Ten Commandments panel from a Scottish kirk (1706)

Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.

Basic meaning and etymology[link]

As a common noun, kirk (meaning 'church') is found in Scots, Scottish English and historically in some English dialects,^[1] attested as a noun from the 14th century onwards, but as an element in placenames much earlier. Both words, kirk and church, derive from the Koine Greek κυριακόν (δωμα) (kyriakon (dōma)) meaning Lord's (house), which was borrowed into the Germanic languages in late antiquity, possibly in the course of the Gothic missions. (Only a connection with the idiosyncrasies of Gothic explains how a Greek neuter noun became a Germanic feminine.) Whereas church displays Old English palatalisation, kirk is likely to be a loanword from Old Norse and thus has the original mainland Germanic consonants. Compare cognates: Icelandic & Faroese kirkja; Swedish kyrka; Norwegian (Nynorsk) kyrkje; Norwegian (Bokmål) & Danish kirke; German Kirche; Dutch kerk; West Frisian tsjerke; and borrowed into non-Germanic languages: Estonian kirik and Finnish kirkko.

Church of Scotland[link]

As a proper noun, The Kirk is an informal name for the Church of Scotland, the country's national church. The Kirk of Scotland was in official use as the name of the Church of Scotland until the 17th century, and still today the term is frequently used in the press and everyday speech, though seldom in the Church's own literature. However, Kirk Session is still the standard term in church law for the court of elders in the local congregation, both in the Church of Scotland and in any of the other Scottish Presbyterian denominations.

Free Kirk[link]

Even more commonly, The Free Kirk is heard as an informal name for the Free Church of Scotland, the remnant of an evangelical presbyterian church formed in 1843 when its founders withdrew from the Church of Scotland. See:

• Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
• Free Church of Scotland (post 1900)

High Kirk[link]

The High Kirk of St. Giles in Edinburgh

High Kirk is the term sometimes used to describe a congregation of the Church of Scotland which uses a building which was a cathedral prior to the Reformation. As the Church of Scotland is not governed by bishops, it has no cathedrals in the episcopal sense of the word. In more recent times, the traditional names have been revived, so that in many cases both forms can be heard: Glasgow Cathedral, as well as the High Kirk of Glasgow, and St. Giles' Cathedral, as well as the High Kirk of Edinburgh.

The term High Kirk should, however, be used with some caution. Several towns have a congregation known as the High Kirk which were never pre-Reformation cathedrals. Examples include:

• Dundee, where the High Kirk is not the historic Dundee Parish Church known as St Mary's;
• Paisley where there were former congregations and parishes surrounding three churches: the High Kirk (now formally Oakshaw Trinity Church, but still retaining the High Kirk name), the Middle Kirk and the Laigh Kirk, the Middle Kirk no longer existing as a religious institution and none of the three names referred to Paisley's historic Abbey;^[2]
• Stevenston High Kirk in Ayrshire.

There is no connection between the term 'High Kirk' and the term 'High Church', which is a tradition within the Anglican Communion.

Kirking ceremonies[link]

The verb to kirk, meaning 'to present in church', was probably first used for the annual church services of some Scottish town councils, known as the Kirking of the Council. Since the establishment of a Scottish Parliament in 1999, the Kirking of the Parliament has become a fixed ceremony at the beginning of a session.^[3] Historically a newly married couple would attend public worship as man and wife for the first time at their Kirking. In Nova Scotia, Kirking of the Tartan ceremonies have become an integral part of most Scottish Festivals and Highland Games.^[4]

Place names[link]

Like words meaning "church" in other languages, kirk is found as an element in many place names in Scotland and northern England, and in countries with large Scottish expatriate communities.^[5] Examples include Falkirk, Kirkwall or numerous Kirkhills in Scotland, Kirkstall in England and Newkirk, Oklahoma in the United States. What may be slightly surprising is that this element is found not only in place names of Anglo-Saxon origin, but also in some Southern Scottish names of Gaelic origin such as Kirkcudbright (where the second element is the Gaelic form of "Cuthbert"). Here, the Gaelic element cil- (church, monk's cell) might be expected. The reason appears to be that kirk was borrowed into Galwegian Gaelic, though it was never part of standard Scottish Gaelic.

When the element appears in placenames in the former British empire, a distinction can be made between those where the element is productive (the place is named because of the presence of a church) and those where it is merely transferred (the place is named after a place in Scotland). Kirkland, Washington is an exception, being named after a person.

The element kirk is also used in anglicisations of continental European place names originally formed from one of the continental Germanic cognates. Thus Dunkirk (France) is a rendering of an original Dutch form, Duinkerke (West Flemish Duunkerke, French Dunkerque).

Personal names[link]

Kirk is also in use as both a surname and a male forename. For lists of these, see Kirk (surname) and Kirk (given name). Parallels in other languages are far rarer than with placenames, but English Church can also be a surname.

