records, a division of Reunion Records with distribution by the Provident Label Group, making Casting Crowns the first artist signed to Beach Street Records.

Mark Miller took the group into the studio along with co-producer Steven Curtis Chapman, himself a popular artist on the CCM musical scene. The resulting eponymous album, ''Casting Crowns'', was released in 2003 on the Beach Street imprint. The album quickly made them one of the fastest selling debut artists in Christian music history. The album's third single, "Voice of Truth", spent a record-breaking fourteen consecutive weeks at #1 beginning in 2003. "Voice of Truth" is also by the trailer and the ending from the movie ''Facing the Giants''. The album was certified platinum in 2005, and in 2011, the group received their first gold certification for a single for the song 'Who Am I' from their debut record.

''Lifesong'' and ''Lifesong Live'' (2005-2006)[link]

''Lifesong'' followed in 2005, debuting at #9 on the ''Billboard'' 200 Albums Chart. The album had three singles: “Lifesong”, “Praise You in this Storm”, and “ Does Anybody Hear Her?”. "Lifesong" spent nine weeks in the top spot, with "Praise You in This Storm" remaining at #1 for seven weeks. Apart from being successful in the charts, ''Lifesong'' earned Casting Crowns their first Grammy Award for their work on the album in 2006.

In 2006, the group released ''Lifesong Live'', which included live performances of songs from their studio album ''Lifesong''.

''The Altar and the Door'' and ''The Altar and the Door Live'' (2007-2008)[link]

The band's third studio album ''The Altar and the Door'' debuted at #2 on the ''Billboard'' 200 Albums Chart and #1 on the Hot Christian Albums chart upon its release in August 2007. Ten weeks after the album’s release date, it was certified gold by the RIAA. On September 27, 2007 the band embarked on the ‘Altar and the Door’ tour with Leeland and John Waller . The tour was highly successful, grossing $4.4 million ticket sales. Casting Crowns broke their own record in 2007 when the single "East to West" from ''The Altar and the Door'' hit sixteen consecutive weeks at #1. The song ended up enjoying the top spot for a total of nineteen weeks, now their most successful single to date. "Slow Fade" was also released as a single, and was included in the soundtrack of the Kirk Cameron film ''Fireproof''.

In 2008, Casting Crowns scored their eighth number one hit with "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", a track from their newly-released Christmas album entitled ''Peace on Earth''.

''Until the Whole World Hears'' (2009-2011)[link]

In early 2009, drummer Andy Williams left to pursue a further calling with blessings from the band. The drummer was replaced with Brian Scoggin and his red locks of hair, an irony Mark mentions on tour.

Casting Crowns was one of the only American bands to ever have been invited to North Korea. They attended the 2009 April Spring Arts Festival in Pyongyang where they performed with The Annie Moses Band. This was Casting Crowns second time invited to the Festival sponsored by Global Resource Services, the first time being in 2007. On August 30, 2009 Casting Crowns performed on Huckabee, Mike Huckabee's political show.

Casting Crown's fourth major studio album, ''Until the Whole World Hears'', was released on November 17, 2009, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 and selling over 167,000 copies in its first week alone, setting a new record for the highest Christian album debut in history. It was certified gold within 4 weeks. The title track and first single from the album became the groups ninth #1 single in January 2010. Before the album was released, the band went on tour with Matt Redman for the fall Until The Whole World Hears Tour. They went on the first spring leg of the tour with Kutless, and toured with Tenth Avenue North on the second spring leg.

In April 2010, Casting Crowns won the Dove Award for Artist of the Year, their first ever win in that category. A music video for the title track of ''Until the Whole World Hears'' was posted on the band's YouTube page on August 23, 2010.

The track ''Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)'' was released as a single in 2011 and reached #1 on Billboard Christian Songs during the week of April 23, 2011.

''Come to the Well'' (2011-present)[link]

Casting Crowns' latest song, "Courageous", was released as a single on July 19, 2011. The music video for the song was released on June 13, 2011 and promotes the film ''Courageous''. The song was featured on their latest album, ''Come to the Well'', which was released on October 18, 2011.

