Jitterbug can be used as a noun to refer to a swing dancer or various types of swing dances, for example, the Lindy Hop, Jive, and East Coast Swing. This has led to confusion within the dance community, because jitterbug can refer to different kinds of swing dances. It can also be used as a verb to mean the act of dancing to swing music.

Various editions of Arthur Murray's "How To Become a Good Dancer" contain the following text: "There are hundreds of regional dances of the Jitterbug type"; "A favorite with young New Yorkers is the Lindy Hop" (1947); "Whether it's called Swing, Lindy or Jitterbug..." (1954); "Formerly called Jitterbug, Lindy Hop and various other names in different parts of the country... Swing is the newer title" (1959).

Early history

The term ''jitterbug'' comes from an early 20th-century slang term used to describe alcoholics who suffered from the "jitters" (i.e., delirium tremens). The term became associated with swing dancers who danced without any control or knowledge of the dance. In popular culture, it became generalized to mean swing dancers themselves, or a type of swing dance – for example "they danced ''the jitterbug''", or the act of swing dancing – "People were top-notch jitterbugging, jumping around, cutting loose and going crazy".

Cab Calloway's 1934 recording of "Call of the Jitter Bug" (Jitterbug) and the film "Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party" popularized use of the word "jitterbug" and created a strong association between Calloway and jitterbug. Lyrics to “Call of the Jitter Bug” clearly demonstrate the association between the word ''jitterbug'' and the consumption of alcohol:

:If you'd like to be a jitter bug, :First thing you must do is get a jug, :Put whiskey, wine and gin within, :And shake it all up and then begin. :Grab a cup and start to toss, :You are drinking jitter sauce! :Don't you worry, you just mug, :And then you'll be a jitter bug!

In the 1947 film ''Hi De Ho'', Calloway includes the following lines in his song "Minnie the Moocher": "Woe there ain't no more Smokey Joe/ She's fluffed off his hi-de-ho/ She's a solid jitterbug/ And she starts to cut a rug/ Oh Minnie's a hep cat now."

Regarding the Savoy Ballroom, dance critic John Martin of The ''New York Times'' wrote the following: :The white jitterbug is oftener than not uncouth to look at ... but his Negro original is quite another matter. His movements are never so exaggerated that they lack control, and there is an unmistakable dignity about his most violent figures...there is a remarkable amount of improvisation ... mixed in ... with Lindy Hop figures. Of all the ballroom dances these prying eyes have seen, this is unquestionably the finest."

One text states that "the shag and single lindy represented the earlier popular basics" of jitterbug, which gave way to the double lindy when rock and roll became popular.

A young, White middle-class man from suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania learned to dance jitterbug in 1939 by going to the Black "Hill City" section of that city to watch dancers. They danced smoothly, without hopping and bouncing around the dance floor. "The hardest thing to learn is the pelvic motion. I suppose I always felt these motions are somehow obscene. You have to sway, forwards and backwards, with a controlled hip movement, while your shoulders stay level and your feet glide along the floor. Your right hand is held low on the girl's back, and your left hand down at your side, enclosing her hand."

When he ventured out into "nearby mill towns, picking up partners on location," he found that there were White girls who were "mill-town...lower class" and could dance and move "in the authenic, flowing style". "They were poor and less educated than my high-school friends, but they could really dance. In fact, at that time it seemed that the lower class a girl was, the better dancer she was, too."

A number called "The Jitterbug" was written for the 1939 film ''The Wizard of Oz''. The "jitterbug" was a bug sent by the Wicked Witch of the West to waylay the heroes by forcing them to do a jitterbug-style dance. Although the sequence was not included in the final version of the film, the Witch is later heard to tell the flying monkey leader, "I've sent a little insect on ahead to take the fight out of them." The song as sung by Judy Garland as Dorothy and some of the establishing dialogue survived from the soundtrack as the B-side of the disc release of ''Over the Rainbow''.

Popularity

In 1944, with the United States' continuing involvement in World War II, a 30% federal excise tax was levied against "dancing" night clubs. Although the tax was later reduced to 20%, "No Dancing Allowed" signs went up all over the country. Jazz drummer Max Roach argued that, "This tax is the real story why dancing ... public dancing per se ... were [sic] just out. Club owners, promoters, couldn't afford to pay the city tax, state tax, government tax.

World War II facilitated the spread of jitterbug across the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. British Samoans were doing a "Seabee version" of the jitterbug by January 1944. Across the Atlantic in preparation for D-Day, there were nearly 2 million American troops stationed throughout Britain in May 1944. Ballrooms that had been closed because of lack of business opened their doors. Working class girls who had never danced before made up a large part of the attendees, along with American soldiers and sailors. By November of 1945 after the departure of the American troops following D-Day, English couples were being warned not to continue doing energetic "rude American dancing." ''Time Magazine'' reported that American troops stationed in France in 1945 jitterbugged , and by 1946, jitterbug had become a craze in England. It was already a competition dance in Australia.

Jitterbug dancing was also done to early rock and roll. Rockabilly musician Janis Martin equated jitterbug with rock and roll dancing in her April 1956 song "Drugstore Rock 'n' Roll":

:The girls fill the jukebox and then demand :The jitterbug hand-in-hand... :Drugstore's rockin', rock-rock".

In 1957, the Philadelphia-based television show American Bandstand was picked up by the American Broadcasting Company and shown across the United States. American Bandstand featured currently popular songs, live appearances by musicians, and dancing in the studio. At this time, the most popular fast dance was jitterbug, which was described as "a frenetic leftover of the swing era ballroom days that was only slightly less acrobatic than Lindy."

Rockabilly musicians turned out several songs in the second half of the 1950s with jitterbug in the title and lyrics.

A 1961 definition of "jitterbug" stated that it was the present term for a prepared routine performed by professionals for exhibitions, a very active dance usually accompanied by loud brazen costumes and strenuous acrobatic movements.

In a 1962 article in the ''Memphis Commercial Appeal'', Bassist Bill Black as leader of his own Bill Black Combo listed "jitterbug" along with the twist and cha-cha as "the only dance numbers you can play."

Wham! additionally popularized the term in their 1984 UK Number 1 hit, ''Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go''.

References

See also

Lindy Hop

Jive

West Coast Swing

East Coast Swing

Swing dance

Swing music

Swing Camps

Category:Swing dances

de:Jitterbug fr:Jitterbug es:Jitterbug it:Jitterbug hu:Jitterbug sv:Jitterbug ur:جٹربگ

Coordinates	35°10′″N33°22′″N
name	Jerry Lewis
birth name	Joseph Levitch
birth date	March 16, 1926
birth place	Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
occupation	Comedian, actor, film producer, writer, film director, singer, national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association
years active	1931–present
other names	The King of ComedyLe Roi du CrazyPicchiatello
spouse	Patti Palmer (1944-1980)SanDee Pitnick (1983-present)
website	jerrylewiscomedy.com
signature	JerryLewis.png }}

Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926) is an American comedian, actor, film producer, screenwriter, film director and singer. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis. In addition to the duo's popular nightclub work, they starred in a successful series of comedy films for Paramount Pictures.

Lewis is also known for his charity fund-raising telethons and position as national chairman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Lewis has won several awards for lifetime achievements from The American Comedy Awards, The Golden Camera, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and The Venice Film Festival, and he has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2005, he received the Governors Award of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Board of Governors, which is the highest Emmy Award presented. On February 22, 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Lewis the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Early life

He was born Joseph Levitch (some sources say Jerome Levitch) in Newark, New Jersey, to Russian Jewish parents. His father, Daniel Levitch, was a Master of Ceremonies and vaudeville entertainer who used the professional name Danny Lewis, His mother, Rachel ("Rae") Levitch ( Brodsky), was a piano player for a radio station.

Lewis started performing at age five and would often perform alongside his parents in the Catskill Mountains in New York State. By fifteen he had developed his "Record Act", in which he exaggeratedly mimed the lyrics to songs on a phonograph. He used the professional name Joey Lewis, but soon changed it to Jerry Lewis to avoid confusion with comedian Joe E. Lewis and heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis. He graduated from Irvington High School in Irvington, New Jersey.