References[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2010)

Steve Harvey
Harvey in September 2008
Born	Broderick Steven Harvey (1957-01-17) January 17, 1957 (age 55) Welch, West Virginia, U.S.
Residence	Atlanta, Georgia
Occupation	Actor Comedian Radio and television personality Author
Years active	1985–present
Website
http://www.steveharvey.com

Broderick Steven "Steve" Harvey (born January 17, 1957)^[1] is an American actor, comedian, entertainer, television and radio personality and best-selling author. He is best known as the star of the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy. Currently, he is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program The Steve Harvey Morning Show, and the current host of the television game show Family Feud. He also hosts the Steve Harvey Project, on an extended cable channel. He is the author of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment, which was published in March 2009, and the book Straight Talk, No Chaser: How to Find and Keep a Man.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Harvey was born in Welch, West Virginia, the son of Eloise and Jesse Harvey, a coal miner.^[2] His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he graduated from Glenville High School in 1974.^[3][4] Shortly after high school he attended Kent State University and West Virginia University and is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.^[4] He has been a boxer, an insurance salesman, and a mailman.^[4][5]

Comedy career[link]

Steve Harvey first performed stand-up comedy on October 8, 1985 at the Hilarities Comedy Club in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a finalist in Second Annual Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search in 1989, eventually leading to a long stint as host of It's Showtime at the Apollo, succeeding Mark Curry in that role. His success as a stand-up comedian led to a starring role on the ABC show Me and the Boys in 1994. He would later star on the WB network show, The Steve Harvey Show, which ran from 1996 to 2002. While wildly popular in the African-American community (the show won multiple NAACP Image Awards), the show never achieved critical acclaim outside of the African-American community, a matter about which Harvey has often complained.

In 1997, Harvey continued his work in stand-up comedy, touring as one of the Kings of Comedy, along with Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and Bernie Mac. The comedy act would later be put together into a film by Spike Lee called The Original Kings of Comedy. DVD sales of The Original Kings of Comedy and Don't Trip, He Ain't Through With Me Yet increased Harvey's popularity. Harvey released a hip hop and R&B audio CD on a record label he founded, and authored a book, Steve Harvey's Big Time. That title was also used as the name of Harvey's comedy and variety television show (later renamed Steve Harvey's Big Time Challenge) which aired on The WB network from 2003 until 2005. Harvey also launched a clothing line which features the line of dress wear. In 2005 he co-starred in the movie Racing Stripes. He had appeared in the 2003 movie The Fighting Temptations alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles.

In 2008, Harvey hosted the Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey, a teen-focused personal and professional enrichment event that took place January 17–20, 2008 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Harvey along with a team of judges chose 100 teens to attend the event.^[6]

Radio host[link]

[edit] The Steve Harvey Morning Show

Harvey is the host of a weekday-morning radio program, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, which was originally syndicated through Radio One, Inc. from September 2000 until May 2005, and which continues to air to the present time.

Television roles[link]

[edit] Family Feud

Harvey became the host of Family Feud in September 2010, replacing host John O'Hurley.^[8]

Film roles[link]

Personal life[link]

Harvey has been married three times and has four biological children. He has twin daughters, Karli and Brandi (born 1982) and a son, Broderick Jr. (born 1991), from his first marriage.^[10] Harvey also has another son, Wynton (born 1997), from his second marriage to Mary Shackelford. The couple divorced in November 2005.^[11]

In June 2007 he married his current wife, Marjorie Bridges, who he says is responsible for making him a better man and changing his life.^[12] The Harveys live in Atlanta, Georgia with four of their youngest children as a "blended family".^[13] Harvey will move to Illinois to tape a daily talk show for NBCUniversal from the company's Chicago studios. Production on Family Feud and the radio show will remain in Atlanta, though Harvey will host the radio show from Chicago as well.^[14]

Controversies[link]

On March 27, 2009, Harvey appeared on an episode of The Tyra Show with Tyra Banks to promote his book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.^[15] During the course of the interview, Harvey advised that women should not date atheists. Saying

You sitting up there talking to a dude and he tells you he’s an atheist, you need to pack it up and go home. You talking to a person who don’t believe in God . . . what’s his moral barometer? Where’s it at? It's nowhere.

Later that year, on May 30, Harvey appeared on an episode of Larry King Live guest hosted by Joy Behar.^[16] During that interview, Harvey reiterated his assertion that women should not date atheists, who he claimed have "no moral barometer". Harvey stated that he refuses to speak to anyone claiming to be an atheist, who he said are "idiot(s)". Harvey went on to say:

You can't just tell me it spun out of a gastrous [sic] ball and then all of a sudden we were evolved from monkeys. Why we still got monkeys? [sic]

In August 2011 on his radio show, Harvey called Cornel West and Tavis Smiley "Uncle Toms" because they have criticized President Barack Obama.^[17]

Awards[link]

In 2007, Harvey won the Syndicated Personality/Show of the Year award by Radio & Records magazine. Other finalists included: Delilah, Blair Garner, Kidd Kraddick, The Lia Show and John Tesh.^[18]

References[link]

External links[link]

• www.steveharvey.com -- Official website
• Steve Harvey at the Internet Movie Database

Mark Kirk
United States Senator from Illinois
Incumbent
Assumed office November 29, 2010 Serving with Dick Durbin
Preceded by	Roland Burris
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 10th district
In office January 3, 2001 – November 29, 2010
Preceded by	John Porter
Succeeded by	Robert Dold
Personal details
Born	Mark Steven Kirk (1959-09-15) September 15, 1959 (age 52) Champaign, Illinois
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Kimberly Vertolli (2001–2009; divorced)
Residence	Highland Park, Illinois[1]
Alma mater	Cornell University (B.A.) London School of Economics Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.)
Occupation	Attorney, Navy Officer
Religion	United Church of Christ[2]
Website	Official website
Military service
Service/branch	United States Navy United States Navy Reserve
Years of service	1989–present
Rank	Commander
Unit	Navy Intelligence

Mark Steven Kirk (born September 15, 1959) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Kirk was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 10th congressional district.

Born in Champaign, Illinois, he graduated from Cornell University, London School of Economics, and Georgetown University Law Center. He practiced law throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He joined the United States Navy Reserve in 1989 and was recalled to active duty for the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. He participated in Operation Northern Watch in Iraq the following year. He remains a member of the Navy Reserve, now holding the rank of Commander.

