75th may refer to:

• 75th (Mississauga) Battalion, CEF of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, formed in 1915
• 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot, a British Army line infantry regiment
• 75th Academy Awards honored the best films of 2002, held on March 23, 2003
• 75th Air Base Wing, a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Hill Air Force Base, Ogden Utah
• 75th Airlift Squadron (75 AS), part of the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany
• 75th Avenue (IND Queens Boulevard Line), a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway in Forest Hills, Queens
• 75th Avenue-61st Street Historic District, a national historic district in Ridgewood, Queens, New York
• 75th Bombardment Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit
• 75th Carnatic Infantry, an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army
• 75th Cavalry Division, a cavalry formation of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War
• 75th Cavalry Regiment (United States), a United States Army cavalry regiment
• 75th Delaware General Assembly, a meeting of the legislative branch of the state government
• 75th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron (75 EASOS), a combat support unit
• 75th Field Artillery Regiment (United States), an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army
• 75th Fighter Squadron (75 FS) is a United States Air Force unit
• 75th Fires Brigade (United States), an artillery brigade in the United States Army
• 75th Grey Cup, the 1987 Canadian Football League championship game that was played at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver
• 75th Guards Rifle Division, a Red Army infantry division during World War II and afterwards
• 75th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War
• 75th Indian Infantry Brigade, an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II
• 75th Infantry Division (Germany), a German division in World War II
• 75th Infantry Division (United States), a division of the United States Army in World War II
• 75th Infantry Regiment (United States), a Regular infantry regiment in the United States Army
• 75th meridian east, a line of longitude
• 75th meridian west, a line of longitude
• 75th Ohio Infantry, an infantry regiment from southwestern Ohio in the Union Army during the American Civil War
• 75th Oregon Legislative Assembly convened beginning on January 12, 2009, for its biennial regular session
• 75th parallel north, a circle of latitude that is 75 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane
• 75th parallel south, a circle of latitude that is 75 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane
• 75th Police Precinct Station House, a historic police station located at Brooklyn in New York, New York
• 75th Ranger Infantry Regiment (Airborne), the United States Army Ranger unit of the Vietnam War era
• 75th Ranger Regiment (United States), a Special Operations light infantry unit of the United States Army
• 75th Regiment Indiana Infantry, an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War
• 75th Regiment of Foot (Invalids), an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1762 to 1768
• 75th Reserve Division (German Empire)
• 75th Street – Elderts Lane (BMT Jamaica Line), a skip-stop station on the BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway
• 75th Street (Grand Crossing) (Metra), an electrified commuter rail station along the Metra Electric Main Line in Chicago, Illinois
• 75th United States Congress, a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government

See also[link]

• Ankara 75th Anniversary Race Course, a horse racing track at Batıkent neighborhood in Yenimahalle district of Ankara, Turkey
• California's 75th State Assembly district, one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly
• CMLL 75th Anniversary Show, a professional wrestling major show event produced in 2008 in Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
• Maserati Birdcage 75th, a concept car created by automobile manufacturer Maserati
• National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, chosen by a selection committee of media and league personnel in 1994
• 75 (number)
• 75, the year 75 (LXXV) of the Julian calendar
• 75 BC

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.

Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones attending an after-party of a tribute to his work at Life Restaurant, Los Angeles, CA on October 1, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr.
Also known as	Leigh Warren
Born	(1933-03-14) March 14, 1933 (age 79) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	Rhythm and blues, funk, soul, big band, swing, bossa nova, jazz, hip hop, rock and roll
Occupations	Musician, conductor, producer, arranger, composer, film composer
Instruments	Trumpet, French horn, drums, vocals, piano synthesizer
Years active	1951–present
Labels	Columbia, Mercury, Qwest
Associated acts	Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Sarah Vaughn, Aaliyah,[1] Michael Jackson, Rod Temperton, The Brothers Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Eddie Van Halen, Dinah Washington, Dean Martin, 2Pac, Patti Austin, Tevin Campbell, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Will Smith, Trey Songz
Website	quincyjones.com

Jones in 2004 at the World Economic Forum in Davos

Quincy Delight Jones, Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, conductor, arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations,^[2] 27 Grammys,^[2] including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991. He is particularly recognized as the producer of the album Thriller, by pop icon Michael Jackson, which has sold more than 110 million copies worldwide,^[3] and as the producer and conductor of the charity song “We Are the World”.