Career

Teaming with Dean Martin

thumb|With Dean MartinLewis initially gained fame with singer Dean Martin, who served as straight man to Lewis's zany antics in the Martin and Lewis comedy team. They distinguished themselves from the majority of comedy acts of the 1940s by relying on the interaction of the two comics instead of planned skits. In the late 1940s, they quickly rose to national prominence, first with their popular nightclub act, next as stars of their own radio program.

They then made appearances on early live television, debuting first on the June 20, 1948 debut broadcast of ''Toast of the Town'' with Ed Sullivan on the CBS TV Network (later the ''Ed Sullivan Show''), followed on October 3, 1948 by an appearance on the NBC TV series ''Welcome Aboard'', then as the first of a series of hosts of ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' in 1950, and finally as film stars in a string of successes for Paramount Pictures.

However, as Martin's roles in their films became less important, the partnership became strained. Martin's diminished participation became an embarrassment in 1954, when ''Look'' magazine used a publicity photo of the team for the magazine cover, but cropped Martin out of the photo. The partnership finally ended on July 24, 1956. Attesting the team's popularity, DC Comics published the best-selling ''The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis'' comic books from 1952 to 1957. The series continued a year after the team broke up as DC Comics then featured Lewis solo, until 1971, in ''The Adventures of Jerry Lewis'' comic books. In this latter series, Lewis was sometimes featured with Superman, Batman, and various other DC Comics heroes and villains.

Both Martin and Lewis went on to successful solo careers, but for years neither would comment on the split, nor consider a reunion. They made at least a couple of public appearances together between the breakup and 1961, but then were not seen together in public until a surprise appearance by Martin on Lewis's Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Telethon in 1976, arranged by Frank Sinatra.

The pair eventually reconciled in the late 1980s after the death of Martin's son, Dean Paul Martin. The two men were seen together on stage in Las Vegas when Lewis pushed out Dean's birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday to him. In Lewis's 2005 book ''Dean and Me (A Love Story)'', Lewis wrote of his kinship with Martin, who had died in 1995.

Solo achievements

After the split from Martin, Lewis remained at Paramount and became a major comedy star with his first film as a solo comic, ''The Delicate Delinquent'' (1957). Teaming with director Frank Tashlin, whose background as a Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon director suited Lewis's brand of humor, he starred in five more films, and even appeared uncredited as Itchy McRabbitt in ''Li'l Abner'' (1959).

Lewis tried his hand at releasing an album in the 1950s, having a chart hit with the song "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (a song largely associated with Al Jolson and later re-popularized by Judy Garland) as well as the song, "It All Depends on You" in 1958. He eventually released his own album titled, ''Jerry Lewis Just Sings''. By the end of his contract with producer Hal B. Wallis, Lewis had several productions of his own under his belt.

His first three efforts, ''The Delicate Delinquent'' (1957), ''Rock-A-Bye Baby'' (1958) and ''The Geisha Boy'' (1958), were all efforts to move away from Wallis, who Lewis felt was hindering his comedy. In 1960, Lewis finished his contract with Wallis with ''Visit to a Small Planet'' (1960), and wrapped up work on his own production, ''Cinderfella''. ''Cinderfella'' was postponed for a Christmas 1960 release, and Paramount, needing a quickie feature film for its summer 1960 schedule, held Lewis to his contract to produce one. Lewis came up with ''The Bellboy''. Using the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami as his setting—and on a small budget, with a very tight shooting schedule, and no script—Lewis shot the film by day and performed at the hotel in the evenings. Bill Richmond collaborated with him on the many sight gags.

In a 2005 interview, Lewis revealed that Paramount were not happy financing a 'silent movie' and withdrew backing. Lewis used his own funds to cover the $950,000 budget. Much to Paramount's dismay, the movie had grossed in excess of $200,000,000 by the time of the interview. During production Lewis developed the technique of using video cameras and multiple closed circuit monitors, which allowed him to review his performance instantly. His techniques and methods, documented in his book and his USC class, enabled him to complete most of his films on time and under budget.

Later, he incorporated videotape, and as more portable and affordable equipment became available, this technique would become an industry standard known as video assist. Lewis followed ''The Bellboy'' by directing several more films which he co-wrote with Richmond, including ''The Ladies Man'' (1961), ''The Errand Boy'' (1961), ''The Patsy'' (1964) and the well-known comedy hit, ''The Nutty Professor'' (1963), which was later successfully remade as a vehicle for Eddie Murphy in 1996 and followed by a sequel in 2000, ''Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'' both executive produced by Lewis for Universal Pictures and Image Entertainment.

Lewis occasionally handed directing reins to Frank Tashlin, who directed several of his productions, including ''It's Only Money'' (1962) and ''Who's Minding the Store?'' (1963). In 1965, Lewis directed and (along with Bill Richmond) wrote the comedy film ''The Family Jewels'' about a young heiress who must choose among six uncles, one of whom is up to no good and out to harm the girl's beloved bodyguard who practically raised her. Lewis played all six uncles and the bodyguard.

By 1966, Lewis, now 40, was no longer an angular juvenile and his routines seemed more labored. His box office appeal waned to the point where Paramount Pictures new executives felt no further need for the Lewis comedies. Undaunted, Lewis packed up and went to Columbia Pictures, where he made several more comedies. Lewis taught a film directing class at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles for a number of years; his students included Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

In 1968, he screened Spielberg's early film, ''Amblin''' and told his students, "That's what filmmaking is all about." Lewis starred in and directed the unreleased ''The Day the Clown Cried'' in 1972. The film was a drama set in a Nazi concentration camp. Lewis rarely discusses the experience, but once explained why the film has not been released, by suggesting litigation over post-production financial difficulties. However, he admitted during his book tour for ''Dean and Me'' that a major factor for the film's burial is that he is not proud of the effort.

Lewis also appeared in stage musicals. In 1976, he appeared in a revival of ''Hellzapoppin''' with Lynn Redgrave, but it closed on the road before reaching Broadway. In 1994, he made his Broadway debut, as a replacement cast member playing the Devil in a revival of the baseball musical, ''Damn Yankees'', choreographed by future film director Rob Marshall (''Chicago''). Lewis returned to the screen in 1981 with ''Hardly Working'', a film he both directed and starred in.

Despite being panned by the critics, the film did eventually earn $50 million. He followed this up with a critically acclaimed performance in Martin Scorsese's 1983 film, ''The King of Comedy'', in which Lewis plays a late-night TV host plagued by obsessive fans (played by Robert De Niro and Sandra Bernhard). The role had been based on and originally offered to Johnny Carson. Lewis continued doing work in small films in the 1990s, most notably his supporting roles in 1994's ''Arizona Dream'' and 1995's ''Funny Bones''. He appeared on television on one episode of ''Mad About You'''s first season in 1992, playing an eccentric billionaire. In 2008, Lewis reprised his role as Prof. Kelp in ''The Nutty Professor'', his first CGI animated film and follow-up to his original 1963 film co-starring Drake Bell as his nephew, Harold Kelp.

On television, Lewis starred in three different programs called ''The Jerry Lewis Show''. The first was a two-hour Saturday night variety show on ABC in the fall of 1963. The lavish, big-budget production failed to find an audience and was canceled after 13 weeks. His next show was a one-hour variety show on NBC in 1967-69. A test of a syndicated talk show for Metromedia in 1984 was not continued beyond the scheduled five shows. Lewis and his popular movie characters were animated in the Filmation cartoon series, ''Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down''. First aired on ABC in 1970, it lasted only one season and eighteen episodes. The show starred David Lander (''Laverne & Shirley'') as the voice of the animated Lewis character.

Lewis has long remained popular in Europe: he was consistently praised by some French critics in the influential magazine ''Cahiers du Cinéma'' for his absurd comedy, in part because he had gained respect as an ''auteur'' who had total control over all aspects of his films, comparable to Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock. In March 2006, the French Minister of Culture awarded Lewis the Légion d'honneur, calling him the "French people's favorite clown". Liking Lewis has long been a common stereotype about the French in the minds of many English-speakers, and is often the object of jokes in Anglosphere pop culture.

