Sullivan may refer to:

People[link]

In fictional characters:

• Chloe Sullivan, from the television series Smallville
• Harry Sullivan, from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who
• James P. "Sulley" Sullivan, from the 2001 computer animated comedy film Monsters, Inc.
• John 'Sully' Sullivan, from the television series Third Watch
• Jordan Sullivan, from the television series Scrubs
• Morgan Sullivan, an alias of the fictional protagonist of the film Cypher
• Ray Sullivan, fictional Governor and Republican nominee for Vice President on the series The West Wing
• Walter Sullivan (Silent Hill), an antagonist of the video game Silent Hill 4: The Room
• Victor Sullivan, character from the video game Uncharted franchise.

Nickname

• Sullivan the Whisperer, horse tamer

Places[link]

Canada

• Sullivan, Quebec

United States

• Sullivan, California
  • Sullivan, Kern County, California
  • Sullivan, Sutter County, California
• Sullivan, Illinois
• Sullivan, Indiana
• Sullivan, Maine
• Sullivan, Missouri
• Sullivan, New Hampshire
• Sullivan, New York
• Sullivan, Ohio
• Sullivan (town), Wisconsin
  • Sullivan, Wisconsin, village within the town
• Sullivan City, Texas

Music[link]

• Sullivan Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding, developing, and furthering the careers of promising opera singers in the United States
• Sullivan (band), an alternative rock band from Greensboro, North Carolina
• Arthur Sullivan, composer, of the team Gilbert and Sullivan

Other uses[link]

• Sullivan Expedition, a United States Revolutionary War offensive against the Seneca Nation of Indians
• Silky Sullivan, racehorse
• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, a United States Supreme Court case

See also[link]

• Sullivan (surname)
• Sullavan
• O'Sullivan
• Sullivan County (disambiguation)
• Sullivan Township (disambiguation)

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.

This article appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by rewriting promotional content from a neutral point of view and removing any inappropriate external links. (November 2011)

Quinn Sullivan (born March 26, 1999) is an American musician from New Bedford, Massachusetts who plays the guitar and sings. He released his debut album Cyclone in 2011 and is on his way to releasing a follow up album soon this coming year.

Career[link]

Sullivan began taking guitar lessons at age five. He has studied with Brian Cass of The Overclock Orchestra and the Toe Jam Puppet Band as well as Stan Belmarce. The first original song he wrote with Chris Waters was titled "Sing, Dance, Clap Your Hands". Sullivan first gained national media attention at age six when he appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show. He garnered more attention when Buddy Guy asked him to come on stage and play during a performance at the Zeiterion Theater in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 2007.

Quinn has since performed on stage with Guy as well as with B.B. King and has played in venues such as the Beacon Theatre in New York City, the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, and Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. In 2008, Sullivan appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and was featured on NBC's The Today Show in July 2009. In 2009, Sullivan opened for Buddy Guy on his East Coast tour during the summer, played his own set at the popular summer music festival Lollapalooza, as well as the Austin City Limits Festival in October.^{[citation needed]}. In 2011, he appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show.

Sullivan made a guest appearance on Buddy Guy's Grammy-nominated album Skin Deep, released in 2008. His solo can be heard on the track “Who's Gonna Fill Those Shoes." His single, "Summer of Love," was released in 2009.^{[citation needed]} Quinn released his debut album Cyclone in February 2011. He went on tour in the summer of 2011 with Buddy Guy to promote his album. In the fall of 2011 Quinn played such venues like Austin City Limits Festival and BB King's Blues Club in New York City. Quinn is now taking time to start recording for a new album that will be released in early spring and will go on tour this coming summer of 2012.

Gear[link]

Quinn plays Fender guitars and amps including Fender Stratocasters, Bassmans and Twin Reverbs live but in the studio uses all different varieties of guitars, petals and amps. Quinn also plays out of a Buddy Guy signature Chicago Blues Box Amp. Quinn's effects include an Ibanez Tube Screamer, a Buddy Guy signature Dunlop Wah Wah Pedal, and a Boss Tuner Pedal. Quinn also has a Gibson ES-335 that he got on the Ellen Degeneres show in 2006.

Influences[link]

Quinn has many influences including Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Carlos Santana, Derek Trucks, Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, Rain: a Tribute to the Beatles, John Lennon, The Beatles, Steve Winwood, Warren Haynes, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Susan Tedeschi, Duane Allman, Allman Brothers Band, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos, Cream, The Who, BB King, Pink Floyd, Junior Wells, Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, Tom Hambridge and more.

