Look up hey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Hey may refer to:

Music[link]

• Hey (band), a Polish rock band

Albums[link]

• Hey! (Julio Iglesias album), or the title song
• Hey! (Jullie album), or the title song
• Hey! Album, by Marvelous 3
• Hey! (The Gruesomes album), by The Gruesomes
• Hey (Toni Price album), by Toni Price
• Hey: A Pixies Tribute, a Pixies tribute album

Songs[link]

• "Hey" (Bic Runga song)
• "Hey" (Lil Jon song), 2010
• "Hey" (Mitchel Musso song), 2009
• "Hey!" (song), by Masaharu Fukuyama
• "Hey", by Gillmor, opening theme for the U.S. sitcom Unhitched
• "Hey", by the Goo Goo Dolls from Hold Me Up
• "Hey", by Hanson from Underneath
• "Hey!", by The Hellacopters from Payin' the Dues
• "Hey", by Leeland from Sound of Melodies
• "Hey!", by MF Doom from Operation: Doomsday
• "Hey", by Movielife from Forty Hour Train Back to Penn
• "Hey!", by Oingo Boingo from Boingo
• "Hey", by the Pixies from Doolittle
• "Hey", by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from Stadium Arcadium
• "Hey", by The Suicide Machines from Destruction by Definition
• "Hey (I've Been Feeling Kind of Lonely)", by Danny Saucedo from Heart Beats
• "Hey! (So What)", by Dannii Minogue from Neon Nights
• "Hey Hey", by Swami
• "Hey, Hey", by Dispatch from Silent Steeples
• "Hey Hey", by The Planet Smashers from No Self Control
• "Hey, Hey, Hey", by Elvis Presley from the soundtrack for the film Clambake
• "Hey, Hey, Hey", by Michael Franti and Spearhead from The Sound of Sunshine
• "Hey! Hey! Hey!", by The Riverboat Gamblers from Something to Crow About
• "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!", by Little Richard
• "Rock and Roll" (Gary Glitter song), commonly known as "The Hey song"

People[link]

• Dale Hey (born 1945), American wrestler
• Donald Holroyde Hey (1904-1987), British organic chemist
• Jerry Hey, American musician
• Jonathan Hey (born 1979), information scientist
• Tony Hey (born 1946), British computer scientist
• Vic Hey (1912–1995), Australian rugby league football player
• Virginia Hey (born 1962), Australian actress
• William Hey (surgeon) (1736–1819), English surgeon

Other uses[link]

• Hey, a dance figure in English Country Dancing and Morris dancing
• "Hey hey hey!", an exclamation used by the character Fat Albert in the animated TV series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
• Hanchey Army Heliport (IATA: HEY), a military heliport serving Fort Rucker in Dale County, Alabama, United States

See also[link]

• All pages beginning with "Hey"
• Hay (disambiguation)
• Interjection

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

Lil Jon
Аt Halo 3 Exclusive Preview in Atlanta, September 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Jonathan Smith
Born	(1971-01-27) January 27, 1971 (age 41)[1] Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, crunk
Occupations	Rapper, songwriter, DJ, producer, Actor,
Instruments	Keyboard, synthesizer, drum machine, sampler
Years active	1995–present
Labels	BME Universal Republic TVT Little Jonathan Inc.
Associated acts	Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz, Ying Yang Twins, Pitbull, The Mr. Move, Too Short, 8Ball & MJG, E-40, Oobie, Yelawolf, LMFAO
Notable instruments
Roland TR-808, OpenLabs NeKo, Clavia Nord Lead

Jonathan Smith (born January 27, 1971),^[1][2][3] better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and international DJ who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004. He then went solo and released a new album in 2010 called Crunk Rock.

Early life[link]

Lil' Jon was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Frederick Douglass High School.^[4]

Career[link]

Early career[link]

After working as a DJ for Atlanta night clubs, he started working for So So Def Recordings between 1993 and 2000.^[5] The group signed to the Atlanta-based Mirror Image Records and were distributed by Ichiban Records. In 1997, Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz debuted with Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album. It included singles "Who U Wit?" and "Shawty Freak a Lil' Sumthin'", the latter of which came out in 1998. Both singles charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 70 and No. 62 respectively.^[6] In 2000 Jon took part in starting up his own label BME Recordings and signed a distribution agreement with Norcross, Georgia based Southern Music Distribution. There he released his break through album titled We Still Crunk. Among the tracks on that project was the hit single "I Like Dem Girlz", which reached No. 55 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.