In 1994, the Columbia Pictures film, ''North'' featured footage of Lewis's classic movies. In June 2006, Lewis first announced plans to write and direct a stage musical adaptation of his 1963 film, ''The Nutty Professor''. In October 2008, in an interview on Melbourne radio, Lewis said he had signed composers Marvin Hamlisch and Rupert Holmes to write the show for a Broadway opening in November 2010. In 2009, Lewis traveled to the Cannes Film Festival to announce his return to the silver screen after a 13 year absence for the film ''Max Rose'', his first leading role since Martin Scorsese's ''The King of Comedy''. In early 2011, Lewis had signed a deal with Artificial Intelligence Entertainment and Capital Films to remake the three of his 60s cinema classics ''The Bellboy'', ''Cinderfella'' and ''The Family Jewels''. Lewis will serve as co-executive producer of the films.

On May 16, 2011, it was originally announced by MDA that the 2011 edition of his annual telethon will be Lewis' last as host, after hosting the annual event since 1954, he will continue to serve as the association's national chairman. Soon afterward, however, Lewis denied that he was leaving the telethon at all, but on August 3, 2011, the MDA announced that Lewis resigned as chairman and telethon host, the circumstances leading to his resignation unknown.

Lewis has been criticized by members of the disability rights community. In 1990, he wrote a first-person essay entitled "If I Had Muscular Dystrophy" for ''Parade'' magazine, in which he characterized those with muscular dystrophy as "being half a person". Many in the disabled community viewed his remarks as prejudicial, contributing to the idea that people with disabilities are "childlike, helpless, hopeless, non functioning and noncontributing members of society". Members of the disability rights community object to Lewis receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

In February 2000, Lewis stunned an audience gathered to honor his work at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival by saying he did not like female comics. Lewis said, "I don't like any female comedians. A woman doing comedy doesn't offend me, but sets me back a bit. I, as a viewer, have trouble with it. I think of her as a producing machine that brings babies in the world." He later defended the remark, saying it was taken wildly out of context, and added that he made 11 movies with comic character actress Kathleen Freeman.

During the 2007 Labor Day Telethon, Lewis almost let slip the word "faggot" while live on air. While talking to a cameraman, he joked: "Oh, your family has come to see you. You remember Bart, your oldest son, Jesse, the illiterate fag--no...", at which point he turned away from the camera.

Film portrayal

Lewis was portrayed by Emmy Award winner Sean Hayes (''Will and Grace'') in the 2002 made for television movie ''Martin and Lewis''. The film depicts Lewis' partnership with Dean Martin (played by Jeremy Northam). Hayes met Lewis during shooting of the televised film and went on to receive a Screen Actors Guild Award for best actor.

Personal life

Family

Lewis has been married twice: Patti Palmer (née Esther Calonico), a former singer with Ted Fio Rito; married October 3, 1944, divorced September 1980. SanDee Pitnick; married February 13, 1983; a 32-year-old Las Vegas dancer. They were married in Key Biscayne, Florida; Lewis was 56.

He had six sons and one adopted daughter: Gary Harold Lee Levitch was born on July 31, 1945 to Lewis and Patti Palmer. Gary Levitch's name was subsequently legally changed to Gary Lewis. As a 1960s pop musician, Gary Lewis had a string of hits with his group Gary Lewis & the Playboys.

Ronald Lewis; adopted July 1950 with Patti Palmer

Scott Lewis; born February 1956 to Patti Palmer

Christopher Joseph Lewis; born October 1957 to Patti Palmer

Anthony Lewis; born October 1959 to Patti Palmer

Joseph Lewis; born January 1964 to Patti Palmer, died October 24, 2009 from a narcotics overdose. Danielle Sarah Lewis (daughter); adopted March 1992 with SanDee Pitnick.

Lewis currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Health concerns

thumb|Jerry Lewis, 2005Lewis has suffered years of back pain after an injury that almost left him paralyzed when he did a comedic pratfall from a piano on March 20, 1965 while performing at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.

He became addicted to the pain killer Percodan, but says he has been off the drug since 1978 and has not taken one since. In April 2002, Lewis had a "Synergy" neurostimulator, developed by Medtronic, implanted in his back, which has helped reduce the discomfort. He is now one of Medtronic's leading spokespeople.

In December 1982, Lewis suffered a serious heart attack and then a second minor heart attack on June 11, 2006, at the end of a cross-country commercial airline flight en route home from New York City. It was discovered that he had pneumonia as well as a severely damaged heart. He underwent a cardiac catheterization and two stents were inserted into one of his coronary arteries, which had become 90% blocked. The surgery resulted in a return of blood flow to his heart and has allowed him to continue his rebound from earlier lung problems. Having the cardiac catheterization also meant canceling several major events from his schedule, but Lewis fully recuperated in a matter of weeks.

In 1999, his Australian tour was cut short when he had to be hospitalized in Darwin with viral meningitis. He was ill for more than five months. It was reported in the Australian press that he had failed to pay his medical bills; however, Lewis maintained that the payment confusion was the fault of his health insurer. The resulting negative publicity caused him to sue his insurer for US$100 million.

Lewis has had prostate cancer, diabetes I, and pulmonary fibrosis, and has had at least two heart attacks. A third heart attack, claimed to have been sustained while filming ''Cinderfella'' in 1960, has not been confirmed officially. Prednisone treatment in the early 2000s for pulmonary fibrosis resulted in weight gain and a noticeable change in his appearance.

In September 2001, he was unable to perform at a planned charity event produced by comedian Steven Alan Green at the London Palladium. (Green's take on the event was turned into a one-person show, ''I Eat People Like You For Breakfast'', which Green performed at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival.) Some months thereafter, Lewis began an arduous, months-long therapy which weaned him off prednisone and enabled him to return to work.

Charity work

Throughout his career, Lewis has supported fundraising for research into muscular dystrophy. From the early 1950s until 2011, he served as national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).

Lewis began hosting telethons to benefit MDA in 1952. From 1966 to 2010 he hosted the annual ''Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon'', since renamed the ''MDA Labor Day Telethon''. It has raised over $2.6 billion. On August 3, 2011, it was announced that Lewis would no longer host any further telethons.

Honors and awards

;1950s

1952 – Winner of the special Photoplay Award 1952 – Nominee for Best Comedian or Comedienne 1954 – Winner for the Most Cooperative Actor, Golden Apple Award

;1960s

1965 – Winner, Golden Laurel, Special Award – Family Comedy King

;1970s

1977 – Nominee, the Nobel Peace Prize, by US Representative Les Aspin. Aspin noted that in 11 years, the ''MDA Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon'' had raised more than $95 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

;1980s

1983 – Nominee, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for ''The King of Comedy'', British Academy Film Awards

;1990s

1997 – Winner, Lifetime Achievement Award, American Comedy Awards

;2000s

2004 – Winner, Career Achievement Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association

2005 – Winner, Governors Award, Primetime Emmy Awards 2006 – Winner, Satellite Award for Outstanding Guest Star on TV's ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''

2009 – Induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame

2009 – Winner, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 81st Academy Awards

;2010s

2010 - Received Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Chapman University during the 2010 MDA Telethon.

2011 – Recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor

Bibliography

''The Total Film-Maker'' by Jerry Lewis. New York: Random House, 1971, ISBN 0-394-46757-4

''Jerry Lewis: In Person'' by Jerry Lewis with Herb Gluck. New York: Atheneum, 1982, ISBN 0-689-11290-4

''Dean & Me (A Love Story)'' by Jerry Lewis with James Kaplan. New York: Doubleday, 2005, ISBN 0-7679-2086-4

In popular culture

In ''Back to the Future'', Dr. Emmett L. Brown mentions Jerry Lewis as the supposed Vice President of the United States in 1985 after Marty McFly mentions Ronald Reagan is President in 1985.

Voice actor Hank Azaria cites Lewis as an inspiration for his character Professor Frink from ''The Simpsons''. In a 2003 episode, Lewis actually voiced the character of Frink's father.

A plotline of an episode of ''Seinfeld'' revolved around Jerry searching for his cufflinks which had been worn by Jerry Lewis in the film ''Cinderfella''. He plans to wear them to a party Lewis is attending, using them as a conversation starter.