Live, he has stated that Little Wing is "a[n] Eric Clapton song", much to the chagrin of the audience.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 2011: Cyclone

Singles[link]

• 2009: "Summer of Love" "My Sweet Guitar"

References[link]

• "8-year-old guitarist jams with Buddy Guy at 'Z'" (South Coast Today)
• "Jerry Lee Lewis knocks 'em dead at the 'Z'" (South Coast Today)
• Local guitar prodigy ready to rock Oprah
• Special message
• "Blues for the Blue" concert

External links[link]

• Official website
• Facebook
• [1]
• [2]

Ed Sullivan
Sullivan in 1955
Born	Edward Vincent Sullivan (1901-09-28)September 28, 1901 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	October 13, 1974(1974-10-13) (aged 73) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Television host Writer
Years active	1932–1973
Spouse	Sylvia (m. 1930–1973)

Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 (a total of 23 years), which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S. broadcast history.^[1]

In 1996, Ed Sullivan was ranked #50 on TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time".^[2]

Early life and career[link]

Sullivan was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elizabeth F. (née Smith) and Peter Arthur Sullivan, a customs house employee.^[3] He was of Irish descent.^[4] A former boxer, Sullivan began his media work as a newspaper sportswriter for The New York Evening Graphic.^[5] When Walter Winchell, one of the original gossip columnists and the most powerful entertainment reporter of his day, left the newspaper for the Hearst syndicate, Sullivan took over as theatre columnist. His theatre column was later carried in The New York Daily News. His column, 'Little Old New York', concentrated on Broadway shows and gossip, as Winchell's had and, like Winchell, he also did show business news broadcasts on radio. Again echoing Winchell, Sullivan took on yet another medium in 1933 by writing and starring in the film Mr. Broadway, which has him guiding the audience around New York nightspots to meet entertainers and celebrities. Sullivan soon became a powerful starmaker in the entertainment world himself, becoming one of Winchell's main rivals, setting the El Morocco nightclub in New York as his unofficial headquarters against Winchell's seat of power at the nearby Stork Club. Sullivan continued writing for The News throughout his broadcasting career and his popularity long outlived that of Winchell.

Television[link]

Sullivan with Cole Porter on Toast of the Town in 1952.

In 1948, the CBS network hired Sullivan to do a weekly Sunday night TV variety show, Toast of the Town, which later became The Ed Sullivan Show. Debuting in June 1948, the show was broadcast from CBS Studio 50, at 1697 Broadway (at 53rd Street) in New York City, which in 1967 was renamed the Ed Sullivan Theater (and is now the home of The Late Show with David Letterman).^[6]

Television critics gave the new show and its host poor reviews.^[7] Harriet Van Horne alleged that "he got where he is not by having a personality, but by having no personality." (The host wrote to the critic, "Dear Miss Van Horne: You bitch. Sincerely, Ed Sullivan."^[8]) Sullivan had little acting ability; in 1967, 20 years after his show's debut, Time magazine asked "What exactly is Ed Sullivan's talent?"^[8] His mannerisms on camera were so awkward that some viewers believed the host suffered from Bell's palsy.^[8] Time in 1955 stated that Sullivan resembled

a cigar-store Indian, the Cardiff Giant and a stone-faced monument just off the boat from Easter Island. He moves like a sleepwalker; his smile is that of a man sucking a lemon; his speech is frequently lost in a thicket of syntax; his eyes pop from their sockets or sink so deep in their bags that they seem to be peering up at the camera from the bottom of twin wells.^[7]

The magazine concluded, however, that "Yet, instead of frightening children, Ed Sullivan charms the whole family."^[7] Sullivan appeared to the audience as an average guy who brought the great acts of show business to their home televisions. ("Ed Sullivan will last", comedian Fred Allen said, "as long as someone else has talent",^[7] and frequent guest Alan King said "Ed does nothing, but he does it better than anyone else in television."^[8]) He had a newspaperman's instinct for what the public wanted, and programmed his variety hours with remarkable balance. There was something for everyone.^[7] A typical show would feature a vaudeville act (acrobats, jugglers, magicians, etc.), one or two popular comedians, a singing star, a hot jukebox favorite, a figure from the legitimate theater, and for the kids, a visit with puppet "Topo Gigio, the little Italian mouse." The bill was often international in scope, with many European performers augmenting the American artists.^[8]

Sullivan had a healthy sense of humor about himself and permitted—even encouraged—impersonators such as John Byner, Frank Gorshin, Rich Little and especially Will Jordan to imitate him on his show. Johnny Carson also did a fair impression, and even Joan Rivers imitated Sullivan's unique posture. The impressionists exaggerated his stiffness, raised shoulders, and nasal tenor phrasing, along with some of his commonly used introductions, such as "And now, right here on our stage...", "For all you youngsters out there...", and "a really big shew" (his pronunciation of the word "show"). Will Jordan portrayed Sullivan in the films I Wanna Hold Your Hand, The Buddy Holly Story, The Doors, Mr. Saturday Night, Down with Love, and in the 1979 TV movie Elvis.^[9]

In 1963, Ed Sullivan appeared as himself in the film Bye Bye Birdie.

Sullivan, the starmaker[link]

Ed Sullivan congratulates Izhak Perlman after a concert at Tel-Aviv, in 1958.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Sullivan was a respected starmaker because of the number of performers that became household names after appearing on the show. He had a knack for identifying and promoting top talent and paid a great deal of money to secure that talent for his show.

