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Selina Scott (born 13 May 1951) is a British newsreader, journalist, television producer and presenter.

Background and early life[link]

Scott was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, in 1951, the eldest of five children. Her late father, Charles,^[1] was a police sergeant and her mother, Betty (née Bumby), was formerly a journalist from Ryedale, North Yorkshire.^[2]

She completed her secondary education at the Laurence Jackson School in Guisborough, North Yorkshire, where she was head girl, whilst living in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Cleveland.^[3] She then continued her studies at the University of East Anglia, reading English and American Literature.

Career[link]

Initially resisting the temptation to continue a family trait working in journalism Scott succumbed and went to work on The Sunday Post in Dundee, Scotland, for two years. She then took up the post of Press officer for the Tourist board on the Isle of Bute. She then began broadcasting after being hired by Ted Brocklebank, then Head of News & Current Affairs, later a Tory MSP, as a reporter and presenter with Grampian TV in 1978. She made her television debut on the nightly news programme Grampian Today, presenting from a North Sea oil platform and at the summit of Cairn Gorm. She later became one of the launch team for North Tonight.

Several months after North Tonight began, Scott, at the age of 29, progressed to national television, appearing first as a newsreader on ITV's News at Ten. In 1982 at the outbreak of the Falklands War Scott became the Forces' pin-up girl, causing viewing figures to soar.^[4] She then went on to launch breakfast television in the UK, joining the BBC's Breakfast Time programme in January 1983. She presented the show with Frank Bough and Nick Ross. Ironically, Scott had been hired by ITN to replace Anna Ford who had defected to launch ITV's breakfast television channel, TV-am. Before TV-am began broadcasting in February 1983, Scott had already quit ITN to launch the BBC's rival show. She later presented The Clothes Show, and was a guest host on the chat show, Wogan (named for its regular host Terry Wogan). Scott crossed the Atlantic in 1988, joining the US channel CBS and hosting a current affairs programme, West 57th.^[5]

Back in the UK she joined Rupert Murdoch's satellite channel Sky, co-anchoring its 1992 election night coverage with Sir David Frost.^[6]

Scott has also produced documentaries on royal figures in Europe including A Prince Among Islands, a profile of Prince Charles,^[7] a film with King Juan Carlos of Spain (which achieved record viewing figures for a documentary in Spain) and The Return of the King, which involved travelling with King Constantine of Greece after 25 years of exile.

By 1995 in the US she had her own chat show on NBC. By 1997 she was back in the UK, signing a contract with Sky reputedly for £1,000,000.^[8] She anchored the breakfast programme, later switching to the 5pm news. Latterly she had her own chat show but this was halted after eight weeks.

In 2003 she moved from Perthshire, Scotland, to her native North Yorkshire,^[9] after buying a 200-acre (0.81 km²) farm near Ampleforth to accommodate her 27 Angora goats. The fleeces are washed, spun and dyed, producing mohair wool for her farm business. The wool is used to create socks for the gun makers James Purdey and Sons, and she has her own company designing and creating socks.^[10] Through this venture she has greatly enhanced her role as a Countryside Custodian^{[clarification needed]} while living in an area designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.^[11][12]

In October 2006, Scott was chosen to launch the new season's fashion campaign for Country Casuals,^[13] now known as CC.

In Spring 2007 Kingfisher Productions hired Scott to co-host Tales from the Countryside.^[14] The first series showed Scott's own working farm and her herd of Angoras being shorn through to the eventual production of the socks.^[15] A second series was commissioned and shown in spring 2008 featuring unique rural stories.

In 2007, Scott appeared as one of the dog handlers on the BBC 2 dog trials series The Underdog Show, screened to highlight the Dogs Trust Charity for rescued dogs. After six weeks of competition, she was voted the winner, beating singer Huey Morgan and actress Julia Sawalha in the final.

July 2007 saw Scott presenting the BBC's Animal Rescue Live Show daily from Battersea Dog's Home in central London, co-hosting with Matt Baker. Running daily for three weeks, the programme highlighted the plight of many animals at the home appealing to the public to consider re-homing.