In 1968, Jones and his songwriting partner Bob Russell became the first African Americans to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song "The Eyes of Love" from the Universal Pictures film Banning. That same year, he became the first African American to be nominated twice within the same year when he was nominated for Best Original Score for his work on the music of the 1967 film In Cold Blood. In 1971, Jones would receive the honor of becoming the first African American to be named musical director/conductor of the Academy Awards ceremony. He was the first African American to win the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, in 1995. He is tied with sound designer Willie D. Burton as the most Oscar-nominated African American, each of them having seven nominations. At the 2008 BET Awards, Quincy Jones was presented with the Humanitarian Award. He was played by Larenz Tate in the 2004 biopic about Ray Charles, Ray.

Early life[link]

Jones was born in Chicago, the oldest son of Sarah Frances (née Wells), an apartment complex manager and bank executive who suffered from schizophrenia, and Quincy Delight Jones, Sr., a semi-professional baseball player and carpenter.^[4] He sometimes ate rat as a child^[5][6] Jones discovered music in grade school at Raymond Elementary School on Chicago's South Side and took up the trumpet. When he was 10, his family moved to Bremerton, Washington and he attended Seattle's Garfield High School. It was in Seattle that Jones, 14, first met a 17-year-old Ray Charles^[7] and developed musically under the tutelage of Robert Blackwell.

His brother, Richard Jones, is a federal district court judge in Seattle, and has presided over several very high-profile cases, including the notorious Green River Killer Gary Ridgway. ^[8]

In 1951, Jones won a scholarship to the Schillinger House (now Berklee College of Music) in Boston, Massachusetts. However, he abandoned his studies when he received an offer to tour as a trumpeter with the bandleader Lionel Hampton. While Jones was on the road with Hampton, he displayed a gift for arranging songs. Jones relocated to New York City, where he received a number of freelance commissions arranging songs for artists like Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Gene Krupa, and his close friend Ray Charles.

Musical career[link]

In 1956, Jones toured again as a trumpeter and musical director of the Dizzy Gillespie Band on a tour of the Middle East and South America sponsored by the United States Information Agency. Upon his return to the United States, Jones got a contract from ABC-Paramount Records and commenced his recording career as the leader of his own band.

In 1957, Quincy settled in Paris where he studied composition and theory with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen. He also performed at the Paris Olympia. Jones became music director at Barclay Disques, the French distributor for Mercury Records.

During the 1950s, Jones successfully toured throughout Europe with a number of jazz orchestras. As musical director of Harold Arlen's jazz musical Free and Easy, Quincy Jones took to the road again. A European tour closed in Paris in February 1960. With musicians from the Arlen show, Jones formed his own big band, called The Jones Boys, with 18 artists—plus their families—in tow. The band included jazz greats Eddie Jones and fellow trumpeter Reunald Jones, and organized a tour of North America and Europe. Though the European and American concerts met enthusiastic audiences and sparkling reviews, concert earnings could not support a band of this size, and poor budget planning made it an economic disaster; the band dissolved and the fallout left Jones in a financial crisis. Quoted in Musician magazine, Jones said about his ordeal, "We had the best jazz band in the planet, and yet we were literally starving. That's when I discovered that there was music, and there was the music business. If I were to survive, I would have to learn the difference between the two." Irving Green, head of Mercury Records, got Jones back on his feet with a personal loan and a new job as the musical director of the company's New York division, where he worked with Doug Moody, who would later go on to form Mystic Records.

His 1960s breakthrough and rise to prominence[link]

In 1964, Jones was promoted to vice-president of the company, thus becoming the first African American to hold such an executive position in a white-owned record company.^[9] In that same year, Quincy Jones turned his attention to another musical arena that had long been closed to blacks—the world of film scores. At the invitation of director Sidney Lumet, he composed the music for The Pawnbroker. It was the first of his 33 major motion picture scores.

Following the success of The Pawnbroker, Jones left Mercury Records and moved to Los Angeles. After his score for The Slender Thread, starring Sidney Poitier, he was in constant demand as a composer. His film credits in the next five years included Walk, Don't Run, In Cold Blood, In the Heat of the Night, A Dandy in Aspic, Mackenna's Gold, The Italian Job, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, The Lost Man, Cactus Flower, and The Getaway. In addition, he also composed "The Streetbeater," which became familiar as the theme music for the television sitcom Sanford and Son, starring close friend Redd Foxx.