When Elvis Presley became popular, Sullivan was wary of the singer's bad-boy style and said that he would never invite Presley on his program. However, Presley became too big a name to ignore, and Sullivan scheduled him to appear on September 8, 1956. In August, however, Sullivan was injured in an automobile accident that occurred near his country home in Southbury, Connecticut. Sullivan had to take a medical leave from the series and missed the Elvis Presley show. Charles Laughton wound up introducing Presley on the Sullivan hour.^[10] After Sullivan got to know Presley personally, he made amends by telling his audience, "This is a real decent, fine boy."^[11]

Sullivan's failure to scoop the TV industry with Presley made him determined to get the next big sensation first. In 1964, he achieved that with the first live American appearance of The Beatles, on February 9, 1964, the most-watched program in TV history to that point and still one of the most-watched programs of all time.^[12] The Beatles appeared three more times on the Sullivan show in person, and submitted filmed performances later. Sullivan struck up such a rapport with the Beatles that he agreed to introduce them at their momentous Shea Stadium concert on August 15, 1965. The Dave Clark Five, heavily promoted as having a "cleaner" image than the Beatles, made 13 appearances on the Sullivan show, more than any other UK group.

Unlike many shows of the time, Sullivan asked that most musical acts perform their music live, rather than lip-synching to their recordings. Some of these performances have recently been issued on CD.^[13] Examination of performances show that exceptions were made, as when a microphone could not be placed close enough to a performer for technical reasons. An example was B.J. Thomas' 1969 performance of "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", in which actual water was sprinkled on him as a special effect. In 1969, Sullivan presented the Jackson 5 with their first single "I Want You Back", which ousted the B. J. Thomas song from the top spot of Billboard's pop charts.

Sullivan, shown here dressed up in a clown suit, hosted the 1972 special Clownaround.

Sullivan appreciated African American talent. He paid for the funeral of dancer Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson out of his own pocket. He also defied pressure to exclude African American musicians from appearing on his show. One of Sullivan's favorite and most frequent acts was The Supremes, who appeared 17 times on the show, helping to pave the way for other Motown acts to appear on the show such as The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Martha and the Vandellas.

At a time when television had not yet embraced country and Western music, Sullivan was adamant about featuring Nashville performers on his program. This insistence paved the way for shows such as Hee Haw and variety shows hosted by country singers like Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell.

The act that appeared most frequently through the show's run was the Canadian comedy duo of Wayne & Shuster, making 67 appearances between 1958 and 1969.

Sullivan also appeared as himself on other television programs, including an April 1958 episode of the Howard Duff and Ida Lupino CBS sitcom, Mr. Adams and Eve. On September 14, 1958 Sullivan appeared on What's My Line? as a mystery guest, and showed his comedic side by donning a rubber mask. In 1961, Sullivan was asked by CBS to fill in for an ailing Red Skelton on The Red Skelton Show. Sullivan took Skelton's roles in the various comedy sketches; Skelton's hobo character "Freddie the Freeloader" was renamed "Eddie the Freeloader."

Personality[link]

There was another side to Sullivan: he could be very quick to take offense if he felt he had been crossed, and could hold a grudge for a long time. This could sometimes be seen as a part of his TV personality. Jackie Mason, Bo Diddley, Buddy Holly, and The Doors became intimately familiar with Sullivan's negative side.

On November 20, 1955, Bo Diddley was asked by Sullivan to sing Tennessee Ernie Ford's hit "Sixteen Tons". Diddley sensed the choice of song would end his career then and there, and instead sang his #1 hit "Bo Diddley". He was banned from the show.

Buddy Holly and the Crickets had first appeared on the Sullivan show in 1957, singing two songs and making a favorable impression on Sullivan. He invited the band to make another appearance in January 1958. Sullivan thought their record hit "Oh, Boy!" was too raucous and ordered Holly to substitute another song. Holly had already told his hometown friends in Texas that he would be singing "Oh, Boy!" for them, and told Sullivan as much. Sullivan was unaccustomed to having his instructions disobeyed. When the band was summoned to the rehearsal stage on short notice, only Holly was in their dressing room. Sullivan said, "I guess The Crickets are not too excited to be on The Ed Sullivan Show," to which Holly, still annoyed by Sullivan's attitude, replied, "I hope they're damn more excited than I am." Sullivan, already bothered by the choice of songs, was now even angrier. He cut the Crickets' act from two songs to one, and when introducing them mispronounced Holly's name, so it came out vaguely as "Buddy Hollett." In addition, Sullivan saw to it that the microphone for Holly's electric guitar was turned off. Holly tried to compensate by singing as loudly as he could. The band was received so well that Sullivan was forced to invite them back for a third appearance. Holly's response was that Sullivan did not have enough money. Footage of the performance survives; photographs taken that day show Sullivan looking angry and Holly smirking and perhaps ignoring Sullivan.