Kirk was elected to the House in 2000. During his fifth term in November 2010 he won two concurrent elections: to finish the final months of former Senator Barack Obama's term and to serve the next six-year term. He was sworn in on November 29, 2010^[3], and then began a six-year Senate term in January 2011.

In January 2012, Kirk suffered a stroke; he has been hospitalized, and his physicians expect long-term physical impairments but not cognitive ones.^[4]

Early life and education[link]

Kirk was born in Champaign, Illinois, the son of Judith Ann (née Brady) and Francis Gabriel "Frank" Kirk.^[5][6][7] After graduating from New Trier East High School in 1977 he attended Cornell University, where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in History.^[8] Kirk later obtained a masters degree from the London School of Economics and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Georgetown University Law Center.^[9][10]

Teaching career[link]

While Kirk was an undergraduate student at Cornell University he held a work study job supervising a play group at the Forest Home Chapel nursery school. After getting his masters degree, Kirk taught for one year at a private school in London.^[11][12] He later stated in speeches and interviews that he had been a nursery and middle school teacher. For example, Kirk claimed in a speech to the Illinois Education Association, "As a former nursery school and middle school teacher, I know some of what it takes to bring order to class." However, a member of the Forest Home Chapel said, "He was never, ever considered a teacher [at the nursery school]."^[11]

In discussing problems in the educational system early in his congressional career, Kirk addressed the brevity of his teaching career: “I did leave the teaching profession, but if we had addressed some of the teacher development issues, which I want to raise with you, I might have stayed.”^[11][13]

Military service[link]

Kirk was commissioned as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve in 1989.^[10]

In 1999 Kirk was recalled to active duty in Operation Allied Force for the bombing of Yugoslavia. He served from to April 10 to June 6, 1999 as the intelligence officer of VAQ-209.^[14] VAQ-209 was combined with three other EA-6B squadrons to form an ad hoc unit called Electronic Attack Wing Aviano, Italy. VAQ-140 had tactical command of the combined unit.^[15] In May, 2000, the National Military Intelligence Association bestowed the organization's Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award to Intelligence Division Electronic Attack Wing Aviano, Italy.^[16]

In March and April, 2000 Kirk trained with an EC-130 squadron based in Turkey. Kirk took a flight over Iraq as part of Operation Northern Watch, which enforced a no fly zone over the northern section of Iraq.^[17]

Kirk has served three, two-week reserve deployments in Afghanistan, with the latest concluding in September 2011.^[18]

Awards[link]

During his military career, Kirk has been awarded the following medals: the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, as well as the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Navy Unit Commendation, and the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation. He continues his service in the United States Navy Reserve holding the rank of Commander.^[19]

Kirk corrected claims he had made about being awarded "Navy Intelligence Officer of the Year" after it was brought to the media's attention by his Democratic opponent, Alexi Giannoulias.^[20] In a 2002 House committee hearing recorded by C-Span, Kirk said, "I was the Navy's Intelligence Officer of the Year," an achievement he said gave him special qualifications to discuss national security spending.^[19] However, in May 2010, the Washington Post reported that Kirk's claim to having been named the Navy's “Intelligence Officer of the Year” was erroneous.^[21] The National Military Intelligence Association gave the Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award to the entire Intelligence Division Electronic Attack Wing at Aviano.^[19] Kirk was the lead intelligence officer for VAQ-209, one of the four squadrons assigned to the Electronic Attack Wing. VAQ-140 had tactical command.^[15] Kirk later apologized for this and other errors, including claims of having been fired upon during an aerial reconnaissance mission in Iraq, about which there is no official record, and of having participated in Operation Desert Storm when in fact he did not.^[22]

On June 7, 2010, Medal of Honor recipient and advocate of Veteran's benefits, Allen Lynch, deemed Mark Kirk's apologies adequate, and further commented: “To me, in my opinion, it's just a bunch of nit picking. Plus, he's done a christ ton for veterans. So I think this is being blown way out of proportion".^[23]

Service under fire[link]

Controversy regarding Kirk's military record continued as other statements surfaced, such as Kirk stating “the last time I was in Iraq I was in uniform, flying at 20,000 feet, and the Iraqi Air Defense network was shooting at us.” Kirk has since clarified his previous statements, admitting that he was never fired on as he flew over Iraq or Kosovo.^[24] “I simply misremembered [sic] it wrong,” he told The Chicago Sun-Times, referring to his military record.^[25]

Military politicking[link]

On December 18, 2009, Undersecretary of Defense Gail H. McGinn noted in a memo that Kirk had on two previous active duty periods engaged in politicking—violation of military policy by participating in political activities while on active duty, per Department of Defense regulations. On one occasion Congressman Kirk commented on Rod Blagojevich's arrest and posted a tweet while on duty with the Navy in Afghanistan.^[26] According to the Pentagon, Kirk was required to sign a statement acknowledging he knew the rules and wouldn't break them again.^[27]

Early political career[link]

Kirk worked on the staff of John Porter, the former holder of Illinois’s 10th congressional district. From 1991 to 1993, Kirk was the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. State Department. Kirk was an attorney for Baker & McKenzie from 1993 to 1995. In 1995, Kirk was named as a counsel to the House International Relations Committee. He remained counsel to the House International Relations Committee until 1999.^[10]

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Kirk as a Congressman.