Ministry[link]

Casting Crowns frontman Mark Hall calls the band's work a ministry akin to what the world would call "preaching to the choir." In keeping with The Great Commission, Hall describes their music as a "ministry of discipleship."

Four members of Casting Crowns currently minister at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, GA where they play during the Contemporary Worship service on Sunday mornings. They do the band part-time around their full-time work of mentoring teenagers at the church. They often tour from Thursday- Saturday so that they can be home for church on Sunday morning and Wednesday night.

Members[link]

Current[link]

Mark Hall – lead vocals and songwriter (1999–Present)

Hector Cervantes – lead guitar and background vocals (1999–Present)

Juan DeVevo – guitar and background vocals (1999–Present)

Chris Huffman – bass and background vocals (2001–Present)

Megan Garrett – piano, keyboards, backing vocals (2001–Present)

Melodee DeVevo – violin, backing vocals, cello (1999–Present)

Brian Scoggin – drums (2009–Present)

Former[link]

Andy Williams - drums (2001–2009)

Books[link]

''Lifestories'' by Mark Hall

''Your Own Jesus'' by Mark Hall

''The Well'' by Mark Hall

Producers/Executive Producers[link]

Steven Curtis Chapman - Producer for album ''Casting Crowns''

Mark A. Miller - Producer for albums ''Casting Crowns'', ''Lifesong'', ''The Altar and the Door'', and ''Until The Whole World Hears''

Terry Hemmings - Executive Producer for album ''Lifesong'', ''The Altar and the Door'', and ''Until The Whole World Hears''

Discography[link]

Independent albums[link]

2001: ''Casting Crowns''

2002: ''What If The Whole World Prayed''

Studio albums[link]

2003: ''Casting Crowns''

2005: ''Lifesong''

2007: ''The Altar and the Door''

2008: ''Peace on Earth''

2009: ''Until the Whole World Hears''

2011: ''Come to the Well''

Live albums[link]

2004: ''Live from Atlanta''

2006: ''Lifesong Live''

2008: ''The Altar and the Door Live''

2010: ''Until the Whole World Hears... Live''

Music videos[link]

''American Dream''

''Does Anybody Hear Her''

''Slow Fade''

''Until the Whole World Hears''

''Courageous''

''Just Another Birthday''

''Jesus, Friend of Sinners''

Achievements[link]

Career sales have exceeded 5 million records.

Voted CCM Readers' Choice Awards "Favorite Band", "Favorite New Artist" and "Favorite Album" in 2005.

"Lifesong" voted "Inspirational Single of the Year" by online music fans in the 2005 CCMSingles.Net Awards.

"Praise You in this Storm" was the fifth most played song of 2006 according to R&R; magazine

"East To West" voted "AC Single of the Year" and "Inspirational Single of the Year" by online music fans in the 2007 CCMSingles.Net Awards.

Casting Crowns was the most played artist on Christian Radio in 2007, according Radio & Records Weekly charts (12/10).

Casting Crowns is the second fastest Christian band in history to have their first two albums certified platinum, the fastest being Jars of Clay.

;GMA Dove Awards

Year	! Award	! Result
!rowspan="4"	New Artist of the Year
Song of the Year ("If We Are the Body")
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("If We Are the Body")
!rowspan="7"	Artist of the Year
Group of the Year
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Who Am I")
Worship Song of the Year (“Who Am I”)
!rowspan="5"	Artist of the Year
Group of the Year
Song of the Year ("
Pop Contemporary Album of the Year (''[[Lifesong">Lifesong (song)
Pop Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Lifesong")
Pop Contemporary Album of the Year (''[[Lifesong'')
!rowspan="4"	Artist of the Year
Group of the Year
Song of the Year ("Praise You In This Storm")
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Praise You In This Storm")
!rowspan="6"	Artist of the Year
Group of the Year
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year ("The Altar and the Door")
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("East to West")
Praise & Worship Song of the Year ("Praise You In This Storm")
!rowspan="5"	Artist of the Year
Group of the Year
Short Form Music Video of the Year ("Slow Fade")
Long Form Music Video of the Year (''The Altar and the Door Live'')
!rowspan="3"	Artist of the Year
Group of the Year
!rowspan="2"	Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (''Until the Whole World Hears'')
Long Form Music Video of the Year (''Until the Whole World Hears... Live'')

