Evanston, Illinois is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 10 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan. The boundaries of the city of Evanston are coterminous with those of Evanston Township – although school districts 65 and 202 take in a small portion of eastern Skokie. Evanston is the home of Northwestern University.

History

Prior to the 1830s, the area now occupied by Evanston was mainly uninhabited, consisting largely of wetlands and swampy forest. However, Potawatomi Indians used trails along higher-lying prehistoric ridges that ran in a general north-south direction through the area, and had at least some semi-permanent settlements along the trails. French explorers referred to the general area as "Grosse Pointe" after a point of land jutting into Lake Michigan about north of the mouth of the Chicago River. After the first non-native Americans settled in the area in 1836, the names "Grosse Point Territory" and "Gross Point voting district" were used through the 1830s and 1840s, although the territory had no defined boundaries. The area remained only sparsely settled, supporting some farming and lumber activity on some of the higher ground, as well as a number of taverns or "hotels" along the ridge roads.

In 1850, a township called Ridgeville was organized, extending from Graceland Cemetery in Chicago to the southern edge of the Ouilmette Reservation, along what is now Central Street, and from Lake Michigan to Western Avenue in Chicago. The 1850 census shows a few hundred settlers in this township, and a post office with the name of Ridgeville was established at one of the taverns. However, no municipality yet existed.

In 1851, a group of Methodist business leaders founded Northwestern University and Garrett Biblical Institute. They chose a bluffed and wooded site along the lake as Northwestern's home, purchasing several hundred acres of land from Dr. John Foster, a Chicago farm owner. In 1854, the founders of Northwestern submitted to the county judge their plans for a city to be named Evanston after John Evans, one of their leaders. In 1857, the request was granted. The township of Evanston was split off from Ridgeville Township; at approximately the same time, that portion of Ridgeville south of Devon Avenue was organized as Lake View Township.

Evanston was formally incorporated as a town on December 29, 1863, but declined in 1869 to become a city despite the Illinois legislature passing a bill for that purpose. Evanston expanded after the Civil War with the annexation of the village of North Evanston. Finally, in early 1892, following the annexation of the Village of South Evanston, voters elected to organize as a city. The 1892 boundaries are largely those that exist today.

During the 1960s, Northwestern University changed the city's shoreline by adding a 74-acre (300,000 m²) lakefill.

In 1939, Evanston hosted the first NCAA basketball championship final at Northwestern University's Patten Gymnasium.

In August 1954, Evanston hosted the second assembly of the World Council of Churches, still the only WCC assembly to have been held in the United States. President Dwight Eisenhower welcomed the delegates and Dag Hammarskjöld, secretary-general of the United Nations, delivered an important address entitled "An instrument of faith."

Today, the city is home to Northwestern University and other educational institutions as well as headquarters of Alpha Phi International women's fraternity, Rotary International, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the National Lekotek Center, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the Sigma Chi Fraternity and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

Evanston is the birthplace of Tinkertoys, and Evanston, along with Ithaca, New York, Two Rivers, Wisconsin and Plainfield, Illinois also lays claim to having originated the ice cream sundae.

Evanston was a dry community from 1858 until 1972, when the City Council voted to allow restaurants and hotels to serve liquor on their premises. In 1984, the Council voted to allow retail liquor outlets within the city limits.

Geography

Evanston is located at (42.046380, -87.694608) and is at an elevation of 600 ft.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.8 square miles (20.1 km²), of which, 7.8 square miles (20.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.26%) is water.

In August 2004, there was some confusion as to the size of Evanston. Evanston is often locally listed as being , but this number appears to be incorrect. The listed by the United States Census Bureau is more accurate.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 74,239 people, 29,651 households, and 15,952 families residing in the city. The population density was 9,584.1 people per square mile (3,698.6/km²). There were 30,817 housing units at an average density of 3,978.4 per square mile (1,535.3/km²). The 2000 census showed that Evanston is ethnically mixed with the following breakdown in population: 62.56% white, 22.50% black or African American, 6.09% Asian, and 2.85% from other races. 6.11% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 29,651 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age was 32 years, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 16.4% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

Evanston is economically diverse. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $69,303, and the median income for a family was $102,258. Males had a median income of $51,726 versus $39,767 for females. The per capita income for the city was $33,645. About 5.1% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Evanston has a council-manager system of government and is divided into nine wards, each of which is represented by an Alderman, or member of the Evanston City Council. Its current mayor is Elizabeth Tisdahl, replacing longtime mayor Lorraine H. Morton.

In the April 2009, municipal elections, Ald. Elizabeth Tisdahl won a landslide victory in the race for mayor over three opponents in a low-turnout election.

Evanston was heavily Republican in voter identification from the time of the Civil War up to the 1970s. Then it began trending Democrat and now almost exclusively identifies with candidates affiliated with the Democratic party in elections on all levels of government. In the 2004 presidential election, Democratic candidate John Kerry won 82% of Evanston's vote. His Republican opponent and the nationwide winner, President George W. Bush, only won 17% of the vote in Evanston.

In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama won approximately 87% of the vote in Evanston over Republican Senator John McCain.

Nicknames

Early after its founding Evanston, because of its strong Methodist influence, and its attempt to impose moral rigor, was called "Heavenston." In the early 20th century Evanston was called "The City of Churches." The varied works of numerous prominent architects, and many prominent mansions, especially near the lakefront, gave the town by the 1920s the sobriquet "The City of Homes," a fact often touted by local real estate agents. Use of the phrase has been attributed to a 1924 speech at the local Kiwanis club. Since the late 20th century, because of Evanston's activism and often left-of-center politics, it is sometimes humorously (or sarcastically) referred to as "The People's Republic of Evanston." "E-Town" is a nickname used often by Evanston's youth populace, and is especially common among students and even faculty at Evanston Twp. High School, as well as Northwestern students.

Education

Public schools

High school

Most of Evanston (and a small part of the village of Skokie) is within the boundaries of Evanston Township High School District 202. The district has a single high school, Evanston Township High School (ETHS) with an enrollment of just over 3000, covering grades 9 through 12. The school's mascot is Willie the Wildkit (a diminutive of Northwestern's Wildcats) and the school's colors are orange and blue. Its biggest rival is New Trier High School in Winnetka. Its superintendent is Dr. Eric Witherspoon.

Primary schools

Evanston-Skokie Community Consolidated School District 65, covering all of Evanston and part of Skokie, provides primary education from pre-kindergarten through grade 8. The district has ten elementary schools (through fifth grade), three middle schools (grades 6 through 8), two magnet schools (K through 8) and three special schools or centers.

Transportation

Evanston's growth occurred largely because of its accessibility from Chicago by rail. The Northwestern founders did not finalize their commitment to siting the university there until they were assured the Chicago & Milwaukee railroad line would run there. C&M; trains began stopping in Evanston in 1855. Evanston later experienced rapid growth as one of the first streetcar suburbs. The North Shore Line which gave the area its nickname started at Church Street in Evanston and continued up to Waukegan.

Transit continues to make Evanston attractive today. The CTA's Purple Line, part of the Chicago 'L' system, runs through Evanston. From its terminal at Howard in Chicago, the line heads north to the South Boulevard, Main, Dempster, Davis, Foster, Noyes, and Central stations, before terminating at Linden in Wilmette. Metra's Union Pacific/North Line also serves Evanston, with stations at Main Street, Davis Street and Central Street, the first two being adjacent to Purple Line stations. The CTA's Yellow Line also runs through the city, though it only stops at Howard.

Evanston is also served by six CTA bus routes as well as four Pace bus routes.

Economy

Top employers

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

! #	! Employer	! # of Employees
1	Northwestern University	5,325
2	NorthShore University HealthSystem	3,780
3		1,649
4	City of Evanston	1,000
5	Evanston-Skokie Community Consolidated School District 65	700
6	Evanston Township High School District 202	566
7	Presbyterian Homes	533
8	Rotary International	460
9	Jewel (supermarket)	455
10	C.E. Niehoff & Co.	450

Commercial districts

Once the home of one of the first [[Marshall Field's and Sears stores in suburbia, Evanston remains an important shopping destination for the north suburbs and North Side of Chicago, with numerous commercial centers throughout the city. The principal ones are as follows: Downtown - centered around the Davis St. Metra and "L" stops, Evanston's downtown adjoins Northwestern University. Over 300 businesses, several highrise office and residential buildings, three traditional low-rise shopping areas, an 18-screen movie theatre, and over 85 restaurants Central Street - actually several shopping districts linked along the northernmost of the city's principal east-west arteries, with the most active clustered around the Central Street Metra station and characterized by specialty shops and restaurants in a walkable environment with an eclectic, vintage "small-town feel" strongly protected by the community Dempster Street - just off the Dempster "L" stop; over 60 shops, many of them small and hip, including Bagel Art, the vegetarian Blind Faith Cafe, The Mexican Shop, 2nd Hand Tunes, lollie (children’s boutique), FolkWorks Gallery, Union Pizzeria and SPACE, a music venue and recording studio. Main Street Station - approximately 3 blocks of small, interesting shops abutting both a CTA and Metra stop, in a gentrifying neighborhood. Since 1917, the neighborhood has been home to the South Branch of the Evanston Public Library, which closed in 2011. It also is home to the Evanston Arts Depot. Howard Street - many small shops line the city's border with Chicago; at the west end of the avenue, near the border with Skokie, Howard Center, a small thriving shopping mall, was built in the 1990s after some controversy.

Chicago Avenue - not a separate shopping district per se, this extension of what is called Clark Street in Chicago runs parallel to the rail lines and is the principal north-south artery in Evanston from Howard Street north to its terminus at Northwestern University. Chicago Avenue connects the Main Street, Dempster Street, and Downtown shopping districts. Once home to numerous auto dealerships, it has attracted numerous restaurants and a growing number of multi-unit residential structures and is lined with interesting businesses.

Health care

Two hospitals are located within Evanston's city limits:

Evanston Hospital, part of NorthShore University HealthSystem

St. Francis Hospital, part of Resurrection Health Care

Controversy

Beginning in the late 1990s, there has been considerable controversy over an explosion in high-rise development, especially in the downtown district. Detractors contend that the development has taken away what they call a "unique Evanston identity." They cite a growing number of local businesses that have gone out of business to be replaced with chain stores as its worst offense. In contrast proponents claim that the high-rises have brought much-needed life to what was a dying suburban downtown, and much-needed revenues to chronically underfunded city coffers.