After hearing feedback that Lil' Jon was "the new guy" from street team people in the markets where he was attracting his biggest audiences – namely Atlanta, St. Louis, Memphis and Dallas – A&R at TVT, Bryan Leach, went to one of his Atlanta shows and was blown away by the immense energy of the experience.^[7] Leach told HitQuarters: "It was like early Beastie Boys, when they had the energy of a rock group but they were rapping, and ... that energy is what crunk music is all about."^[7] Lil' Jon & The East Side Boyz signed to TVT Records in 2001 and debuted there with Put Yo Hood Up, which combined previously released tracks with new ones. The group's first nationally played single was "Bia' Bia'", which featured rappers Ludacris, Too Short, Big Kapp, and Chyna Whyte.^[1] "Bia' Bia'" peaked at No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 47 on the Billboard R&B chart.^[6]

In 2002, the group released Kings of Crunk. "I Don't Give A..." was its first single; it featured Mystikal and Krayzie Bone and peaked at No. 50 on the R&B chart.^[6] The group's next single, a collaboration with fellow Atlanta hip hop group Ying Yang Twins titled "Get Low", became popular in nightclubs nationwide and reached the top ten of the Hot 100.Crunk Juice followed in 2004, led by "What U Gon' Do" featuring Lil' Scrappy. "What U Gon' Do" peaked at No. 22 on the Hot 100, No. 13 on the R&B chart, and No. 5 on the rap chart; its follow-up, "Lovers & Friends" featuring Usher and Ludacris, peaked at No. 3 (Hot 100), No. 2 (R&B), and No. 1 (rap).^[6]

Solo career and production[link]

In addition to leading Lil' Jon & The East Side Boyz, Lil' Jon has also produced many hit urban singles. From 2003 to 2005, while still with The East Side Boyz, Lil' Jon produced hits like "Salt Shaker" by Ying Yang Twins, "Yeah!" by Usher, "Freek-a-Leek" by Petey Pablo, "Shorty Wanna Ride" by Young Buck, "Shake That Monkey" by Too Short, "Let's Go" by Trick Daddy, and "Girlfight" by Brooke Valentine.^[1] Lil' Jon entered the San Francisco Bay Area hyphy music scene in 2006 with his collaborations with Bay Area rapper E-40: Lil' Jon produced E-40's single "Tell Me When To Go" and had E-40 and Atlanta rapper Sean P on his own "Snap Yo Fingers".^[8] In 2006, Lil' Jon severed his negotiation with record label TVT. He vowed never to record for TVT Records again, alleging that TVT owner Steve Gottlieb was shortchanging him.^{[dead link][9]} He also began recording a rock music album, Crunk Rock; in May 2006 he began recording in Las Vegas, Nevada because rock band The Killers was recording its upcoming album Sam's Town there and the East Side Boyz signed a new deal with Rick Robinson aka Double R CEO and Founder of IMG Recordings, which the album got pushed back to 2013.^[10]

MTV News reported in March 2008 that Crunk Rock was taking more time to complete than Lil' Jon already planned.^[11] As part of TVT Records' 2008 bankruptcy auction, Lil' Jon withdrew his multi-million dollar objection to the TVT sale proceedings and agreed to TVT’s transfer of his artist agreement to The Orchard. In return, The Orchard released Lil' Jon from all future obligations and returned the rights to the master recordings of Crunk Rock. Crunk Rock was finally released on June 8, 2010 and it features artists such as LMFAO, Soulja Boy, Ying Yang Twins, Waka Flocka Flame, R.Kelly, and many more.^[12] In March 2011, Lil Jon took part in the fourth season of The Celebrity Apprentice on NBC and was eliminated in the Final Four.^[13] In July 2011, in a recent interview has said that he is working on a new studio album called "Party Animal" and has released a song with LMFAO called "Drink".

Musical style and influences[link]

Jason Birchmeier of all music has described Lil' Jon's production as "bass-heavy" and his album Put Yo Hood Up as having "a long and varied list of guest rappers to accompany the beats". With the guest performers featured on that album much more than the East Side Boyz, Birchmeier remarked: "The end result is an album that resembles a street-level mixtape rather than a traditional artist-oriented album".^[14] He was specifically influenced by 2 Live Crew, 8Ball & MJG, OutKast, Geto Boys, UGK, Dr. Dre, and Sir Mix-A-Lot. Alex Henderson, also of allmusic, contrasted Lil' Jon's style of "rowdy, in-your-face, profanity-filled party music" with other Southern rappers', those who "have a gansta/thug life agenda" and those who convey "serious sociopolitical messages".^[15] Lil' Jon has also found influence in rock music, having worked with Rick Rubin and Korn.^[16] This influence embodies itself in his aggressive delivery and 'yelling' style of rap. He was seen on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time program wearing a Bad Brains t-shirt and also used to listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd growing up in the South in the 70s. For Trick Daddy's "Let's Go", Lil' Jon sampled the bass line from Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train".^[10]

Personal life[link]

In 2004, Lil Jon was married in Puerto Rico.^[17] He also has a son named Slade Smith (born in 1998).

Discography[link]

Solo

• Crunk Rock (2010)
• Party Animal (TBA)

With the East Side Boyz

• Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album (1997)
• We Still Crunk!! (2000)
• Put Yo Hood Up (2001)
• Kings of Crunk (2002)
• Crunk Juice (2004)

Video games[link]

• Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
• 25 To Life (cameo appearance)
• Def Jam: Icon
• Need for Speed: Underground "Get Low (song)" song is featured in this game
• Def Jam: Icon "Get Low (song)" song in this Game

Filmography[link]

• 2004: Soul Plane
• 2005: Boss'n Up
• 2005: Hip-Hop Honeys: Las Vegas
• 2006: Date Movie
• 2006: Scary Movie 4
• 2007: Class of 3000
• 2008: Smoke and Mirrors
• 2009: Pimp My Ride International
• 2010: Freaknik: The Musical (voice only)
• 2011: The Celebrity Apprentice 4