In 1963, Bob Dylan was set to appear on the show, but network censors rejected the song he wanted to perform, "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues", as potentially libelous to the John Birch Society. Refusing to perform a different song, Dylan walked off the set at dress rehearsal. Sullivan, who had approved the song at a previous rehearsal, backed Dylan's decision. The incident resulted in accusations against the network of engaging in censorship. This was not the first incident of apparent network censorship on Sullivan's show. In 1956, Sullivan flew to Europe and was able to film an interview with Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, and Helen Hayes on the set of the film Anastasia. When he arrived home, Sullivan learned he would not be able to air the Bergman material from it.^[10]

Jackie Mason was banned from the series in October 1964 (the ban was removed a year and a half later, and Mason made his final appearance on the show). During a taping of Mason's monologue Sullivan, off camera, gestured that Mason should wrap things up, as the show was suddenly shown live following an abbreviated address by President Lyndon Johnson, which was expected to preempt the entire show.^[14] The nervous Mason told the audience, "I'm getting two fingers here!" and made his own frantic hand gesture: "Here's a finger for you!" Videotapes of the incident are inconclusive as to whether Mason's upswept hand was intended to be an indecent gesture, but Sullivan's body language immediately afterward made it clear that he was convinced of it, despite Mason's panic-stricken denials later.^[15] Sullivan later invited Mason back for a return engagement, but the notoriety of the "finger" incident lingered with the studio audience.

When The Byrds performed on December 12, 1965, David Crosby got into a shouting match with the show's director. They were never asked to return.^[16][17]

On January 15, 1967 The Rolling Stones were told to change the chorus of "Let's Spend the Night Together" to "Let's spend some time together". Lead singer Mick Jagger complied, but deliberately called attention to this censorship by rolling his eyes and mugging when he uttered the new words.^[18] Shortly, after the performance, the Stones went backstage, and came back on stage, dressed in Nazi uniforms with swastikas, which caused an angry Sullivan to tell them to go back to their dressing rooms and change back into their performing outfits, however, the Stones left the studio and Sullivan banned the group from ever appearing on his show again.^{[19][Full citation needed][page needed]} Nonetheless, the Stones appeared on the show one final time on November 23, 1969.^[20]

The Doors were banned on September 17, 1967 after they were asked to remove the lyric "Girl, we couldn't get much higher" from their song "Light My Fire" (CBS censors believed that it was too overt a reference to drug use). The band was asked to change the lyric to "girl we couldn't get much better". Morrison sang the original lyric.^[21]

Moe Howard of the Three Stooges recalled in 1975 that Sullivan had a memory problem of sorts: "Ed was a very nice man, but for a showman, quite forgetful. On our first appearance, he introduced us as the Three Ritz Brothers. He got out of it by adding, 'who look more like the Three Stooges to me'."^[22] Joe DeRita, who worked with the Stooges after 1959, had commented that Sullivan had a personality "like the bottom of a bird cage."^[23]

Diana Ross later recalled Sullivan's forgetfulness during the many occasions The Supremes performed on his show. In a 1995 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman (which is filmed in Ed Sullivan Theater), Ross stated, "he could never remember our names. He called us 'the girls'." ^[24][25]

In a 1990 press conference Paul McCartney recalled meeting Sullivan again in the early 1970s. Sullivan apparently had no idea who McCartney was. McCartney tried to remind Sullivan that he was one of The Beatles but Sullivan obviously could not remember and, nodding and smiling, simply shook McCartney's hand and left.

Politics[link]

Sullivan, like many American entertainers, was pulled into the Cold War fervor of the late 1940s and 1950s. In 1949, Sullivan booked dancer Paul Draper to appear on Toast of the Town. However, Draper’s scheduled appearance in January 1950 was met with opposition from Hester McCullough, a woman who involved herself in the hunt for subversives. McCullough accused Draper of sympathizing with the communist party, and although Draper denied the accusation, McCullough demanded that Sullivan’s lead sponsor, the Ford Motor Company, cancel Draper’s appearance. Despite McCullough’s protest, Draper was a guest on Toast of the Town, as was originally scheduled. After the program was broadcast, Ford received over a thousand angry letters and telegraphs in response to Draper’s appearance. Consequently, Sullivan was obligated to write a letter of apology to Ford’s advertising agency, Kenyon & Eckhardt, promising to never again move forward with such a controversial guest. Meanwhile, Draper was forced to move to Europe to earn a living.^[26]

Another guest who never appeared on the show because of the controversy surrounding him was legendary African-American singer-actor Paul Robeson, who, at the time of the Draper incident, was undergoing his own troubles with the industry's hunt for supposed Communist sympathizers.