In the 1960s, Jones worked as an arranger for some of the most important artists of the era, including Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughn, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, and Dinah Washington. Jones's solo recordings also garnered acclaim, including Walking in Space, Gula Matari, Smackwater Jack, You've Got It Bad, Girl, Body Heat, Mellow Madness, and I Heard That!!.

He is well known for his 1962 tune "Soul Bossa Nova", which originated on the Big Band Bossa Nova album. "Soul Bossa Nova" was a theme for the 1998 World Cup, the Canadian game show Definition, the Woody Allen film Take the Money and Run and the Mike Myers movie Austin Powers in Goldmember, and was sampled by Canadian hip hop group Dream Warriors for their song, "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style".

Jones was also responsible for producing all four million-selling singles for Lesley Gore during the early and mid-sixties, including "It's My Party" (UK #8; US #1), "Judy's Turn To Cry" (US #5), "She's A Fool" (also a US #5) in 1963, and "You Don't Own Me" (US #2 for four weeks in 1964). He continued to produce for Lesley until 1966, including the Greenwich/ Barry hit "Look of Love" (US #27) in 1965.

Jones's 1981 album The Dude yielded multiple hit singles, including "Ai No Corrida" (a remake of a song by Chaz Jankel), "Just Once" and "One Hundred Ways", the latter two featuring James Ingram on lead vocals and marking Ingram's first hits.

In 1985, Jones scored the Steven Spielberg film adaptation of The Color Purple. He and Jerry Goldsmith (from Twilight Zone: The Movie) are the only composers besides John Williams to have scored a Spielberg theatrical film. After the 1985 American Music Awards ceremony, Jones used his influence to draw most of the major American recording artists of the day into a studio to record the song "We Are the World" to raise money for the victims of Ethiopia's famine. When people marveled at his ability to make the collaboration work, Jones explained that he'd taped a simple sign on the entrance: "Check Your Ego At The Door".

Starting in the late 1970s, Jones tried to convince Miles Davis to re-perform the music he had played on several classic albums that had been arranged by Gil Evans in the 1960s. Davis had always refused, citing a desire not to revisit the past. In 1991, Davis, then suffering from pneumonia, relented and agreed to perform the music at a concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The resulting album from the recording, Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux, was Davis' last released album (he died several months afterward) and is considered an artistic triumph.^[10]

In 1993, Jones collaborated with David Salzman to produce the concert extravaganza An American Reunion, a celebration of Bill Clinton's inauguration as president of the United States. In 1994, Salzman and Jones formed the company Quincy Jones/David Salzman Entertainment (QDE) with Time/Warner Inc. QDE is a diverse company which produces media technology, motion pictures, television programs (In the House, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and MADtv), and magazines (Vibe and Spin).

In 2001, he published his autobiography, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones. On July 31, 2007, Jones partnered with Wizzard Media to launch the Quincy Jones Video Podcast.^[11] In each episode, Jones shares his knowledge and experience in the music industry. The first episode features Jones in the studio, producing "I Knew I Loved you" for Celine Dion, which is featured on the Ennio Morricone tribute album, We All Love Ennio Morricone. Jones is also noted for helping produce Anita Hall's CD, Send Love, which was released in 2009.

Work with Michael Jackson[link]

While working on the film The Wiz, Michael Jackson asked Jones to recommend some producers for Jackson's upcoming solo record. Jones offered some names, but eventually asked Jackson if he would like for him to produce the record. Jackson replied that he would, and the result, Off The Wall, has sold approximately 20 million copies and made Jones the most powerful record producer in the industry. Jones's and Jackson's next collaboration Thriller has sold a reputed 110 million copies and has become the highest-selling album of all time.^[12] Jones also worked on Michael Jackson's album Bad, which has sold 45 million copies. Bad was the last time the pair would work together in the studio, although an audio interview with Jones features on the 2001 special editions of 'Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad.