Before Tom Lehrer introduces the song "National Brotherhood Week", he mentions the non-existent "Make Fun of the Handicapped Week", that Frank Fontaine and Jerry Lewis are in charge of as you Know." (Source: "That was the Year that Was" Tom Lehrer. 1965.)

See also

Jerry Lewis filmography and television appearances

MDA Labor Day Telethon

Martin and Lewis

References

Further reading

''Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime (Especially Himself): The Story of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis'' by Arthur Marx, New York, NY: Hawthorn Books, 1974, ISBN 978-0801524301

''The Jerry Lewis Films'' by James L. Neibaur and Ted Okuda (Lewis is quoted throughout). Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 1994, ISBN 0-89950-961-4

''King of Comedy: The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis'' by Shawn Anthony Levy. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997, ISBN 978-0-312-13248-4

''That Kid: The Story of Jerry Lewis'' by Richard Gehman. New York: Avon Books, 1964.

External links

Jerry Lewis interview for the Archive of American Television

Official Jerry Lewis Website

Drum Solo Battle (1955) with Buddy Rich at DrummerWorld

;Videos

2009 Oscars Jean Hersholt Award

Colgate Comedy Hour, 1950s

Scene from ''The Bellboy''

With drummer Buddy Rich, 1965

Typewriter scene on Colgate Hour

Category:1926 births Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American Jews Category:American television personalities Category:Cancer survivors Category:Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur Category:Decca Records artists Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish comedians Category:Liberty Records artists Category:Living people Category:People from Irvington, New Jersey Category:People from Newark, New Jersey Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:Vaudeville performers Category:Jewish activists

an:Jerry Lewis bg:Джери Люис ca:Jerry Lewis cs:Jerry Lewis da:Jerry Lewis de:Jerry Lewis es:Jerry Lewis fa:جری لوئیس fr:Jerry Lewis is:Jerry Lewis it:Jerry Lewis he:ג'רי לואיס nl:Jerry Lewis ja:ジェリー・ルイス pl:Jerry Lewis pt:Jerry Lewis ro:Jerry Lewis ru:Джерри Льюис sq:Jerry Lewis simple:Jerry Lewis sl:Jerry Lewis fi:Jerry Lewis sv:Jerry Lewis ta:ஜெர்ரி லுவிஸ் tr:Jerry Lewis

Coordinates	35°10′″N33°22′″N
name	Betty Hutton
birth name	Elizabeth June Thornburg
birth date	February 26, 1921
birth place	Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.
death date	March 12, 2007
death place	Palm Springs, California, U.S.
years active	1939–2000
spouse	}}

Betty Hutton (February 26, 1921 – March 12, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedienne and singer.

Early life

Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg, daughter of a railroad foreman, Percy E. Thornburg (1896–1939) and his wife, the former Mabel Lum (1901–1967). While she was very young, her father abandoned the family for another woman. They did not hear of him again until they received a telegram in 1939, informing them of his suicide. Along with her older sister Marion, Betty was raised by her mother, who took the surname Hutton and was later billed as the actress Sissy Jones.

The three started singing in the family's speakeasy when Betty was 3 years old. Troubles with the police kept the family on the move. They eventually landed in Detroit, Michigan. (On one occasion, when Betty, preceded by a police escort, arrived at the premiere of ''Let's Dance'' (1950), her mother, arriving with her, quipped, "At least this time the police are in front of us!") Hutton sang in several local bands as a teenager, and at one point visited New York City hoping to perform on Broadway, where she was rejected.

A few years later, she was scouted by orchestra leader Vincent Lopez, who gave Hutton her entry into the entertainment business. In 1939 she appeared in several musical shorts for Warner Bros., and appeared in a supporting role on Broadway in ''Panama Hattie'' (starring Ethel Merman) and ''Two for the Show'', both produced by Buddy DeSylva.

Career

When DeSylva became a producer at Paramount Pictures, Hutton was signed to a featured role in ''The Fleet's In'' (1942), starring Paramount's number one female star Dorothy Lamour. Hutton was an instant hit with the movie-going public. Paramount did not immediately promote her to major stardom, however, but did give her second leads in a Mary Martin film musical, ''Star Spangled Rhythm'' (1943), and another Lamour film. In 1943 she was given co-star billing with Bob Hope in ''Let's Face It'' and with the release of ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' the following year, Hutton attained major stardom. By the time ''Incendiary Blonde'' was released in 1945, she had supplanted Lamour as Paramount's number one female box office attraction.

Hutton made 19 films from 1942 to 1952 including the hugely popular ''The Perils of Pauline'' in 1947. She was billed above Fred Astaire in the 1950 musical ''Let's Dance''. Hutton's greatest screen triumph came in ''Annie Get Your Gun'' (1950) for MGM, which hired her to replace an exhausted Judy Garland in the role of Annie Oakley. The film, with the leading role retooled for Hutton, was a smash hit, with the biggest critical praise going to Hutton. (Her obituary in The New York Times described her as "a brassy, energetic performer with a voice that could sound like a fire alarm.") Among her lesser known roles was an unbilled cameo in ''Sailor Beware'' (1952) with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, in which she portrayed Dean's girlfriend, Hetty Button.

In 1944, she signed a recording contract with Capitol Records (she was one of the earliest artists to do so). Later she became disillusioned with Capitol's management and moved to RCA Victor.

Her career as a Hollywood star ended due to a contract dispute with Paramount following the Oscar-winning ''The Greatest Show on Earth'' (1952) and ''Somebody Loves Me'' (1952), a biography of singer Blossom Seeley. The New York Times reported that the dispute resulted from her insistence that her husband at the time, Charles O'Curran, direct her next film. When the studio declined, Hutton broke her contract. Hutton's last completed film was a small one, ''Spring Reunion'', released in 1957, a drama in which she gave an understated, sensitive performance. Unfortunately, box office receipts indicated the public didn't want to see a subdued Hutton.

Hutton got work in radio, appeared in Las Vegas and in nightclubs, then tried her luck in the new medium of television. In 1954, an original musical TV spectacular written especially for Hutton, ''Satin and Spurs'', was an enormous flop with the public and the critics, despite being one of the first programs televised nationally by NBC in compatible color. In 1957, she appeared on a Dinah Shore show on NBC that also featured Boris Karloff; the program has been preserved on a kinescope. Desilu Productions took a chance on Hutton 1959, giving her a sitcom ''The Betty Hutton Show'', directed by Jerry Fielding. It quickly faded.

Hutton began headlining in Las Vegas and touring across the country. She returned to Broadway briefly in 1964 when she temporarily replaced a hospitalized Carol Burnett in the show ''Fade Out – Fade In''. In 1967 she was signed to star in two low-budget westerns for Paramount, but was fired shortly after the projects began. In the 1970s she portrayed Miss Hannigan in the original Broadway production of ''Annie'' while Alice Ghostly was on vacation.

Marriages

Hutton's first marriage was to camera manufacturer Ted Briskin on September 3, 1945. The marriage ended in divorce in 1950. Two daughters were born to the couple, Lindsay Diane Briskin (born 1946) and Candice Elizabeth Briskin (born 1948).

Hutton's second marriage in 1952 was to choreographer Charles O'Curran. They divorced in 1955. He died in 1984.

She married for the third time in 1955. Husband Alan W. Livingston, an executive with Capitol Records, was the creator of Bozo the Clown. They divorced five years later, although some accounts refer to the union as a nine-month marriage.

Her fourth and final marriage in 1960 was to jazz trumpeter Pete Candoli, a brother of Conte Candoli. Hutton and Candoli had one child, Carolyn Candoli (born 1962) and then divorced in 1967 (some accounts place the year as 1964).

Life after Hollywood

After the 1967 death of her mother in a house fire and the collapse of her last marriage, Hutton's depression and pill addictions escalated. She divorced her fourth husband, jazz trumpeter Pete Candoli, and declared bankruptcy. Hutton had a nervous breakdown and later attempted suicide after losing her singing voice in 1970. After regaining control of her life through rehab, and the mentorship of a Roman Catholic priest, Father Peter Maguire, Hutton converted to Roman Catholicism and took a job as a cook at a rectory in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. She made national headlines when it was revealed she was working in a rectory.