After the Draper incident, Sullivan began to work closely with Theodore Kirkpatrick of the anti-communist Counterattack newsletter. Sullivan would check with Kirkpatrick if a potential guest had some "explaining to do" about his politics. Sullivan wrote in his June 21, 1950 New York Daily News column that "Kirkpatrick has sat in my living room on several occasions and listened attentively to performers eager to secure a certification of loyalty."^[27] Jerome Robbins, in his PBS American Experience biography, claimed that he was forced to capitulate to the House Un-American Activities Committee, identifying eight Communist sympathizers and disgracing himself among his fellow artists, allegedly because Sullivan threatened to reveal Robbins's homosexuality to the public.

Later years and death[link]

In the fall of 1965, CBS began televising the weekly programs in color. Although the Sullivan show was seen live in the Central and Eastern time zones, it was taped for airing in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. Most of the taped programs (as well as some early kinescopes) were preserved, and excerpts have been released on home video.

By 1971, the show's ratings had plummeted. In an effort to refresh their lineup, CBS cancelled the program along with some of its other longtime shows. Sullivan was angered by this so greatly that he refused to do a final show, although he remained with the network in various other capacities and hosted a 25th anniversary special in 1973.

In early September 1974, X-rays revealed that Sullivan had advanced esophageal cancer. Only his family was told, however, and as the doctors gave Sullivan very little time, the family chose to keep the diagnosis from him. Sullivan, still believing his ailment to be yet another complication from a long-standing battle with ulcers, died five weeks later, on October 13, 1974, at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital.^[28] His funeral was attended by 3,000 at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York on a cold, rainy day. Sullivan is interred in a crypt at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.

Personal life[link]

Sullivan was engaged to champion swimmer Sybil Bauer, but she died of cancer in 1927 at the age of 23.^[29] He was married to the former Sylvia Weinstein from April 28, 1930, until her death on March 16, 1973. They had one daughter, Betty Sullivan (who married the Ed Sullivan Show's producer, Bob Precht). Sullivan was in the habit of calling Sylvia after every program to get her immediate critique.

Sullivan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6101 Hollywood Blvd.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Leonard, John, The Ed Sullivan Age, American Heritage, May/June 1997, Volume 48, Issue 3
• Nachman, Gerald, Ed Sullivan, December 18, 2006.
• Maguire, James, Impresario: The Life and Times of Ed Sullivan, Billboard Books, 2006
• Bowles, Jerry, A Thousand Sundays: The Story of the Ed Sullivan Show, Putnam, 1980
• Barthelme, Donald, "And Now Let's Hear It for the Ed Sullivan Show!" in Guilty Pleasures, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1974

External links[link]

Biography portal

• The Official Ed Sullivan Show Website
• Ed Sullivan at the Internet Movie Database
• Ed Sullivan at TVGuide.com
• Overview of Ed Sullivan's life
• The Ed Sullivan Show – Rock 'n' Roll Classics

Gilbert O'Sullivan
Gilbert O'Sullivan in concert in Tel Aviv on 23 May 2009
Background information
Birth name	Raymond Edward O'Sullivan
Born	(1946-12-01) 1 December 1946 (age 65) Waterford, Ireland
Origin	Swindon, England
Genres	Pop, soft rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, pianist
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active	1967–present
Labels	Bygum Records MAM Records
Website	Official website

Gilbert O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) is an Irish-English singer-songwriter, best known for his early 1970s hits "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Clair" and "Get Down".^[1] The music magazine Record Mirror voted him the No. 1 UK male singer of 1972.^[2]

Worldwide he has charted 16 top 40 discs; including six number one songs, the first of which was 1970's "Nothing Rhymed" (for further information see Gilbert O'Sullivan discography). His most successful recording period was between 1970 and 1980, though he has since recorded nine studio albums up to 2011's "Gilbertville". Speaking in 2009 he said; "I write pop songs. End of story. That's all I wanted to do. That's all I want to do. And that's all I continue to want to do. I have no interest in just touring, and living in the past."^[3]

Early life[link]

O'Sullivan was born Raymond Edward O'Sullivan in Waterford, Ireland.^[4] In 1960, aged 13, his family moved to Swindon, Wiltshire, England. He attended St Joseph's and the Swindon College of Art, where he briefly played drums in a band called Rick's Blues, founded by Rick Davies (who later founded Supertramp) and where he developed his lifelong interests in music and art.^[5] According to a 1972 interview with O'Sullivan, Davies taught him how to play both drums and piano.^[6] Other semi-professional bands he played with while at college include The Doodles and The Prefects.^[5]

Music career[link]

In 1967, O'Sullivan was signed to a five-year contract with April Music, CBS Records' house publishing company, by the general manager Barbara Hayes. He was paid an advance of £12 with which he bought a piano. He was signed to CBS Records by the A&R manager Mike Smith (The Tremeloes and the Love Affair) and renamed 'Gilbert O'Sullivan', a play on words of Gilbert and Sullivan.