In August 2008, Scott announced her intention to sue Five, a UK television station, for age discrimination.^[16] She claimed Five reneged on an agreement for her to cover Natasha Kaplinsky's maternity leave because she was "too old". Scott hired Simon Smith of Schillings,^[17] and Five denied the claim. A preliminary hearing began on 24 September 2008 with a full five-day hearing scheduled for December 2008.^[18] On 5 December 2008 she won, with Five issuing a public apology and a confidential out-of-court financial settlement.^[19] It was later reported that she accepted the offer, despite publicly declaring she would have her day in court, as her father had become seriously ill in December. He died on Christmas Eve after a stroke, and she wanted to be at his side and felt unable to continue the action as planned.^[20][21]

In April 2009 Scott wrote a two-piece article for the Daily Mail documenting her experience of ageism, legal action and its coincidence with her father's deteriorating health and death. This piece also records her view of the National Health Service and what she believed were its failings in caring for him.^[22][23]

In October 2008 Scott presented a four-part series for the Sky Arts channel & ITV, Edward Seago—The Forgotten Painter, shown in HD (high definition) and including interviews with and access to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh; an admirer of Seago's work.^[24][25]

In a departure from broadcasting, Scott has written her first autobiographical book, A Long Walk in the High Hills: The Story of a House, a Dog and a Spanish Island.

Following her successful claim against ageism, Scott has become a vocal lobbyist for the cause. Age UK and Equal Justice, a legal firm, commissioned Scott to compile a report investigating the employment of women over 50 years old at the BBC. The report was finally delivered to Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of the BBC Trust and Jeremy Hunt, the shadow Culture and Media Secretary in April 2010. In summary the report accuses the BBC of institutional ageism against older women.^[26]

September 2010 saw a return for Scott to the BBC reading the news on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 for two weeks, deputising for fellow veteran newsreader Moira Stuart. Evans invited her after purchasing her socks online and broadcasting this to his audience. They later met in May at the Sony Radio Awards in London where Evans was hosting and Scott presented an award, again showing the guests he was wearing her socks.^[27][28]

In 2011 Scott again returned to work for Sky Arts presenting a 5 part documentary series Tresure Houses of Britain ^[29]. The series charts the history of 5 of the best known historical houses in Britain: Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth House, Burghley House, Holkham Hall and Boughton House. It is now available on DVD ^[30].

In March 2012 the University of Hull announced it had awarded an honourary doctorate (PhD) to Scott for services to journalism, to be styled as a Doctor of Letters.^[31].

Personal[link]

Scott is from a family of journalists: her mother Betty was a journalist and her grandfather, George Bumby, was the editor of the Malton Herald in Malton, North Yorkshire.

She is the eldest of five children: her brother is Robin, and her sisters Angela, Vanessa, and Fiona, the last a fine art portrait artist, also based in Ampleforth, who regularly exhibits at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Exhibition in London. In April 2007 Fiona exhibited a long-awaited portrait of her famous sister. Selina purchased the painting.^[6][32]

She refuses to discuss most aspects of her private life and her marital status is unknown.^[33] She has two dogs: Nip, a female collie cross and Kiki, a German shepherd she rescued from Majorca. Leisure pursuits include angling,^[34] countryside walking,^[35] wildlife conservation and countryside management.^[36]

Continuing her interest in literature, Scott became the Patron of the Charles Dickens (Malton) Society based in Malton, North Yorkshire, from where Dickens took inspiration for parts of A Christmas Carol.^[37]

Charitable patronage[link]

• President: Malton Food Lovers Festival^[38]
• Patron: Charles Dickens (Malton) Society
• Patron: Animals Worldwide^[39]
• Patron: National Star College^[40]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Selina Scott website
• The Observer (Tim Adams) TV go home 27 August 2006
• Selina Scott Interview for Yorkshire Life Nov 2006
• Fiona Scott Website
• Selina Scott at the Internet Movie Database