In 1974, a well-publicized "Love-In for Betty Hutton" was held at New York City's Riverboat Restaurant, emceed by comedian Joey Adams, with several old Hollywood pals on hand. The event raised $10,000 (USD) for Hutton and gave her spirits a big boost. Steady work, unfortunately, still eluded her.

Hutton appeared in an interview with Mike Douglas and a brief guest appearance in 1975 on ''Baretta''. In 1977, Hutton was featured on ''The Phil Donahue Show''. Hutton was then happily employed as hostess at a Newport Rhode Island jai alai arena.

She also appeared on Good Morning America which led to a 1978 televised reunion with her two daughters. Hutton began living in a shared home with her divorced daughter and grandchildren in California, but returned to the East Coast for a three week return to the stage. She followed Dorothy Loudon as the evil Miss Hannigan in ''Annie'' on Broadway in 1980. Hutton's rehearsal of the song "Little Girls" was featured on ''Good Morning America''.

A ninth grade drop-out, Hutton went back to school and earned a Master's Degree in psychology from Salve Regina University. During her time at college, Hutton became friends with Kristin Hersh and attended several early Throwing Muses concerts. Hersh would later write the song "Elizabeth June" as a tribute to her friend, and wrote about their relationship in further detail in her memoir, ''Rat Girl''.

Her last known performance, in any medium, was on ''Jukebox Saturday Night,'' which aired on PBS in 1983. Hutton stayed in New England and began teaching comedic acting at Boston's Emerson College. She became estranged again from her daughters.

After the death of her ally, Father Maguire, Hutton returned to California moving to Palm Springs, in 1999, after decades in New England. Hutton hoped to grow closer with her daughters and grandchildren, as she told Robert Osborne on TCM's ''Private Screenings'' in April 2000, though her children remained distant. She told Osborne that she understood their hesitancy to accept a now elderly mother. The TCM interview first aired on July 18, 2000. The program was rerun as a memorial on the evening of her death in 2007, and again on July 11, 2008, April 14, 2009, and as recently as January 26, 2010.

Death

Hutton lived in Palm Springs, California until her death, at 86, from colon cancer complications. Hutton is buried at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Betty Hutton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6253 Hollywood Boulevard.

Hit songs

! Year	! Title	! Chart peak	! Catalog number	! Notes
	"Old Man Mose"			with Vincent Lopez Orchestra
"Igloo"	15	Bluebird 10300	with Vincent Lopez Orchestra
"The Jitterbug"		Bluebird 10367	with Vincent Lopez Orchestra
	"Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In A Hurry"
"I'm Doin' It For Defense"
	"Murder, He Says"
"The Fuddy Duddy Watchmaker"
	"Bluebirds In My Belfry"
"His Rocking Horse Ran Away"	7	Capitol 155	with Paul Weston Orchestra
	5	Capitol 155	with Paul Weston Orchestra
	"Stuff Like That There"	4	Capitol 188	with Paul Weston Orchestra
"What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For?"	15	Capitol 211	with Paul Weston Orchestra
"(Doin' It) The Hard Way"		Capitol 211	with Paul Weston Orchestra
"Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief"	1	Capitol 220	with Paul Weston Orchestra
"A Square In The Social Circle"		Capitol 220	with Paul Weston Orchestra
1946	"My Fickle Eye"	21	RCA Victor 20-1915	with Joe Lilley Orchestra
	"Poppa, Don't Preach To Me"		Capitol 380	with Joe Lilley Orchestra
"I Wish I Didn't Love You So"		Capitol 409	with Joe Lilley Orchestra
1949	"(Where Are You?) Now That I Need You"		Capitol 620	with Joe Lilley Orchestra
	"Orange Colored Sky"	24	RCA Victor 20-3908	with Pete Rugolo Orchestra
"Can't Stop Talking"		RCA Victor 20-3908	with Pete Rugolo Orchestra
"A Bushel and a Peck" (duet with Perry Como)	3	RCA Victor 20-3930	with Mitchell Ayres Orchestra
			RCA Victor 20-4179	with Pete Rugolo Orchestra
	24	RCA Victor 20-4225	with Henri René Orchestra
1953	"Goin' Steady"	21	Capitol 2522	with Nelson Riddle Orchestra
1954	"The Honeymoon's Over" (duet with Tennessee Ernie Ford)	16	Capitol 2809	with Billy May Orchestra
1956	"Hit the Road to Dreamland"		Capitol 3383	with Vic Schoen Orchestra

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" width=67% |+ Motion pictures ! width=7%| Year ! width=20%| Film ! width=20%| Role ! width=20%| Notes |- | 1938 | ''Queens of the Air'' | Herself | film short |- | rowspan=3|1939 | ''Vincent Lopez and His Orchestra'' | Herself | film short |- | ''Three Kings and a Queen'' | Herself | film short |- | ''Public Jitterbug No. 1'' | Public Jitterbug No. 1 | film short |- | 1940 | ''One for the Book'' | Cinderella | film short |- | rowspan=2|1942 | ''The Fleet's In'' | Bessie Day | |- | ''Star Spangled Rhythm'' | Polly Judson | |- | rowspan=3|1943 | ''Happy Go Lucky'' | Bubbles Hennessy | |- | ''Let's Face It'' | Winnie Porter | |- | ''Strictly G.I.'' | Herself | film short |- | rowspan=4|1944 | ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' | Trudy Kockenlocker | |- | ''And the Angels Sing'' | Bobby Angel | |- | ''Skirmish on the Home Front'' | Emily Average | film short |- | ''Here Come the Waves'' | Susan Allison / Rosemary Allison | |- | rowspan=4|1945 | ''Incendiary Blonde'' | Texas Guinan | |- | ''Duffy's Tavern'' | Herself | cameo |- | ''The Stork Club'' | Judy Peabody | |- | ''Hollywood Victory Caravan'' | Herself | film short |- | 1946 | ''Cross My Heart'' | Peggy Harper | |- | 1947 | ''The Perils of Pauline'' | Pearl White | |- | 1948 | ''Dream Girl'' | Georgina Allerton | |- | 1949 | ''Red, Hot and Blue'' | Eleanor "Yum-Yum" Collier | |- | rowspan=2|1950 | ''Annie Get Your Gun'' | Annie Oakley | |- | ''Let's Dance'' | Kitty McNeil | |- | rowspan=3|1952 | ''The Greatest Show on Earth'' | Holly | |- | ''Sailor Beware'' | Hetty Button | uncredited cameo |- | ''Somebody Loves Me'' | Blossom Seeley | |- | 1957 | ''Spring Reunion'' | Margaret "Maggie" Brewster | |} {|class="wikitable" width=67% |+ Television ! width=7%| Year ! width=20%| Film ! width=20%| Role ! width=20%| Notes |- | 1958 | ''That's My Mom'' | | 1 episode (unaired pilot) |- | 1959–60 | ''The Betty Hutton Show'' | Goldie Appleby | 30 episodes |- | 1964 | ''The Greatest Show on Earth'' | Julia Dana | 1 episode |- | 1964–65 | ''Burke's Law'' | Carlene GloryRena Zito | 2 episodes |- | 1965 | ''Gunsmoke'' | Molly McConnell | 1 episode |- | 1977 | ''Baretta'' | Velma | 1 episode |}

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Result	Category	Film
1944	Golden Apple Awards	Won	Most Cooperative Actress	-
1951	Golden Globe Award	Nominated		''Annie Get Your Gun''
1950	Photoplay Awards	Won	Most Popular Female Star	''Annie Get Your Gun''

References

Further reading

Gene Arceri ''Rocking Horse, a Personal Biography of Betty Hutton'', 2009, BearManor Media

Betty Hutton ''Backstage You Can Have: My Own Story'', 2009 The Betty Hutton Estate

External links

BettyHuttonEstate The Betty Hutton Estate

satinsandspurs.com The Betty Hutton Website

Betty Hutton at who2.com

Time Magazine article, April 24, 1950

Denny Jackson's Betty Hutton Page (fan site)

