Ian MacCormick (pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both Revolution in the Head, his forensic history of The Beatles which borrowed techniques from art historians, and The New Shostakovich, a study of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. MacDonald was instrumental in popularising Nick Drake during the late 1970s and early 1980, a period during which Drake was largely forgotten.

Biography[link]

MacDonald briefly attended King's College, Cambridge, at first to study English, but he later transferred to Archaeology and Anthropology.^[1] He dropped out after a year. While at Cambridge, he was distantly acquainted with the singer/songwriter Nick Drake. From 1972 to 1975 he served as assistant editor at the NME. McDonald began a songwriting collaboration as lyricist with Quiet Sun, which included his brother Bill MacCormick and future Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera. The collaboration resumed in the late 1970s, with MacDonald providing lyrics for the album Listen Now. Later, Brian Eno assisted MacDonald in producing Sub Rosa, an album of his songs released on Manzanera's label.

In his 1994 Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties, MacDonald carefully anatomised each recording by The Beatles, examining the broad themes and sources of inspiration. The book contains detailed song-by-song analysis, but and is often objective and critical. Broad access to the original Beatles master tapes was allowed during the research phase, and this coupled with his forensic writing style has led to a broad agreement that Revolution in the Head is the definitive treatise on the Beatles' music.

The book also includes his essay "Fabled Foursome, Disappearing Decade", an analysis of the social and cultural changes of the 1960s and their after-effects. The entries about the Beatles' singles that topped the singles chart were released in a separate book in 2002. The edit featured a new, shorter introduction, and only featured the essays on the songs on The Beatles' chart-topping album, 1.

MacDonald wrote widely on classical music. His The New Shostakovich was one of the most talked-about classical books of the 1990s. It was the first western book that attempted to put the works of the great Russian composer in their political and social context. MacDonald's insistence on creating a cinematic scenario for every major piece—a satire on Soviet brutality and Stalinism—polarised opinion sharply. Some rated his interpretations fanciful and musicologically worthless, while others believed they held some subjective truth. MacDonald was a regular reviewer for the UK magazine Classic CD, and was known for his passionate and opinionated views on twentieth-century music.

The success of Revolution in the Head motivated him to resume popular music writing and he began contributing to Mojo and Uncut music magazines. The People's Music, an anthology of these writings, was published in July 2003 just weeks before his death. He had been working on a book entitled Birds, Beasts & Fishes: A Guide to Animal Lore and Symbolism and another about David Bowie. Neither of these has been published.

Death[link]

In August 2003, MacDonald committed suicide at his Gloucestershire home following a lengthy period of clinical depression.^[1] He was 54. Before killing himself, he had posted a note on his front door to call the police. MacDonald's body was cremated and his ashes were given to either a family member or a friend.

The track "Wish You Well" on Phil Manzanera's album 6PM is a tribute to MacDonald.

Publications[link]

• Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties. ISBN 1-84413-828-3
• The New Shostakovich (1990). ISBN 0-19-284026-6 (reprinted & updated in 2006)
• The People's Music (2003)

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Guardian Obituary
• MacDonald's essay on Nick Drake
• Comments on MacDonald's 1973 Krautrock articles in NME
• Music under Soviet Rule : Shostakovichiana, a website he maintained full of Shostakovich information and trivia

Ian McDonald may refer to:

• Ian McDonald (cricketer) (born 1923), Australian first-class cricketer
• Ian McDonald (musician) (born 1946), member of King Crimson, 1969–70, and Foreigner, 1977–79
• Iain Matthews (born 1946), previously known as Ian McDonald, member of Fairport Convention
• Ian McDonald (footballer) (born 1953), English football player
• Ian McDonald (Scottish footballer), played for Hibernian, Stenhousemuir and Clyde, see 1997–98 Hibernian F.C. season
• Ian McDonald (Guyanese writer) (born 1933)
• Ian McDonald (British author) (born 1960)
• Ian Donald Roy McDonald (1898–1920), World War I flying ace