Television Shows[link]

Chappelle's Show (2004)
Wild 'n Out (2006)

See also[link]

• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lil Jon

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Lil Jon

• Official website
• Lil Jon at MTV
• Lil Jon at the Internet Movie Database

Mitchel Musso
Musso in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Mitchel Tate Musso
Born	(1991-07-09) July 9, 1991 (age 20)
Origin	Garland, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock, teen pop, dance-pop[1]
Occupations	Actor, voice actor, singer-songwriter,
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar, drums
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Walt Disney (2008–2009) 717 (2010–present)
Website	Mitch-Musso.com

Mitchel Tate Musso (born July 9, 1991) is an American actor, singer-songwriter and musician. Musso is best known for his three Disney Channel roles as Oliver Oken in the Disney Channel sitcom, Hannah Montana, Jeremy Johnson in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb and his role as King Brady in the Disney XD series Pair of Kings. He is also the host of Disney Channel's latest reality series, PrankStars.^[2]

In some of his other works, he provided his voice of DJ for the computer animated/motion capture film, Monster House and also starred as Raymond Figg in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Life Is Ruff, released in 2005. Musso's self-titled debut album was released on June 2, 2009 on Walt Disney Records. The album debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200.^[3]

Early life[link]

Musso was born in Garland, Texas, the son of Katherine (née Moore) and Samuel Musso, who were involved in community theater in Dallas, Texas.^[4] He has two siblings – Mason Musso, who sings lead vocals in the band Metro Station, and Marc Musso, an actor.^[5] He has a golden labrador named Stitch.^[6]

Career[link]

Acting career[link]

In 2004, Mitchel made his Hollywood film debut in Secondhand Lions, alongside his brother Marc. Before Musso was cast in Secondhand Lions, he had been in several films beforehand: Am I Cursed? as Richie and The Keyman as a cub scout both in 2002. Musso also starred in three episodes of King of the Hill as the voice of Bobby Hill's friend Curt in the episodes "The Powder Puff Boys" and "Bobby Rae" as well as the surfer kid in "Four Wave Intersection" in 2007.

In addition to his role as Oliver Oken in Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, Musso also voices Jeremy Johnson in Phineas and Ferb, a boy whom Phineas's sister, Candace (Ashley Tisdale) has a crush on. Other acting credits include Raymond Figg in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Life Is Ruff, the voice of Aang in the unaired version of the pilot episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the voice of DJ in the film, Monster House, and Hannah Montana: The Movie, which was released on April 10, 2009. Musso was in the first Disney Channel Games in 2006 on the Green Team, and appeared on the Red Team in 2007 and 2008. He also appeared in the TV movie Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire alongside Chuck Norris and Selena Gomez. On June 2, 2008, Musso was a surprise guest at the Spotlight Awards at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts. He presented awards to the Best Actor and Best Actress of the 2007–2008 theatrical year. In 2008 Musso, Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus all made "family" guest appearances in Metro Station's music video for Seventeen Forever.

In late 2009, Musso was cast, along side The Suite Life on Deck and House of Payne's Doc Shaw, in a new television series for Disney XD titled Pair of Kings. The series began production in March 2010, following the production of the final season of Hannah Montana in which Musso does not star in this season he will only be a guest. The series premiered on September 10, 2010. It was announced that Musso would be the host of Disney Channel's latest hidden camera reality series, PrankStars, which premiered on July 15, 2011.

On December 12, 2011, Disney XD renewed the series Pair of Kings for a third season. Musso will not return for the new season, and is instead being replaced by a new character played by Adam Hicks.^[7]

Music career[link]

Musso performing at the Taste of Chicago 2009, Chicago

Musso sang a remixed remake of the song "Lean on Me" for the Disney film, Snow Buddies; the music video is included on the DVD and the song is included on the Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 10 CD. Musso also sang the song "If I Didn't Have You" with Hannah Montana co-star Emily Osment for the DisneyMania 6 CD in 2008 and sang the song Stand Out for the Disneymania 7 CD in 2010. For their 2009 Disney Channel Original Movie, Hatching Pete, Musso teamed up with co-star Tiffany Thornton, from Sonny with a Chance, to record a song called "Let It Go" that was used in the film. The two also worked on a music video for the song which was released to Disney Channel. Musso also recorded a song called "The Girl Can't Help It" for another Disney Channel Original Movie, Princess Protection Program. "Let it Go" and "The Girl Can't Help It" was featured on the Disney compilation album, Disney Channel Playlist, which was released on June 23, 2008. And sang "Live like Kings" on Disney XD's Pair of Kings on Disney Channel.

In a studio effort, Musso released his self-titled debut album on June 2, 2009.^[8] His debut single, "The In Crowd," a cover of a John Hampson song, premiered on Radio Disney on December 5, 2008. The song is also featured on Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 11. His second single, "Hey", was released on May 15, 2009 on Radio Disney with an accompanying music video that premiered on Disney Channel. He was the host of the Disney Channel series "Prank Stars" and sang the theme song.