Betty Hutton at BroadwayWorld.com

Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:Capitol Records artists Category:RCA Victor artists Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism Category:Actors from Michigan Category:Cancer deaths in California Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer Category:Emerson College faculty Category:People from Battle Creek, Michigan Category:People from Detroit, Michigan Category:1921 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Burials at Desert Memorial Park

cy:Betty Hutton da:Betty Hutton de:Betty Hutton es:Betty Hutton fr:Betty Hutton id:Betty Hutton it:Betty Hutton nl:Betty Hutton ja:ベティ・ハットン pl:Betty Hutton pt:Betty Hutton ksh:Betty Hutton ru:Бетти Хаттон sr:Бети Хатон sv:Betty Hutton

Coordinates	35°10′″N33°22′″N
name	Booker T. Washington White
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Booker T. Washington White
born	November 12, 1909between Aberdeen and Houston, Mississippi, United States
died	Memphis, Tennessee, United States
instrument	Vocals, steel guitar, fiddle, piano
genre	Delta blues, country blues
occupation	Singer, guitarist, songwriter
years active	Late 1920s–1977
label	Various
website	}}

Booker T. Washington White (November 12, 1909 – February 26, 1977) was a Delta blues guitarist and singer. "Bukka" was not a nickname, but a phonetic misspelling of White's given name Booker, by his second (1937) record label (Vocalion). White himself disliked the spelling "Bukka" and preferred to be called "Booker".

Biography

Born Booker T. Washington White between Aberdeen and Houston, Mississippi, he was the second cousin of B.B. King. White himself is remembered as a player of National steel guitars. He also played, but was less adept at, the piano.

White started his career playing the fiddle at square dances. He claims to have met Charlie Patton early on, although some doubt has been cast upon this; Regardless, Patton was a large influence on White. White typically played slide guitar, in an open tuning. He was one of the few, along with Skip James, to use a crossnote tuning in E minor, which he may have learned, as James did, from Henry Stuckey.

He first recorded for the Victor Records label in 1930. His recordings for Victor, like those of many other bluesmen, fluctuated between country blues and gospel numbers. His gospel songs were done in the style of Blind Willie Johnson, with a female singer accentuating the last phrase of each line.

Nine years later, while serving time for assault, he recorded for folklorist John Lomax. The few songs he recorded around this time became his most well-known: "Shake 'Em on Down," and "Po' Boy."

Bob Dylan covered his song "Fixin' to Die Blues", which aided a "rediscovery" of White in 1963 by guitarist John Fahey and ED Denson, which propelled him onto the folk revival scene of the 1960s. White had recorded the song simply because his other songs had not particularly impressed the Victor record producer. It was a studio composition of which White had thought little until it re-emerged thirty years later.

White was at one time managed by the experienced blues manager, Arne Brogger. Fahey and Denson found White easily enough: Fahey wrote a letter to "Bukka White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi." Fahey had assumed, given White's song, "Aberdeen, Mississippi", that White still lived there, or nearby. The postcard was forwarded to Memphis, Tennessee, where White worked in a tank factory. Fahey and Denson soon travelled to meet White, and White and Fahey remained friends through the remainder of White's life. He recorded a new album for Denson and Fahey's Takoma Records, whilst Denson became his manager.

White was, later in life, also friends with fellow musician, Furry Lewis. The two recorded, mostly in Lewis' Memphis apartment, an album together, ''Furry Lewis, Bukka White & Friends: Party! At Home''. One of his most famous songs, "Parchman Farm Blues", about the Mississippi State Penitentiary (also known as Parchman Farm) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, was released on Harry Smith's fourth volume of the ''Anthology of American Folk Music, Vol. 4''. The song was covered by The Traits/aka Roy Head and the Traits with Johnny Winter in the late 1960s. His 1937 version of the oft-recorded song, "Shake 'Em On Down," is considered definitive, and became a hit while White was serving time in Parchman.

White died in February 1977 from cancer, at the age of 67, in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1990 he was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame (along with Blind Blake and Lonnie Johnson).

Legacy

The 1963 recordings of White's song "Shake 'em on Down" and spoken-word piece "Remembrance of Charlie Patton" were both sampled by electronic artist Recoil (mostly a one-man effort by Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode) for the track "Electro Blues For Bukka White" on the 1992 album ''Bloodline''. The song was reworked and re-released on the 2000 EP, "Jezebel".

On January 26, 2010, Eric Bibb released ''Booker's Guitar'' (TEL 31756 02) through Telarc International Corporation after becoming inspired by the hidden stories Bibb felt through holding White's famous guitar.

References

White's song "Parchman Farm Blues" was recorded by Jeff Buckley, which was released posthumously on the bonus disc of Buckley's album ''Grace: Legacy Edition''.

External links

Illustrated Bukka White Discography

Bukka White Biography and Discography

Category:1909 births Category:1977 deaths Category:African American guitarists Category:African American singers Category:American blues guitarists Category:American blues singers Category:Country blues singers Category:American buskers Category:American pianists Category:Blues Hall of Fame inductees Category:Blues musicians from Mississippi Category:Blues revival musicians Category:Chickasaw County, Mississippi Category:Country blues musicians Category:Delta blues musicians Category:Gospel blues musicians Category:Musicians from Mississippi Category:People from Aberdeen, Mississippi Category:People from Chickasaw County, Mississippi Category:People from Memphis, Tennessee Category:Slide guitarists Category:Vocalion Records artists Category:Deaths from cancer

de:Bukka White es:Bukka White fr:Bukka White it:Bukka White pt:Bukka White ru:Букка Уайт fi:Bukka White sv:Bukka White tr:Bukka White

Coordinates	35°10′″N33°22′″N
Name	Donny Osmond
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Donald Clark Osmond
Birth date	December 09, 1957
Origin	Ogden, Utah, US
Genre	Vocal, pop, rock, R&B;, bubblegum, blue-eyed soul, comedy, musical theatre
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, musician, actor, television host, dancer, radio personality, author
Years active	1961–present
Label	Universal
Associated acts	Marie Osmond, The Osmonds, Dweezil Zappa
Website	}}

Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long running variety program, ''The Andy Williams Show''. Donny went solo in the early 1970s covering such hits as "Go Away Little Girl" and "Puppy Love."

For over thirty five years, he and younger sister Marie have gained fame as Donny & Marie, partly due to the success of their 1976–79 self-titled variety series, which aired on ABC. The duo also did a 1998–2000 talk show and have been headlining in Las Vegas since 2008. Between a highly successful teen career in the 1970s, and his rebirth in the 1990s, Osmond's career was stymied during the 1980s by what some have perceived as his "boy scout" image. Osmond stated on the May 1, 2009 ''Larry King Live'' show that longtime friend Michael Jackson suggested he change his name to boost his image. Osmond's agent even suggested that spreading false rumors about drug arrest charges might recharge his career. Osmond felt said allegations would have familial ramifications, and couldn't reconcile how lying to create a nefarious drug image could be explained to his children, nieces and nephews. In 1989, Osmond had two big-selling recordings, the first of which, "Soldier of Love," was initially credited to a "mystery artist" by some radio stations.

From 1992–1997 Osmond played Joseph in the Toronto production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat''. Creator Andrew Lloyd Webber, impressed by Osmond's talents and the show's successful six year run, chose him for the 1999 film version.

In 2009, Osmond won the ninth season of ''Dancing with the Stars''.

Early life

Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah, the seventh son of Olive May Osmond (née Davis) and George Virl Osmond. He is the brother of Alan, Jay, Jimmy, Merrill, Wayne, Marie, Tom, and Virl Osmond. Alan, Jay, Merrill, Wayne, and Donny were members of the popular singing group The Osmonds (also known as The Osmond Brothers, which later included tracks with youngest brother Jimmy as well). Donny was raised as a Mormon in Utah along with his siblings. Osmond later traced his family ancestry back to Merthyr Tydfil in Wales; his journey was documented in a BBC Wales program, ''Donny Osmond Coming Home''. On the BBC's ''The One Show'' a plaque was unveiled in the town commemorating 'the ancestors of Donny Osmond'.