Recently (as of 2006) there was concern with Evanston's low-income population being able to find affordable housing. Evanston's west side, a formerly strong middle-class African American community, has been undergoing a redevelopment process, which has led to a steadily decreasing minority population in Evanston. The city's former mayor Lorraine H. Morton has tried to persuade builders to build less expensive medium sized homes under $350,000, but none of her attempts were successful.

University-City Relations

A perennial debate in Evanston is the issue of Northwestern University's status as a tax-exempt institution. In the founding charter of Northwestern University, signed in 1851, the state granted the school an exemption from paying property taxes, and unlike other well-off private universities with statutory exemptions, it provides its own police services, but not firefighter/paramedic services. It pays water, sewer, communications, real property transfer taxes, building permit fees, but not property taxes. Northwestern does not make Payments in Lieu of Taxes for the real estate it removes from property tax rolls.

Northwestern's critics allege that it consumes far more from the city than it contributes. However, its backers contend that the benefits of having an elite research institution justify Northwestern's tax status. This controversy was revived in 2003 when the university purchased an eight-story office building downtown, removing it from the tax rolls. An advisory referendum put on the April elections ballot, dubbed by supporters as a "Fair Share Initiative," received a majority, but was not passed into ordinance by the City Council.

In September 2009, Northwestern purchased a fire truck for the city of Evanston at a cost of $550,000. Northwestern President Morton Schapiro stated "We are pleased to fund the purchase of this new fire engine, which was the top priority of the City in our discussions with how we might assist the City financially."

Local media

''The Daily Northwestern'' - the student newspaper at Northwestern University.

The Evanston Review - subscription weekly newspaper

The Evanston Roundtable - free biweekly newspaper

Use as film location

Evanston's variety of housing and commercial districts, combined with easy access to Chicago, make it a popular filming location. Evanston as of December 2008 is listed as a filming location for 65 different films, notably those of John Hughes. Much of the 1984 film ''Sixteen Candles'' was filmed in and around Evanston, as was ''Home Alone 3''. Although not filmed there, the 2004 film ''Mean Girls'' is also set in the Evanston suburbs, and makes several references to the area.

Points of interest

Frances Willard House

Free School of Evanston

Grosse Point Lighthouse

Ladd Arboretum

Mount Trashmore

Northwestern University

See also

List of people from Evanston, Illinois

National Register of Historic Places listings in Evanston, Illinois

References

External links

City of Evanston

Evanston Public Library

Category:Populated places established in 1857 Category:Cities in Illinois Category:Streetcar suburbs Category:University towns in the United States Category:Populated places on the Great Lakes Category:Chicago metropolitan area Category:Populated places in Cook County, Illinois

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Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Rashad Evans
birth name	Rashad Anton Evans
birth date	September 25, 1979
birth place	Niagara Falls, New York, United States
other names	Suga, Sugar
nationality	American
height
weight lb	205
weight class	Light Heavyweight (205 lb) Heavyweight (265 lb) (The Ultimate Fighter)
reach in	75
style	Collegiate Wrestling, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Gaidojutsu
stance	Orthodox
fighting out of	Boca Raton, FL
team	Imperial Athletics
rank	''NCAA Division I Wrestling'' ''Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu'' ''Black belt in Gaidojutsu''
years active	2004–present
mma win	16
mma kowin	7
mma subwin	2
mma decwin	8
mma loss	1
mma draw	1
am win	2
am subwin	1
am decwin	1
occupation	Professional Mixed martial arts Fighter
university	Michigan State University Niagara County C.C.
spouse	LaToya
children	3
relatives	Lance Evans, ''brother''
school	Niagara-Wheatfield High School
url	http://www.rashadevans.tv/
sherdog	10200
updated	July 22, 2011 }}

Rashad Anton Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of ''The Ultimate Fighter 2''. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship to then undefeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. Evans is currently ranked as the #3 Light Heavyweight fighter in the world by Sherdog, MMAWeekly. and Yahoo! Sports. He holds notable victories over Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Thiago Silva, Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping and Chuck Liddell.

Early life

One of eight children, Evans was a two-time All-State wrestler at Niagara Wheatfield High School (Niagara-Wheatfield Central School District) in Sanborn, New York. He was also a two-way player on the school's football team, playing running back when on offense and safety on defense.

After graduating from high school in the year 1998, Evans went on to attend Niagara County Community College, where he entered the wrestling program and won the National Junior College championship in 2000. He then transferred to Michigan State University, competing in the weight class. He started at Michigan State for three years and amassed a 48–34 record during that time. Evans was also one of only three people to ever defeat wrestling legend Greg Jones. Since graduating from Michigan State and earning a degree in psychology, he has remained a resident of Lansing, Michigan. In 2005, he became an assistant coach for the Michigan State wrestling program.

Mixed martial arts

Early career

In 2004, under the tutelage of veteran wrestler and MMA fighter Dan Severn, Evans competed in five professional mixed martial arts fights, winning all five. This led to his selection as one of the nine heavyweights to compete on ''The Ultimate Fighter 2'', a reality TV series on Spike. The season began airing on August 22, 2005, culminating in a live finale between the final two fighters of each weight division, held in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 5, 2005.

The Ultimate Fighter

At and , Evans was the shortest and the second-lightest of the nine heavyweight competitors. He was considered the underdog in each of his fights, but made it to the finals by defeating Tom Murphy, Mike Whitehead, and Keith Jardine all by decision. During his tenure on the show, Evans was criticized by opposing coach Matt Hughes for his showboating during fights, but the two eventually settled their differences, and Hughes even cornered Evans for his semifinal bout. In the finale, Evans defeated Brad Imes by split decision, thus winning a three-year, six-figure contract with the UFC and a brand new car. After ''The Ultimate Fighter'', Evans joined Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting camp along with fellow competitor Keith Jardine, who would eventually become his training partner and good friend.

After the show

Evans dropped down to light heavyweight after the show, deciding he would have a better chance of success in a lower weight class. His first fight under the contract took place on April 6, 2006 against Sam Hoger, who had been a semi-finalist on ''The Ultimate Fighter 1''. Evans defeated Hoger via split decision despite nearly falling victim to a kimura submission at the end of the second round.

Evans followed with a victory by majority decision over ''The Ultimate Fighter 1'' finalist Stephan Bonnar on June 28, 2006. Evans maintained control throughout the fight with repeated take downs, including a number of slams in the center of the cage and went on to secure the victory. Three months later, Evans faced Jason Lambert at ''UFC 63''. Lambert, riding an eight-fight win streak, was seen as Evans's first real test at 205 pounds. Evans controlled the fight from early on, and knocked Lambert out with punches from the mount in the second round. It was his first stoppage victory in over two years.

Evans next headlined ''UFC Fight Night: Evans vs Salmon'' against UFC newcomer Sean Salmon, a highly decorated collegiate wrestler who held a 9–1 professional record. Though Salmon had won the first round by scoring two takedowns, Evans came back with a head kick knockout early in the second round. Salmon remained motionless for several minutes after the fight and was eventually carried out on a stretcher to a local hospital. The kick came to the surprise of many fans who had previously considered Evans a one-dimensional wrestler.

At ''UFC 73'', Evans squared off against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz. The two competitors fought to a draw as all three judges scored the bout 28–28. Ortiz had won two out of three rounds on all scorecards, but was deducted a point for holding the cage fence to defend against a takedown by Evans. Immediately after the fight, Ortiz asked for a rematch. At a press conference following ''UFC 73'', UFC President Dana White promised a rematch, but it never materialized. Instead, Evans made his debut as a headliner on a pay-per-view event at ''UFC 78'' against fellow undefeated fighter and ''The Ultimate Fighter 3'' winner Michael Bisping. After three close rounds, Evans came out on top on two of the judgess' scorecards, winning by controversial split decision. This fight marked Bisping's first loss and his final bout in the light heavyweight division. After his win over Bisping, Evans drastically changed his fighting style, which he kept secret until his fight against UFC Legend Chuck Liddell.

Evans vs. Liddell

Entering the fight as a very heavy underdog, Evans shocked the world by knocking out former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in brutal fashion at ''UFC 88''. Liddell threw an uppercut that Evans countered with an overhand right, landing flush. Liddell remained unconscious for several minutes before finally walking out of the cage under his own power. The knockout was awarded knockout of the year by Sherdog for 2008. Evans had previously been scheduled to face Liddell at ''UFC 85'' as a replacement for the injured Mauricio Rua. When Liddell pulled out of the event due to an injured hamstring, Evans was matched with James Irvin. When Irvin pulled out after breaking his foot, the fight was removed from the card altogether. After the fight, UFC President Dana White confirmed in the post-event press conference that Evans's next fight would be a title shot against newly crowned light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin at ''UFC 92''.

Light heavyweight champion

On December 27, 2008 at ''UFC 92'', Evans faced champion Forrest Griffin for the UFC light heavyweight belt. Griffin controlled most of the first two rounds with effective striking and low kicks. In the third round, however, Evans caught a low kick and countered with a straight right hand that dropped Griffin. Evans followed Griffin to the ground and eventually managed to finish the stunned champion with punches inside Griffin's guard. With the victory, Evans became the new UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion. It capped off a year in which Evans won Fighter of the Year honors from Sherdog.com.

Losing the title

Evans' first defense of the UFC Light-Heavyweight title against challenger Lyoto Machida ended in a knockout. During a flurry of punches from Machida, Rashad started trash talking Machida telling him 'his hands were made of pillows'. Machida continued his onslaught, knocking Rashad out. This was the first loss of his career and the 15th straight win of Lyoto Machida's career. Then, Evans went on to coach against Rampage Jackson in ''The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights''. Evans was scheduled to fight Jackson on December 12, 2009, at UFC 107, but this was cancelled due to Jackson being cast for the A-Team movie.