In July and August 2009, Musso opened for Metro Station. He also launched a headlining tour in August, with KSM, as his opening act. The tour concluded September 24 in New Orleans, Louisiana. On Saturday, September 4, 2010 he put on a free concert at the Great New York State Fair's Chevy Court.^[9] One week later he put on another free show at the Utah State Fair. Musso's second release, "Brainstorm" was released on November 23, 2010.^[10] He made a video for each one of his songs on the album to "Tell the whole story." His song Celebrate was in the radio Disney Top 3.^[11]

Musso has also released two singles via YouTube ("Rollin'" and 'Crystal Ball") both featuring KyleE. He is to release a new album called "Lonely".

Legal issues[link]

On October 17, 2011 at 3:40 in the morning, Musso was pulled over, failed to slow down for traffic cops, and charged with a DUI suspicion. He was approached by the police who then smelled alcohol and proceeded to give him a field sobriety test and breathalyzer. Musso blew above the legal limit of .08. His bail was set at $5,000, but he was released on account of no outstanding warrants.^[12] Musso told E! Online, that, "In becoming an adult, I have learned first hand that stepping up and taking responsibility is the best way to move forward. I am especially thankful to my family and fans for their unwavering support and encouragement. I am glad to now put this in the past."^[13]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Mitchel Musso (2009)
• Lonely (album)- Upcoming (2012)

Extended plays

• Brainstorm (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mitchel Musso

• Musso's Official Facebook page
• Mitchel Musso featuring KSM
• Mitchel Musso on Twitter
• Mitchel Musso at the Internet Movie Database

Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias in November 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva
Born	(1943-09-23) September 23, 1943 (age 68) Madrid, Spain
Genres	Latin American music, Latin, Latin pop, Dance and Classical
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1968–present
Labels	Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment
Website	www.julioiglesias.com

Julio Iglesias (born Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva; September 23, 1943) is a Spanish singer and songwriter whose romantic image, magnetic stage presence, and expressive music made him one of the best-selling artists of all time. By the early 21st century he had sold hundreds of millions of albums in more than a dozen languages.^[1] He has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums.^[2] According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best-selling music artists in history.^[3] While Iglesias rose to international prominence in the 1970s and 1980s as a performer of romantic ballads, his success has continued on as he entered new musical endeavors.^[4] He is the father of singer Enrique Iglesias.

Early life[link]

Iglesias was born in Madrid, the eldest son of Dr. Julio Iglesias Puga and María del Rosario de la Cueva y Perignat. Iglesias' father's family was from Galicia, and Iglesias' mother an Andalusian.

In the 1960s, he studied law in Madrid and was a goalkeeper for one of Real Madrid's^[5] football teams. On September 22, 1963, he was involved in a car crash, resulting in an injury to his spinal cord.^[6] He said, "I had a car accident; [a] very, very strange car accident...I lost control of the car and rolled it, resulting in what they call 'paraparexia,' which is not paraplegia. It's a compression in the [spinal] cord, in the sense of the neck...my spinal cord; and I was very, very ill for three years."  His doctors thought he would never walk again; indeed, his legs were left permanently weakened, and they continued to require therapy as of late October 2010. However, slowly, he began recovering his health. To develop and increase the dexterity of his hands, he began playing guitar.^[6] When he recovered from his accident, he resumed academic studies and traveled to the United Kingdom to study the English language, first in Ramsgate, then at Bell Educational Trust's Language School in Cambridge.

In 1971, he married Spanish Filipino^[7] journalist Isabel Preysler and had three children, Chabeli Iglesias, Julio Iglesias, Jr. and Enrique Iglesias. Their marriage was annulled in 1979. In 1981 his father, Julio Iglesias Puga, Sr, was kidnapped by Basque terrorists but found alive two weeks later, prompting Julio Iglesias to move his children to Miami, Florida.^[8]

On August 24, 2010, Julio Iglesias and Miranda Rijnsburger got married after a 20-year relationship. The religious ceremony was celebrated in the Parish of the Virgen del Carmen of Marbella, and was followed by a Mass of thanksgiving in the chapel on the property the couple owns in the same city.^[9] The couple has three sons and twin daughters: Miguel (born September 7, 1997), Rodrigo (born April 3, 1999), Victoria and Cristina (born May 1, 2001) and Guillermo (born May 5, 2007).^[10] After Iglesias was 60 years old, his 89 year old father produced more children: half-brother Jaime born May 18, 2004; and half sister Ruth born July 26, 2006. Julio's half siblings were a product of Dr. Iglesias Puga's second marriage, to Ronna Keitt.^[11]

Career[link]

In 1968, he won the Benidorm International Song Festival, a songwriter's event in Spain, with the song "La vida sigue igual" (meaning "Life Continues Just The Same") which was used in the film La vida sigue igual, about his own life. After his events he signed a deal with Discos Columbia, the Spanish branch of the Columbia Records company. He represented Spain in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest, earning fourth place, after Northern Irish singer Dana and the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin. His entry was the song "Gwendolyne." Shortly after he had a number one hit in many European countries with "Un Canto A Galicia." That single sold 1 million copies in Germany. In 1975 he found success in the Italian market by recording a song exclusively in Italian called "Se mi lasci non vale" ("If You Leave Me, It Can't Be"). Notable albums from this decade are A Flor de Piel (1974, with the European hit "Manuela"), "El Amor" (1975), and "Soy" (1978). He also sang in French. One of his popular songs is "Je n'ai pas changé".