Music career

Teen idol: 1971–1978

The father of Andy Williams saw the Osmond Brothers (Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay) perform on a Disneyland televised special as a barbershop quartet. In short order, the group was invited to audition for ''The Andy Williams Show''. They soon became regulars on the show and gained popularity quickly. Donny made his debut on the show at the age of 5 singing "You Are My Sunshine". The brothers continued to perform on the show throughout the 1960s along with a few visits from their sister Marie. In the early 1970s, the Osmonds, via recording and virtually constant touring, sold over 50 million records in a single 12-month period, making the most successful, and fatigued, of the early Seventies touring groups.

Donny became a teen idol in the early 1970s as a solo singer, while continuing to sing with his older brothers. He, Bobby Sherman, and David Cassidy were the biggest "Cover Boy" pop stars for ''Tiger Beat'' magazine in the early 1970s. He had his first solo hit with "Sweet and Innocent", which peaked at #7 in the U.S. in 1971. His solo songs "Go Away Little Girl" (1971) (#1 in the U.S.), "Puppy Love" (U.S. #3), and "Hey Girl/I Knew You When" (U.S. #9) (1972) vaulted him into international fame. The fame was further advanced by his appearance on the ''Here's Lucy'' show, where he sang "Too Young" to Lucille Ball's niece, played by Eve Plumb, and sang with Lucie Arnaz ("I'll Never Fall in Love Again").

Comeback: 1989–1990

In the 1980s, Osmond re-invented himself as a solo vocal artist and abandoned the earlier television show image crafted to appeal to young viewers. He made an unlikely appearance as one of several celebrities and unknowns auditioning to sing for guitarist Jeff Beck in the video for Beck's 1985 single "Ambitious", followed in 1986 by an equally unlikely cameo in the animated Luis Cardenas music video Runaway. He spent several years as a performer, before hiring the services of music and entertainment guru Steven Machat, who got Donny together with Peter Gabriel to see whether Machat and Gabriel could turn the TV image of Osmond into a contemporary young pop act. They succeeded with the hit song Soldier of Love, returning Osmond to the US charts in 1989 with the Billboard Hot 100 #2 song "Soldier of Love" and its top twenty follow-up "Sacred Emotion". The campaign to market "Soldier Of Love" received considerable airplay with the singer being presented as a 'mystery artist', before his identity was later revealed. Launching an extensive tour in support of the Eyes Don't Lie record, he enlisted Earth Wind & Fire and Kenny Loggins guitarist Dick Smith along with keyboardist Marc Jackson.

Donny was often reluctant to perform his earliest songs, in particular "Go Away Little Girl", but was convinced to sing the song live for KLOS-FM's 'Mark & Brian Christmas Show' on December 21, 1990.

Current music career: 1991–2010

Osmond was the guest vocalist on Dweezil Zappa's star-studded version of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" which appeared on Zappa's 1991 album ''Confessions''. The song also included guitar solos from Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather, Warren DeMartini, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tim Pierce. Osmond sang "No One Has To Be Alone", but the song was heard at the end of the film ''The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water''. He also sang "I'll Make a Man Out of You" for Disney's Mulan

In the 2000s, he released a Christmas album, an album of his favorite Broadway songs, and a compilation of popular love songs. In 2004, he returned to the UK Top 10 for the first time as a solo artist since 1973, with the George Benson-sampling "Breeze On By", co-written with former teen idol Gary Barlow, from the 1990s UK boy band Take That, reaching number 8.

In early 2011 he is scheduled to record a new album with legendary producer Todd Rundgren.

Donny & Marie in Las Vegas

Following Marie's stint on Dancing with the Stars in 2007, the pair teamed up for a limited engagement in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Beginning September 2008, Donny and Marie began playing the 750-seat showroom at the Flamingo Hotel. "Donny & Marie" is a 90-minute show. The singing siblings are backed by eight dancers and a nine piece band. Donny and Marie sing together at the beginning and end of the show, and have solo segments in between.

Film, radio and television

Hosting

Donny & Marie

In the mid 1970s, he and Marie co-hosted ''The Mike Douglas Show'' for a week, and were later offered a show of their own, ''The Donny & Marie Show'', a television variety series which aired on ABC between 1976 and 1979.

Donny and Marie also co-hosted a talk show together 20 years later. Though ratings were high and they were nominated for an award as best talk show, the series was canceled. In a 1999 episode featuring Jefferson Starship promoting their album ''Windows of Heaven'', the hosts performed a rendition of "Volunteers" live with the band.

Other hosting opportunities

Osmond went on to host ''Pyramid'', a syndicated version of the Dick Clark-hosted television game show that ran two seasons in the US from 2002–2004, and a British version of ''Pyramid'' on Challenge in 2007.

Osmond returned to ABC as host of ''The Great American Dream Vote'', a prime-time reality/game show that debuted in March 2007. After earning lackluster ratings in its first two episodes, the program was cancelled.

Osmond hosted the British version of the game show ''Identity'' on BBC Two during the daytime.

On April 11, 2008, Osmond also hosted the 2008 Miss USA pageant along with his sister Marie from Las Vegas.

Osmond appeared on ''Entertainment Tonight'' as a commentator covering the ABC show ''Dancing with the Stars'' during his sister Marie's run as a contestant on the 5th season of the American version of the popular show in Fall of 2007. He was seen at week 7 of the competition in tears in the audience watching Marie do a rumba after his and Marie's father died.

Radio

In January 2010 it was announced that Osmond would host his own syndicated radio show in a deal with McVay Syndication and Citadel Media. Versions of 'The Donny Osmond Show' now air across America, Canada, Australia and the UK.

The show is already rating #1 in numerous markets and is currently one of the fastest growing radio propositions.

The UK edition of the show is co-produced by London-based radio production & syndication company Blue Revolution. Through this partnership the first UK network to carry 'The Donny Osmond Show' is Celador-owned The Breeze, which has outlets in Portsmouth, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Winchester and Bristol.

Another UK radio station is now carrying 'The Donny Osmond Show'. 96.2 The Revolution in Manchester runs their own custom version of the program between 10 am – 1 pm (GMT/BST).

Music

Osmond's name was used in the lyrics of Alice Coopers song "Department of Youth" near the end. Cooper asks the kids doing the background vocals "who gave them the power", where the kids reply "Donny Osmond".

Musical theatre

His first foray into Broadway musical theatre was the lead role in a revival of the 1904 George M. Cohan show ''Little Johnny Jones''. Osmond replaced another former teen idol, David Cassidy, who left the show while it was on its pre-Broadway tour. After 29 previews and only 1 performance, the show closed on March 21, 1982.

Osmond found success in musical theatre through much of the 1990s when he starred in ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' for over 2,000 performances. During his performances for the musical, he suffered from Social Anxiety Disorder, which caused him to feel light-headed and extremely nervous during his performances.

He returned to Broadway on September 19, 2006, in the role of Gaston in Disney's ''Beauty and the Beast''. He was scheduled to perform for nine weeks but due to popular demand he extended his run through December 24. Liz Smith of the New York Post wrote "I am here to tell you he is charmingly campy, good-looking and grand as the villain "Gaston", patterned after our old friend Elvis and noting "Donny is divine". On July 29, 2007, Osmond played Gaston again for the final performance of ''Beauty and the Beast''.

Donny and his sister Marie recently starred in a new holiday production called ''Donny & Marie – A Broadway Christmas'', which was originally scheduled to play on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre from December 9 – 19, 2010. The show was then extended till December 30, 2010 and again till January 2, 2011. Donny & Marie-Christmas in Chicago is scheduled to play the Ford Center/Oriental Theatre in Chicago, Illinois from December 6, 2011 – December 24, 2011. It will be similar to the 2010 Broadway shows.

Film

In the animated television series ''Johnny Bravo'', Osmond voiced himself as a recurring character. He has also done guest spots on numerous other television shows such as ''Friends'', ''Diagnosis: Murder'', and Hannah Montana. He also appeared in a Pepsi Twist commercial during the Super Bowl with his sister, Marie, and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. In 1982, he co-starred with Priscilla Barnes and Joan Collins in the television movie ''The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch'' for Aaron Spelling.

In 1998, Donny Osmond was chosen to be the singing voice of Shang in ''Walt Disney'''s ''Mulan''. He sang "I'll Make a Man Out of You".