Back to title contention

Evans fought Thiago Silva in the main event of UFC 108 on January 2, 2010. Dana White was quoted as saying that if Evans could defeat Thiago Silva at UFC 108, then he would go on to face Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. During the Spike TV broadcast of the UFC 108 preliminary card, Evans confirmed that he received his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Rolles Gracie that morning. Evans would go on to defeat Thiago Silva – another BJJ black belt – by unanimous decision. Deviating from his usual standing and striking, Evans displayed his grappling skills with numerous takedowns that frustrated Silva throughout the match, but Evans failed to damage Silva substantially while on the ground. In the third round, after severely mocking his opponent's fighting style with various taunts, Silva connected with a right hook to Evans' jaw, rocking him. Silva hesitated in finishing Evans off in order to return the taunting, however, and Evans was able to recover leading to a UD win.

Rashad Evans faced Rampage Jackson at UFC 114. Evans caught Rampage with a right hand early in the first round and throughout the rest of the fight took Rampage down at will. In the third round Rashad was hurt by Rampage but recovered quickly and survived the final round. The judges scored the bout 30–27, 30–27, 29–28 giving Rashad the unanimous decision. Afterwards UFC President Dana White then officially confirmed that Rashad Evans would square off against Maurício Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight title, but not until mid-Spring or early-Summer of 2011 as Rua recovered from knee surgery. The fight was then booked for the main event of UFC 128 when the UFC returned to Newark, New Jersey.

Following Rashad's training partner Jon Jones' victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 126, it was announced that Evans injured his knee during training. Jones was then told in his post-fight interview that the UFC wanted him to replace Evans in his fight against Mauricio Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Jones accepted and the fight was set for UFC 128. Evans will now face Jon Jones.

During a UFC 128 post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani, Evans stated that he was done training at Jackson's Submission Fighting in preparation for his fight with Jon Jones. He then commenced training at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida, at a new camp co-founded by Evans and several Brazilian fighters who had concomitantly left American Top Team due to a dispute over management services; these were later joined by some African-American fighters, and as a result the camp's members became known colloquially as the "Blackzilians," especially on twitter. Evans gave further insight to MMAWeekly about his leaving Jackson's Submission Fighting, “When you get to a certain point, you really need a lot of time (with the coaches)… make sure you get the one-on-one, and you just need different things,” he explained. “After being at Jackson’s for a while, with so many people at the gym, it just got harder and harder for me to get that time."

Evans/Jones was expected to take place on August 6, 2011 at UFC 133, but Jones was sidelined with a hand injury. Evans was expected to face rising prospect Phil Davis at the event instead. A title fight between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes was delayed, so the UFC promoted Evans vs. Davis to serve as the main event. However, with less than four weeks until the event, Davis pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury. A rematch with Tito Ortiz was scheduled to headline the event. Evans defeated Ortiz at UFC 133 via TKO in the second round. The victory has secured Evans a title shot against the winner of Jones/Rampage at UFC 135.

Personal life

Evans and his wife have one son, Rashad Jr, and a daughter, Nia. He also has a daughter, Tahja, from a previous relationship. Evans's brother Lance made a brief appearance on ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs Team Mir'', but was eliminated by Vinicius Magalhaes due to a rib injury and did not join the cast.

Evans has appeared in a Microsoft commercial, where he says the lines, "You got a problem with that!" and "I'm a PC!", while sparring with an unidentified opponent.

Evans is also a frequent commentator on the ESPN show MMA Live

Evans enjoys going to Caribbean resorts and relaxing on beaches when not competing. Evans also enjoys video gaming; his favorite games being NBA 2k and Madden. Evans also made an appearance on Spike TV's show, Deadliest Warrior. In this episode, Evans easily pierces a pig carcass with the xyston similar to one used by Alexander the Great, and crushed a gel torso's throat with an elbow.

Championships and awards

Mixed martial arts

Gladiator Challenge

*GC Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner

Ultimate Fighting Championship

*UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

*The Ultimate Fighter 2 Heavyweight Tournament Winner

*Knockout of the Night Honors (Two times)

*Fight of the Night Honors (Two times)

Sherdog

2008 Fighter of the Year

2008 Knockout of the Year against Chuck Liddell

FIGHT! Magazine

2008 Knockout of the Year against Chuck Liddell

World MMA Awards

*Best Knockout (2008)

Sponsorships

MusclePharm signs Rashad Evans to their team of elite althetes

Amateur wrestling

National Junior College Athletic Association

Junior College National Champion 165 1b – out of Niagara County Community College (2000)

Mixed martial arts record

The UFC counts two amateur bouts in the The Dangerzone MMA promotion, as well as Evans' three victories in ''The Ultimate Fighter 2'', resulting in a record of 21–1–1 for Evans according to the UFC; however, the N.S.A.C. has instructed record keepers that all fights on ''The Ultimate Fighter'' are considered exhibition matches; therefore, Evans' official professional MMA record is currently 16–1–1.

|- | Win | align="center" | 16-1-1 | Tito Ortiz | TKO (knee & punches) | UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 4:48 |Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Fight of the night |- | Win | align="center" | 15–1–1 | Quinton Jackson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |- | Win | align="center" | 14–1–1 | Thiago Silva | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 108 | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |- |Loss | align="center" | 13–1–1 | Lyoto Machida | KO (punches) | UFC 98 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 3:57 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Lost the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship |- | Win | align="center" | 13–0–1 | Forrest Griffin | TKO (punches) | UFC 92 | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 2:46 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship; Fight of the Night |- | Win | align="center" | 12–0–1 | Chuck Liddell | KO (punch) | UFC 88 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 1:51 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Knockout of the Night; Knockout of the Year |- | Win | align="center" | 11–0–1 | Michael Bisping | Decision (split) | UFC 78 | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Newark, New Jersey, United States |- | Draw | align="center" | 10–0–1 | Tito Ortiz | Draw | UFC 73 | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | Tito Ortiz was deducted a point for grabbing the fence |- | Win | align="center" | 10–0 | Sean Salmon | KO (head kick) | UFC Fight Night: Evans vs Salmon | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 1:06 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Knockout of the Night |- | Win | align="center" | 9–0 | Jason Lambert | KO (punches) | UFC 63 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 2:22 | Anaheim, California, United States |- | Win | align="center" | 8–0 | Stephan Bonnar | Decision (majority) | UFC Ultimate Fight Night 5 | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |- | Win | align="center" | 7–0 | Sam Hoger | Decision (split) | UFC Ultimate Fight Night 4 | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Return to Light Heavyweight |- | Win | align="center" | 6–0 | Brad Imes | Decision (split) | The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Wins The Ultimate Fighter 2 Heavyweight contest |- | Win | align="center" | 5–0 | Jaime Jara | Decision (unanimous) | GC 27: FightFest 2 | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Colusa, California, United States | Wins Gladiator Challenge Light Heavyweight Tournament |- | Win | align="center" | 4–0 | Hector Ramirez | Decision (unanimous) | GC 27: FightFest 2 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 5:00 | Colusa, California, United States |- | Win | align="center" | 3–0 | Bryan Pardoe | TKO (punches) | GC 26: FightFest 1 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 3:24 | Colusa, California, United States |- | Win | align="center" | 2–0 | Danny Anderson | Submission (punches) | Dangerzone: Cage Fighting | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 3:09 | Osceola, Iowa, United States |- | Win | align="center" | 1–0 | Dennis Reed | Submission | Dangerzone: Cage Fighting | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:50 | Osceola, Iowa, United States |

See also

List of current UFC fighters

References

External links

Official UFC Profile

Rashad Evans profile at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

MMATrailers.com

Category:The Ultimate Fighter winners Category:1979 births Category:American mixed martial artists Category:Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:Living people Category:American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:African-American mixed martial artists Category:Michigan State Spartans athletes Category:People from Lansing, Michigan Category:Mixed martial artists from Michigan Category:Mixed martial artists from New York Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Category:American sport wrestlers

de:Rashad Evans fr:Rashad Evans it:Rashad Evans ja:ラシャド・エヴァンス no:Rashad Evans pl:Rashad Evans pt:Rashad Evans simple:Rashad Evans fi:Rashad Evans sv:Rashad Evans uk:Рашад Еванс

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Bernard Hopkins
Realname	Bernard Humphrey Hopkins Jr
Nickname	The ExecutionerB-Hop
Nationality	American
Height	|
Weight	MiddleweightLight Heavyweight
Birth date	January 15, 1965
Birth place	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Style	Orthodox
Total	60
Wins	52
Ko	34
Losses	5
Draws	2
No contests	1

Bernard Hopkins Jr, known as ''the Executioner'' (born January 15, 1965, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American boxer. He is the current WBC and ''The Ring'' Light Heavyweight champion, becoming the oldest boxer to ever win a world title, when at age 46, he defeated Jean Pascal on May 21, 2011 by unanimous decision, surpassing the record previously held by George Foreman.

Hopkins is also the former undisputed world Middleweight champion, and the first fighter to retain all 4 world titles of each major boxing sanctioning body, plus ''The Ring'' belt, in the same fight. Having defended a world middleweight title a record 20 times, he is considered one of the greatest middleweight champions of all time. In addition to being an active boxer, Hopkins is also a minority partner with Golden Boy Promotions. ''Ring Magazine'' currently rates Hopkins as the number ten pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Background

Born to Bernard Hopkins, Sr. and his wife Sue, Bernard grew up in the Raymond Rosen projects with his family. Hopkins turned to crime early in his life. By the age of thirteen he was mugging people and had been stabbed three times. At seventeen, Hopkins was sentenced to 18 years in Graterford Prison for nine felonies. While in prison he witnessed rapes and the murder of another inmate in an argument over a pack of cigarettes, but also discovered his passion for boxing. After serving almost five years, Hopkins was released from prison in 1988. He then decided to use boxing as an escape from his previous life, and converted to Islam. While leaving the prison for the final time, the warden told Hopkins he'd "see [Hopkins] again when you wind up back here," to which Hopkins replied "I ain't ever coming back here."

Professional career

He immediately joined the professional boxing ranks as a light heavyweight, losing his debut on October 11, 1988, in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Clinton Mitchell. After a sixteen-month layoff, he resumed his career as a middleweight, winning a unanimous decision over Greg Paige at the Blue Horizon on February 22, 1990.

Between February 1990 and December 1992, Hopkins scored 21 wins without a loss. He won 16 of those fights by knockout, 12 coming in the first round.