;Grammy Awards

Year	! Award	! Work
! rowspan=1	Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year	''Lifesong''

References[link]

External links[link]

Casting Crowns official site

Casting Crowns ''Artist Profile'' on Christian Music Review

''The Altar and the Door'' album review on Christian Music Review

Casting Crowns on WorshipSong

The Altar & The Door Tour 2009 concert review from NewReleaseTuesday.com

Category:American pop music groups Category:Christian rock groups from Florida Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musical groups established in 1999 Category:Musical septets Category:People from Daytona Beach, Florida Category:Beach Street Records artists Category:Reunion Records artists Category:Sony BMG artists

da:Casting Crowns de:Casting Crowns es:Casting Crowns fr:Casting Crowns it:Casting Crowns nl:Casting Crowns pl:Casting Crowns pt:Casting Crowns simple:Casting Crowns sk:Casting Crowns sv:Casting Crowns

name	Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
background	group_or_band
alias	The Dirt Band, The Toot Uncommons
origin	Long Beach, California,United States
genre	Country, folk, folk rock, bluegrass, country rock, country pop, jug band
years active	1966–present
label	BGO, Liberty, EMI America, Capitol, United Artists, Warner Bros., Universal, MCA, CEMA, Javelin, Rising Tide, DreamWorks, Dualtone, Sugarhill
current members	Bob CarpenterJimmie FaddenJeff HannaJohn McEuen
past members	Ralph BarrMerel BreganteJackson BrowneJohn CableJackie ClarkChris DarrowMichael GardnerAl GarthRichard HathawayJimmy IbbotsonBruce KunkelBernie LeadonVic MastrianniLes Thompson
website	http://www.nittygritty.com/ }}

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded as The Dirt Band. Constant members since the early times are singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna and drummer Jimmie Fadden. Multi-instrumentalist John McEuen was with the band from 1966 to 1986 and returned during 2001. Keyboardist Bob Carpenter joined the band in 1977. The band is often cited as instrumental to the progression of contemporary country and roots music.

The band's successes include a cover version of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles". Albums include 1972's ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken'', featuring such traditional country artists Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, Merle Travis, and Jimmy Martin. A follow-up album based on the same concept, ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two'' was released in 1989, was certified gold and won two Grammy Awards and had one of their albums named Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.

History[link]

1966-1969[link]

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was founded around 1966 in Long Beach, California by singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna and singer-songwriter guitarist Bruce Kunkel who had performed as the New Coast Two and later the Illegitamit JugBand. Trying, in the words of the band's website, to "figure out how not to have to work for a living," Hanna and Kunkel joined informal jam sessions at McCabe's Guitar Shop. There they met several multi-instrumentalists: guitarist/washtub bassist Ralph Barr, guitarist-clarinetist Les Thompson, harmonicist and jug player Jimmie Fadden and guitarist-vocalist Jackson Browne. As the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the six men started as a jug band and adopted the burgeoning southern California folk rock musical style, playing in local clubs while wearing pinstripe suits and cowboy boots. Their first paying performance was at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, California.

Browne was in the band for only a few months before he left to concentrate on a solo career as a singer-songwriter. He was replaced by John McEuen on banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and steel guitar. McEuen's older brother, William, was the group's manager, and he helped the band get signed with Liberty Records, which released the group's debut album, ''The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band'' during 1967. The band's first single, "Buy for Me the Rain," was a Top 40 success, and the band gained exposure on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, as well as concerts with such disparate artists as Jack Benny and The Doors.

A second album, ''Ricochet'' was released later during the year and was less successful than their first. Kunkel wanted the band to "go electric", and include more original material. Bruce left the group to form WordSalad and Of The People. He was replaced by guitarist-fiddler Chris Darrow.

By 1968, the band adopted electrical instruments anyway, and added drums. The first electric album, ''Rare Junk'', was a commercial failure, as was their next, ''Alive!''.