Elections[link]

Kirk was originally elected in 2000 with 51%. He won re-election with comfortable margins in 2002 and 2004. He defeated Dan Seals by a five point margin in 2006, and defeated him again by the same margin in a rematch in 2008.^[28]

Tenure[link]

Kirk was a member of the House Iran Working Group, the founder and co-chair of the House U.S.-China Working Group,^[29] the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues,^[10] the co-chair of the Albanian Issues Caucus in ex Yugoslavia,^[30] and a member of the GOP Tuesday Group.^[31] During his House tenure, he was a member of the House Appropriations Committee.^[32] Before leaving for the Senate, Kirk had been named to the Appropriations Committee.

During his tenure in the House, Kirk voted for the Waxman-Markey "Cap-and-Trade" bill.^[33][34]

Immigration[link]

Kirk attracted controversy by stating that he was not opposed if the immigration process in the United States discriminates against Arab males from certain countries. He stated, "I’m OK with discrimination against young Arab males from terrorist-producing states. I’m OK with that."^[35]

U.S. Senate[link]

2010 election[link]

On July 20, 2009, Kirk announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate election for the seat held by Roland Burris, which had been held by Barack Obama before his election as president. On February 2, 2010, Kirk won the Republican primary with 56.6 percent of the vote; no other candidate had as much as 20 percent.^[36] He ran against Democratic nominee Alexi Giannoulias, Green Party nominee LeAlan Jones, and Libertarian nominee Mike Labno. During the Illinois U.S. Senate election campaign in 2010, Kirk and Giannoulias were in a hotly contested debate. Kirk (R) defeated Giannoulias in the election for the full 6-year term, getting 48% to Giannoulias's 46%. Kirk changed his position on Cap and Trade legislation during the campaign saying he voted for it "because it was in the narrow interests of my Congressional district," but that as a representative of the entire state of Illinois, "I will vote No on that bill.”^[37]

Tenure[link]

On December 18, 2010, Kirk voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.^[38] He was one of only two Republicans to oppose legislation to detain American citizens indefinitely.^[39] Kirk sits at the Senate's coveted candy desk.^[40]

Caucus memberships[link]

• Albanian Issue Caucus (Co-Chair)
• Congressional Diabetes Caucus (Vice-Chair)
• International Conservation Caucus

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
  • Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
  • Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
• Special Committee on Aging

Personal life[link]

In February 1998, Kirk met his future wife, Kimberly Vertolli, a Naval Intelligence Officer, by chance, while the two were on duty together at the Pentagon.^[41] “It was supposed to be my weekend off ... but Saddam had just thrown out the weapons inspectors and we were preparing for a strike on Baghdad,” Vertolli said, according to Capitol File magazine.^[42][43] The two married in August 2001, when Kirk was 41.^[44] After eight years of marriage, the two separated, finalizing their divorce in the summer of 2009. Reports have noted that the divorce was an amicable one and the two remain close friends.^[45]

Kirk was earlier engaged to Virginia Hurt Johnson, whom he met while both were practicing law in Washington, DC, in 1994.^[46] Johnson became the Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 13th congressional district of North Carolina in 2004. She was Counsel to the House Armed Services Committee and was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for House Legislative Affairs under Secretaries Rumsfeld and Gates.^[46]

On January 23, 2012, Senator Kirk underwent surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago following a stroke; he remains in serious but stable condition following neurosurgery to remove two small pieces of brain tissue rendered dysfunctional by the stroke and he had a piece of his cranium temporarily removed to lessen any danger from the brain swelling process. His neurosurgeon, Dr. Fessler,^[47] expects him to have to spend a lengthy period in inpatient and outpatient stroke rehabilitation, but his cognitive functions, motor skills, and vital functions were largely unaffected by the stroke, save for the fact that his left side has a marked degree of weakness, which may improve during the healing process. Even barring any complications or further cerebrovascular incidents, it will still be months before any decision can be made about returning to the Senate.^[4]

Electoral history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mark Kirk

• U.S. Senator Mark Kirk official U.S. Senate site
• Kirk for Senate official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Appearances at the Internet Movie Database
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about Mark Kirk in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Profile from SourceWatch
• Mark Kirk's file at PolitiFact.com
• Mark Kirk and Dodie McCracken photo caption available at September 12, 2011 slideshow of Adler Planetarium fete.

v t e United States Senators from Illinois Class 2 Thomas McLean Baker Robinson McRoberts Semple S. Douglas Browning Richardson Yates Logan Davis Cullom Lewis McCormick Deneen Lewis Slattery Brooks P. Douglas Percy Simon Durbin Class 3 Edwards McLean Kane Ewing Young Breese Shields Trumbull Oglesby Logan Farwell Palmer Mason Hopkins Lorimer Sherman McKinley Glenn Dieterich Lucas Dirksen Smith Stevenson III Dixon Moseley Braun Fitzgerald Obama Burris Kirk

Kirk Hammett
Hammett performing in London in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Kirk Lee Hammett
Born	(1962-11-18) November 18, 1962 (age 49) San Francisco, California, USA
Genres	Heavy metal, thrash metal, hard rock, speed metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, sitar, bass
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Warner Bros., Elektra, Vertigo, Megaforce
Associated acts	Metallica, Exodus, Spastik Children
Website	www.metallica.com
Notable instruments
ESP KH-2 and KH-3 Signature models

Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.^[1] In 2009, Hammett was ranked number 15 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.^[2]

Biography[link]

Early life (1962–1980)[link]

Hammett was born on November 18, 1962 in San Francisco to a Filipina mother (Chefela) and an Irish Merchant Marine father.^[3] He attended De Anza High School in Richmond, California. While attending De Anza High School he met Les Claypool of Primus and they remain close friends.

After purchasing a 1978 Fender Stratocaster copy, Hammett attempted to customize his sound with various guitar parts, eventually buying a 1974 Gibson Flying V. Hammett also took a job at Burger King as a youth before quitting once he saved enough money for his Marshall amplifier.