Winning the IBF middleweight championship

The IBF came again knocking at Hopkins's door on December 17 of that year, matching him with Segundo Mercado in Mercado's hometown of Quito, Ecuador. Mercado knocked Hopkins down twice before Hopkins rallied late and earned a draw. It has been argued that Hopkins was also not properly acclimated to the altitude of nearly 10,000 feet.

The IBF called for an immediate rematch, and on April 29, 1995, Hopkins became a world champion with a seventh-round technical knockout victory in Landover, Maryland.

In his first title defense he defeated Steve Frank, whom he stopped in twenty-four seconds. By the end of 2000, he had defended the IBF title 12 times without a loss, while beating such standouts as John David Jackson, Glen Johnson (undefeated at the time and later went on to knock out an aging Roy Jones Jr), Simon Brown, and Antwun Echols.

2001 middleweight unification tournament

The arrival of multiple-division champion Félix Trinidad, a Welterweight into the middleweight ranks set off a series of unification fights between major titleholders. The fights involved in the tournament would be reigning IBF Middleweight Champion, Bernard Hopkins. WBC Middleweight Champion, Keith Holmes. WBA Middleweight Champion, William Joppy. The fourth contestant was the undefeated and former Welterweight & Light Middleweight World Champion Félix Trinidad.

Keith Holmes

On April 14, 2001, Hopkins won a unanimous decision over WBC champion Keith Holmes in New York City. Trinidad, however, knocked out Middleweight mainstay William Joppy in an impressive five rounds. This led to many to believe that Felix Trinidad was simply too much, too strong for Bernard Hopkins.

Felix Trinidad

Then, on September 29, 2001, WBA champion Trinidad challenged Hopkins for middleweight unification in Madison Square Garden.

For the first time in many years, Hopkins was an underdog in the betting, which led the confident Hopkins to place a $100,000 bet on himself to win the bout. During promotion for the bout, Hopkins caused huge controversy by throwing the Puerto Rico flag on the floor in press conferences in both New York and Puerto Rico, the latter conference leading to a riot in which Hopkins had to be run to safety from the angry mob.

During the fight, Hopkins was on his way to a lopsided decision victory when, in the 12th and final round, he floored Trinidad. Referee Steve Smoger called a halt to the fight after Trinidad's father entered the ring to stop the fight. It was the first loss of Trinidad's career, and it made Hopkins the first undisputed world middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler in 1987. 'The Ring' magazine and the 'World Boxing Hall of Fame' named Hopkins as the 2001 Fighter of the Year.

Undisputed middleweight champion

He defended the undisputed title six times. Hopkins bested Carl Daniels on February 2 surpassing Carlos Monzon's division record of 14 defenses, 2002, by tenth-round technical knockout; Morrade Hakkar on March 29, 2003, by eighth-round TKO; William Joppy on December 13, 2003, by unanimous decision; and Robert Allen on June 5, 2004, also by unanimous decision.

Oscar De La Hoya

In the highest-paying fight of his career, Hopkins fought six-division titleholder Oscar de la Hoya, another welterweight for the undisputed middleweight championship on September 18, 2004, in Las Vegas. They fought at a catchweight of 158 lbs, two pounds below the middleweight limit of 160 lbs. Hopkins won the bout by knockout in the ninth round with a left hook to the body and thus became the first boxer ever to unify the titles of all four major sanctioning bodies. At the time of the stoppage, Hopkins was ahead on two of the scorecards, with De La Hoya ahead on the other.

In November 2004 de la Hoya invited Hopkins to join his boxing promotional firm, Golden Boy Promotions, as president of its new East Coast chapter.

Reaching number 20 - Howard Eastman

At 40 years old, an age at which most boxers are retired, Hopkins reached the middleweight record of 20 title defenses on February 19, 2005, against ranked #1 WBC Middleweight contender Howard Eastman, the European middleweight champion. Hopkins dominated the fight from start to finish, winning 119-110, 117-111 and 116-112.

Hopkins vs Taylor

In his next fight on July 16, 2005, Hopkins lost his undisputed middleweight championship to Jermain Taylor via a split decision. Hopkins started slowly but came on strong over the final four rounds. Many press row writers scored the fight for Hopkins. Compubox round-by-round punch stats showed Taylor outscoring Hopkins 6-5-1 in total punches. Hopkins out landed Taylor in power punches 78-50.

On December 3, 2005, Hopkins lost his rematch against Jermain Taylor by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 115-113 for Taylor.

Compubox statistics indicated that Hopkins landed more overall punches and significantly more power shots over the course of the fight, however these statistics may not accurately reflect the judging as rounds are scored in isolation.

Moving up to light heavyweight — Antonio Tarver

Following his two losses to Jermaine Taylor, Hopkins at 41 decided not to retire and made the decision to jump two weight divisions to face off against ''The Ring'' light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver on June 10, 2006. Going into the fight, Tarver was a 3-to-1 favorite and had been the first man ever to TKO Roy Jones Jr. Many now placed Tarver among the sports top competitors. He was constantly ranked in the P4P rankings. However, Bernard Hopkins picked up a lopsided unanimous decision, scoring 118-109 on all three judges scorecards.

Antonio Tarver also lost a $250,000 bet with Hopkins, after he failed to stop Hopkins in the first six rounds.

Return in 2007 - Winky Wright

On July 21, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Hopkins defended ''The Ring'' light heavyweight championship against former undisputed junior middleweight champion Winky Wright. During the weigh-in, Hopkins shoved Wright with an open-hand to the face, igniting a brawl between both fighters' entourages. Hopkins was fined $200,000 for instigating the brawl. Hopkins prevailed with a unanimous decision victory by scores of 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112.

Joe Calzaghe

On April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Hopkins controversially lost ''The Ring'' Light Heavyweight championship to Joe Calzaghe by split decision (116-111 and 115-112 for Calzaghe; 114-113 for Hopkins). Hopkins started the fight well, dropping Calzaghe in the first round and using his ring savvy to confuse the challenger. Calzaghe never got the opportunity to showcase his blazingly fast hands and his combinations. Hopkins would smother him whenever he tried to come in and throw more than one punch. It was a fairly close fight, according to CompuBox, as Calzaghe landing more punches on Hopkins than any of his previous opponents.

The Associated Press, New York Daily News, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN.com and Fighthype all scored it 114-113 for Bernard Hopkins.

"It was a good fight. I thought Bernard (Hopkins) won though," commented former undisputed Heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson.

"Hopkins beat Calzaghe, let's not forget. It was a split decision and a very close call, Calzaghe got beat up, his nose was bust and Hopkins was unmarked." Super middleweight champion Carl Froch commented, "Come on, put it in perspective and let's not lose our minds here, he was put on his ass by a 43-year-old (Bernard Hopkins) and 40-year-old (Roy Jones Jr.) in his last two fights."

In his post-fight interview, Hopkins said, "... I mean it's clear that the world know, and the fans know other than the Brits, know I won this fight...", Hopkins further proclaimed, "I took the guy to school..."

Kelly Pavlik

On October 18, 2008, Hopkins met middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in a non-title fight at a catch-weight of 170 lbs. Fans and pundits alike felt that knockout king Kelly Pavlik would become the first man to knock Hopkins out. Pavlik was a 4-1 betting favourite heading into the contest. On the night of the fight, Hopkins turned back the clock to produce a performance he claimed to be the best of his career winning a unanimous decision ''(117-109, 119-106, 118-108)'' over the undefeated Pavlik. Hopkins prepared for this fight in the late summer heat at his second home , Danny Hawk's "World Famous" Normandy Gym in Miami Beach, FL.

Recent fights

During the Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao media conferences before their fight on May 3, 2009, Bernard Hopkins stated he would be "interested" in a proposed fight with British super middleweight champion Carl Froch.

Enrique Ornelas

On December 2, 2009, Bernard Hopkins fought in his home city of Philadelphia for the first time since 2003 beating Enrique Ornelas via 12-round unanimous decision ''(120-109, 119-109 & 118-110)'' in what served as a tune-up bout for the 44-year old Hopkins who had not fought since his October 18, 2008 12-round upset victory over undisputed middleweight champion, Kelly Pavlik.

The bout was supposed to be a tune-up for a scheduled March 13, 2010 rematch with Roy Jones, Jr. The rematch was later postponed as a result of Jones, Jr. falling to a first round technical knockout loss to Australian, Danny Green.

Rematch with Roy Jones

Hopkins and old foe Roy Jones Jr. agreed to fight in a rematch on April 3, 2010 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The two boxers fought again 17 years after their first bout in 1993. Hopkins defeated Jones by a unanimous decision in a 12-round bout marred by illegal blows and a skirmish at the end of the sixth round involving ring entourage, the referee and security guards. Judges Don Trella and Glenn Trowbridge scored it 117-110 for Hopkins, while Dave Moretti favored him 118-109. The Associated Press had it 119-108, scoring 11 of 12 rounds for Hopkins.

He then challenged WBA Heavyweight Champion David Haye who had successfully defended his title against John Ruiz. Following Hopkins challenge, Haye ruled out the fight stating Bernard was only looking for a payday. Hopkins later stated his intentions to fight Lucian Bute following Bute's third round technical knockout victory over Edison Miranda. Golden Boy Promotions also tried to approach retired boxer Joe Calzaghe for a potential rematch in 2010, but Calzaghe, who stated he no longer had the appetite, turned the offer down.

Hopkins vs. Pascal I & II

At 45 years old, Hopkins fought WBC, IBO light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal on December 18, 2010 at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The bout ended in a majority draw decision. Judge Steve Morrow had it 114-112 for Hopkins, but was overruled by Claude Paquette (113-113) and Daniel Van de Wiele (114-114). Following the controversy of the fight, WBC chairman Jose Sulaiman sanctioned an immediate rematch.

On May 21, 2011, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, Hopkins defeated Pascal by unanimous decision to capture the to capture the WBC, IBO and ''The Ring'' Light Heavyweight belts. The official scores were 115–113, 116–112 and 115–114. With the win, Hopkins became the oldest man in the history of the sport to win a major world title, supplanting George Foreman, who had previously held the distinction after his knockout victory over Michael Moorer. Hopkins won at 46 years, 4 months, 6 days, while Foreman was 45 years, 10 months. After the bout, ESPN columnist Dan Rafael stated: "Bernard Hopkins already had lived several boxing lifetimes, but he was born yet again in Saturday's decision over Jean Pascal, becoming the oldest champion in history."

Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson

Hopkins told the world of boxing that his next fight is going to be against former champion Chad Dawson. They will fight on 15 October 2011.

Coaches

Hopkins has been coached by Philadelphia based English "Bouie" Fisher from 1989 until their split in 2002 which resulted in Fisher taking Hopkins to court, claiming he was underpaid by $255,000. They re-united in 2003, but split again in 2005, again with Fisher claiming to be underpaid, this time to the tune of $200,000. Naazim Richardson, Fishers long-term assistant took over as Hopkins' head coach from 2005. Fisher won the Eddie Futch-John F.X. Condon Award, awarded by the Boxing Writers Association of America, for Trainer of the Year in 2001. Bouie died aged 83 in June 2011.

Controversial quotes

Hopkins has a history of making controversial remarks that are racially insensitive. At a press conference promoting his fight with Joe Calzaghe, Hopkins yelled at him, "I will never lose to a white boy!".. Ironically, he subsequently lost the match to Calzaghe on a split-points decision.

In late 2010, Hopkins suggested that African American fighters who possessed what he described as a "slick" inner-city style of fighting would be successful against Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao. "Maybe I’m biased because I’m black, but I think that this is what is said at people’s homes and around the dinner table among black boxing fans and fighters. Most of them won’t say it [in public] because they’re not being real and they don’t have the balls to say it. But I do think that a fighter like the Ray Leonards or anyone like that would beat a guy [like Pacquiao] if they come with their game. Listen, this ain’t a racial thing, but then again, maybe it is. But the style that is embedded in most of us black fighters, that style could be a problem to any other style of fighting."

On May 11, 2011, Hopkins questioned Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb's racial credentials in a Philadelphia Daily News online article. Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that according to Hopkins, McNabb had a privileged childhood in suburban Chicago and, as a result, is not black enough or tough enough, at least compared with, say, himself, Michael Vick and Terrell Owens. Hopkins saying in part, "He's got a suntan. That's all... McNabb is the guy in the house, while everybody else is on the field... He's the one who got the extra coat. The extra servings . . . He thought he was one of them."

Professional boxing record

|- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|52 Wins (34 knockouts, 18 decisions), 5 Losses (5 decisions), 2 Draws, 1 No Contest |- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Result | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Rd., Time | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes |-align=center

|-align=center |- align=center | | |align=left| Chad Dawson | || 12 |October 15, 2011 | Los Angeles, California |align=left| |- align=center |Win |52-5-2 |align=left| Jean Pascal |Decision || 12 |May 21, 2011 |Montreal, Canada |align=left| |- align=center |style="background:#abcdef;"|Draw |51-5-2 |align=left| Jean Pascal |Draw || 12 |December 18, 2010 |Quebec City, Canada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |51-5-1 |align=left| Roy Jones, Jr. |Decision || 12 |April 3, 2010 || Las Vegas, USA || |- align=center |Win |50-5-1 |align=left| Enrique Ornelas |Decision || 12 |December 2, 2009 || Philadelphia,PA || |- align=center |Win |49-5-1 |align=left| Kelly Pavlik |Decision || 12 |October 18, 2008 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |- align=center |Loss |48-5-1 |align=left| Joe Calzaghe |Decision || 12 |April 19, 2008 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |48-4-1 |align=left| Ronald Wright |Decision || 12 |July 21, 2007 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |47-4-1 |align=left| Antonio Tarver |Decision || 12 |June 10, 2006 || Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |- align=center |Loss |46-4-1 |align=left| Jermain Taylor |Decision || 12 |December 3, 2005 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Loss |46-3-1 |align=left| Jermain Taylor |Decision || 12 |July 16, 2005 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |46-2-1 |align=left| Howard Eastman |Decision || 12 |February 19, 2005 || Los Angeles, California |align=left| |- align=center |Win |45-2-1 |align=left| Oscar De La Hoya |KO || 9 , 1:38 |September 18, 2004 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |44-2-1 |align=left| Robert Allen |Decision || 12 |June 5, 2004 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |43-2-1 |align=left| William Joppy |Decision || 12 |December 13, 2003 || Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |- align=center |Win |42-2-1 |align=left| Morrade Hakkar |TKO || 8 , 3:00 |March 29, 2003 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |align=left| |- align=center |Win |41-2-1 |align=left| Carl Daniels |TKO || 10 , 3:00 |February 2, 2002 || Reading, Pennsylvania |align=left| |- align=center |Win |40-2-1 |align=left| Félix Trinidad |TKO || 12 , 1:18 |September 29, 2001 || New York City, New York |align=left| |- align=center |Win |39-2-1 |align=left| Keith Holmes |Decision || 12 |April 14, 2001 || New York City, New York |align=left| |- align=center |Win |38-2-1 |align=left| Antwun Echols |TKO || 10 , 1:42 |December 1, 2000 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |37-2-1 |align=left| Syd Vanderpool |Decision || 12 |May 13, 2000 || Indianapolis, Indiana |align=left| |- align=center |Win |36-2-1 |align=left| Antwun Echols |Decision || 12 |December 12, 1999 || Miami, Florida |align=left| |- align=center |Win |35-2-1 |align=left| Robert Allen |TKO || 7 , 1:18 |February 6, 1999 || Washington, D.C. |align=left| |- align=center |style="background:#ddd;"|NC |34-2-1 |align=left| Robert Allen |No contest || 4 , 2:57 |August 28, 1998 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |34-2-1 |align=left| Simon Brown |TKO || 6 , 1:00 |January 31, 1998 || Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |- align=center |Win |33-2-1 |align=left| Andrew Council |Decision || 12 |November 18, 1997 || Upper Marlboro, MD |align=left| |- align=center |Win |32-2-1 |align=left| Glen Johnson |TKO || 11 , 1:23 |July 20, 1997 || Indio, California |align=left| |- align=center |Win |31-2-1 |align=left| John David Jackson |TKO || 7 , 2:22 |April 19, 1997 || Shreveport, Louisiana |align=left| |- align=center |Win |30-2-1 |align=left| William Bo James |TKO || 11 , 2:02 |July 16, 1996 || Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |- align=center |Win |29-2-1 |align=left| Joe Lipsey |KO || 4 , 2:50 |March 16, 1996 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |28-2-1 |align=left| Steve Frank |TKO || 1 , 0:24 |January 27, 1996 || Phoenix, Arizona |align=left| |- align=center |Win |27-2-1 |align=left| Segundo Mercado |TKO || 7 , 1:10 |April 29, 1995 || Landover, MD |align=left| |- align=center |style="background:#abcdef;"|Draw |26-2-1 |align=left| Segundo Mercado |Draw || 12 |December 17, 1994 || Quito, Ecuador |align=left| |- align=center |Win |26–2 |align=left| Lupe Aquino |Decision || 12 |May 17, 1994 || Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |- align=center |Win |25–2 |align=left| Melvin Wynn |TKO || 3, 0:48 |February 26, 1994 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |- align=center |Win |24–2 |align=left| Wendall Hall |TKO || 3 , 0:28 |November 23, 1993 || Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |- align=center |Win |23–2 |align=left| Roy Ritchie |TKO || 7 , 1:47 |August 3, 1993 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |align=left| |- align=center |Loss |22–2 |align=left| Roy Jones, Jr. |Decision || 12 |May 22, 1993 || Washington, D.C. |align=left| |- align=center |Win |22–1 |align=left| Gilbert Baptist |Decision || 12 |February 16, 1993 || Denver, Colorado |align=left| |- align=center |Win |21–1 |align=left| Wayne Powell |TKO || 1 , 0:21 |December 4, 1992 || Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |- align=center |Win |20–1 |align=left| Eric Rhinehart |KO || 1, 1:47 |September 14, 1992 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania || |- align=center |Win |19–1 |align=left| James Stokes |KO || 1 |August 28, 1992 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |- align=center |Win |18–1 |align=left| Anibal Miranda |Decision || 10 |May 21, 1992 || Paris, France || |- align=center |Win |17–1 |align=left| Randy Smith |Decision || 10 |April 3, 1992 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |- align=center |Win |16–1 |align=left| Dennis Milton |TKO || 4 |January 31, 1992 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania || |- align=center |Win |15–1 |align=left| Willie Kemp |Decision || 10 |December 13, 1991 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |- align=center |Win |14–1 |align=left| David McCluskey |TKO || 7 |November 26, 1991 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania || |- align=center |Win |13–1 |align=left| Ralph Moncrief |TKO || 1 , 1:28 |September 23, 1991 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania || |- align=center |Win |12–1 |align=left| Danny Mitchell |KO || 1 |July 9, 1991 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania || |- align=center |Win |11–1 |align=left| Pedro Marquez |TKO || 1 |June 20, 1991 || Parsippany, New Jersey || |- align=center |Win |10–1 |align=left| Steve Langley |TKO || 3 , 1:10 |March 18, 1991 || Las Vegas, Nevada || |- align=center |Win |9–1 |align=left| Richard Quiles |KO || 1 |February 26, 1991 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania || |- align=center |Win |8–1 |align=left| Mike Sapp |TKO || 1 |November 17, 1990 || Fort Myers, Florida || |- align=center |Win |7–1 |align=left| Darrin Oliver |TKO || 1 |October 20, 1990 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |- align=center |Win |6–1 |align=left| Percy Harris |Decision || 6 |August 5, 1990 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |- align=center |Win |5–1 |align=left| Khalif Shabazz |KO || 1, 0:36 |June 30, 1990 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |- align=center |Win |4–1 |align=left| Jouvin Mercado |TKO || 2 , 0:43 |May 31, 1990 || Rochester, New York || |- align=center |Win |3–1 |align=left| Eddie Tyler |TKO || 1 |May 18, 1990 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |- align=center |Win |2–1 |align=left| Keith Gray |TKO || 1 |April 26, 1990 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania || |- align=center |Win |1–1 |align=left| Greg Paige |Decision || 4 |February 22, 1990 || Philadelphia, Pennsylvania || |- align=center |Loss |0–1 |align=left| Clinton Mitchell |Decision || 4 |October 11, 1988 || Atlantic City, New Jersey || |}