The band continued to gain publicity, mainly as a novelty act, making an appearance in the 1968 film, ''For Singles Only'', and a cameo appearance in the 1969 musical western film, ''Paint Your Wagon'', performing, "Hand Me Down That Can o' Beans". The band also played Carnegie Hall as an opening act for Bill Cosby and played in a jam session with Dizzy Gillespie.

1969-1976[link]

The group had an inactive period during 1969, reforming in Aspen, Colorado with Jimmy Ibbotson replacing Chris Darrow. With William McEuen as producer and a renegotiated contract that gave the band more artistic freedom, the band recorded and released ''Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy'', issued in 1970. Embracing a straight, traditional country and bluegrass sound, the album included the group's best-known single, a cover version of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles".

The next album, ''All The Good Times'', released during early 1972, had a similar style.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band next sought to solidify its reputation as a country band, traveling to Nashville, Tennessee and recording the triple album, ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken'' with Nashville stalwarts Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, and Jimmy Martin, country pioneer Mother Maybelle Carter, folk-blues guitarist Doc Watson, and others. The title is from the song, "Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)", as adapted by A. P. Carter, and reflects the album's theme of trying to tie together two generations of musicians: long-haired boys from California and older veterans of the middle American establishment. The track, "I Saw the Light" with Acuff singing, was a success, and the album received two nominations for Grammy Award. Veteran fiddler Vassar Clements was introduced to a wider audience by the album. The band also toured Japan.

Les Thompson left the group, making the band a foursome. The next album, ''Stars & Stripes Forever'', was a live album that mixed old successes such as "Buy for Me the Rain" and "Mr. Bojangles" with ''Circle'' collaborations (fiddler Vassar Clements was a guest performer) and long storytelling spoken-word monologues. A studio album, ''Dream'', was also released.

During July 1974, the band was among the headline acts at the Ozark Music Festival at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri. Some estimates have estimated the crowd count at 350,000 people, which would make this one of the largest music events in history. At another concert, the band opened for the rock band Aerosmith.

1976-1981: "The Dirt Band"[link]

Jimmy Ibbotson left the band at the end of 1975, leaving Fadden, Hanna, and McEuen. John Cable and Jackie Clark were brought in on guitar and bass. The band shortened its name around this time to The Dirt Band, and released its first greatest successes compilation, ''Dirt, Silver & Gold'', in 1976.

In 1977 the Dirt Band was the first American group allowed by the Soviet Union to tour Russia, playing concerts and a televised appearance that is estimated to have been watched by 145 million people.

Pianist Bob Carpenter joined during 1977, and the group's sound became more pop and rock oriented. Saxophonist Al Garth, drummer Merel Bregante, and bassist Richard Hathaway were also added. Jeff Hanna became the group's producer.

Albums during this period included ''The Dirt Band'' and ''An American Dream''. The single "American Dream" with Linda Ronstadt reached No. 13 on the popular music charts. The band also appeared on ''Saturday Night Live'', and, billed as The Toot Uncommons, provided backing for Steve Martin on his million-selling novelty tune, "King Tut."

The albums ''Make a Little Magic'' and ''Jealousy'' were released in 1980 and 1981, with the single "Make a Little Magic" featuring Nicolette Larson reaching the Top 25 on the pop chart.

1982-1989: Return To "Nitty Gritty"[link]

The band returned to its original name and its country roots, with Jimmy Ibbotson rejoining for recording session in Nashville, Tennessee for the album ''Let's Go'', which yielded the success "Dance Little Jean" which was a Top 10 country hit. The next album, 1984's ''Plain Dirt Fashion'' had the band's first No. 1 success, "Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream)".

There were two more No. 1's: "Modern Day Romance" (1985) and "Fishin' in the Dark" (1987). Other successful songs were "Dance Little Jean" (1983); "I Love Only You" (1984); "High Horse" (1985); "Home Again in My Heart," "Partners, Brothers and Friends" and "Stand a Little Rain" (1986); "Fire in the Sky," "Baby's Got a Hold on Me" and "Oh What a Love" (1987); "Workin' Man (Nowhere to Go)" and "I've Been Lookin'" (1988); and "Down That Road Tonight" and "When it's Gone" (1989).

Performances included the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the inaugural Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois. A 20-year anniversary concert at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado featured such guests as Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris, Doc Watson, and John Prine.