Ian MacDonald may refer to:

• Ian MacDonald (1948–2003), pen-name for British music critic Ian MacCormick
• Ian MacDonald (footballer) (born 1953), Scottish footballer
• Ian MacDonald (oceanographer), American Biological Oceanographer, Florida State University
• Ian MacDonald (actor) (1914–1978), American actor and producer
• Ian MacDonald (politician), former public school teacher and former Mayor of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
• Ian Macdonald (Australian politician) (born 1945), Australian federal politician
• Ian Macdonald (New South Wales politician), former Australian state politician
• Ian G. Macdonald (born 1928), British mathematician
• L. Ian MacDonald (born 1947), Canadian writer, broadcaster, and diplomat
• H. Ian Macdonald (born 1929), Canadian economist, civil servant, and President of York University, 1974–1984

Iain MacDonald may refer to:

• Iain Fraoch MacDonald (d. 1368), founder of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe
• Iain B. MacDonald, British television director

Iain McDonald may refer to:

• Iain McDonald (born 1952), Scottish former footballer

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

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. (October 2007)

John Wetton
John Wetton playing bass live
Background information
Birth name	John Kenneth Wetton
Born	(1949-06-12) 12 June 1949 (age 63) Willington, Derby, England
Genres	Progressive rock, hard rock, pop rock, jazz fusion
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, producer
Instruments	Bass, vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active	1965–present
Labels	E.G. Records Mesa Records Eclipse Records Eagle Records Avalon Records Giant Electric Pea Frontiers Records Voiceprint Records
Associated acts	Mogul Thrash, Family, King Crimson, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, UK, Jack-Knife, Wishbone Ash, Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash, Asia, Phenomena, Renaissance, Qango, Brian Eno
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Fender Precision Bass Zon Legacy

John Kenneth Wetton (born 12 June 1949) is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s. He initially rose to fame in progressive rock with bands such as Mogul Thrash, Family, King Crimson, Roxy Music/Bryan Ferry, Uriah Heep, UK, Jack-Knife, and Wishbone Ash. His biggest commercial success was as the frontman and principal songwriter of the supergroup Asia. Their self-titled debut album sold 8 million copies worldwide and was Billboard magazine's #1 album of 1982.

Career[link]

Wetton first cut his musical teeth on church music at his family’s piano. He often played the bass parts to help his brother rehearse tunes for services, an experience that led to his love of bass melodies. In his teens, Wetton focused those melodies on the bass guitar and honed his skills by playing and singing with local bands. He also started songwriting with an early bandmate, Richard Palmer-James, a relationship that would continue through five decades.

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this section if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (July 2008)

Wetton achieved his bass guitar sound utilising a 1961 Fender Precision Bass, amplified through tubes. This style and approach was particularly evident during his stint with King Crimson from 1972 until 1974. Known initially for his bass guitar sound, Wetton's vocal and songwriting abilities garnered attention with his work in the band Asia in the early 1980s. Recorded highlights of Wetton's career include King Crimson's Larks' Tongues In Aspic (1973), Starless and Bible Black (1974), Red (1974), UK's self-titled debut (1978) (reuniting the King Crimson rhythm section of Wetton and Bill Bruford) Jack-Knife's I Wish You Would (1979) a one-off recording project and Asia's self-titled debut (1982), the last being the biggest seller of his career. In 1986 he also contributed to Phenomena II and had a #1 hit with the single "Did It All For Love" in South America. Since the early 1990s, Wetton has released several solo albums, including studio albums Voice Mail/Battle Lines, Arkangel, Sinister/Welcome to Heaven and Rock of Faith, and a number of live recordings from his solo tours around the world. Wetton also created the Icon project with fellow Asia bandmate Geoff Downes. The duo have recorded three studio albums of original material (ICON, ICON II/Rubicon and Icon 3) and live releases.