See also

List of IBF world champions

List of WBA world champions

List of WBO world champions

List of WBC world champions

Ring Magazine pound for pound

Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe

References

External links

|- Vacated |- |- |- {{S-ttl|title=WBA Middleweight Super Champion |years=September 29, 2001 – July 16, 2005}} |- {{S-ttl|title=Undisputed Middleweight Champion | years=September 29, 2001 – July 16, 2005}} |- |- |- |- |-

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Category:1965 births Category:African American boxers Category:American boxers Category:Boxers from Pennsylvania Category:International Boxing Federation Champions Category:Light-heavyweight boxers Category:Living people Category:Middleweight boxers Category:People from New Castle County, Delaware Category:People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:World Boxing Association Champions Category:World Boxing Council Champions Category:World Boxing Organization Champions Category:African American Muslims Category:American Muslims Category:Converts to Islam from Christianity Category:African American Muslims Category:Converts to Islam

da:Bernard Hopkins de:Bernard Hopkins es:Bernard Hopkins (boxeador) fr:Bernard Hopkins it:Bernard Hopkins nl:Bernard Hopkins ja:バーナード・ホプキンス no:Bernard Hopkins pl:Bernard Hopkins ru:Хопкинс, Бернард fi:Bernard Hopkins sv:Bernard Hopkins

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Sara Evans
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Sara Lynn Evans
Birth date	February 05, 1971
Birth place	Boonville, Missouri, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	Country
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1992–present
Label	RCA Nashville
Associated acts	Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, LeAnn Rimes, Mindy McCready
Website	saraevans.com }}

Sara Lynn Evans (; born February 5, 1971) is an American country singer and songwriter.

Evans was one of the few traditional-styled singers to emerge from Nashville in the late 1990s, according to Allmusic. Since emerging in the late 1990s, Evans has made five No. 1 Country hits and Gold and Platinum-certified albums by the RIAA, like 2003's ''Restless'' and 2005's ''Real Fine Place''. Her 2000 album, ''Born to Fly'' was certified Double-Platinum.

Biography

Early life and the rise to fame

Evans was born in Boonville, Missouri, in 1971, and is of Welsh, English, and Irish descent. She was raised on a farm near New Franklin, MO, the eldest girl of seven children. By five she was singing weekends in her family's band. At age eight, she was struck by an automobile in front of the family home, and her legs suffered multiple fractures. Recuperating for months in a wheelchair, she continued singing to help pay her medical bills. When she was 16, she began performing at a nightclub near Columbia, Missouri, a gig that lasted two years.

Evans moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1991 to be a country music artist. She met fellow musician Craig Schelske and left Nashville with him in 1992, moving to Oregon. They married in 1993. She returned to Nashville in 1995 and began recording demos. Nashville songwriter Harlan Howard was impressed by her demo of his song "Tiger by the Tail". He decided to help her music career, leading to a signed contract with RCA Nashville.

In 1997, Evans released her first album for RCA, ''Three Chords and the Truth''. Critics praised the album for returning to traditional country and included it in many of their yearly "Top 10" lists. The video for "Three Chords and the Truth", directed by Susan Johnson, was nominated for awards from ''Billboard'' Magazine, CMT, and the MVPA. The album included a cover version of an older Country song, Patsy Cline's "Imagine That", which originally reached No. 21 for Cline on the country charts in 1962. None of the three singles made the top 40. It would be another year before Evans gained full popularity. In 1998 Evans released her second album, ''No Place That Far''. Critics slammed her on choosing a more pop-country sound. Her first single, "Cryin' Game", hardly made a ripple on the charts but the music video, which re-teamed Evans with director Susan Johnson, did very well in rotation. However, it was her next single, "No Place That Far", a duet with Vince Gill, that brought her massive success, reaching #1 on the Country charts, as well as the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Top 40. Because of its success, the album was certified "Gold" by the RIAA.

Breakthrough: the ''Born to Fly'' and ''Restless'' albums

In 2000, Evans worked on a third album to be released later that year. The album, ''Born to Fly'', was released to stores on October 10, 2000, and later became another major-selling album. She insisted on hiring Seattle-based rock drummer Matt Chamberlain (The Wallflowers, Edie Brickell), who brought a different sound to her music. The album became Evans' first album to receive a "Platinum" rating by the RIAA, and spawned four country hits, including the title track ("Born to Fly") which was the first single released from the album, reaching the No. 1 spot on the Country charts, Evans' first No. 1 as a solo artist. Hits continued from the album all the way into 2002. After "Born to Fly", the second single, "I Could Not Ask for More", was released in 2001, the country version of Edwin McCain's big pop–rock hit from the year before. Evans' version reached No. 2 on the country charts and was a No. 35 Pop hit, ironically an even bigger Pop hit than McCain's version on Billboard's Hot 100 (McCain's version reached No. 37). In 2002, songs continued to be released from the album; "Saints and Angels" and "I Keep Looking" were the last two singles released from the album. "I Keep Looking" reached No. 5 and "Saints and Angels" reached No. 16. In 2004, the ''Born to Fly'' album was officially certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA.

In 2001, Evans was the most-nominated artist at the Country Music Association awards with seven nominations overall, and she won her first CMA award when "Born to Fly" won the award for ''Video of the Year'', her first major award from Country music.

In 2003, Evans recorded a long-awaited fourth album, which was titled ''Restless''. The album was released August 19, 2003 to stores. The first single released from the album in 2003, "Back Seat of a Greyhound Bus", was a Top 20 Country hit, reaching No. 16 on the Hot Country Songs list that year, but it did not hit the Billboard Hot 100, peaking outside it on the Bubbling Hot 100. Despite the album's first single not reaching the Top 10, the album still sold fairly well, debuting at No. 3 on the "Top Country Albums" list and the No. 20 on the "Billboard 200" list, and sold over 40,000 copies within its first week. However it was the album's next single, "Perfect" that broke Country's Top 10, eventually peaking in the top 5 at No. 2, barely missing Country's top spot. The third single from the album, "Suds in the Bucket", was the album's most successful single; it became Evans' third Number One hit and was also a Top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Additionally, it was Evans' first ever Gold-certified single by the RIAA. The album's fourth and final single, "Tonight", failed to reach the Top 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

''Restless'' received a nomination in the 2005 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Success of the ''Real Fine Place'' album and ''Greatest Hits''

After 2003's ''Restless'' album, Evans re-emerged with a fifth studio album titled ''Real Fine Place'', released October 4, 2005. The album's lead single, "A Real Fine Place to Start," reached No. 1 on the Country charts in 2005, as well as reaching the Pop Top 40 at No. 38. The single marked the first time Evans charted on Billboard's "Pop 100" and "Hot Digital Songs" chart, reaching No. 67 and No. 62 respectively. "A Real Fine Place" was another Gold-certified single by the RIAA. The album sold 130,000 copies within its first week, becoming Evans' first album to reach the No. 1 spot on the "Top Country Albums" chart, while also becoming her most successful album on the "Billboard 200" to date, reaching No. 3. The album sold three times more copies than her previous album had done in their first weeks. On December 6, 2005, Evans released the compilation album ''Feels Like Home'' through Cracker Barrel stores. The album contains remixes of some of her most popular songs, including a live version of "Born to Fly" and an acoustic version of "No Place That Far". In 2005 the album's follow-up single "Cheatin'" was a top 10 Country hit, peaking at No. 9 there. The third single released from the album, "Coalmine", was the least successful single, just about breaking Billboard's Country Top 40 chart in early 2006.

In 2006, R&R; announced Evans as the "Female Vocalist of the Year" in its 2006 Readers' Poll. In spring 2006, Evans released ''Always There'' through Hallmark stores for Mothers' Day. The album has six of her favorite already-released songs, including a live version of "Suds in the Bucket" and an acoustic version of "Born to Fly". Two new songs are on the disc: "You Ought to Know by Now" and "Brooklyn & Austin". In 2006, the last significant single from the ''Real Fine Place'' album was released, titled "You'll Always Be My Baby", which was a Top 20 Country hit, but missing Billboard's Hot 100, reaching a peak position on the Bubbling Hot 100 at #105. An album cut released from the album in 2006, "Missing Missouri", reached No. 52 on the Country charts that year. On May 23, 2006, Evans competed and performed at the 2006 ACM awards show in Las Vegas, where she won her first ACM for the "Top Female Vocalist". Evans also became a spokesperson for National Eating Disorders Association, and has spoken out widely on this subject, as she has been personally affected by it. She also hosted a charity event, Fashion for Every Body, which featured a fashion show, silent auction and performance by Evans.

On October 9, 2007, Evans released her first ''Greatest Hits'' collection. The compilation features four new songs, including the lead-off single "As If", which was a Top 20 hit on the country charts. Evans released the gift book ''You'll Always Be My Baby'' (based on her song). It was written by Evans, Tony Martin and Tom Shapiro. It was announced on October 15, 2007, that Evans would host the 41st annual CMA Awards show with LeAnn Rimes on November 7, 2007.

A libertarian Republican, Evans also showed support for Texas Congressman Ron Paul in the 2008 Presidential election and was the headliner at his "Rally For The Republic" on September 2, 2008 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the same day as the Republican National Convention in neighboring St. Paul.

''Stronger'' and career today

The single "Low" (sung by Sara Evans) was released to radio on September 29, 2008, to promote ''Billy: The Early Years'' (for the movie released October 10). The song is featured on the movie's soundtrack which was released on October 7, 2008, and also includes other big name country artists. "Low" debuted (and peaked) on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart at No. 59 on October 12, 2008. It only remained on the chart for one week before returning for a second week in January 2009 at the same position.

A book called ''Sweet By and By'', written by Evans with author Rachel Hauck, was released on January 5, 2010. It is the first release of a four-book deal inked with Thomas Nelson Fiction. The second book is ''Softly and Tenderly'', and was released January 14, 2011, with the following third and fourth books to be released 2012 and 2013.