Exodus (1980–1983)[link]

Hammett's musical interests eventually drew him into the fledgling thrash metal genre. In 1980, he formed the band Exodus with vocalist Paul Baloff, guitarist Gary Holt, bassist Geoff Andrews, and drummer Tom Hunting. He played on Exodus' 1982 Demo. Exodus was an influential band in the Bay Area thrash movement.

Metallica (1983–present)[link]

In 1983 Hammett was invited to join Metallica following the dismissal of the band's original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, who went on to form the band Megadeth. This was prior to the recording of Kill 'Em All. At the time Hammett was taking private lessons from guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani.

Hammett has written and contributed riffs for Metallica songs since the mid-1980s (particularly in the 1990s during the Load era). One of these riffs, used in "Enter Sandman" became one of Metallica's most popular songs. It was the first track and first single on Metallica's self-titled Black Album and was ranked 399th on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest songs of all time.^[4] The bridge for "Creeping Death" was originally an Exodus riff that Hammett took with him to Metallica.

Hammett is known for always having his picking hand taped up. During the course of a full tour, due to constantly palm muting and fast picking, the palm of his hand takes abuse.^[5]

Hammett's playing style is noted for his extensive use of the wah-wah pedal in his solos. Hammett says "The wah-wah is an extension of my personality." Hammett's use of the wah-pedal hadn't been featured in recent Metallica solos, but has seen a resurgence in his solos on the newest album Death Magnetic, in songs like "The Unforgiven III."

Hammett initially wanted to have guitar solos on Metallica's 2003 album, St. Anger, but drummer Lars Ulrich and producer Bob Rock thought that the solos did not sound right in the songs. He later admitted himself, "We tried to put in solos but they sounded like an afterthought so we left them out".

On April 4, 2009, Kirk, along with Metallica bandmates Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, and Robert Trujillo and former Metallica bandmates Jason Newsted and the late Cliff Burton, were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In 2009 Hammett supplied the foreword to British author Joel McIver's book To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton.^[6]

Personal life[link]

Hammett has been married twice. His first marriage to ex-wife Rebecca lasted 3 years, having ended in 1990, during the recording of The Black Album. Hammett has been married to his second wife Lani, whom he married in 1998. They have two sons, Angel (b. September 29, 2006), and Vincenzo (b. June 28, 2008).

He and his family currently reside in San Francisco.

Between the end of touring promoting the Black Album and the start of touring in promotion of Load, he studied at San Francisco State University, focusing on Film and Asian Arts.^[7]

Other appearances[link]

In 2005, Hammett was featured playing the guitar roles on the Carlos Santana track "Trinity" alongside steel-pedal guitarist, Robert Randolph.

In 2006, Hammett voiced himself on The Simpsons ("The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer"). He also provided various voices on the Adult Swim show Metalocalypse, including a two fingered fan ("The Curse of Dethklok"), The Queen of Denmark ("Happy Dethday"), and a Finnish barkeep ("Dethtroll"). He also appeared as a guest in an episode of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast titled "Jacksonville", alongside fellow Metallica member James Hetfield.

In 2010, Hammett played with Nicolas Abou Chedid on Nico's solo album.

Hammett played guitar on the track "Satan" with Orbital for the Spawn: The Album soundtrack released in July 1997.

After performing a set with Metallica at Bonnaroo in June 2008, Hammett played one song with My Morning Jacket and a couple songs with the annual Superjam collaboration, which also included Les Claypool and members of Gogol Bordello playing primarily Tom Waits songs.

He also appeared on the "Kichigai" E.P. by punk band Septic Death. He played additional lead guitar on the title track.

He appeared as a guest guitarist on K'Naan's "If Rap Gets Jealous" off of the Troubadour album.^[8]

Hammett is one of the main characters in Guitar Hero: Metallica, along with the rest of the current line-up of Metallica.

Hammett can be seen in the background in Primus' "John the Fisherman" video fishing off of Les Claypool's boat.

Hammett appeared in an episode of Jon Benjamin Has a Van as an actor and guitarist.

Equipment[link]

Guitars[link]

In 2007, ESP Guitar Company announced the release of a 20th Anniversary Limited KH-20 Guitar to celebrate 20 years of relationship with Kirk Hammett (based upon the KH-2 guitar with some modification). Only 41 guitars were in production, with the price at $9,999 USD a piece.

In January 2009, ESP also announced the rare release of Hammett's famous "ouija" guitar, which was very limited and for 2009 only.^[9]

Kirk Hammett in 2010

Kirk Hammett's current tour guitars:

• ESP M-II "Zorlac" - This was the starting line for the whole KH series. It features a vertical skull & crossbones as opposed to the horizontal ones featured on today's KH's, and an upside down Jackson Guitars style headstock which is what Hammett originally intended. However, Jackson Guitars threatened law suits if this model was ever sold. As a result, the headstock was changed to the typical ESP style, but flipped upside down.^[10][11]
• ESP M-II Standard - EMG and Seymour Duncan, Kirk used this a lot in the studio and live.
• ESP KH-2 "Bride of Frankenstein" - New for 2009.^[12]
• ESP KH-4 Chrome - New for 2009. A remake of his former KH-4 guitar, with a chrome pickguard, chrome hardware, and chrome EMG pickups.^[13]
• ESP MII-NT - New for 2009. It is custom finished with Occult-themed graphics.
• ESP KH-2 "Skully" - Hammett's main touring guitar. This signature model is based upon the modifications he made to his M-II.^[14]
• ESP KH-2 M-II "Boris Karloff Mummy" #I - This has been Hammett's favourite guitar for many years. It features the Boris Karloff Mummy I graphic of which Hammett owns the rights to. It will not be released by ESP. Hammett has 2 of these guitars, one with Eye of Horus inlays and the other with hieroglyphics inlays.^[15]
• ESP KH-2 M-II "Ouija" - This guitar contains 2 spelling errors. It sports the words "WILLIAM FUED TALKING BAARD SET" but it in fact should say "WILLIAM FULD TALKING BOARD SET". Hammett also now plays a White Version of this guitar on tour.^[16][17]
• ESP KH-2 M-II "Greenburst" A standard KH-2 with a custom green sunburst finish, green inlays, and green logo.
• ESP KH-3 Eclipse - Pushead Spider graphic. It is taken from a classic Les Paul Jr. shape with a Floyd Rose vibrato and EMG pickups.^[18]
• ESP Flying V copy - Cherry Red with white pickguard and gold hardware. Kirk uses this live mostly for the song Seek & Destroy.^[19]
• ESP Michael Schenker Flying V ^[20]
• ESP VIPER Baritone;; Used for performances of The Unnamed Feeling
• Gibson 1968 Les Paul Custom - Mostly on ballads such as "Fade to Black" and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)".^[21]
• Gibson Les Paul Standard - Used on songs from St. Anger.^[22]
• Ibanez RG - Used during the Wherever We May Roam American and European tour. It was used as a stunt guitar and for Deep Purple covers.
• Jackson Randy Rhoads Model RR1T - Custom-Made specifically for Hammett. It is usually tuned one step down from standard tuning, and used for songs like "Sad but True" and "The Memory Remains".^[23]
• TC Customs Death Magnetic Flying V - Used in the "World Magnetic Tour." ^[24]
• Teuffel Birdfish - Designed and produced by German guitar designer/builder, Ulrich Teuffel. The model is limited (500 made) and is made to amplify sound using various pickups. This guitar is used live for "The Judas Kiss".^[25]
• Teuffel Tulsa

On the 25th anniversary of Metallica's debut album Kill 'Em All,Hammett appears on the cover of Feb. 2008's Guitar World sporting his new custom ESP. This model is the KH20, the 20th anniversary model from ESP.Guitar World - Covers Archive

In the video for "One", Hammett is seen using what is most likely an ESP Vintage Plus. It appears however to be modified; it has a Floyd Rose tremolo, which could have been Hammett's own work or a custom model.^[26]

Amplifiers and cabinets[link]

Throughout Metallica's career, Hammett has used a range of different amplifiers. For the first two albums, he used Marshall amplifiers and cabinets, with occasional effects. For the recording of Metallica's third album, Master of Puppets (1986), he and James Hetfield bought a Mesa/Boogie MarkIIC+ amplifier, and used Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier heads. Even when he made his move Randall Amplifiers in 2007, he still used Mesa/Boogie amps in his setup, and still does to this day. He currently uses 2 rackmounted Dual Rectifier 2-channel heads in tandem with his Randalls.

In September 2007, Randall Amplifiers announced a partnership with Hammett to design a line of signature amps, heads, combos and preamp modules.^[27]

In December 2011, it was announced by Fortin Amps that they would team up with Randall to start a new line of tube amps based on the Fortin Meathead amplifier. Hammett is currently using a prototype of the amp that he used for the Big 4 show at Yankee Stadium and for all of the shows in India and Asia, and was recently sent a second prototype.^[28]

Hammett has also been seen using a wide range of different amplifiers in the studio and during live performances.

Effects[link]

To avoid problems with pedals being damaged during live performances, Hammett keeps his effect pedals in a rack along with his amplifiers and his tech controls them through a pedalboard sidestage. The pedal controller allows him to change between different effect pedals and amplifiers.

In 2008, Jim Dunlop started working in partnership with Hammett to create a signature Wah-wah pedal, the KH95. It is now available to buy in stores.

Accessories[link]

Discography[link]

Death Angel[link]

• Kill as One (Demo) (Producer)

Headbanged[link]

• Metal Militia (Demo)

Exodus[link]

• 1982 Demo (1982)

Metallica[link]

• Kill 'Em All (1983)
• Ride the Lightning (1984)
• Master of Puppets (1986)
• ...And Justice For All (1988)
• Metallica (1991)
• Load (1996)
• ReLoad (1997)
• St. Anger (2003)
• Death Magnetic (2008)

See also[link]

• ESP Kirk Hammett

References[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2012)

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (September 2011)

External links[link]

• Kirk Hammett at IMDB

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kirk Hammett

• Metallica's Gear
• Encyclopedia Metallica
• USA Today article on the documentary Some Kind of Monster
• Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame: Metallica FuseTV

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2010)

Scott Ian
Scott Ian performing with Anthrax in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Scott Ian Rosenfeld
Born	(1963-12-31) December 31, 1963 (age 48) Queens, New York, United States
Genres	Heavy metal, thrash metal, crossover thrash, groove metal Hardcore punk
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, bass, vocals, drums
Years active	1981–present
Associated acts	Anthrax, Stormtroopers of Death, Damnocracy, Pearl, The Damned Things
Notable instruments
Washburn 'Scott Ian' Signature Model Jackson 'Scott Ian' Signature Model

Scott Ian Rosenfeld (born December 31, 1963), known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist for the thrash metal band, Anthrax. Ian is the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death. He has hosted The Rock Show on VH1 and has appeared on VH1's I Love the... series, Heavy: The Story of Metal and Supergroup (TV series). Ian is also the rhythm guitarist for the metal band The Damned Things.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Ian was born to a Jewish family in the Bayside section of the New York City borough of Queens. He has a younger brother named Jason who was involved in Anthrax briefly and a half-brother named Sean. Ian attended Bayside High School, class of 1981.