In a 2002 interview, when Jackson was asked if he would ever work with Jones again he replied, "The door is always open".^{[citation needed]} However, in 2007, when NME.COM asked Jones a similar question, he said "Man, please! We already did that. I have talked to him about working with him again but I've got too much to do. I've got 900 products, I'm 74 years old."^[13]

Following Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, Jones said:

Work with Frank Sinatra[link]

Jones first worked with Frank Sinatra when he was invited by Princess Grace to arrange a benefit concert at the Monaco Sporting Club in 1958.^[15] Six years later, Sinatra hired him to arrange and conduct Sinatra's second album with Count Basie, It Might as Well Be Swing (1964). Jones conducted and arranged 1966's live album with the Basie Band, Sinatra at the Sands.^[16] Jones was also the arranger/conductor when Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, and Johnny Carson performed with the Basie orchestra in St. Louis, Missouri, in a benefit for Dismas House in June 1965. The fund-raiser was broadcast to a number of other theaters around the country and eventually released on DVD.^[17] Later that year, Jones was also the arranger/conductor when Sinatra and Basie appeared on The Hollywood Palace TV show on October 16, 1965.^[18] Nineteen years later, Sinatra and Jones teamed up for 1984's L.A. Is My Lady, after a joint Sinatra-Lena Horne project was abandoned.^[19]

Brazilian culture[link]

Jones is a great admirer of Brazilian culture and a film on Brazil's Carnival is among his recent plans: "one of the most spectacular spiritual events on the planet";^[20] Simone, whom he cites as "one of the world´s greatest singers",^[21] Ivan Lins,^[22] Milton Nascimento and Gilson Peranzzetta, "one of the five biggest arrangement producers of the world"^[23] stand as close friends and partners in his recent works.

Media appearances[link]

Jones had a brief appearance in the 1990 video for The Time song "Jerk Out". Jones was a guest star on an episode of The Boondocks in which he and the main character, Huey Freeman, co-produced a Christmas play for Huey's elementary school. He appeared with Ray Charles in the music video of their song 'One Mint Julep' and also with Ray Charles and Chaka Khan in the music video of their song "I'll Be Good to You".

Quincy Jones hosted an episode of the long-running NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live on February 10, 1990 (during SNL's 15th season [the 1989–1990 season]). The episode was notable for having 10 musical guests^[24] (the most any SNL episode has ever had in its 30-plus years on the air): Tevin Campbell, Andrae Crouch, Sandra Crouch, rappers Kool Moe Dee and Big Daddy Kane, Melle Mel, Quincy D III, Siedah Garrett, Al Jarreau, and Take 6, and for a performance of Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca" by The SNL Band (conducted by Quincy Jones himself).^[24] Jones also impersonated Marion Barry in the then-recurring sketch, "The Bob Waltman Special". Quincy Jones would later be producer for his own sketch comedy show, FOX's MADtv.

Jones appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures film Fantasia 2000, introducing the set piece of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Two years later he made a cameo appearance as himself in the film Austin Powers in Goldmember.

Jones during NASA's 50th anniversary gala, 2008.

On February 10, 2008, Jones presented at the Grammy Awards. With Usher he presented Album of The Year to Herbie Hancock.

On January 6, 2009, Quincy Jones appeared on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly to discuss various experiences within his prolific career. Also discussed was the informal notion of Jones becoming the first minister of culture for the United States — following the pending inauguration of the 44th U.S. President, Barack Obama. Carson Daly indicated the U.S. as being one of the only leading world countries, along with Germany, to exclude this position from the national government. This idea has also been subject to more in-depth discussion on NPR^[25] and the Chronicle of Higher Education.^[26]

On December 12, 2009, Jones performed at a private reception for USAA employees at the Alamo Dome, in San Antonio, TX.

On February 5, 2011 Quincy Jones appeared on CBS's Late night show with David Letterman.

Awards and recognition[link]

Discography[link]

Personal life[link]

Jones in December 2010

Jones has been married three times and has seven children:

• to Jeri Caldwell from 1957 to 1966; they had one daughter, Jolie Jones Levine.
• to Ulla Andersson from 1967 to 1974; they had two children, Martina Jones and son Quincy Jones III;
• to actress Peggy Lipton from 1974 to 1990; they had two daughters, actresses Kidada Jones and Rashida Jones.
• Jones also had a brief affair with Carol Reynolds and they had a daughter, Rachel Jones.
• Jones dated and lived with actress Nastassja Kinski from 1991 until 1995. In February 1993, their daughter Kenya Julia Miambi Sarah Jones was born.^[27]

For the 2006 PBS television program African American Lives, Jones had his DNA tested; the results found that through his patrilineal line (Y DNA), he is of European ancestry, and through his matrilineal line (mt DNA) he is of West African/Central African ancestry of Tikar descent.^[28] In a BBC interview, Jones said he had discovered that his father was half Welsh.^[29] The series revealed that Jones' family hails from an area in Cameroon known for its music. On hearing the information, Jones said: "I would have never guessed." On his mother's side, Jones is a descendant of Betty Washington Lewis, president George Washington's sister.^[30]