Also in 1999, he starred in the movie version of ''Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat'' by Andrew Lloyd Webber's request who said, "to me there is no better selection". In addition to playing the role of Joseph, he played with a cobra snake puppet during the "Poor, Poor Joseph" musical number.

Osmond remarked in an interview recently that with his movie appearance on ''College Road Trip'' and upcoming appearances on two Disney Channel shows that he would coming about full circle since he and his family were discovered by Walt Disney.

Osmond appears in the music video of "Weird Al" Yankovic's song "White & Nerdy". The song is a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin'"; Osmond's role is analogous to that of Krayzie Bone's role in the original video. Yankovic asked Osmond to appear because "if you have to have a white and nerdy icon in your video, like who else do you go for?"

Dancing with the Stars

Osmond and professional Kym Johnson were paired for the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars; he participated in the show to prove he was a better dancer than his sister. It was very difficult for him to manage to get to rehearsals and host his show in Las Vegas with sister Marie. For the first week, the two were assigned to dance a Foxtrot and a 30-second Salsa. His Foxtrot was said to be "too theatrical" and was scored 20/30 from the judges. He however managed to maintain a good score when his Salsa scored 10 points and was safe that week. He danced a Jive the following week which was guest judged by Baz Luhrman. He scored 25 and was scored 2nd place, called first to be safe. That following week he danced a Rumba and scored 21. After his comments he "attacked" openly homosexual judge Bruno Tonioli, first kissing him, before embracing him and tipping him back in a mock-passionate move after Bruno called Donny's dance "a bit airy fairy". The following week introduced 4 new dances including the Charleston which he danced and scored 24. That following week, the two danced an Argentine Tango which scored 29/30, the highest scored dance to date until it was beaten by then leader topping scorer and future runner-up Mýa and her 70s-themed Samba. He had also received that week's encore. Following that week, Osmond and Johnson danced a train-station themed Jitterbug and was scored a 24. He then danced a Mambo against all couples and was eliminated 6th receiving 7 points for a total of 31/40. The following week, he danced a Quickstep which he quotes "was one of the worst moments of my life" and scored 24 and a Team Tango along with Joanna Krupa and Kelly Osbourne and received 28/30 and the encore. In the 8th week of competition, Osmond was required to dance a Ballroom and decade-themed Latin dance. His Ballroom Viennese Waltz received 26 but his 1980s themed Paso Doble received 24 being quoted by judge Len Goodman as "the most scariest, bizarre Paso Doble we've ever seen" being awarded last place on the judges' leaderboard for the first time. Following that week, he danced a Tango and got advice from past runner-up Gilles Marini. He got tangled in Johnson's dress and received 21 and saying the cause was that "I saw Marie". He then danced a samba to a song originally recorded by his brothers and himself called "One Bad Apple", receiving 26 and a Jitterbug scored 27. He once again was scored last place. For the finals week, he danced a Cha-Cha-Cha (27), a Megamix dance alongside Mya and Kelly Osbourne (28), the only perfect-scoring Freestyle (30) and a repeat of his Argentine Tango (30) and won the competition. As he accepted his trophy, he hugged fellow finalist Mya and grabbed his wife, Debbie on stage.

Foxtrot/"All That Jazz (song)Salsa (dance)

!Week	!Dance & Song	Carrie Ann Inaba>Carrie Ann'sScore	!Len Goodman	Bruno'sScore	!Result
1	All That Jazz" ||	7	6	7	N/A
1	Salsa Relay/"Get Busy"|| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|Awarded 10 Points	Safe
2	Jive (dance)	8	9	8	Safe
3		7	7	7	Safe
4		8	8	8	Safe
5	[[Argentine Tango/"Tango a Pugliese"	10	9	10	Safe
5		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
6	Jitterbug/"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie"	8	8	8	Safe
6		Awarded 7 Points			Safe
7	Quickstep/"Sing, Sing, Sing"	8	8	8	Safe
7	Team Tango (dance)	9	9	10	Safe
8	[[Viennese Waltz/"You Don't Know Me"	9	8	9	Safe
8	1980s Paso Doble/"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)"	8	8	8	Safe
9		7	7	7	Safe
9	Samba/"One Bad Apple"	8	9	9	Safe
9	Jitterbug/"Jump Shout Boogie"	9	9	9	Safe
10		Awarded 28 Points			Winner
10		10	10	10	Winner
10	Argentine Tango/"Tango a Pugliese"	Awarded 30 Points			Winner

Other projects

Donny and Marie were part of a [[Pepsi Twist">cha-cha-cha (dance) 9 9 9 Winner 10 Megamix/"[[You and Me (Lifehouse song) Awarded 28 Points Winner 10 10 10 10 Winner 10 Argentine Tango/"Tango a Pugliese" Awarded 30 Points Winner

Other projects

Donny and Marie were part of a Osbourne family. Osmond appeared in the North American version commercial for the PlayStation 2 video game Buzz! the Mega Quiz.

Donny and Marie began a six month run as the new headlining act at the Flamingo hotel in Las Vegas, on September 9, 2008. On October 27, 2008, the Flamingo announced that Donny and Marie's contract had been extended until October 2010. Then on July 30, 2009, Donny & Marie made an announcement on NBC's Today Show that they had again extended their contract to go until October 2012.

On December 15, 2009, he appeared on The Paul O'Grady Show, along with his sister, Marie, being interviewed by the Channel 4 resident dinner lady, Susan.

Image struggle

Osmond states that he has had a tremendous public image struggle since ''Donny & Marie'' ended in 1979. He has been described as 'unhip', as a 'boy scout', and has been the butt of innumerable jokes, including appearing in the video "White & Nerdy" at the request of his friend, Yankovic, since he was 'the whitest guy [he] could think of'. His image has seemed such a liability that one professional publicist even suggested that Osmond purposefully get arrested for drug possession in order to change his image. In March 2010, Osmond criticized Lady Gaga and Beyoncé for using profanity and sex in their Telephone video.

Personal life

Osmond married Debra Glenn (born in Billings, Montana on February 26, 1959) on May 8, 1978, in the Salt Lake Temple. Together they have five sons: Donald Clark Osmond, Jr. (b. July 31, 1979), Jeremy James Osmond (b. June 8, 1981), Brandon Michael Osmond (b. January 29, 1985), Christopher Glenn Osmond (b. December 12, 1990), and Joshua Davis Osmond (b. February 16, 1998).

Osmond became a grandfather on August 21, 2005, when his second son Jeremy and daughter-in-law Melisa (married 2002) had a son, Dylan James Osmond. His granddaughter Emery Anne was born on February 25, 2008. Osmond's third son Brandon married Shelby Hansen in 2008. Their son, Daxton Michael was born on June 18, 2010. Donny's son, Don (Donald Clark Osmond, Jr), married Jessica Nelson on October 1, 2010, in the Salt Lake Temple.

Like the rest of his family, he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In retrospect, he has written, "It would have been nice to be able to have served a regular full-time mission, but when I was of that age, my career was such that everyone, including my parents and the leaders of the church, thought that I could do a lot of good in the world by continuing being in the public eye, by living an exemplary life and sharing my beliefs in every way that I could". He continues sharing his beliefs in an extensive letters-and-comments portion of his website.

In the aftermath of Proposition 8 in California, which received large Mormon support, Osmond stated that he opposes same-sex marriage but that he condemns homophobia. He believes that homosexual and lesbian Mormons should be accepted in the church if they remain celibate.

He has stated on his website that:

Discography

References

External links

Interview on Reel.com

Donny Osmond Interview on Fox News Radio

Donny Osmond in ''I Dreamed A Dream: The Susan Boyle Story''

Osmondheaven Popular Fan Site

Category:1957 births Category:Actors from Utah Category:American child singers Category:American film actors Category:American game show hosts Category:American Latter Day Saints Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American musicians of English descent Category:American people of Welsh descent Category:American pop singers Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:MGM Records artists Category:Musicians from Utah Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Ogden, Utah Category:Reality show winners Category:The Osmonds members

de:Donny Osmond fr:Donny Osmond pl:Donny Osmond pt:Donny Osmond simple:Donny Osmond sv:Donny Osmond th:ดอนนี ออสมอนด์