Wetton has done extensive work as a session musician with acts such as Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry and Phil Manzanera.^[1] Through his connection with George Martin, Wetton also played bass on Only Visiting This Planet by Larry Norman, recorded in 1972 and produced by Martin. The album has been voted "The Best Contemporary Christian Album of All Time" by Contemporary Christian Music magazine.^[2] He also played bass on the 1973 Malcolm and Alwyn gospel beat music album Fool's Wisdom, another Larry Norman connection.

Wetton rejoined the other original members of Asia (Downes, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer) in early 2006 to announce a 25th anniversary world tour. This line-up performed a series of dates in the United States in September 2006, and in the United Kingdom in November/December 2006. The band also spent much of 2007 on the road, with shows in North and South America, Europe and Asia. A new Asia studio album titled Phoenix, the original band's first since 1983's Alpha, was released in April 2008 and peaked at #73 on the North American Top 200 albums charts.^[3]

UK have recently reformed with John Wetton, Eddie Jobson and Terry Bozzio for a world tour in 2012.

Personal life[link]

Wetton has struggled with alcoholism in the past. After the first leg of Asia's 1983 tour, Asia replaced him temporarily with bassist and vocalist Greg Lake (previously of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and also a King Crimson alumnus), in part because of his drinking problem. Wetton has been sober since June 2005.^[4]

In August 2007 Wetton underwent heart surgery which placed the remainder of Asia's 2007 tour and recording plans on hold until he recovered. The band, including Wetton, released their new album entitled Phoenix worldwide in April 2008. Artist Roger Dean was commissioned to create the cover art. This release was followed by a world tour.

Wetton is left-handed but plays bass and guitar right-handed.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

With Mogul Thrash

• Mogul Thrash, 1971

With Gordon Haskell

• It Is and It Isn't, 1971

With Family

• Fearless, October 1971; US #177, UK #14
• Bandstand, September 1972; US #183, UK #15

With Larry Norman

• Only Visiting This Planet, 1972

With Malcolm and Alwyn

• Fool's Wisdom, 1973

With Peter Banks

• Two Sides of Peter Banks, 1973

With King Crimson

• Larks' Tongues in Aspic, April 1973; US #61, UK #20
• Starless and Bible Black, June 1974; US #64, UK #28
• Red, October 1974; US #66, UK #45
• USA, (Recorded live June 1974, released 1975, expanded edition 2002)

With Bryan Ferry

• Another Time, Another Place, July 1974; UK #4
• Let's Stick Together, September 1976; UK #19, US #160
• In Your Mind, February 1977; UK #5, US #126, Aust #1
• The Bride Stripped Bare, September 1978

With Roxy Music

• Viva!, July 1976

With Uriah Heep

• Return To Fantasy, 1975; UK #7, US #85
• High and Mighty, 1976; UK #56, US #161

With UK

• U.K., 1978
• Danger Money, 1979
• Night After Night, 1979 - Live
• Concert Classics, Vol. 4, 1999 - Live, unauthorized

With Jack-Knife

• I Wish You Would, 1979

With Roger Chapman

• Mail Order Magic, 1980
• Hyenas Only Laugh for Fun, 1981

With Wishbone Ash

• Number the Brave, 1981, MCA Records

With Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash

• Argus Through The Looking Glass, 2008, Mystic Records

With Asia

• Asia, 1982; #1 US, #15 JP
• Alpha, 1983; #6 US, #4 JP
• Astra, 1985; #67 US, #15 JP
• Then & Now, 1990; #114 US, #24 JP
• Live in Moscow, 1990
• The Very Best of Asia: Heat of the Moment (1982–1990), 2000
• Definitive Collection, 2006; #183 US
• Fantasia: Live in Tokyo, 2007
• Phoenix, 2008 #73 US #28 JP
• Omega, 2010