Jones has never learned to drive, citing an accident in which he was a passenger (at age 14) as the reason.^[31]

Social activism[link]

Jones's social activism began in the 1960s with his support of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jones is one of the founders of the Institute for Black American Music (IBAM), whose events aim to raise enough funds for the creation of a national library of African American art and music. Jones is also one of the founders of the Black Arts Festival in his hometown of Chicago. In the 1970s Jones formed The Quincy Jones Workshops. Meeting at the Los Angeles Landmark Variety Arts Center, the workshops educated and honed the skills of inner city youth in musicianship, acting and songwriting. Among its Alumni were Alton Mc Clain who had a hit song with Alton Mc Clain and Destiny, and Mark Wilkins who co-wrote the hit song "Havin' A Love Attack" with Mandrill and went on to become the National Promotion Director for Punk / Thrash record label Mystic Records. For many years, he has worked closely with Bono of U2 on a number of philanthropic endeavors. He is the founder of the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation, a nonprofit that connects youths with technology, education, culture and music. One of the organization's programs is an intercultural exchange between underprivileged youths from Los Angeles and South Africa.

In 2004, Jones helped launch the We Are the Future (WAF) project, which gives children in poor and conflict-ridden areas a chance to live their childhoods and develop a sense of hope. The program is the result of a strategic partnership between the Glocal Forum, the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation and Hani Masri, with the support of the World Bank, UN agencies and major companies. The project was launched with a concert in Rome, Italy, in front of an audience of half a million people.

Jones supports a number of other charities including the NAACP, GLAAD, Peace Games, AmfAR and The Maybach Foundation.^[32] Jones serves on the Advisory Board of HealthCorps. On July 26, 2007, he announced his endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president. But with the election of Barack Obama, Quincy Jones said that his next conversation "with President Obama [will be] to beg for a secretary of arts,"^[33] prompting the circulation of a petition on the Internet asking Obama to create such a Cabinet-level position in his administration.^[34][35]

In 2001, he became an honorary member of the Board of Directors of The Jazz Foundation of America. Jones worked with The Jazz Foundation of America^[36] to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians including those who survived Hurricane Katrina.

Jones and his friend John Sie, founder of Starz Entertainment, worked together to create the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the founding of which was inspired by Sie’s granddaughter, Sophia, who has Down syndrome.^[37]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Quincy Jones

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Quincy Jones

• Official Quincy Jones Website
• Quincy Jones Discography at iMusic.am
• Archive of American Television interview
• Mix Interview: Quincy Jones
• American Masters - Quincy Jones: The Story of an American Musician
• Quincy Jones at the Internet Movie Database
• Association for Computing Machinery Video Interview with Quincy Jones
• Quincy Jones speech on the importance of Cultural Diplomacy throughout the world, Beijing, China, May 26, 2006
• Quincy Jones's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project
• Video clip of Quincy Jones's speech on education at the American Film Institute for the 2006 ACM Computers in Entertainment Scholarship Awards (November 4, 2006)

Don Rickles
Rickles on stage at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City on January 12, 2008
Birth name	Donald Jay Rickles
Born	(1926-05-08) May 8, 1926 (age 86) Queens, New York, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, Television, Film
Nationality	American
Years active	1948–present
Genres	Improvisational comedy, Observational comedy, Musical comedy, Insult comedy
Subject(s)	United States culture, Racism, Self-deprecation, Everyday life, Religion, Current events
Influences	Milton Berle
Influenced	Jay Leno, David Letterman, Howard Stern, Russell Peters,[1] Dave Attell,[2] Lisa Lampanelli[3] Jerry Seinfeld, Norm Macdonald, Larry the Cable Guy
Spouse	Barbara Sklar (1965–present) (2 children)
Notable works and roles	Hello Dummy! Q M 1/C Ruby in Run Silent, Run Deep Sgt. Crapgame in Kelly's Heroes Billy Sherbert in Casino Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise

Donald Jay "Don" Rickles (born May 8, 1926)^[4] is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic.