Following the annulment of his marriage to Preysler in 1979, he moved to Miami, Florida, in the United States and signed a deal with CBS International, and started singing in different languages such as English, French, Portuguese, German and other languages to his music. Iglesias released the album De Niña a Mujer (1981), dedicated to his daughter (that divided the cover photo with him), from it came the first English-language hit, a Spanish cover of "Begin the Beguine" which became number 1 in the United Kingdom, he also released a collection, Julio (1983). In 1984, he released 1100 Bel Air Place, the hit album which gave him publicity in the English-speaking entertainment industry. It sold four million albums in the United States, with the first single "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", a duet with Willie Nelson, earning a fifth place spot in the Billboard Hot 100; it also featured "All of You", with Diana Ross.

Julio Iglesias made a cameo appearance as himself on The Golden Girls as Sophia Petrillo's date on St. Valentine's Day. In 1984 he recorded the duets with Diana Ross and Willie Nelson previously mentioned. Iglesias won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in the 1988 Grammy Awards for the album Un Hombre Solo (A Man Alone). He recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder on "My Love", in his Non Stop album, a crossover success in 1988. In the 1990s, Iglesias returned to his original Spanish melody in Tango (1996), nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards, losing to the Romances album by Mexican singer, Luis Miguel.^[12] Also that year, his youngest son from his first marriage, Enrique Iglesias, also was nominated for the Vivir album.

Julio Iglesias went on to win the World Music Award for Tango in Monaco later that year where he was up against singer Luis Miguel and son Enrique for the second time. Julio performed two "Tangos" to the delight of the audience. In 1995, he appeared as a guest star in the videoclip of Thalía's song "Amandote"; she had starred in the video clip of Iglesias's hit "Baila Morena". Iglesias returned to the headlines in October 2003, when he went to Argentina and kissed show host Susana Giménez three times during a live telecast of her show.

In 2003, he released his album Divorcio (Divorce). In its first day of sales, Divorcio sold a record 350,000 albums in Spain, and reached the number 1 spot on the charts in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Russia. In 2003 and 2004, he was featured on a ten month world tour; which took Iglesias, aided by the success his album Divorcio and toured from Europe and Asia to North America, South America and Africa. More than half the shows on the tour sold out within days of going on sale. In December 2004, his Dutch girlfriend Miranda Rijnsburger and Iglesias himself recorded a duet of the Christmas song "Silent Night". The song, which was not officially released, also included a voice message from Iglesias, Rijnsburger and their 4 young children. The song was released online through the singer's official website and a CD was included on their Christmas card as a holiday gift from the Iglesias family to their friends and fans around the world.

In 2008, Iglesias recorded another song as a gift to his fans. The family recorded "The Little Drummer Boy" in Spanish and English and included it in the family's Christmas card. Iglesias also made investments in the Dominican Republic's eastern town of Punta Cana, a major tourist destination, where he spends most of the year when he is not on tour. Iglesias's south Florida mansion on the exclusive private Indian Creek Island property was placed on the market in 2006 for a quoted $28 million, making it one of "Ten Most Expensive Homes in the South" in 2006 according to Forbes Magazine.^[13]

In September 2006, a new English album titled Romantic Classics was released. "I've chosen songs from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s that I believe will come to be regarded as the new standards", Iglesias stated in the album's sleeve notes. The album features the hits "I Want to Know What Love Is", "Careless Whisper", and "Right Here Waiting". Romantic Classics was Iglesias's highest debut on the Billboard charts, entering at number 31 in the United States, 21 in Canada, 10 in Australia, and top spots across Europe and Asia. He returned to the studio to record songs in Filipino and Indonesian for his Asian releases of Romantic Classics which helped propel record sales in the Asian entertainment industry. Iglesias promoted Romantic Classics in 2006 and was seen all over the world on television shows. For example, in the United States, he appeared on Dancing With The Stars (where he sang his hit "I Want To Know What Love Is"), Good Morning America, The View, Fox and Friends, and Martha Stewart.

In 2008, Iglesias promoted his Romantic Classics album worldwide and in 2009-2010, he planned a world tour as a celebration of forty years in the music industry.^{[citation needed]} After his house in Indian Creek did not sell he razed his house to the ground in 2008 and said he planned to build another.^[14]

In 2010, Iglesias continued to travel around the world with his "Starry Night World Tour" to promote his 42 years of career. Julio Iglesias is currently learning Tunisian Sephardic cuisine for which he has developed an incredible passion, the Mloukhia being his best recipe. According to his close friend, Emilio Lopez, Julio is also learning Orthodox Judaism to become a rabbi in Los Angeles and teach French-speaking kids how to pray with a Latino twist.

Julio is frequently seen at the Tunisian restaurant in Paris called Douieb where he orders the Tunisian sandwich.

According to his official site, he has sold over 300 million albums worldwide as of 1 November 2010 (2010 -11-01)^[update].

In March 2011, the artist launched a new studio album called Numero 1.