With Steve Hackett

• Genesis Revisited 1997
• The Tokyo Tapes 1998

Solo albums

• Caught in the Crossfire, 1980, E'G/Polydor Records
• King's Road, 1972-1980, 1987, E'G/Virgin Records
• Voice Mail / Battle Lines, 1994, Pony Canyon / Magnetic Air Records
• Arkangel, 1997, Eagle Records
• Chasing the Deer (film soundtrack), 1998, Blueprint Records
• Monkey Business (with Richard Palmer-James), 1998, Blueprint Records
• Welcome to Heaven / Sinister, 2000, Avalon Records
• Rock of Faith, 2003, Giant Electric Pea Records
• Raised in Captivity, 2011, Frontiers Records

With Phil Manzanera

• Diamond Head, 1975
• K Scope, 1978
• Wetton Manzanera, 1987, Geffen Records

With Daniele Liverani

• Genius A Rock Opera - Episode 1, 2002

With Alan Simon

• Excalibur - The Celtic Ring

With Geoff Downes

• Wetton Downes (Demo Collection), 2002, Stallion Records
• Icon, 2005, Frontiers Records/UMe Digital (US)
• Heat of the Moment '05 EP, 2005, Frontiers Records
• Icon Live: Never in a Million Years, 2006, Frontiers Records
• Acoustic TV Broadcast, 2006, Frontiers Records
• Icon II: Rubicon, 2006, Frontiers Records
• Icon 3, 2009, Frontiers Records

With Duncan Mackay

• Score 1977

With Atoll

• Rock Puzzle 1979

Live albums

• Chasing the Dragon, 1995, Eclipse Records
• Akustika, 1996, Blueprint Records
• Live in Tokyo, 1998, Blueprint Records
• Nomansland Live in Poland, 1999, Giant Electric Pea Records
• Hazy Monet Live in New York, 1999, Blueprint Records
• Sub Rosa Live in Milan Italy, 1999, Blueprint Records
• One Way or Another (with Ken Hensley), 2002, Classic Rock Legends
• More Than Conquerors (with Ken Hensley), 2002, Classic Rock Legends
• Live in Argentina, 2003, Blueprint Records
• Live in Stockholm 1998, 2003, Blueprint Records
• Live in Osaka, 2003, Blueprint Records
• Live in the Underworld, 2003, Classic Rock Legends
• Amata, 2004, Metal Mind Records

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Official Asia Reunion Website

Demetri Martin
Demetri Martin at Northeastern University on April 11, 2007
Born	(1973-05-25) May 25, 1973 (age 39) New York City, New York, United States
Nationality	American
Years active	Since 2002
Genres	Observational comedy, surreal humor, musical comedy, wit/wordplay, sketch comedy
Subject(s)	Everyday Life, American Culture, Random Subjects
Influences	Steven Wright, Eddie Izzard, Emo Philips, Mitch Hedberg, Socrates
Notable works and roles	· Demetri Martin. Person.  · Correspondent on The Daily Show  · Himself/Various on Important Things with Demetri Martin  · Elliot Tiber in Taking Woodstock (2009)
Website	www.demetrimartin.com

Demetri Martin (born May 25, 1973) is an American comedian, actor, artist, musician, writer and humorist. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian, contributor on The Daily Show and for his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin.

Early life[link]

Demetri Martin was born to a Greek American family^[1] in New York City, New York, and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey. He is the son of Lillian, a nutritionist, and Dean C. Martin, now deceased, a Greek Orthodox priest.^[2] Martin graduated from Yale University in 1995. Although he was accepted into Harvard Law School, he went to New York University School of Law after he received a full scholarship.^[3]

Career[link]

In 2001, Martin caught his first big break in stand-up comedy when he appeared on Comedy Central's stand-up showcase Premium Blend. At the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe he won the Perrier award with his show If I....^[4] The show was turned into a British television special in 2004. From 2003 to 2004, Martin wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien.^[5] In 2004, Martin had his own Comedy Central Presents stand-up special. His special was divided into three parts. In the first, he performed in traditional stand-up comedy fashion. In the second segment, he used humorous drawings as visual aids, which would serve either as the punchline or a background. During the third segment, he played a guitar and put on a pseudo-play where he would strum his guitar while alternating between playing harmonica and talking; some of his comedian friends dressed as fairies and dragons acted according to the story he was telling, detailing the magical land where his jokes came from. Martin's mother and grandmother also appeared.