Evans stated in a video posting to her fan club on December 23, 2008, that she was working with her brother Matt Evans and producer Nathan Chapman on her sixth studio album. "Feels Just Like a Love Song", was released on July 20, 2009. The song debuted and peaked at No. 59 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart; after spending two weeks on the chart, it fell off. It was intended as the lead-off single to Evans' sixth studio album, ''Stronger'', but was later cut from the final track listing.

In 2009, ABC Daytime and SOAPnet sponsored a tour, headlined by Evans, that featured performances throughout the summer. Additionally, soap performers made appearances at her shows. Evans participated in performances on the networks, as well as on-air interstitial campaigns and online promotions.

In late 2009, Evans released a four-song Christmas EP, ''I'll Be Home for Christmas'', to coincide with her 2009 Christmas tour. The EP includes the title track as well as "O' Come All Ye Faithful", "Go Tell It on the Mountain", and "New Again" (a duet with Brad Paisley). It was released on November 3, 2009 to digital retailers.

During Evans' 2010 fanclub party on June 10, 2010, she debuted the first single from her sixth studio album, ''Stronger'', which was released on March 8, 2011. The song, titled "A Little Bit Stronger," was released to radio on September 27, 2010. One of the few songs on the album not co-written by the artist, it was pitched to Evans by its songwriter, Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. Additionally, the song was included on the soundtrack to the 2010 film ''Country Strong''. It debuted at No. 56 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 2, 2010 and hit No. 1 in May 2011. The video for "A Little Bit Stronger" hit number one on the GAC top 20 country video countdown on May 20, 2011. Evans sang the song on the finale of season 12 of the American ABC TV show ''Dancing with the Stars'' on May 24, 2011.

She released "My Heart Can't Tell You No", her second single from ''Stronger'', to radio on June 20, 2011.

Television work

In April 2004, Evans appeared as a special guest on "Nashville Star". She appeared on the game show "Million Dollar Password" in June 2008.

In September 2006, Evans began competing with other celebrities on the third season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars with (professional) partner Tony Dovolani. Evans launched a new fan web site to provide behind-the-scenes material from her participation on the program. Evans was the first country music singer to ever participate in the show. However, she chose to withdraw from the competition due to her divorce.

Also in 2006, Evans guest starred on Jeff Foxworthy's TV show, ''Foxworthy's Big Night Out''.

Evans made an appearance judging on ''HGTV Design Star'' in which she chose which of two redesigned rooms at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center was most like her own style. This aired on July 6, 2008

In October 2008, Evans also hosted a charity skating fundraiser, "Skating for Life". Olympic skaters skated to Evans' songs.

In March 2009, Evans hosted the ''ACM GAC Top New Artist Special'', which launched the fan voting for the ACMs three new categories: Top New Female Vocalist, Top New Male Vocalist and Top New Vocal Duo or Group.

Evans sang "God Bless America" during the All Star Game in St Louis, Missouri on July 12, 2009.

In June 2011 Evans appeared on the Flatts Fest 2011 Tour with Rascal Flatts, Justin Moore, and Easton Corbin.

Sara Evans' Band

Current band:

Sara Evans - Lead Vocals

Jim Bloodgood - Drums

Matt Evans - Bass/Band Leader/Harmony Vocals (Sara's brother)

Lesley Evans Lyons - Harmony Vocals (Sara's sister)

Ashley Evans Simpson - Harmony Vocals (Sara's sister)

Jonathan Lawson - Fiddle/Acoustic Guitar/Harmony Vocals

Justin Butler - Lead Guitar/Acoustic Guitar

Brent Wilson - Lead Guitar/Acoustic Guitar/Mandolin/Harmony Vocals

Personal life

Evans married Craig Schelske, an aspiring politician, on September 25, 1993, and divorced in September 2007. Evans and Schelske have three children: Avery Jack (born August 21, 1999), Olivia Margaret (born January 22, 2003) and Audrey Elizabeth (born October 6, 2004).

On June 14, 2008, Evans married Jay Barker, a former University of Alabama quarterback, national championship winner and current radio show host. They married in Franklin, Tennessee, with their children as their attendants. Evans and her three children now live in Mountain Brook, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, with Barker and his children.

Divorce

On October 12, 2006, Evans left ''Dancing with the Stars'', citing personal reasons, and the following day it was revealed that Evans had filed for divorce from her husband of 13 years, Craig Schelske. Documents filed by Evans' husband accused the singer of having close to a dozen affairs, including singer/songwriter Richard Marx, country star Kenny Chesney, ''Dancing with the Stars'' partner Tony Dovolani, various members of Evans' band, and four of the five members of the rock band 3 Doors Down. A representative for Chesney called the allegations "ridiculous," and Kirt Webster, a spokesman for the rock band 3 Doors Down, stated that the accusations are "ludicrous" and "untrue" and that the band members "are saddened by what she's going through."

On September 28, 2007, the divorce between Evans and Schelske became final. Evans will pay him a minimum of $500,000 in alimony over a ten-year period. Evans was awarded custody of their three children with visitation rights to Schelske.

An ex-nanny of Evans', Alison Clinton Lee, sued her for $3 million, claiming that Evans has smeared her name by including it in her divorce papers as one of the many women Evans claims her husband had affairs with. The case was settled in July 2009, for $500,000.

On February 25, 2010, Evans obtained a restraining order against Schelske. Documents say Schelske is not allowed to make any derogatory statements about Evans to the media or make allegations about what led to their divorce.

Awards and nominations

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Result |- | 1997 | Billboard Music Video Awards | Best Country New Artist Video of the Year | |- | rowspan="2"|1999 | rowspan="2"|Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Event of the Year | |- | Horizon Award | |- | 2000 | Country Music Association Awards | Horizon Award | |- | rowspan="5"|2001 | rowspan="5"|Country Music Association Awards | Video of the Year for "Born to Fly" | |- | Single of the Year for "Born to Fly" | |- | Song of the Year for "Born to Fly" | |- | Album of the Year for ''Born to Fly'' | |- | Female Vocalist of the Year | |- | rowspan="2"|2002 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | |- | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | |- | rowspan="3"|2004 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | |- | CMT Flameworthy Awards | Female Video of the Year for "Perfect" | |- | BMI Country Awards | 50 Most Performed Country Songs Award for "Perfect" | |- | rowspan="5"|2005 | CMT Music Awards | Hottest Video of the Year for "Suds in the Bucket" | |- | rowspan="2"|Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | |- | Album of the Year for ''Restless'' | |- | rowspan="2"|Country Music Association Awards | Musical Event of the Year for "New Again" (with Brad Paisley) | |- | Female Vocalist of the Year | |- | rowspan="4"|2006 | CMT Music Awards | Female Video of the Year for "A Real Fine Place To Start" | |- | R&R; | Female Vocalist of the Year | |- | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | |- | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | |- | rowspan="2"|2007 | CMT Music Awards | Female Video of the Year for "You'll Always Be My Baby" | |- | BMI Country Awards | 50 Most Performed Country Songs Award for "You'll Always Be My Baby" | |- | 2008 | BMI Country Awards | 50 Most Performed Country Songs for "As If" | |- | 2010 | Dove Awards | Special Event Album for ''Glory Revealed II: The Word of God In Worship'' | |- | rowspan="3"|2011 | CMT Music Awards | Female Video of the Year for "A Little Bit Stronger" | |- | rowspan="2"|Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | |- | Single of the Year for "A Little Bit Stronger" | |- |}

Discography

;Studio Albums

1997: ''Three Chords and the Truth''

1998: ''No Place That Far''

2000: ''Born to Fly''

2003: ''Restless''

2005: ''Real Fine Place''

2011: ''Stronger''

;Compilation album

2007: ''Greatest Hits''

References

External links

SaraEvans.com (Official site)

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:People from Boonville, Missouri Category:American people of Welsh descent Category:American female singers Category:Musicians from Missouri Category:American libertarians Category:Tennessee Republicans Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of English descent Category:RCA Records artists

pdc:Sara Evans de:Sara Evans nl:Sara Evans pl:Sara Evans pt:Sara Evans ru:Эванс, Сара Линн simple:Sara Evans fi:Sara Evans sv:Sara Evans

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Birth name	Faith Renee Evans
Background	solo_singer
Born	June 10, 1972Lakeland, Florida
Married to	Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, Todd Russaw
Origin	Newark, New Jersey,United States
Voice type	Mezzo_soprano
Genre	R&B;, soul, hip hop soul, hip hop
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, author
Years active	1993–present
Label	Bad Boy (1994–2004)Capitol (2004–2007) Prolific/E1 Music (2009–present)
Associated acts	Sean Combs, Keyshia Cole, Mary J. Blige, 112, Lil' Mo
Website	FaithEvansOnline.com }}

Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1972) is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B. Sure and Christopher Williams, she became the first female artist to be contracted with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment recording company during 1994, for which she released three platinum-certified studio albums between the years 1995 and 2001. During 2003, she ended her relationship with the company to contract with Capitol Records.

Other than her recording career, Evans is known as the widow of New York rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, whom she married on August 4, 1994, a few weeks after meeting at a Bad Boy photoshoot. The turbulent marriage resulted in Evans' involvement in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the rap music news at the time, and ended with Wallace's murder in a yet-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California during March 1997. A 1997 tribute single featuring Puff Daddy and the band 112, named "I'll Be Missing You", became Evans' best-selling song to date and won her a Grammy Award during 1998.

Also an avocational actress and writer, Evans made her screen debut in the 2000 musical drama ''Turn It Up'' by Robert Adetuyi. Her autobiography ''Keep the Faith: A Memoir'' was released by Grand Central Publishing during 2008 and won a 2009 African American Literary Award for the Best Biography/Memoir category.

Early life

Evans was born in Lakeland, Florida to an African-American mother, Helene Evans, a professional singer. Her father, Richard Swain, was a musician who left before Evans was born (Evans has said "I've heard people mumble something about him being Italian, but I don't know for sure"). A half year later, 19-year-old Helene returned to Newark, New Jersey and left Faith with her cousin Johnnie Mae and husband Orvelt Kennedy, the foster parents of more than a hundred children they raised in the time that Faith lived with them. It was not until a couple of years later that Helene's career floundered and she tried to take Evans back home. Faith, however, was afraid to leave what she'd "been used to", and instead, Helene relocated next door.