John McEuen left the band at the end of 1986, replaced by Bernie Leadon, formerly of the Eagles. He was with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1987 and 1988. The band's 19th album, ''Hold On'' featured the No. 1 singles "Fishin' in the Dark" and "Baby's Got a Hold on Me." The band appeared on the ''Today Show'' and the ''Tonight Show'' in the same week, and toured Europe.

During 1989, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band again returned to Nashville, to record ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two''. Returnees from the first ''Circle'' included Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and Roy Acuff. Johnny Cash and the Carter Family, Emmylou Harris, and Ricky Skaggs joined the sessions, as did John Prine, Levon Helm, John Denver, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby, and former Byrds Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman. This album won two Grammy Awards and was named Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards for Best Country Vocal Performance (duo or group) and the Country Music Association's Album of the Year Award in 1989.

1990-2000[link]

As a foursome of Hanna, Fadden, Ibbotson and Carpenter, the band again toured the former Soviet Union, as well as Canada, Europe, and Japan. A 25th anniversary concert was recorded on ''Live Two Five'' in Red Deer, Alberta, produced by T-Bone Burnett.

During 1992, the band collaborated with Irish folk music's The Chieftains for the Grammy Award-winning ''Another Country''. Other efforts included the album ''Acoustic'', spotlighting their "wooden" sound, a duet with Karla Bonoff, "You Believed in Me" for the MCA Olympic compilation, ''One Voice'', and a cover version of Buddy Holly's "Maybe Baby" for the Decca tribute album, ''Not Fade Away''. ''The Christmas Album'' was released in 1997, followed by ''Bang! Bang! Bang!'' in 1999.

During April 1992, they were the unwitting subject of one of George H. W. Bush's malapropisms when he referred to the group as the "Nitty Ditty Nitty Gritty Great Bird" at a country music awards ceremony in Nashville:

:"''I said to them there's another one that the Nitty Ditty Nitty Gritty Great Bird and it says if you want to see a rainbow you've got to stand a little rain.''"

This unusual phrasing was repeatedly used as an example of Bush's garbled syntax (notably, in Dave Barry's book ''Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway''), which in turn helped publicize the band.

Recent works[link]

John McEuen rejoined the band in 2001. During 2002, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band celebrated the 30th anniversary of their landmark ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken'' with a remastered CD reissue of the 1972 album and a new compilation, ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume III''. An album of all-new material, ''Welcome to Woody Creek'', was released in 2004. Jimmy Ibbotson again left the band that same year.

Also during 2004, country group Rascal Flatts released a cover of "Bless the Broken Road," which the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had recorded on ''Acoustic,'' from 1994. Songwriters Jeff Hanna, Marcus Hummon, and Bobby Boyd won a Grammy for Best Country Song for this work in 2005.

During 2005 the band donated use of the song "Soldier's Joy" for the benefit album, ''Too Many Years'' to benefit Clear Path International's work with landmine survivors. Also in 2005, the band was recognized by the International Entertainment Buyers Association for 40 years of contributions to the music industry.

In 2009 the band released a new album, ''Speed of Life.'' Produced by George Massenburg and Jon Randall Stewart, ''Speed of Life'' is composed of a series of live, freewheeling studio recordings that purposefully avoid overproduction and demonstrate the band's collaborative spirit and spontaneity. Of the 13 tracks on ''Speed of Life,'' 11 are new songs penned by the band, and two are classic covers: Canned Heat's Woodstock hit “Going Up the Country” and Stealers Wheel's “Stuck in the Middle.”