Iglesias' performance of the song La Mer ("The Sea") is featured in the soundtrack of the 2011 film Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The performance comes from a live album, currently out-of-print, recorded live at the Olympia theater in Paris in 1976. At the beginning and the end of the recording, Iglesias introduces the song, and his backing musicians, in fluent French.

Discography[link]

Studio, live, remastered and compilation main albums

• 2011: Numero 1
• 2010: The Essential: Julio Iglesias
• 2010: Original album classic
• 2010: Nathalie-The best of Julio Iglesias
• 2007: Quelque Chose De France
• 2006: Romantic Classics (US:#41)
• 2006: Remastered+Bonus Track
• 2006: Remastered (US:#81)
• 2005: L'homme Que Je Suis
• 2003: Divorcio
• 2001: Ao meu Brasil
• 2000: Noche De Cuatro Lunas
• 1996: Tango
• 1995: La Carretera
• 1994: Crazy (US:#30)
• 1992: Calor (US:#186)
• 1990: Starry Night (US:#37)
• 1989: Raíces
• 1988: Non Stop (US:#52)
• 1987: Un Hombre Solo
• 1987: Tutto l'amore che ti manca
• 1985: Libra (US.#92), (US Latin:#1)
• 1984: 1100 Bel Air Place (US:#6) [Singles: "All Of You" US:#19, US R&B:#38, "Moonlight Lady" Adult Contemporary #17, "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" US:#5, US Country:#1]
• 1983: En Concierto
• 1982: Momentos
• 1982: Momenti
• 1982: Et l'amour crea la femme
• 1981: De niña a mujer
• 1981: Fidèle
• 1981: Minhas canções preferidas
• 1981: Zartlichkeiten
• 1980: Hey!
• 1980: Amanti
• 1980: Sentimental
• 1979: A vous les femmes
• 1979: Innamorarsi alla mia eta
• 1979: Emociones
• 1978: Aimer La Vie
• 1978: As Vezes Tu, As Vezes Eu
• 1978: Da "Manuela" A "Pensami"
• 1978: "Quiero" Album (El Amor)
• 1977: A mis 33 años
• 1976: America
• 1976: Ein Weihnachtsabend Mit Julio Iglesias
• 1976: En El Olympia
• 1975: A Mexico
• 1975: El Amor
• 1974: A Flor de Piel
• 1974: Viens M'embrasser
• 1973: Soy
• 1972: Un Canto a Galicia
• 1972: Por una mujer
• 1969: Yo Canto

References[link]

External links[link]

• Interview with Julio Iglesias
• Julio Iglesias at the Internet Movie Database

Michael Franti
Michael Franti in 2008
Background information
Born	(1966-04-21) April 21, 1966 (age 46) Oakland, California, U.S.
Origin	San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, funk, reggae, jazz, reggae fusion, folk, jam band, dancehall
Occupations	Composer, musician, poet rapper
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Alternative Tentacles, Island, Capitol, Boo Boo Wax, Six Degrees, ANTI-
Associated acts	Radioactive, Carl Young, Spearhead, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, The Beatnigs
Website	www.michaelfranti.com

Michael Franti (born April 21, 1966) is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace and social justice issues.

Early life[link]

Michael Franti was born in Oakland, California to an Irish-German-French mother and an African-American and Native American father. However, his mother made an adoption plan for him because she was afraid her family would not accept him.^[1][2] He was adopted by Carole Wisti and Charles Franti, a Finnish-American couple in Oakland, who had three biological children and two adopted African American sons.^[2] Charles Franti was a professor in the department of epidemiology and preventive medicine of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and died in 2003. Michael's four siblings are named Rebecca, Sara, Dan, and Matthew.^[3] Michael attended Davis Senior High School and graduated from the University of San Francisco. During his time at school there he met a priest who taught him how to tell a story on paper, and soon he was writing poetry. He purchased a bass at a pawn shop and started creating music inspired by hip hop, punk, and reggae that was being played on the campus radio station.^[4] He has two sons: Ade with his wife Tara Franti-Rye, and Cappy from a previous relationship.

Career[link]

Beatnigs (1986–1990)[link]

Franti began his music career in 1986 as part of the industrial punk band The Beatnigs. While attending the University of San Francisco and living above KUSF he developed a fascination with music and decided to start a band. The Beatnigs included dancer and percussionist Rono Tse;^[5] the band released a self-titled LP and an EP Television on Alternative Tentacles records. The records received some critical acclaim but little fame beyond the San Francisco Bay Area.

The 1988 LP release The Beatnigs was recorded at Dancin' Dog Studio in Emeryville and distributed by Alternative Tentacles. In addition to Michael Franti and Ron Tse, the band included Henry Flood on percussion, Andre Flores on keyboards, and Kevin on vocals. All of the band members made multiple instrumental contributions, including industrial percussion.

Disposable Heroes (1991–1993)[link]

His next project, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, found Franti continuing his collaboration with Tse, and working with jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter, and electronic musicians Mark Pistel (Consolidated) and Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto). The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy wrote politically charged lyrics that railed against the injustices of the world, set to a fusion of industrial music and hip hop. Their first album, Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury (on Island Records),^[5] won plaudits for its social commentary, and they were chosen by U2 to open for their Zoo TV Tour.