Raised in a Christian home, Evans began singing at church at age two. At age four, she caught the attention of the congregation of the Emmanuel Baptist Church (in Newark) when she sang The 5th Dimension's song "Let the Sunshine In". While attending University High School in Newark, she sang with several jazz bands and, encouraged by Helene, entered outside pageants, festivals and contests, where her voice would be noticed and praised. After graduating from high school during 1991, Evans attended Fordham University in New York City to study marketing but ended out a year later to have daughter Chyna with music producer Kiyamma Griffin. A couple of months later , she relocated to Los Angeles, where she worked as a backup vocalist for singer Al B. Sure, when she was noticed by musician Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. Impressed with her persona, Combs contracted her as the company's first female artist to his Bad Boy Entertainment during 1994.

Recording career

1994—2004: Bad Boy Records

Newly contracted to Bad Boy Records, Evans was consulted by executive producer Combs to contribute backing vocals and writing skills to Mary J. Blige's ''My Life'' (1994) and Usher's self-titled debut album (1994) prior to starting work on her debut record album ''Faith''. Released on August 29, 1995 in North America, the album was a collaboration with Bad Boy's main producers "The Hitmen", including Chucky Thompson and Combs, but it resulted in recordings with Poke & Tone and Herb Middleton. ''Faith'' became a success based on the singles "You Used to Love Me" and "Soon as I Get Home". The album was certified Platinum with 1,500,000 copies sold, according to RIAA.

After Biggie's murder during March 1997, Combs helped Evans produce her tribute song named "I'll Be Missing You", based on the melody of The Police's 1983 single "Every Breath You Take". The song, which featured Combs, Evans, and all-male group 112, became a worldwide number-one success and debuted at #1 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart during 1997, scoring that for eleven weeks. It eventually won Puffy and Evans the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The next year, she received another two Grammy nominations for "Heartbreak Hotel", a collaboration with singers Whitney Houston and Kelly Price, that scored number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.

Two years in the making, Evans' second solo effort, ''Keep the Faith'', was released during October 1998. Almost entirely written and produced by her, Evans considered the album difficult to complete as she had initially felt discouraged about the progress at first. Upon its release, however, the album garnered generally positive reviews by music critics, with Allmusic noting it "without a doubt a highlight of 1990s soul-pop music". Also enjoying commercial success, it eventually went platinum and produced the top ten singles "Love Like This" and "All Night Long", prompting Evans to start an 18-city theater tour with Dru Hill and Total the following year.

Evans' third album on the Bad Boy imprint, named ''Faithfully'' (2001), involved her working with a wider range of producers, including The Neptunes, Mario Winans, Buckwild, Vada Nobles, Cory Rooney, and others. Her first project with husband Todd Russaw as executive producer and creative partner, the album scored number 14 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart and number two on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart, eventually being certified platinum, but yielded moderately successful singles, with the Jennifer Lopez-written "I Love You" becoming the only top twenty entry. Released amid Bad Boy Records' transition from distributor Arista Records to Universal, Evans felt ''Faithfully'' received minimum assistance by the company, and during 2004, she finally decided to end her business with Bad Boy as she was convinced Combs couldn't improve her career any more due to his other commitments.

2004—2007: Capitol Records

After ending with Bad Boy Entertainment Evans contracted with Capitol Records company, becoming the first contemporary R&B; artist to do so, and started work on her fourth studio album ''The First Lady'', named after her nickname on her former label. As opposed to having an in-house team of producers who supplied most of the previous material, she and Russaw were able to gain more creative control of the album and consulted producers such as Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Mike Caren, Pharrell Williams, and Chucky Thompson to contribute to it. Upon its release in April 2005, ''The First Lady'' scored at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and #1 of the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Evans' best-charting album to date. It was eventually certified gold by the RIAA.

At the end of the year, Evans released ''A Faithful Christmas'', a holiday album of traditional Christmas songs and original tracks. The effort would become her last release on Capitol Records as the company was bought during 2007.

2008—present: Hiatus and E1 Entertainment

Following a longer hiatus, Evans signed a deal with E1 Entertainment - the largest independent record label in the United States - in 2010. Her sixth studio album ''Something About Faith'' was released on October 5, 2010 in the United States and December 6, 2010 in the UK. In the US, the album debuted and peaked at number fifteen on the ''Billboard'' 200, number four on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number one on the Indepedent Albums chart, failing however to chart oustide the US - making it Evans' only album since her debut ''Faith'' to chart in the US only. ''Something About Faith'' has spawned the single and music video "Gone Already"; which spent over thirty-three weeks on the US ''Billboard'' Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it peaked at number twenty-two. On February 14, 2011, a high definition music video for "Right Here" was released on Evans' official YouTube account, suggesting that it is the second single from the album, though this is yet to be confirmed.

Other ventures

Acting

Having previously appeared in stage plays as a teenager, Evans began acting with a supporting role in director Robert Adetuyi's 2000 music drama ''Turn It Up'', featuring Jason Statham and Ja Rule. Released to generally negative reviews from critics, who noted it "patently absurd in both the details and larger aspects", the indie film had a short play and became a financial disappointment, gaining US$1.24 million during its U.S. run only.

During 2003, Evans acted in the MTV-produced romantic comedy ''The Fighting Temptations'' in which she appeared in a brief but major role portraying a single mother and night club singer. Filmed in Columbus, Georgia and headed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. (her character is his mother) and Beyoncé Knowles, the film garnered mixed reviews by critcs, but scored top top three of the U.S. box office, resulting in a domestic gross of US$30.2 million. In addition, Evans recorded a contemporary cover version of Donna Summer's 1978 success "Heaven Knows" for the film which her characters performs during one of the first in sequence in the film. The accompanying soundtrack scored the top twenty of the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200.

During 2004, Evans earned a brief guest stint on the UPN situation comedy ''Half & Half''. Evans announced that she had been working on a synopsis for her own situation comedy that would be based largely on her life but with a more comedic aspect. It is unknown whether she has officially pitched the sitcom to any television networks at this time.

Writing

Evans released her autobiographic book called ''Keep the Faith: A Memoir'' on August 29, 2008. It detailed the singer's life, but also discussed Evans' controversial relationship with her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G.:

"I want people to understand that although he was a large part of my life, my story doesn't actually begin or end with Big's death. My journey has been complicated on many levels. And since I am always linked to Big, there are a lot of misconceptions about who I really am. It's not easy putting your life out there for the masses. But I've decided I'll tell my own story. For Big. For my children. And for myself."

In its initial release, "Keep the Faith: A Memoir" landed in the Top 20 on New York's Best Seller's List two consecutive weeks in a row. During 2009, the book received The 2009 African American Literary Award for Best Biography/Memoir.

Personal life

Prior to Evans meeting and having a relationship with The Notorious B.I.G., she was involved in a relationship with Kiyamma Griffin. She and Griffin had a daughter named Chyna (born April 1, 1993).

On August 4, 1994, Evans married rapper and label mate The Notorious B.I.G., after having met him at a Bad Boy photoshoot. The couple had one child together, Christopher Wallace, Jr. (born October 29, 1996), but the marriage was turbulent as Wallace reportedly had several affairs during their union, including relationships with fellow rappers Lil' Kim and Charli Baltimore. Additionally, it led to Evans' involvement in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the rap music news at the time, which ended with Wallace's murder in a yet-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California in March 1997, and made Evans "Rap's most famous widow".

During early 1997, after her separation from Wallace, but before his death, Evans was introduced to record company executive Todd Russaw. Faith began dating Russaw during her and Wallace's separation and eventually, after Wallace died, Evans became pregnant by Russaw. The couple had their first son Joshua on June 8, 1998. During the summer of 1998, Evans and Russaw were married, and on March 22, 2007, they had their second son Ryder Evan Russaw.

During January 2004, Evans and Russaw were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine and an improper tag violation during a traffic stop in Hapeville, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. In 2011, Evans filed for divorce against Russaw. The couple agreed to spend 13 weeks in a drug-treatment program in exchange for halting any further prosecution of their drug-possession case.

In May 2011, Evans and Russaw announced they were getting a divorce, and stated they would like to keep it quiet for the children's sake.

Discography

Studio albums

1995: ''Faith''

1998: ''Keep the Faith''

2001: ''Faithfully''

2005: ''The First Lady''

2005: ''A Faithful Christmas''

2010: ''Something About Faith''

Tours

''The First Lady Tour'' (2005)

Filmography

2000: ''Turn It Up''

2003: ''The Fighting Temptations''

Awards and nominations

African American Literary Award

*2009: African American Literary Award: ''Keep the Faith (A Memoir)'' (won)

BET Awards

*2002: Best Female R&B; Artist (nominated)

Grammy Awards

*2011: Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance: "Gone Already" (nominated)

*2003: Best Contemporary R&B; Album: ''Faithfully'' (nominated)

*2001: Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group: "Can't Believe" w/ Carl Thomas (nominated)

*2000: Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group: "Heartbreak Hotel" w/ Whitney Houston & Kelly Price (nominated)

*1999: Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance: "Love Like This" (nominated)

*1998: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "I'll Be Missing You" w/ Diddy (won)

Lady of Soul Awards

*2000: Outstanding Music Video: "Love Is Blind" (by Eve ft. Faith Evans) (nominated)

*1996: Best Female R&B;/Soul Album: ''Faith'' (won)

*1996: Best R&B;/Soul or Rap New Artist: "You Used to Love Me" (nominated)

MTV Video Music Awards

*2000: Best Rap Video: "Love Is Blind" (by Eve ft. Faith Evans) (nominated)

*1999: Best R&B; Video: "Heartbreak Hotel" (nominated)

*1997: Best R&B; Video: "I'll Be Missing You" (won)

*1997: Viewer's Choice: "I'll Be Missing You" (nominated)

Soul Train Awards

*2006: Best Female R&B;/Soul Album: ''The First Lady'' (nominated)

*1998: Outstanding Music Video: "I'll Be Missing You" (won)

References

External links

Official site

Faith Evans interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' November 2010

''The Observer'' interview, 2005

''Vibe'' interview, 2005

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:African American actors Category:African American female singers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American Christians Category:American film actors Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Hip hop singers Category:Beatboxers Category:Bad Boy Records artists Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:People from Lakeland, Florida Category:People from Newark, New Jersey

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