After two unsuccessful singles with CBS, "What Can I Do?" and "Mr. Moody's Garden", and one with the Irish record label, Major Minor, O'Sullivan sent some demo tapes to Gordon Mills, the manager of Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, whereupon O'Sullivan was signed to Mills' label, MAM Records.^[4] O'Sullivan's self-created eye-catching visual image comprised a pudding basin haircut, cloth cap and short trousers. Mills reportedly hated the image, but O'Sullivan insisted on using it initially,^{[citation needed]} until he assumed a more modern 'college-like' look in which he often wore a sweater bearing a large letter 'G'.^[4]

Early success[link]

At the end of 1970, O'Sullivan achieved his first UK Top 10 hit with "Nothing Rhymed",^[2] which also reached No. 1 in the Netherlands. Subsequent hits including "Underneath The Blanket Go" which also reached No. 1 in the Netherlands, "We Will" and "No Matter How I Try" followed, and in 1971 O'Sullivan issued his debut album, Himself.^[4]

In 1972, O'Sullivan reached international stardom with the self-penned ballad, "Alone Again (Naturally)", which reached No. 3 in UK; No. 1 in the U.S., spending six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and selling nearly two million copies; No. 2 in New Zealand (11 weeks on the charts in total); No. 1 in Canada for 2 weeks (13 weeks in the Top 40);^[7] and No. 1 in Japan (21 weeks on the chart). The song earned O'Sullivan his first gold disc.^[5]. The guitar solo was played by Big Jim Sullivan.

O'Sullivan followed this success with the songs "Clair" (1972, from the album Back To Front), which reached No. 2 in the United States on the Hot 100 and No. 1 in Canada (14 weeks in the Canadian Top 40);^[7] "Out of the Question" (also from Back To Front), which reached No. 14 in Canada;^[7] and "Get Down" (1973, from the album I'm A Writer Not A Fighter), which reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 7 in both the U.S. and Canada.^[2][7] Following "Alone Again (Naturally)" and "Clair", "Get Down" was his third million-seller, with the R.I.A.A gold disc award presented on 18 September 1973.^[5] His disc sales exceeded ten million in 1972, and made him the top star of the year.^[5] The success led to him taking part in the BBC's anniversary programme Fifty Years Of Music in November 1972.

In 1973, O'Sullivan was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Alone Again (Naturally)" in the Song of the Year and Record of the Year categories.

MAM Records[link]

O'Sullivan enjoyed nearly five years of success with MAM, a run that included seven UK Top 10 singles and four UK Top 10 albums; three U.S. Top 10 singles and one top 10 album; five Dutch Top 10 singles and three Top 10 albums; five New Zealand Top 10 singles; three Canadian Top 10 singles; and seven Japan Top 10 singles.^[8]

O'Sullivan's singles like "Ooh Baby" and "Happiness Is Me and You" continued to reach the charts, but sold increasingly fewer copies. After 1973, his overseas popularity essentially ceased altogether.^[4] At home, he notched his final Top 20 hit in over five years, with June 1975's "I Don't Love You But I Think I Like You".^[2][4]

Things turned more sour when he discovered his recording contract with MAM Records greatly favoured the label's owner, Gordon Mills. A lawsuit followed, with prolonged argument over how much money his songs had earned and how much of that money he had actually received.^[9] Eventually, in May 1982, the court found in O'Sullivan's favour, describing him as a "patently honest and decent man", who had not received a just proportion of the vast income his songs had generated.^[9] They awarded him £7 million in damages (worth £20 million at 2011 prices). He had won, but the court battle had put his recording career on hold.

Later career[link]

The first single, "What's In A Kiss?", reached No. 19 in the UK in 1980 and No. 21 in Japan.^[8] It was his first UK Top 20 hit in five years. Following this release, and due in part to the then-ongoing MAM court case, O'Sullivan released no new material between 1983 and 1986.^[4] Apart from the single "So What ?" in 1990 and a compilation album in 1991 Nothing But The Best, O'Sullivan was absent from the charts until another compilation album, The Berry Vest of Gilbert O'Sullivan, returned him to the UK Top 20 in 2004.^[2]

O'Sullivan is also noted for his role in bringing about the practice of clearing samples in hip hop music as a result of the 1991 court case, Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records, Inc.,^[10] in which he sued rapper Biz Markie over the rights to use a sample of his song "Alone Again (Naturally)".^[4]

O'Sullivan has continued to record and perform into the 21st century. He enjoys particular acclaim in Japan.^[4] His album A Scruff At Heart was released in 2007, featuring "Just So You Know". On 14 July 2008, O'Sullivan released "Never Say Di". He appeared at the 2008 Glastonbury Festival, and played London's Royal Albert Hall on 26 October 2009. On 26 August 2010 O'Sullivan announced that he had joined Hypertension, a record company that also holds Leo Sayer, Chris DeBurgh, Fleetwood Mac and Gerry Rafferty.