Witnessing Kiss live at Madison Square Garden in 1977 made a huge impact on Ian, who has been vocal about his love for the band, and appeared on an episode of Gene Simmons Family Jewels, in which he visited Simmons' home and spoke about the impact Kiss had on his life. Ian went on to be influenced by British heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Motörhead and Judas Priest, as well as by NYC hardcore. Ian also discovered the Ramones around the age of 12 and knew that he could become a famous hard rock/heavy metal star.

Anthrax[link]

As a founding member of Anthrax, Ian's inspiration AC/DC and idol Angus Young "When we started Anthrax, Angus was my absolute inspiration" ^[1] helped to create thrash metal in the mid-80s alongside Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica. Ian came up with the idea to crossover with rap legends Public Enemy in 1991 and record a foundation of the rap/rock genre. Covering Bring the Noise, Anthrax reached new heights, kicking open the door for bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock and Linkin Park. In 2005, Ian was invited by Chuck D of Public Enemy to perform “Bring the Noise” with them as part of their induction into VH1's Hip Hop Honors Hall Of Fame. Ian also joined Public Enemy on the Rock The Bells tour in 2007.

In 2009, Anthrax completed a run of European festivals including Metallica's Sonisphere festivals in Germany and Knebworth in the U.K. which was highlighted by the return of singer John Bush. Anthrax returned to Japan in October 2009 with Bush to play at the Loud Park festival in Tokyo. Anthrax's next shows were in Australia in February 2010 as a part of the Soundwave Festival. Anthrax was a part of the Sonisphere Festival in Europe in the summer of 2010, where for the first time Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth performed together on the same stage.

Other ventures[link]

Ian got into a television gig with VH1 in 2001 when they asked him to host “Rock Show”. During his 48 episodes as host, Ian interviewed guests including Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford, Ted Nugent, Stone Temple Pilots, Megadeth, 3 Doors Down, Sevendust, Tenacious D and The Cult. Ian is a regular commentator on various VH1 shows including the “I Love The 70s, 80s, and 90s” series, “100 Most Metal Moments”, “Awesomely Bad Number One Songs”, “When Metallica Ruled The World”, and episodes of VH1's “Behind The Music” featuring Metallica, Pantera and Anthrax. Ian was prominently featured in VH1's “History Of Heavy Metal”. In June 2006, Ian starred in the VH1 reality series “SuperGroup” with Ted Nugent, Sebastian Bach, Jason Bonham and Evan Seinfeld.

Ian plays guitar in the group Pearl, who just finished two tours with Velvet Revolver and Meat Loaf. The debut album from Pearl was released on January 19, 2010 through Megaforce Records. Ian performed with Pearl on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on January 20, 2010. In 2008, DC Comics asked Ian to take the character Lobo and write a two-issue prestige format series for that character. Books one and two of Lobo: Highway To Hell were released in November and December 2009.

In 2008, Ian signed with Ultimate Bet, the third largest internet gaming site in the world as one of their online professional players. Ian joined professional poker players Phil Hellmuth Jr. and Annie Duke as one of Ultimate Bets star pros. He won Ultimate Bet's premier Sunday 200K tournament and he cashed in 2010's WSOP main event by finishing 634th out of 6494 players. In 2010 Ian joined the metal supergroup The Damned Things, which released their first album on December 14, 2010. On June 21, 2011 Ian's wife Pearl Aday gave birth to their first child, thus forcing Ian to briefly depart from Anthrax's tour. Andreas Kisser from Sepultura filled in.

Personal[link]

Ian is married to singer Pearl Aday, daughter of famed singer Meat Loaf. Their first child Revel Young Ian, was born on June 19, 2011.^[2] Ian is a die hard Yankees fan. He enjoys snowboarding. He plays poker and is an online pro at UltimateBet. He finished 637th in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event taking home $21,365.^[3] He is a devout Battlestar Galactica fan, posting numerous blogs about the show and also making an appearance for the red carpet series finale.

He is a fan of Doctor Who, the television series, as seen in “The Best of the Doctor" that aired August 13, 2011 on BBC America numbered episode 166. Ian is a fan of hip hop music, particularly Public Enemy. He was known to wear Public Enemy shirts while performing gigs in the late 1980s and also said Run-DMC came out with the same aggression that metal bands played with (that he was listening to). He fell in love with rap and said Run-DMC was the group that put rap on the map.

Bands[link]

• Anthrax
• Stormtroopers of Death
• Damnocracy
• Pearl
• The Damned Things

Discography[link]

With Anthrax[link]

With Stormtroopers of Death[link]

Stormtroopers of Death videos[link]

Collaborations[link]

• Performed with Public Enemy during the Rock the Bells 2007 tour.
• Comedian Brian Posehn's music video "Metal By Numbers."
• Wrote the DC 2-part comic Lobo: Highway to Hell (2-part series, illustrated by Sam Kieth)
• Played guitar on "Apocalypse (Theme from The Plan)", a track on Bear McCreary's Razor/The Plan soundtrack.^[4]
• Performed guitar on "Evil Rules" by rapper Necro on his 2007 album, "Death Rap".
• Played guitar on all tracks on Pearl's "Little Immaculate White Fox" (2010).