Franti and the Disposable Heroes put together another record of music accompanying novelist William Burroughs' readings for an album entitled Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales. This album diverged greatly from the style of the band's previous work, as they were largely providing musical background and accompaniment to Burroughs' spoken readings from several of his books.

Michael Franti & Spearhead (1994–present)[link]

Michael Franti and Spearhead performing at Wakarusa 2006.

In 1994, Franti formed a new band called Spearhead with a few studio musicians, including mainstay Carl Young, and announced the dissolution of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Their first release, Home, in September 1994, was a departure from the politically charged rap of the Disposable Heroes and drew more from funk and soul music. The song "Positive", also from the album Home, appeared on the Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool compilation album by the Red Hot Organization. In 1998, Spearhead recorded "I Got Plenty 'o Nuthin" with Ernest Ranglin for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody.

Their follow up album Chocolate Supa Highway was released in March 1997, with several changes in band members between releases. This album featured a return to hip hop elements and a pronounced reggae influence and included guest appearances by notables like Stephen Marley and Joan Osborne.

After releasing the two albums, the band split with Capitol Records (reportedly prompted by the label's repeated urging to perform with other artists like Will Smith).^[6] The band instead decided to create its own record label, Boo Boo Wax. Since Capitol Records owned the rights to the name "Spearhead", subsequent albums were all released as "Michael Franti & Spearhead."

His song "Sometimes" was included on the soundtrack to the 1999 film, Mystery Men, as well as the soundtrack to the 2006 film, Last Holiday. Also, under the "Spearhead" name, their cover version of The Police's 1979 No. 32 hit, "Roxanne", was featured on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Good Burger, the full-length feature film starring Kenan Thompson & Kel Mitchell based on their characters from the popular 'Good Burger' sketch featured on the Nickelodeon series All That.

Michael Franti & Spearhead released Stay Human in 2000 under their own label Boo Boo Wax in alignment with indie music label Six Degrees Records. The album's central theme was the unjust nature of the death penalty and other major themes included mass media monopolization, the prison-industrial complex and corporate globalization.

In an interview, Franti talked about the message of Stay Human: "Half the record is songs about what's happening in the world right now, and the other half is about how we cope with it as people who are concerned about what's going on", he said. "This specter of war, intimidation, this nation vs. the rest of the world, it wears us out. Half the record is a healthy dose of venting anger about that, and the other half is about how do we hold on to our spirituality, our community and our connectedness to each other."^[5] Franti left Six Degrees due to the labels' inability to properly promote the project, for poor record sales and frequent disagreements with the labels' founder Pat Berry.^{[citation needed]}

Everyone Deserves Music was released in 2003. Franti composed many of the songs from his guitar and, like fellow 21st century cultural globalists Manu Chao and Ozomatli, continues to synthesize his eclectic influences. In a departure from the industrial sounds of the Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes, and the minimalism of early Spearhead, Franti's affirming lyrics are now set to swelling rock chords, while keeping a world-wise groove nodding towards reggae, dancehall, bossa nova, Afrobeat, and funk. Anthems like the title track "Everyone Deserves Music", "Yes I Will" and "Bomb The World" are constructed with a nod to the 1980s rock of The Clash and U2, as well as to classic soul from Stax and Motown. The song "We Don't Stop" (featuring Gift of Gab from Blackalicious and Spearhead's rapper/beatbox technician Radioactive) bridges the two sounds in a "Magnificent Seven" style mash-up. And on "Love Why Did You Go Away" and "What I Be", Franti reveals an alluring, sensual singing voice. "Pray For Grace" and "Bomb The World (Armageddon Version)" pair Franti with the reggae/funk giants Sly and Robbie (Grace Jones, Rolling Stones, Black Uhuru, No Doubt).

Also in 2003, Franti released a mostly acoustic album, Songs from the Front Porch containing rearranged versions of older songs from Chocolate Supa Highway, Stay Human and Everyone Deserves Music as well as a couple of new tracks.

Michael Franti at the Bonnaroo Festival, 2007 Photo: Raj Gupta

On July 25, 2006, Michael Franti & Spearhead released Yell Fire!, inspired by Franti's trip to Israel, Baghdad, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. In an effort to share his experiences from his trip and to explore the human cost of war, Franti produced a movie entitled I Know I'm Not Alone, using the songs from his album Yell Fire! as a soundtrack. "One Step Closer To You" from Yell Fire! features Pink on backing vocals.

Franti and Spearhead have gained a worldwide audience through touring and appearances in alternative media like Mother Jones magazine and Democracy Now!. Franti continues to tour in addition to producing the annual Power to the Peaceful festival each year since 1998.^[7] The festival originated as a way of supporting Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has been convicted of murdering a policeman but is considered by some on the Left to be a political prisoner.^[8] Michael Franti continues to gain influence in both popular music and social movements largely through extensive touring and word of mouth fan support. Lyrics from his song "Bomb The World", written in the dark aftermath of September 11 such as "You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace" have found their way onto protest signs and t-shirts all over the world from Los Angeles to Berlin, San Francisco to CNN, at demonstrations for peace large and small.^{[citation needed]}

The song "Light Up Ya Lighter" by Michael Franti & Spearhead was included on the soundtrack to Body of War, an award-winning documentary about Tomas Young, a paralyzed Iraq War veteran.