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

Bonnie Tyler
Tyler live at La Cigale in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Gaynor Hopkins
Also known as	Sherene Davis
Born	(1951-06-08) 8 June 1951 (age 61) Skewen, Wales
Genres	Rock, country rock, wagnerian rock, progressive rock, rock and roll, pop
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1975–present
Labels	RCA, Chrysalis, CBS Records, Columbia, Hansa, Atlantic, East West Records, CMC Records, Sony, Stick Music
Website	Official Site

Bonnie Tyler (born Gaynor Hopkins^[1] on 8 June 1951) is a Welsh singer. She is most notable for having several hits in the 1970s and 80s, including "Lost in France", "It's a Heartache", "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out For A Hero" as well as her European 2004 hit "Si demain... (Turn Around)".

With a distinctively husky voice due to damaged vocal cords, Tyler is a three-time Grammy Award nominee and three-time Brit Award nominee,^[2][3] and three-time Goldene Europa award winner. Tyler was also the first Welsh female artist to reach the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 music charts.

Early life[link]

Tyler was born in Skewen, Neath, Wales to a family that included three sisters and two brothers. Her father, Glyn Hopkins, worked in a coal mine and her mother, Elsie Hopkins, (an opera lover) shared her love for music with her children, and was known to have been part of the local church choir. Tyler grew up listening to Motown music and female artists like Janis Joplin and Tina Turner.^[4] She concluded her education in the sixties and began working in the local grocery shop, then as a supermarket cashier.

In 1970, aged 19, she entered a talent contest, singing the Mary Hopkin hit "Those Were the Days", and finished in second place, winning £1. She then was chosen to sing in a band with front man Bobby Wayne, known as Bobby Wayne & The Dixies. Two years later, she formed her own band called Imagination (not related to the 1980s British dance band of the same name) and performed with them in pubs and clubs all over southern Wales. It was then that she decided to adopt the stage name of "Sherene Davis",^[5] taking the names from her niece's forename and favourite aunt's surname.^[6] Despite the two name changes, her family and friends still know her as Gaynor.^[7]

On July 4, 1973, she married Robert Sullivan, a real estate agent, Swansea night club manager and Olympic judoka.^[8] In 1975, she was discovered by Roger Bell who arranged a recording contract for her with RCA Records. Before signing, she was asked to choose a different stage name and settled on Bonnie Tyler.^[9]

Career[link]

The 1970s[link]

In 1976, Tyler was spotted in "The Townsman Club" in Swansea by the songwriting and producing team of Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, who became her managers, songwriters and producers.^[10]

Tyler first began by recording a track entitled "My! My! Honeycomb", which did not receive any chart success, but did gain local airplay in Swansea.^[11] The track was later released on the 2002 compilation, "Total Eclipse Anthology" and on a re-release of "The World Starts Tonight" in 2009, along with the rare track, "Baby I Remember You".^[12]

Following the Top 10 success of her 1976 song "Lost in France", Tyler released her first album in 1977 entitled The World Starts Tonight. A further single from the album, "More Than a Lover", made the UK Top 30,^[13] and the follow-up single, "Heaven", reached the Top 30 in Germany.^[14]

In 1977, Tyler was diagnosed with nodules on her vocal cords that were so severe that she needed to undergo surgery to remove them. After the surgery, she was ordered not to speak for six weeks to aid the healing process, but she accidentally screamed out in frustration one day. This caused her voice to take on a raspy quality. At first she believed that her singing career was ruined;^[15] but to her surprise her next single, "It's a Heartache," made her an international star. The song reached #4 in the UK, #3 in the US, #2 in Germany, and topped the charts in several countries (including France and Australia).^[16] The song was originally released by Ronnie Spector and Juice Newton separately, but Tyler's version was the most recognised and credited recording of the song. Tyler's second album, Natural Force, was also retitled It's a Heartache for the U.S. market and certified Gold there. Tyler performed in the Long Miles Country Music Festival prior to the release of Natural Force alongside musicians such as Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. In 1978, Tyler was given a Bravo Otto award in Germany for her success in Europe.