Awards and Nominations [link]

1984 — CMA Nomination for Instrumental Group of the Year

1985 — CMA Nomination for Instrumental Group of the Year; ACM Nomination for Vocal Group of the Year

1986 — CMA Nomination for Vocal Group of the Year

1988 — CMA Nomination for Vocal Group of the Year

1989 — CMA award for Album Of The Year; Grammy award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals; Grammy award for Best Bluegrass Recording; Grammy award for Co-producing Best Country Instrumental

2002 — Grammy nominations for Best Country Vocal Performance - Duo or Group and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals

2003 — CMA nomination for Vocal Event of the Year (NGDB with Johnny Cash); IBMA award for Best Recorded Event

2005 — Grammy award for Best Country Instrumental (NGDB with Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Jerry Douglas and Vassar Clements)

Members [link]

Discography[link]

References [link]

External links[link]

Official site

Listen or Watch from Woodsongs archived show 551

Category:American country rock groups Category:American country music groups Category:American folk rock groups Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musical groups established in 1966 Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:United Artists Records artists Category:MCA Records artists de:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band fr:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band it:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band pt:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ru:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

name	Dirt
background	group_or_band
origin	UK
genre	Anarcho-punk
years active	1980–1986, 1992-
label	Crass Records
associated acts	Stratford Mercenaries, Earth Culture
website	http://www.dirt.gagsdirt.co.uk/
notable instruments	}}

DIRT (Death Is Reality Today) were an anarcho-punk band from the UK. Initially formed in 1980 (with a core line-up of Gary, Deno, Fox, Lou and Vomit), the band frequently played with fellow anarchists Crass, before releasing their first EP, ''Object, Refuse, Reject, Abuse'' on the Crass Records label. Their second release, ''Never Mind Dirt, Here's the Bollocks'', also on the Crass label, was a live LP released in 1982. The band went into a brief hiatus after 1982 when they took to the road again (Gary and Deno recruiting new members Stuart, Paul and Richard) and recorded the ''Just An Error'' album, after which they split in 1986.

Gary and Deno reconvened the band yet again, in 1992, and began touring extensively which resulted in the ''Drunks in Rusty Transits'' album after which the band was dissolved. Singer Gxist (Gary) later formed Stratford Mercenaries with Steve Ignorant of Crass. The original bass player, Vomit (Vincent Learoyd), went on to form Earth Culture, a neo-pagan band.

Discography[link]

Chart placings shown are from the UK Indie Chart.

EPs[link]

''Object Refuse Reject Abuse'' (#4)

''Feast or Famine''

''Scent of The Kill''

''Beast or Burden?''

LPs[link]

''Never Mind Dirt Here's The Bollocks'' (#4)

''Just an Error''

''Drunks in Rusty Transits''

Compilations[link]

''Black & White'' (2 discs)

''Whispers Compilation''

References[link]

External links[link]

http://www.dirt.gagsdirt.co.uk/ -Dirt Website

Category:Anarcho-punk groups Category:British punk rock groups

There are many people in history who are commonly appended with the phrase "''the Great''", or who were called that or an equivalent phrase in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes such as ''e Bozorg'' and ''e azam'' in Persian and Urdu respectively.

In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to be a colloquial version of the Old Persian title "Great King". This title was first used by the conqueror Cyrus II of Persia.

The Persian title was inherited by Alexander III of Macedon (336–323 BC) when he conquered the Persian Empire, and the epithet "Great" eventually became personally associated with him. The first reference (in a comedy by Plautus) assumes that everyone knew who "Alexander the Great" was; however, there is no earlier evidence that Alexander III of Macedon was called "''the Great''".

The early Seleucid kings, who succeeded Alexander in Persia, used "Great King" in local documents, but the title was most notably used for Antiochus the Great (223–187 BC).

Later rulers and commanders began to use the epithet "the Great" as a personal name, like the Roman general Pompey. Others received the surname retrospectively, like the Carthaginian Hanno and the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great. Once the surname gained currency, it was also used as an honorific surname for people without political careers, like the philosopher Albert the Great.

As there are no objective criteria for "greatness", the persistence of later generations in using the designation greatly varies. For example, Louis XIV of France was often referred to as "The Great" in his lifetime but is rarely called such nowadays, while Frederick II of Prussia is still called "The Great". A later Hohenzollern - Wilhelm I - was often called "The Great" in the time of his grandson Wilhelm II, but rarely later.