His latest album Gilbertville was released on 31 January 2011; it features "All They Wanted To Say", which deals with 9/11, and his most recent single "Where Would We Be (Without Tea)?". On 19 July 2011 O'Sullivan played live on the BBC Radio 2 Ken Bruce Show.^[11] On 26 August the Documentary "Out On His Own" was broadcasted by BBC4 (before by Irish RTE). In March 2012, the compilation "Gilbert O'Sullivan : The Very Best Of - A Singer & His Songs" entered the UK album charts at No.12.

Personal life[link]

In 1980, O'Sullivan married his Norwegian girlfriend, Aase. Later that year the first of their two daughters was born. That same year, after a five-year hiatus, he returned to his old record label, CBS.

Discography[link]

Contemporary usage of his songs[link]

• "Alone Again (Naturally)" was used in the second series of Life on Mars, while "Get Down" was also used in the American version of the show. "Alone Again (Naturally)" was used in "The Wettest Stories Ever Told" episode of The Simpsons. "Alone Again (Naturally)" was used in the films Summer Time Machine Blues, Stuck on You, I Could Never Be Your Woman, Stuart Little 2, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Megamind, and The Virgin Suicides while "Nothing Rhymed" was featured on the soundtrack of and Anita and Me.
• "Nothing Rhymed" was used at the start of the second series finale of Consolevania, played over an archive new reel montage of an alternate history of the 20th century. The same song was a hit in Italy in 1971, performed by the local group, I Profeti, with the title translated into "Era bella" ("She was Beautiful").
• The Japanese television version of the anime series Maison Ikkoku used "Alone Again (Naturally)" and "Get Down" for the opening and ending sequences respectively in episode 24.
• A cover of the song "Nothing Rhymed" was performed by Burton Cummings on his 1975 debut solo album.
• "Gilbert O'Sullivan" is the title of a song by The Uncle Devil Show on their album, A Terrible Beauty.
• The Dublin based band, Aslan, covered "Nothing Rhymed" on their 2009 album, Uncased.
• A cover of the song "Nothing Rhymed" was performed by Morrissey on his 2002 tour.
• Alone Again (Naturally) was used as the opening of the Japanese drama "Home Drama".

See also[link]

• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart
• List of performers on Top of the Pops
• List of stage names
• List of Irish people

References[link]

External links[link]

• Gilbert O'Sullivan at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Gilbert O'Sullivan page
• Biography at Allmusic

Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Sullivan in 2009.
Background information
Born	(1987-04-09) April 9, 1987 (age 25) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	R&B, soul, pop
Occupations	Recording artist, actress
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2003—present
Labels	J Records, Arista, RCA Puppy Love
Website	JazmineSullivanMusic.com

Jazmine Marie Sullivan (born April 9, 1987) is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four. Elements of reggae, dub, pop, jazz, Neo soul and doo-wop can be heard in her work. Jazmine cites singers Kim Burrell, Lauryn Hill, Brandy, Dorinda Clark Cole, Lady Saw, and Changing Faces as her biggest influences and inspirations.^[1]

Early life[link]

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Jazmine Sullivan grew up the middle sister La'Vita between an older brother Donnell and younger brother Andre. Her mother Pam is a former backup singer for Philadelphia International Records. When she was 5 years old, her father landed a position as a curator for the city's Historic Strawberry Mansion in the Strawberry Mansion section, and her family moved into the historical landmark. Sullivan struggled to assimilate at school. She is a 2005 graduate of the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts where she was a vocal music major.^[2] Sullivan began singing with her pressed Dramatic Contralto in the children’s choir, then a few years later in the adult choir . Sullivan’s exposure to secular music was initially limited, "I was doing solos in church and someone wanted me to sign to a gospel label when I was eleven but I wasn’t ready to do that," she recalls. "Then when McDonald’s had a competition for kids in major cities, I got a chance to perform 'Accept What God Allows' on It's Showtime at the Apollo and the audience responded really well".^[3] She sang with Stevie Wonder at his grandson's birthday at the age of 13. Sullivan was initially signed to Jive Records at the age 16. There, she recorded an entire album titled Break My Little Heart, but the album was never released and Sullivan was dropped from the label. She maintained a working relationship with Missy Elliott, who had produced some of the tracks for Heart, and continued writing songs until she landed her current deal at J Records.

Music career[link]

Songwriting and Career Beginnings (2004—present)[link]

Before releasing her debut album, a song that Jazmine had written and recorded with producers Cool & Dre titled "Say I" was given to Dre's then-girlfriend Christina Milian for her third album, So Amazin'. The song became the lead single, peaking at #13 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as well as #21 on the Hot 100. After achieving her own success (she co-wrote her entire debut), Jazmine went on to pen songs for Jennifer Hudson, Monica and Fantasia Barrino.