Since late 2005, he has been credited as a contributor on The Daily Show, on which he has appeared as the named "Senior Youth Correspondent" and on which he hosts a segment called "Trendspotting". He has used this segment to talk about so-called hip trends among youth such as hookahs, wine, guerilla marketing and Xbox 360. A piece about social networking featured his profile on MySpace.^[6] On March 22, 2007, Demetri made another appearance on The Daily Show, talking about the Viacom lawsuit against Google and YouTube.

He has recorded a comedy CD/DVD titled These Are Jokes, which was released on September 26, 2006. This album also features Saturday Night Live member Will Forte and stand-up comedian Leo Allen.

Martin returned to The Daily Show on March 22, 2006, as the new Youth Correspondent, calling his segment "Professional Important News with Demetri Martin". In 2007, he starred in a Fountains of Wayne music video for "Someone to Love" as Seth Shapiro, a character in the song. He also starred in the video for the Travis single "Selfish Jean", in which he wears multiple t-shirts with lyrics written on them.

On September 2, 2007, Martin appeared on the season finale of the HBO series Flight of the Conchords. He appeared as a keytar player named Demetri.^[7]

He also had a part in the movie The Rocker (2008) starring Rainn Wilson. Martin played the part of the videographer when the band in the movie was making their first music video.

In 2009, he hosted and starred in his own television show called Important Things With Demetri Martin on Comedy Central. Later in June, it was announced his show had been renewed for a second season.^[8] The second season premiered, again on Comedy Central, on February 4, 2010. Martin has stated that Important Things will not return for a third season.

Prior to completing work on his second season, Martin starred in the comedy-drama film Taking Woodstock (2009), directed by Ang Lee, which premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In the film Martin plays Elliot Tiber, a closeted gay artist who has given up his ambitions in the city to move upstate and help his old-world Jewish family run their Catskill Mountains motel. The film is based on the book written by Tiber.

On April 25, 2011, Martin released his first book, titled This Is a Book by Demetri Martin.

Martin was slated to portray Paul DePodesta as Oakland Athletics assistant GM to Billy Beane in the 2011 movie Moneyball, however was dropped and Jonah Hill took his place in the movie.

Plans[link]

Martin sold his movie concept Will to DreamWorks; he is expected to play a key supporting role.^[9] He will play the lead in the film Moon People, a pitch that he sold to Columbia Pictures.

Martin also signed a blind script deal with CBS in October 2010 to produce, write, and star in his own television series.^[10]

After CBS was shown the pilot for the series, they decided not to air it.^[11]

On August 11, 2011, Fox ordered a presentation of a new animated show they might air.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] If I

If I is a Perrier Comedy Award-winning comedy one-man show written and performed by Demetri Martin at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.^[12] It was also aired on British television as a special. The show is an autobiographical examination of Martin's life, as seen through various definitions of the word "if."

The title of the special comes from a lengthy palindromic poem that Martin wrote; the words "if I" are at the center of the poem.^[13]

Comedic style[link]

Martin is known for being an unconventional stand-up comic. He uses one-liners and drawings on a "large pad", as well as accompanying his jokes with music on either guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboard, glockenspiel, toy bells, ukulele, or tambourine, sometimes all at once.^[14] He has cited comedian Steven Wright as an important influence (both use deadpan one-liners in their acts) and he is also a fan of Bill Cosby.^[15]

Personal life[link]

According to a July 2011 interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Demetri had a short-lived marriage to a girl he knew from high school. They began dating after high school and got married when he was in NYU Law School and she was attending NYU Medical School. He was aged 25 and in the end of his marriage when his stand-up career began.^[3]

He is extremely allergic to nuts and peanuts.^[16]

Martin moved to Santa Monica, California in 2009.^[17]

Filmography[link]

• Invite Them Up (2005)
• These Are Jokes (2006)
• Demetri Martin. Person. (2007)
• Important Things with Demetri Martin (2009–2010)

Filmography and television work[link]

Written works[link]

• This Is a Book, April 2011, ISBN 978-0446539708.