Early life[link]

Rickles was born in the New York City borough of Queens to Max Rickles, who had emigrated in 1902 with his parents Joseph and Frances Rickles from Kaunas, Lithuania^[5] (then in the Russian Empire), and Etta (Feldman) Rickles, born in New York to immigrant parents from the Austrian Empire.^[6][7][8][9] His family was Jewish and spoke Yiddish at home. Rickles grew up in the Jackson Heights area.^[4]

After graduating from Newtown High School, Rickles enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during World War II on the USS Cyrene as a seaman first class. He was honorably discharged in 1946. Two years later, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and then played bit parts on television. Frustrated by a lack of acting work, Rickles began doing stand-up comedy. He became known as an insult comedian by responding to his hecklers. The audience enjoyed these insults more than his prepared material, and he incorporated them into his act. When he began his career in the early 1950s he started calling ill-mannered members of the audience a "hockey puck".^[10] His style was similar to an older insult comic, "Mr. Warmth" Jack E. Leonard, though Rickles denies that Leonard influenced his style.^[11]

Career[link]

1950s–1960s[link]

While working in a Miami Beach nightclub known as "Murray Franklin's" early in his career, he spotted Frank Sinatra and remarked to him, "I just saw your movie, The Pride and the Passion and I want to tell you, the cannon's acting was great." He added, "Make yourself at home, Frank. Hit somebody!"^[4][12] Sinatra, whose pet name for Rickles was "bullet-head", enjoyed Rickles so much that he encouraged other celebrities to see Rickles' act and be insulted by him. Sinatra's support helped Rickles become a popular headline performer in Las Vegas.^[12]

Rickles earned the nicknames "The Merchant of Venom" and "Mr. Warmth" for his insult comedy, in which he pokes fun at people of all ethnicities and walks of life. When he is introduced to an audience or on a television talk show, Spanish matador music, "La Virgen de la Macarena", will usually be played, subtly foreshadowing that someone is about to be metaphorically gored. Rickles has said, "I always pictured myself facing the audience as the matador."^[11]

In 1958, Rickles made his film debut in a serious part in Run Silent, Run Deep starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. Throughout the 1960s, he appeared frequently on television in sitcoms and dramatic series. Rickles guest-starred in Get Smart as "Sid", an old war buddy of Max who comes to stay with him. In an episode of the 1960s drama series Run for Your Life, Rickles played a distressed comedian whose act culminates when he strangles a patron while imploring the patron to "Laugh!" Rickles took a dramatic turn in the Roger Corman film X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes as a carnival barker out to exploit the title character.^{[citation needed]}

Rickles also appeared in the popular Beach Party film series. He recalled in his memoirs that at a White House dinner, Barbara Bush teased him about his decision to appear in those films, and remarked "Was your career really going that badly?"^{[citation needed]}. Rickles' agent, Jack Gilardi, was married to Annette Funicello when Rickles was cast in the Beach Party films.

As his career progressed, Rickles began appearing more frequently on television talk shows, first appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1965. He became a frequent guest and guest host, appearing more than 100 times on The Tonight Show during Carson's era. An early Carson-Rickles Tonight highlight occurred in 1968 when, while two Japanese women treated Carson to a bath and massage by foot, Rickles walked onto the set. At one point, he decided to play massage therapist to the prone and towel-clad Carson. Rickles leaned over and wrapped his arms around Carson, ad-libbing, "I'm so lonely, Johnny!" Carson broke into hysterical laughter, got up, grabbed Rickles, and tossed the suit-clad comedian into the bathtub. Rickles also made frequent appearances on The Dean Martin Show and became a fixture on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts specials, which continued until 1984.

In 1968, Rickles released a live comedy album, Hello, Dummy!, which reached #54 on Billboard's Hot 100.^[13] The same year he starred in his own variety show on ABC, The Don Rickles Show, with comedy writer Pat McCormick as his sidekick. The show lasted one season. During the 1960s, Rickles made guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Munsters, The Addams Family, The Mothers -in- Law, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, The Andy Griffith Show and I Dream of Jeannie.

1970s–1980s[link]

This biographical section of an 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. (April 2011)

In 1970, Rickles had a notable role as the con man Sgt. Crapgame in the hit film Kelly's Heroes with Clint Eastwood. In 1972, he starred in the sitcom The Don Rickles Show which lasted for thirteen episodes. He also starred in a series of television specials. In his memoir, Rickles acknowledged that a scripted sitcom was not well-suited to his ad-lib style of performing. In 1973 Don Rickles was a popular comedian at The Dean Martin Roasts.

In 1976, he starred in the sitcom C.P.O. Sharkey, which lasted two seasons. The show is primarily remembered for the cigarette box incident when Johnny Carson visited during an episode's taping because he was "incensed" that Rickles broke his cigarette box while Bob Newhart was guest-hosting. The incident was often replayed in Tonight Show retrospectives and was considered a highlight of the 1970s era of the show.