Songs from Yell Fire and All Rebel Rockers are on the soundtrack to The Edge of Never, a documentary about extreme skiers mentoring 15-year-old Kye Peterson in his quest to ski the route in Chamonix, France that killed his father, Trevor Peterson, nine years earlier.

The album All Rebel Rockers was released on September 9, 2008 and was largely recorded in Jamaica at the Anchor studio in St Andrew. The band worked with ubiquitous rhythm team Sly and Robbie and featured multi-talented vocalist Cherine Anderson on the set which entered the Billboard 200 pop chart in September at number 38. The single 'Say Hey (I Love You)' also reached Number 18 on the US Hot 100, providing Franti with his first US Top 20 single.^[9] Michael Franti was featured on Aux.tv's show Volume where he spoke about U.S. politics and his efforts to make the world a better place.^[10]

Franti played three different events to commemorate President Barack Obama's inauguration: The Green Ball, The Peace Ball and the Rock the Vote Party.

Franti announced^[11] in November 2009 that he would be joining musician John Mayer on the Battle Studies Tour in spring 2010.

As part of the band's commitment to environmentalism, Michael Franti and Spearhead avoid the use of water bottles on national tours and run their tour bus on biodiesel.^[1]

Franti announced the release of The Sound of Sunshine on his official website in July 2010. It features 12 tracks including two versions of the title track, the new hit single, "Shake It", and staples of his recent live performances including "Hey Hey Hey", "Anytime You Need Me", "The Thing That Helps Me Get Through", and the anthemic arena-rock ballad "I'll Be Waiting". The album originally was originally set to be released on August 24, but was pushed back to September 21 ^[12] to give the album "more runway." ^[13]

Michael Franti started the recording process for The Sound of Sunshine in Jamaica but then continued to mix tracks and record in Bali before choosing to bring a portable studio on the road. He continued to record on the road and then test his ideas in front of live audiences to see if they liked it before going back and revamping it the next day.^[14] He has since been quoted as saying 90% of the album ended up being recorded on his laptop.^[15]

Politics[link]

Franti is also an advocate for peace in the Middle East. His film I Know I'm Not Alone features footage of Iraq, the Palestinian territories, and Israel. Franti decided to embark on this three week journey with friends to view the cost of war in the Middle East first-hand. Franti states, "This film came out of my frustration with watching the nightly news and hearing generals, politicians, and pundits explaining the political and economic cost of the war in the Middle East, without ever mentioning the human cost. I wanted to hear about the war by the people affected by it most: doctors, nurses, poets, artists, soldiers, and my personal favorite, musicians."^[16] The film aims to speak multiple generations and to give people a better understanding of the people who still live in war-torn countries. He did not embark on the trip for the film with any special government groups or organizations, but instead bought plane tickets and headed off to Iraq, the Palestinian territories, and Israel armed with nothing more than his guitar and an extreme passion for music and a love of people. He says, "When I first had the idea for this journey, I had no idea how to get to Iraq and almost no idea how to make a film. After discovering that all you need to get into Iraq is a plane ticket, I prayed that movie making would be that simple..."^[4]

In 2001 Franti was awarded the Domestic Human Rights Award by Global Exchange, and international NGO based in San Francisco, for his work to end war.

In 2006, he was invited by Australian Labour MP Jenny Macklin to show the film at Australia's Parliament House, Canberra.^[17]

Personal life[link]

Inspired by his son, Michael became a vegan.^[18]

In 2000, Franti decided not to wear any shoes, initially for three days. Since then, Franti has chosen to go barefoot except for occasionally wearing flip-flops as required to board an airplane or to be served in a restaurant.^[19] Franti prefers to go barefoot.^[20]

Discography[link]

Appearances in media[link]

Franti's music was featured twice on HBO's urban drama The Wire. "Oh My God" and "Rock The Nation", both from the album Stay Human, were used in two different episodes during the series' first season.^[23] Franti's song "Everybody Ona Move" was featured in the pilot episode of Privileged on the CW in 2008 and also in a 2009 PlayStation 3 commercial. "Yell Fire" was used to promote the FX channel series Rescue Me and was also used in the closing credits of the pilot episode of Virtuality on Fox. Showtime's Weeds featured Franti's song "Ganja Babe" in its first season, his interpretation of the Weeds theme song "Little Boxes" in Season 3, and "Say Hey" during a flash mob scene in the premiere episode of Season 5. Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino uses the song "Light up Ya Lighter" as his batter walk-up music. "Say Hey (I Love You)" was used on the third episode of NBC's series Mercy, as well as in the opening scene of the 2010 film Valentine's Day. The same song was also used in 2010 in a commercial for Corona Light beer. The song is also featured on the soundtrack of the game 2010 World Cup South Africa.

He appeared as himself in the 2010 music documentary Sounds Like A Revolution.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Michael Franti

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Michael Franti

• Michael Franti - official website
• Facebook - official Michael Franti Facebook
• MySpace - official Michael Franti MySpace
• I Know I'm Not Alone - official website
• Michael Franti and Spearhead @ the Internet Archive (live music archive)
• Michael Franti at the Internet Movie Database