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (May 2012)

• Official website
• Demetri Martin on Myspace
• Demetri Martin at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview from November, 2006, in Onion AV Club
• Interview from October 2006, in The DePaulia
• Article, in The Scotsman
• Article, in Gelf Magazine
• Interview by Brian M. Palmer
• MP3 Audio Interview on The Sound of Young America public radio show and podcast
• Interview Believer Mag
• New Jersey Monthly Magazine
• Fresh Air, NPR.org

For the substance used for medieval medicine or preserving corpses, see Mummia

Mumia Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook^[1] on April 24, 1954) is an American convict, serving a life sentence for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.^[2] He was sentenced to death at his first trial in July 1982, and his case became an international cause célèbre.^[3] Before his arrest, he was an activist and radio journalist who became President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. He was a member of the Black Panther Party until October 1970.

Supporters and opponents disagreed on the appropriateness of the death penalty, his guilt, and whether he received a fair trial.^[4][5][6] He was described as "perhaps the world's best known death-row inmate".^[7] During his imprisonment he has published several books and other commentaries, notably Live from Death Row (1995).

In 2008, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the murder conviction but ordered a new capital sentencing hearing because the jury was improperly instructed.^[8] Subsequently, the United States Supreme Court also allowed his conviction to stand^[8] but ordered the appeals court to reconsider its decision as to the sentence.^[9] In 2011, the Third Circuit again affirmed the conviction as well as its decision to vacate the death sentence,^[10] and the District Attorney of Philadelphia announced that prosecutors would no longer seek the death penalty.^[11] He was removed from death row in January 2012.

Early life and activism[link]

Abu-Jamal was given the name Mumia in 1968 by his high school teacher, a Kenyan instructing a class on African cultures in which students took African classroom names.^[12] According to Abu-Jamal, 'Mumia' means "Prince" and was the name of anti-colonial African nationalists conducting warfare against the British in Kenya at the time of its independence movement.^[13] He adopted the surname Abu-Jamal ("father of Jamal" in Arabic) after the birth of his son Jamal on July 18, 1971.^[12][14] His first marriage at age 19, to Jamal's mother, Biba, was short-lived.^[15] Their daughter, Lateefa, was born shortly after the wedding.^[16] Abu-Jamal married his second wife, Marilyn (known as "Peachie"),^[14] in 1977.^[17] Their son, Mazi, was born in early 1978.^[18] By 1981, Abu-Jamal was living with his third and current wife, Wadiya.^[17]

Involvement with the Black Panthers[link]

In his own writings, Abu-Jamal describes his adolescent experience of being "kicked ... into the Black Panther Party" after suffering a beating from "white racists" and a policeman for his efforts to disrupt a George Wallace for President rally in 1968.^[19] The following year, at the age of 15, he helped form the Philadelphia branch of the Black Panther Party,^[20] taking appointment, in his own words, as the chapter's "Lieutenant of Information", exercising a responsibility for writing information and news communications. In one of the interviews he gave at the time he quoted Mao Zedong, saying that "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun".^[21] That same year, he dropped out of Benjamin Franklin High School and took up residence in the branch's headquarters.^[20] He spent late 1969 in New York City and early 1970 in Oakland, living and working with BPP colleagues in those cities.^[22] He was a party member from May 1969 until October 1970 and was subject to Federal Bureau of Investigation COINTELPRO surveillance from then until about 1974.^[23]

Education and journalism career[link]

After leaving the Panthers he returned to his old high school, but was suspended for distributing literature calling for "black revolutionary student power".^[24] He also led unsuccessful protests to change the school name to Malcolm X High.^[24] After attaining his GED, he studied briefly at Goddard College in rural Vermont.^[25]