Rickles occasionally appeared as a panelist on Hollywood Squares and was depicted in comic book form by Jack Kirby during his work on the Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen series.

1980s–1990s[link]

In the early 1980s, Rickles began performing with singer Steve Lawrence in concerts in Las Vegas. In 1983, the duo co-hosted the short-lived ABC-TV series Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders, an imitation of NBC's TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes.

In 1985, when Frank Sinatra was asked to perform at Ronald Reagan's Second Inaugural Ball, he stipulated he would not perform unless Rickles was allowed to perform with him. Rickles considers this performance the highlight of his career.^[14]

In 1990, he appeared in the second season of Tales From the Crypt in the episode "The Ventriloquist's Dummy".

In 1992, he was cast in the film Innocent Blood, directed by John Landis. In his memoir, Rickles wrote that he recalled that Landis was once a "Production Assistant" to director Brian G. Hutton during the filming of Kelly's Heroes. During the filming of Innocent Blood, Rickles would kid Landis by ordering him to get coffee or to run other errands befitting his one-time "gofer" status.

In 1993, Rickles starred in another short-lived sitcom, Daddy Dearest, with comedian Richard Lewis. In 1995, he made a return to film in two high-profile projects: a dramatic role as Robert De Niro's trusted colleague in Martin Scorsese's Casino, and voicing Mr. Potato Head in the Pixar computer-animated film Toy Story. He reprises the latter role in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. In 1998 he portrayed a movie theater manager in Dirty Work, starring Norm Macdonald and Artie Lange. Again in 1998, he was the voice of Cornwall, one of the heads of a two-headed dragon, in the movie "Quest for Camelot".

2000s–present[link]

Rickles continued to be very active on the stand-up comedy scene, and is still a popular performer in Las Vegas.^[15] He has no plans to retire as he recently said in an interview: "I'm in good health. I'm working better than I ever have. The audiences are great. Why should I retire? I'm like a fighter. The bell rings and you come out and fight. My energy comes alive. And I still enjoy it."^[14]

In February 2007, Rickles made a cameo appearance as himself in a strange, recurring dream sequence that was woven through an episode titled "Sub Conscious" of the CBS dramatic series, The Unit.^[16]

Rickles' memoir, titled Rickles' Book, was released on May 8, 2007 by Simon & Schuster. Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, a documentary about Rickles directed by John Landis, made its debut on HBO on December 2, 2007. Rickles won two Emmys for the documentary, including one for "Individual Performance" besting a number of notable comics, including David Letterman, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. To this Rickles remarked, "Stephen Colbert's a funny man, but he's too young. He has got plenty of time to win awards, but this may be my last year and I think that I made it count. On second thought it was probably just a mercy award for an old man."^[17]

Rickles reprised the role of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story Midway Mania! attraction at Disney California Adventure Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios.^[18] He voiced the character again in Toy Story 3.

In 2009, Rickles appeared on Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List and met Griffin's mother, Maggie, to fulfill one item on Maggie's "bucket list".

In 2010, he appeared in a commercial during Super Bowl XLIV as a talking rose.

On June 27, 2010, he appeared on the 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on CBS TV.

In 2011, Rickles joined Joe Pesci in a Snickers advertisement highlighting the actors known for their "short fuses."^[19] Also in 2011, he made a surprise appearance as the late husband of Elka (Betty White) on the TV Land original comedy Hot in Cleveland -- a "surprise" because Rickles' character was thought to be dead.

Style[link]

It is well known that Rickles has nothing against the people that he insults during his routine, and that it is all just part of the act. Although sarcastically nicknamed "Mr. Warmth" due to his offensive and insensitive stage personality, in reality most know him to be actually quite genial and pleasant. It has been said that being insulted by Rickles is like "wearing a badge of honor".^[20]

When asked by an interviewer if he ever worried that his insult comedy might ever become too offensive, Rickles replied, "You know, every night when I go out on stage to do my comedy routines, there's always one nagging fear in the back of my mind. I'm always afraid that somewhere out there, there is one person in the audience that I'm NOT going to offend!"^{[citation needed]}