[edit] 2008-2009: Fearless

Sullivan first appeared on the music mainstream scene with her debut single "Need U Bad", released in May 2008. The song, which featured additional vocals by Missy Elliott and Sandy "Pepa" Denton of Salt-n-Pepa fame, went to number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and also peaked at number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100. Sullivan's debut album Fearless was released on September 23, 2008. Sullivan wrote every song on the album, and she served as a producer alongside Missy Elliott, Salaam Remi and Peter Edge. The album received production from Elliott, Remi, Stargate, Carvin & Ivan, Jack Splash, and Fisticuffs. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and debuted at number six on the Billboard 200. The album is nearing an RIAA Gold certification, as the album has sold 510,000 records in the US so far. Sullivan followed up her successful debut single with the second single from Fearless, "Bust Your Windows", which was released in September 2008 and reached number four on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number thirty-one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her most successful single on that chart to date. "Bust Your Windows" was also nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Song, though it did not win the award. "Lions, Tigers & Bears" was released as the album's third single in December 2008. It scored her third consecutive top ten on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, reaching number ten on that chart, and garnered some mainstream success by reaching number seventy-four on the Billboard Hot 100. Sullivan later pursued success in the UK when she released "Dream Big" as her first official UK single in February 2009, though it failed to chart there. The song was later released as the fourth US single from the album in April 2009, but also failed to chart there. The album's fifth and final single, "In Love with Another Man", was released in August 2009 and was only moderately successful by reaching number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. A sixth single, "Switch!", was going to be released in November 2009, though its release was later canceled. Sullivan was featured on a song entitled "Smoking Gun" with Jadakiss on his 2009 album The Last Kiss. She was also a supporting act for R&B singer Maxwell on his highly successful 2008 U.S. tour and was the opening act for Ne-Yo's 2009 Year of the Gentleman Tour. She additionally appeared on Ace Hood's second album, Ruthless, on a song called "Champion". She also participated in the Essence Music Festival in June 2009 and headlined a few dates leading up to her Essence Festival performance with support from R&B singer/producer Ryan Leslie. In 2009, Sullivan appeared in commercials for Cotton Incorporated. Additionally, Sullivan made a guest appearance on Snoop Dogg's tenth studio album Malice n Wonderland on the song "Different Languages".

[edit] 2009-11: Love Me Back

Sullivan began working on her second album in 2009.^[4] Producers contributing to the album included Ne-Yo, Los da Mystro, Ryan Leslie, Lamb, Missy Elliott^[5] and Salaam Remi,^{[citation needed]} who produced the majority of Fearless. Songs recorded for the album include "Blow", "Don't Make Me Wait" (a tribute to Prince), and a reported sequel to "Bust Your Windows" titled "You Get On My Nerves", which was co-written by Ne-Yo.^[5] Love Me Back, Sullivan's second album, was released on November 30, 2010.^[4] The album was completed in June 2010. The album has been preceded by the lead single, "Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)", which was released on July 10, 2010. The single has reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album's second single, "10 Seconds", was released to radio airplay in late September, and has since then peaked at a position of 31 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song was at first to be released on October 25, but was released on November 22 ; the music video for the single was released on November 12. In early December 2010, Billboard honoured Sullivan as the 'Rising Star' for 2010.^[6]

2011-Present: New studio Album[link]

Currently, Jazmine is working on her 3rd studio album.^[7]

On October 7, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding J Records along with Arista Records and Jive Records. With the shutdown, Sullivan (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release her future material on the RCA Records brand.^[8][9]

Discography[link]

• 2008: Fearless
• 2010: Love Me Back
• 2013: TBA

Awards/Nominations[link]

• BET Awards
  • 2009, Best Female R&B Artist (Nominated)
  • 2009, Best New Artist (Nominated)
  • 2009, BET Centric Award (Winner)

• Grammy Awards
  • 2009, Best New Artist (Nominated)
  • 2009, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Need U Bad" (Nominated)
  • 2009, Best R&B Contemporary Album: "Fearless" (Nominated)
  • 2009, Best R&B Song: "Bust Your Windows" (Nominated)
  • 2009, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: "In Love With Another Man" (Nominated)
  • 2010, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Lions, Tigers & Bears (Nominated)
  • 2010, Best R&B Song: Lions, Tigers & Bears (Nominated)
  • 2011, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)" (Nominated)

• Image Awards
  • 2009, Outstanding New Artist (Nominated)

• Soul Train Awards
  • 2009, Best New Artist (Nominated)
  • 2009, Best R&B Song, Lions, Tigers and Bears (Nominated)

• ASCAP Award
  • 2011, R&B/Hip Hop Song, "Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)" (Winner)

Filmography[link]

• The Ellen Degeneres Show' (2008) Herself
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2008) (TV series) - Herself
• "106 & Park" (2008) (TV series) - Herself
• "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (2009) (TV series) - Herself
• "Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2009) (TV series) - Herself^[10]
• "Good Morning America" (2009) (TV series) - Herself
• Red Tails (2012) - Deborah "Love Bunny" Gannett

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jazmine Sullivan

• Official website
• Jazmine Sullivan interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' September 2009
• Allmusic page
• Music Review - Jazmine Sullivan - Singing That Sweet Soul Music at S.O.B.’s at New York Times
• Myspace page