Rulers[link]

Abbas I of Persia (1571–1629), Shah of Iran

Akbar (1542–1605), ruler of the Mughal Empire of South Asia, mainly India

Alain I of Albret (1440–1522), French aristocrat

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), King of Macedonia, Persia, Greece, Egypt, and all of Mesopotamia

Alexander I of Georgia (1386–1446), King of Georgia

Alfonso III of León (c. 848-910), King of León, Galicia and Asturias

Alfred the Great (848/849-899), King of Wessex

Antiochus III the Great (c. 241–187 BC), ruler of the Seleucid Empire

Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BC), Indian emperor of the Maurya dynasty

Ashot I of Iberia “the Great”(died 826/830), presiding prince of Iberia (modern Georgia),

Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442–1538), ruler of the Songhai Empire

Bhumibol Adulyadej (born 1927), King of Thailand

Bolesław I Chrobry (967-1025), sometimes called "the Great", first King of Poland

Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the following section)

Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (1736–1809), founder and ruler of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (in what is now Thailand)

Cnut the Great (c. 985 or 995-1035), King of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden

Casimir III the Great (1310–1370), King of Poland

Catherine the Great (1729–1796), Empress of Russia

Chandragupta II (reigned 375-413/415), also known as Vikramaditya, ruler of the Gupta empire in India

Charlemagne (died 814), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans

Chulalongkorn (1853–1910), King of Siam (now Thailand)

Chlothar II (584-629), King of Neustria and King of the Franks

Conrad, Margrave of Meissen (c. 1097-1157), Margrave of Meissen

Constantine I (c. 272-337), Roman emperor

Cyaxares the Great (c. 625-585 BC), third king of Media

Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC or 576 BC–530 BC), founder and ruler of the Persian or Achaemenid Empire

Darius the Great (550 – 486 BC), third ruler of the Persian Empire

Devapala (died 850), ruler of the Pala Empire in the Indian subcontinent

Dionysius I, Greek tyrant of Syracuse

Ferdinand I of León and Castile (c. 1015–1065), King of León and Count of Castile

Frederick the Great (1712–1786), King of Prussia

Genghis Khan (1162?-1227), founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire

Gero (c. 900–965), ruler of Marca Geronis, a very large march in Europe

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594–1632), King of Sweden, founder of the Swedish Empire, and noted military leader

Gwanggaeto the Great, King of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea

Hanno the Great, the name of three leaders of Carthage, in the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BC

Henry I, Duke of Burgundy (946–1002)

Henry IV of France (1553–1610), King of France and King of Navarre

Herod the Great (73/74 BC-4 BC), King of Judea

Hugh the Great (898-956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris

Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France

Hugh I, Count of Vermandois (1057–1101)

Humphrey I de Bohun (died c. 1123), Anglo-Norman aristocrat

Ivan III of Russia (1440–1505), Tsar of Russia

John I of Portugal (1358–1433), King of Portugal and the Algarve

John II of Aragon (1398–1479), King of Aragon and, through his wife, King of Navarre

Justinian I (483-565), Byzantine Emperor

Kamehameha I (c. 1758-1819), first King of Hawai'i

Kanishka (died c. 127), ruler of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia and parts of India

Kvirike III of Kakheti (1010–1029), King of Kakheti in eastern Georgia

Kublai Khan (1215–1294), Mongol ruler in the 13th century and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan Dynasty

Llywelyn the Great (c. 1172–1240), Prince of Gwynedd and de facto ruler of most of Wales

Louis I of Hungary (1326–1382), King of Hungary, Croatia and Poland

Mangrai the Great (1238–1317), Lanna, northern Thailand

Emperor Meiji (1852–1912), Emperor of Japan

Mircea I of Wallachia (1355–1418)

Mithridates II of Parthia (died 88 BC), ruler of the Parthian Empire (in present day Iran)

Mithridates VI of Pontus (134 BC–63 BC), ruler of Pontus and the Bosporan Kingdom

Mstislav I of Kiev (1076–1132), Grand Prince of Kievan Rus

Naresuan (1555–1605), King of Ayutthaya

Narai (1633–1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)

Odo the Great (died c. 735), Duke of Aquitaine

Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912-973)

K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603-683), ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque

Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa (1123–1186), King of Sri Lanka

Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia (died 1075), King of Croatia

Peter the Great (1672–1725), Tsar of Russia

Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285), King of Aragon and King of Sicily

Pompey (106 BC-48 BC), military and political leader of the late Roman Republic, rival of Julius Caesar

Radama I (1793–1828), first king of greater Madagascar

Raja Raja Chola I (c. 947-1014), Indian emperor of the Cholas.

Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014–1044), Tamil King of India

Ramesses II (reigned 1279 BC – 1213 BC), considered the greatest pharaoh of Ancient Egypt

Ram Khamhaeng (around 1237 to 1247-1298), King of Sukhothai (in present day Thailand)

Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona (1082–1131), also Count of Provence and various other counties

Rhodri the Great (c. 820–878), King of Gwynedd (in present day Wales)

Roman the Great (after 1160-1205), Grand Prince of Kiev

Saladin (c. 1138-1193), Kurdish Sultan of Egypt and Syria, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, and victor over the Crusaders

Samudragupta (c. 335–375), ruler of the Gupta empire in the Indian subcontinent

Sancho III of Navarre (c. 992-1035), King of Kingdom of Navarre

Sargon of Akkad (died c. 2215 BC), ruler of the Akkadian Empire

Sejong the Great (1397–1450), Korean king

Shapur II (309-379), king of the Sassanid Empire, Persia

Simeon I of Bulgaria (864/865-927), ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire

Stephen III of Moldavia (1433–1504), Prince of Moldavia (Romania)

Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia (c. 1308-1355), King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks

Taksin (1734–1782), King of the Thonburi Kingdom (Thailand)

Tamar (1160-1123), Queen of the Georgian Empire

Timur (1336–1405), better known as Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid Dynasty

Theobald II, Count of Champagne (1090–1151), Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV, Count of Champagne and of Brie

Theodoric the Great (454-526), King of the Ostrogoths, regent of the Visigoths and a viceroy of the Byzantine Empire

Theodosius I (347-395), Roman emperor

Tigranes the Great (140-55 BC), Emperor of Armenia

Tiridates III of Armenia (285-339), King of Armenia

Umar (c. 586 to 590–644), second caliph of the Muslim Empire

Valdemar I of Denmark (1131–1182), King of Denmark

Valentinian I (364-375), Roman Emperor

Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 958-1015), ruler of Kievan Rus

Vytautas (c. 1350-1430), archduke of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy

William I, Count of Burgundy (1020–1087), Count of Burgandy and Mâcon

William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969-1030), also Count of Poitou

Xerxes I (519-465 BC), King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire (Persia)

Yu the Great (c. 2200-2100 BC), legendary ruler in ancient China

Religious figures[link]

Abraham the Great of Kashkar (ca. 492-586), monk and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East

Abraham Kidunaia (died c. 366, hermit, priest, and Christian saint of Mesopotamia

Albertus Magnus (1193/1206–1280), medieval German philosopher and theologian

Anthony the Great (c. 251–356), early Christian saint of Egypt

Babai the Great (c. 551–628), Assyrian church leader

Basil of Caesarea (330-379), Greek bishop and theologian

Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the previous section)

Euthymius the Great (377-473), abbot and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint

Gertrude the Great (1256-c. 1302), German Benedictine, mystic, theologian and Roman Catholic saint

Pope Gregory I (c. 540-604)

Hiyya the Great, 3rd-century rabbi, Palestine

Pope John Paul II (1920–2005)

Pope Leo I (c. 391 or 400-461)

Macarius of Egypt (c. 300-391), Egyptian hermit

Pope Nicholas I (c. 800-867)

Photius I of Constantinople (c. 810–c. 893), Eastern Orthodox saint and Patriarch of Constantinople

William of Maleval (died 1157), founder of the Catholic congregation of Williamites

Other[link]

Beli Mawr, a figure in medieval Welsh literature and genealogies

Emmy the Great, folk singer

Matteo Rosso the Great, Roman politician and father of Pope Nicholas III

Prokop the Great, Hussite general in Bohemia

See also[link]

Epithet

List of monarchs by nickname

List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility: G-I

James, son of Zebedee, also known as James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus

Ajax (mythology), called Ajax the Greater

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whose common honorific "Mahatma" means "Great Soul"

Notes[link]

Category:Monarchs Great, List of people known as The Category:Greatest Nationals Category:Epithets

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