Rickles is known for lackadaisically saying the word "anyway" and "let me tell ya this", following most of his comedic insults, in order to appear nonchalant about the comic volley he had just thrown at an audience member, show host, etc. This is widely regarded as one of Rickles' classic comedic tactics that contribute to his impeccable sense of timing.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Rickles has been married for more than 45 years to his wife, Barbara, who was raised in Philadelphia. The couple had two children; a daughter Mindy, and a son, producer Larry Rickles, who died in December 2011 at the age of 41.^[21] According to Rickles' memoir, his grandchildren, Ethan and Harrison Mann, are much more impressed by his role as "Mr. Potato Head" than by any of his other achievements. Rickles is a life-long Democrat. However, he performed at the inaugurations of Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush with his friend Frank Sinatra.^[22]

Rickles considers comedian Bob Newhart to be his best friend. Rickles, Newhart, and their wives often vacation together. Rickles and Newhart appeared together on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on January 24, 2005, the Monday following Johnny Carson's death, reminiscing about their many guest appearances on Carson's show, including footage of the "cigarette box incident".^{[citation needed]}

Works[link]

Filmography[link]

• Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
• The Rabbit Trap (1959)
• The Rat Race (1960)
• X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)
• Muscle Beach Party (1964)
• Bikini Beach (1964)
• Pajama Party (1964)
• Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
• Enter Laughing (1967)
• The Money Jungle (1968)
• Where It's At (1969)
• Kelly's Heroes (1970)
• The Love Machine (1971)
• Keaton's Cop (1988)
• Innocent Blood (1992)
• Casino (1995)
• Toy Story (1995) (voice)
• Redux Riding Hood (1997) (short subject) (voice)
• Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's (1997) (documentary)
• Quest for Camelot (1998) (voice)
• Dirty Work (1998)
• Dennis the Menace Strikes Again (1998)
• Toy Story 2 (1999) (voice)
• Goodnight, We Love You (2004) (documentary)
• The J-K Conspiracy (2004) (documentary)
• The Aristocrats (2005) (documentary)
• The Last Laugh (2006) (documentary)
• Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007) (documentary)
• Toy Story 3 (2010) (voice)
• Hawaiian Vacation (2011) (voice)
• Zookeeper (2011) (voice)
• Small Fry (film) (2011) (voice)
• Vacation in India with Amruth raj (2012) (voice)

Selected television work[link]

• The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959 episode – "No Place to Hide and the 1960 episode – "The Women Who")
• The Twilight Zone (1961 episode – Mr. Dingle, the Strong)
• The Addams Family (1964 episode – Hallowe'en With the Addams Family)
• The Dick Van Dyke Show (1964 episodes - "4 1/2" and "The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail")
• The Dean Martin Show (1965–1974) (Guest Star)
• Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1965) (Guest Star)
• The Andy Griffith Show (1965) (Guest Star)
• F-Troop (1965 episode - The Return of Bald Eagle) (Guest Star)
• The Munsters (1965 episode – Dance With Me, Herman)
• Kibbee Hates Fitch (1965) (unsold pilot)
• Gilligan's Island (1966) (Guest Star)
• The Lucy Show (1967)
• Get Smart (1968 episode – The Little Black Book, Parts I and II)
• Laugh-In (1968–1969)
• The Don Rickles Show (1968–1969)
• The Don Rickles Show (1972)
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (1974–1984)
• C.P.O. Sharkey (1976–1978)
• For the Love of It (1980) (TV movie)
• Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders (1984–1985)
• Don Rickles: Rickles on the Loose (1986) (television special)
• Tales from the Crypt (The Ventriloquist's Dummy) (1990)
• Daddy Dearest (1993)
• Mike & Spike (1995) Episode: "Person To Shoe" as Ace Feathers
• The Larry Sanders Show (1997)
• Muppets Tonight (1997)
• The Bernie Mac Show (2002)
• The Wool Cap (2004) (TV movie)
• The Catch (2005) (unsold pilot)
• Live with Regis and Kelly (2007)
• The Daily Show (2007)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2007)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2008)
• The Daily Show (2008)
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2008)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2009)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2009)
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (2009)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2009)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2009)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2010)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2010)
• Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2010)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2010)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2011)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2011)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2011)
• The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (2011)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2011)
• Hot in Cleveland (2011)

Discography[link]

• Hello Dummy! (1968)
• Don Rickles Speaks! (1969)

Books[link]

• Rickles' Book: A Memoir by Don Rickles with David Ritz (Simon & Schuster, 2007), ISBN 978-0-7432-9305-1
• Rickles' Letters by Don Rickles with David Ritz (Simon & Schuster, 2008), ISBN 978-1-4165-9663-9

References[link]