Television[link]

• Married... with Children 1992
• NewsRadio (as himself)
• VH1's Rock Show (as host) 1999-2002
• VH1's Hip-Hop Honors- performer along with Anthrax & Public Enemy for "Bring Tha Noise".
• VH1's Supergroup 2006
• VH1's "I Love The..." series specials
• VH1's "40 Greatest Metal Songs"
• VH1's "100 Most Metal Moments"
• VH1's "50 Least Metal moments"
• VH1's "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs"
• VH1's "100 Most Shocking Music Moments"
• VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of All-Time"
• VH1's Rock Honors Kiss. Performers: Rob Zombie (Rob Zombie, White Zombie), Scott Ian, Gilby Clarke (ex-Guns N' Roses, The Starfuckers, Rock Star Supernova), Slash (ex-Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Ace Frehley (ex-Kiss), Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe, Rock Star Supernova).
• VH1 Classic's "Rock 'n Roll Celebrity Poker Tournament" - Scott won the tournament and played against Sully Erna (Godsmack), Vinnie Paul (ex-Pantera), Dusty Hill (ZZ Top) and Ace Frehley.
• NBC's Celebrity Apprentice
• Metalocalypse - "RenovationKlok" (voice only)
• Metalocalypse - "TributeKlok" (voice only)
• That Metal Show - Season 4, Episode 3, along with wife Pearl Aday.
• That Metal Show - Season 8, Episode 5, along with bandmate Charlie Benante, and Dave Sabo of Skid Row.
• AMC's Talking Dead, panel member.

Equipment[link]

Scott Ian uses his signature Jackson guitars and signature Randall MTS Series heads and cabinets. He is known to use Dimebag Darrell tribute Deans and was previously endorsed by Washburn.^[5][6][7] During the mid 80's, he used ESP guitars for a while, also getting Kirk Hammett his ESP endorsement. Scott uses a DigiTech signature Black 13 distortion pedal, and a DigiTech chorus pedal for his clean sounds.^[8] Many of his guitars have been equipped with custom made Seymour Duncan "El Diablo" pickups,^[9] but can also be seen using standard Seymour Duncan SH-4's and '59 pickups on several guitars, including his newest signature Jackson.

In late 2009, Scott ended his endorsement with Washburn and went back to Jackson guitars. He was seen using custom made Soloist and Randy Rhoads guitars during the 2009 Sonisphere Festival. On March 27, 2010, Scott announced the production of a new signature guitar by Jackson via Twitter and Youtube. He said it would be based on his Soloist from 1987. It has a silverburst finish, a single Seymour Duncan J.B. humbucker, lightning bolt inlays, and a string-thru/tune-o-matic bridge. A dual-humbucker version with a Floyd Rose tremolo will also be released. He stated, "I am so stoked to be back with Jackson." He was seen using this guitar while playing with Brian Posehn at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards and with The Damned Things at the 2011 Download Festival.

Guitars[link]

• Jackson T-1000 Soloist
• Jackson custom "NOT" Soloist
• Jackson custom Randy Rhoads
• Jackson Adrian Smith San Dimas Dinky
• Gibson Flying V (1982, Used in the studio)
• Gibson "Thunderhorse" Explorer (Used at Download Festival 2011 with The Damned Things)
• Jackson JJ1 (USA-made, Seymour Duncan JB And Jazz pickups, Alder or Korina body with maple neck)
• Jackson JJ2 (USA-Made, Seymour Duncan El-Diablo pickups and a killswitch, alder body with maple neck or mahogany body with mahogany neck)
• Jackson JJ4 (Lower-end model, Asian-Made, with Duncan Designed pickups and a killswitch)
• Jackson JJ5 (5-string Baritone)
• Jackson Custom "NOT" Telecaster
• Charvel Surfcaster (Main guitar for the Sound of White Noise era)
• Jackson Randy Rhoads (1982)
• Washburn SI75TI (Used Washburn from 2004–2009)
• Washburn WV540VASI
• Washburn WV40VASI
• Washburn SI60MW
• Washburn SI61G
• ESP M-100FM
• ESP Custom M-II and Telecaster (1985–1989)
• Seymour Duncan J.B. pickups
• Seymour Duncan El Diablo (Scott Ian custom shop pickups)
• DR Strings .10-.52
• DR Strings .18-.56 (for JJ-5)
• Dunlop Tortex .88mm Picks

Effects[link]

• BBE 462 Sonic Maximizer
• DigiTech WH-2 Whammy pedal
• DigiTech Black 13 distortion pedal
• DigiTech XMC chorus pedal
• T.C. Electronic Booster+ Line Driver & Distortion
• Korg DTR-1 Tuner
• Rocktron HUSH IIC
• Samson UHF Synth 6 Wireless

Amplifiers[link]

• Randall MTS Series RM100SI signature head with signature modules
• Randall MTS series RM100 and RM100LB heads (With Ultra modules)
• Randall V2 400 Watt Heads
• Randall V-Max Heads (Used in 2003 before the V2 and MTS heads)
• Randall Cyclone Heads (Used from 2001–2003)
• Randall Warhead Heads (First amp used when Ian transitioned from Marshall to Randall)
• Randall SI412 signature speaker Cabs
• Randall NB412 Nuno Bettencourt Signature 4x12 Cabs
• Randall XL 4x12 Cabs
• Randall XL 2x12 and 1x15 Cabs
• Fender/EVH 5150III Heads (Backup, seen at the Loud Park 2009 Festival)
• Marshall JCM 800 2210 (Early years of Anthax, and used for leads on "We've Come For You All". Used by Rob Caggiano for recording Worship Music)
• Peavey 6505+ 120 Watt head
• Randall RT100 heads (Only used at the 2010 Revolver Golden Gods Awards while performing in Brian Posehn's backing band)
• Randall RT-412RC Cabs (See above)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Scott Ian at the Internet Movie Database