By 1975 he was pursuing a vocation in radio newscasting, first at Temple University's WRTI and then at commercial enterprises.^[24] In 1975, he was employed at radio station WHAT and he became host of a weekly feature program of WCAU-FM in 1978.^[26] He was also employed for brief periods at radio station WPEN, and became active in the local chapter of the Marijuana Users Association of America.^[26] From 1979 he worked at National Public Radio-affiliate WUHY until 1981 when he was asked to submit his resignation after a dispute about the requirements of objective focus in his presentation of news.^[26] As a radio journalist he earned the moniker "the voice of the voiceless" and was renowned for identifying with and giving exposure to the MOVE anarcho-primitivist commune in Philadelphia's Powelton Village neighborhood, including reportage of the 1979–80 trial of certain of its members (the "MOVE Nine") charged with the murder of police officer James Ramp.^[26] During his broadcasting career, his high-profile interviews included Julius Erving, Bob Marley, and Alex Haley, and he was elected president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists.^[27]

At the time of Daniel Faulkner's murder, Abu-Jamal was working as a taxicab driver in Philadelphia two nights a week to supplement his income.^[27] He had been working part-time as a reporter for WDAS,^[26] then an African-American-oriented and minority-owned radio station.^[28]

Arrest for murder and trial[link]

On December 9, 1981, in Philadelphia, close to the intersection at 13th and Locust Streets, Philadelphia Police Department officer Daniel Faulkner conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle belonging to William Cook, Abu-Jamal's younger brother. During the traffic stop, Abu-Jamal's taxi was parked across the street, and Abu-Jamal ran across the street towards the traffic stop. At the traffic stop, there was an exchange of fire. Both Officer Faulkner and Abu-Jamal were wounded, and Faulkner died. Police arrived on the scene and arrested Abu-Jamal, who was found wearing a shoulder holster. A revolver, which had five spent cartridges, was beside him. He was taken directly from the scene of the shooting to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where he received treatment for his wound, the result of a shot from Faulkner.^[29]

Abu-Jamal was charged with the first-degree murder of Daniel Faulkner. The case went to trial in June 1982 in Philadelphia. Judge Albert F. Sabo initially agreed to Abu-Jamal's request to represent himself, with criminal defense attorney Anthony Jackson acting as his legal advisor. During the first day of the trial, Judge Sabo warned Abu-Jamal that he would forfeit his legal right to self-representation if he kept being intentionally disruptive in a fashion that was unbecoming under the law. Due to Abu-Jamal's continued disruptive behavior, Judge Sabo ruled that Abu-Jamal forfeited his right to self-representation.^[30]

Prosecution case at trial[link]

The prosecution presented four witnesses to the court. Robert Chobert, a cab driver who testified he was parked behind Faulkner, identified Abu-Jamal as the shooter.^[31] Cynthia White, a prostitute, testified that Abu-Jamal emerged from a nearby parking lot and shot Faulkner.^[32] Michael Scanlan, a motorist, testified that from two car lengths away, he saw a man, matching Abu-Jamal's description, run across the street from a parking lot and shoot Faulkner.^[33] Albert Magilton, a pedestrian who did not see the actual murder, testified to witnessing Faulkner pull over Cook's car. At the point of seeing Abu-Jamal start to cross the street toward them from the parking lot, Magilton turned away and lost sight of what happened next.^[34]

The prosecution also presented two witnesses who were at the hospital after the altercation. Hospital security guard Priscilla Durham and Police Officer Garry Bell testified that Abu-Jamal confessed in the hospital by saying, "I shot the motherfucker, and I hope the motherfucker dies."^[35]

A .38 caliber Charter Arms revolver, belonging to Abu-Jamal, with five spent cartridges was retrieved beside him at the scene. He was wearing a shoulder holster, and Anthony Paul, the Supervisor of the Philadelphia Police Department's firearms identification unit, testified at trial that the shell casings and rifling characteristics of the weapon were consistent with bullet fragments taken from Faulkner's body.^[36] Tests to confirm that Abu-Jamal had handled and fired the weapon were not performed, as contact with arresting police and other surfaces at the scene could have compromised the forensic value of such tests.^[37][38]

Defense case at trial[link]

The defense maintained that Abu-Jamal was innocent of the charges and that the testimony of the prosecution's witnesses was unreliable. The defense presented nine character witnesses, including poet Sonia Sanchez, who testified that Abu-Jamal was "viewed by the black community as a creative, articulate, peaceful, genial man".^[39] Another defense witness, Dessie Hightower, testified that he saw a man running along the street shortly after the shooting although he did not see the actual shooting itself.^[40] His testimony contributed to the development of a "running man theory", based on the possibility that a "running man" may have been the actual shooter. Veronica Jones also testified for the defense, but she did not see anyone running.^[41] Other potential defense witnesses refused to appear in court.^[42] Abu-Jamal did not testify in his own defense. Nor did his brother, who said at the crime scene, "I ain't got nothing to do with this."^[43]

Verdict and sentence[link]

The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict after three hours of deliberations.

In the sentencing phase of the trial, Abu-Jamal read to the jury from a prepared statement. He was then cross-examined about issues relevant to the assessment of his character by Joseph McGill, the prosecuting attorney.^[44]

In his statement Abu-Jamal criticized his attorney as a "legal trained lawyer" who was imposed on him against his will and who "knew he was inadequate to the task and chose to follow the directions of this black-robed conspirator, [Judge] Albert Sabo, even if it meant ignoring my directions". He claimed that his rights had been "deceitfully stolen" from him by Sabo, particularly focusing on the denial of his request to receive defense assistance from non-attorney John Africa and being prevented from proceeding pro se. He quoted remarks of John Africa, and said:

"Does it matter whether a white man is charged with killing a black man or a black man is charged with killing a white man? As for justice when the prosecutor represents the Commonwealth the Judge represents the Commonwealth and the court-appointed lawyer is paid and supported by the Commonwealth, who follows the wishes of the defendant, the man charged with the crime? If the court-appointed lawyer ignores, or goes against the wishes of the man he is charged with representing, whose wishes does he follow? Who does he truly represent or work for? ... I am innocent of these charges that I have been charged of and convicted of and despite the connivance of Sabo, McGill and Jackson to deny me my so-called rights to represent myself, to assistance of my choice, to personally select a jury who is totally of my peers, to cross-examine witnesses, and to make both opening and closing arguments, I am still innocent of these charges."^[45]

Abu-Jamal was subsequently sentenced to death by the unanimous decision of the jury.^[46]

Appeals and review[link]

Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge signed the death warrant in 1995.

State appeals[link]

Direct appeal of his conviction was considered and denied by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on March 6, 1989,^[47] subsequently denying rehearing.^[48] The Supreme Court of the United States denied his petition for writ of certiorari on October 1, 1990,^[49] and denied his petition for rehearing twice up to June 10, 1991.^[50][51]

On June 1, 1995 his death warrant was signed by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.^[51] Its execution was suspended while Abu-Jamal pursued state post-conviction review. At the post-conviction review hearings, new witnesses were called. William "Dales" Singletary testified that he saw the shooting and that the gunman was the passenger in Cook's car.^[52] Singletary's account contained discrepancies which rendered it "not credible" in the opinion of the court.^[51][53] William Harmon, a convicted fraudster, testified that Faulkner's murderer fled in a car which pulled up at the crime scene, and could not have been Abu-Jamal.^[54] However, Robert Harkins testified that he had witnessed a man stand over Faulkner as the latter lay wounded on the ground, who shot him point-blank in the face and then "walked and sat down on the curb".^[55][56]

The six judges of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled unanimously that all issues raised by Abu-Jamal, including the claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, were without merit.^[57] The Supreme Court of the United States denied a petition for certiorari against that decision on October 4, 1999, enabling Ridge to sign a second death warrant on October 13, 1999. Its execution in turn was stayed as Abu-Jamal commenced his pursuit of federal habeas corpus review.^[51]