Though further global success was elusive during this era, Tyler did have some regional hits: "Here Am I" made the German Top 20 in spring of 1978; "My Guns Are Loaded" peaked at number 3 in France in 1979; and she scored a minor UK Top 40 hit with "Married Men" in summer 1979 (the theme to the film The World Is Full of Married Men). Tyler released the albums Diamond Cut in 1979 and Goodbye to the Island in 1981. The track "Sitting on the Edge of the Ocean" was the Grand Prix winner of the 1979 Yamaha World Song Festival held in Tokyo.^[17]

The 1980s[link]

Tyler released four albums for RCA Records from 1977 to 1981, but she became increasingly dissatisfied with Scott and Wolfe's management as they were trying to market her as a pop-country music artist.^[10] When her contract with RCA expired, she signed with David Aspden Management and sought help from songwriter Jim Steinman, most familiar to audiences as Meat Loaf's primary collaborator, to give her music the rock style she wanted. She signed with Columbia Records in 1982.

Her next album, Faster Than the Speed of Night, was released in Spring 1983 and included the power-ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart", which was written by Steinman. The song was a worldwide hit, reaching No. 1 in the UK, Ireland, France, Australia, and in the United States where it remained at the top for four weeks. Her presence in the US chart was at a time when almost one third of the Billboard Hot 100 was filled by songs from UK based acts - a situation not seen since the 1960s British Invasion and Beatlemania.^[18] Faster Than the Speed of Night entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1, and also became a Top Five bestseller in the US and Australia. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" also brought Tyler a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Also in 1983, Tyler was offered to sing the title song of the James Bond film, Never Say Never Again. Tyler disliked the song and turned down the offer,^[19] and so the song was given to American singer Lani Hall instead. In 1984, Tyler performed "Total Eclipse of the Heart" at the Grammy Awards, and received another Grammy nomination as Best Rock Female Vocalist for "Here She Comes",^[20] a song that was part of the soundtrack for the 1984 restoration of the film Metropolis. She also released the singles "A Rockin' Good Way", a duet with fellow Welsh artist Shakin' Stevens, which made #5 in the UK, and "Holding Out for a Hero", for the Footloose soundtrack, which made the U.S. Top 40 and later peaked at number 2 in UK in the summer of 1985. "Holding Out For A Hero" (written by Steinman and Dean Pitchford) was also used as the main theme for the 1984 US television series Cover Up, though the version heard on the TV series was not Tyler's original but performed by E.G. Daily.^[21]

The following albums, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire (1986) and Hide Your Heart (1988), achieved some success in France, Switzerland, Scandinavia, South Africa, Australia, but were not successful in the UK or the US. One of the single releases, "If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man)", became another Top 10 hit in France in 1986 and was certified Silver. In 1987, Tyler recorded a bilingual track with the Brazilian singer Fábio Junior entitled "Sem Limites Pra Sonhar" or "Reaching for the Infinite Heart" in English.^[22] In the same year, she sang the title song for Mike Oldfield's album Islands. Tyler also sang backing vocals with Cher for the song "Perfection" on Cher's self-titled 1987 album, and "Emotional Fire" on Cher's 1989 album Heart Of Stone.

In 1988, Tyler performed at the Reading Festival, accompanying performers such as Meat Loaf and Jefferson Starship. Tyler was victim to violent abuse from an aggressive crowd hurling bottles at her on stage after the organiser's failed attempt to introduce pop music to the annual event. Tyler was credited for carrying on and completing her set despite the audience's treatment.^[23] She even managed to get the audience to join in with "It's A Heartache" at the end of her set performance.^[24]

The 1990s[link]

Throughout the 1990s, Tyler's success was limited to continental Europe. In the early 1990s, she switched to the German label Hansa and found a new producer in Dieter Bohlen. Her first album for the label was Bitterblue, released in late 1991, which saw her leaving the rock genre of the 1980s and establishing a more soft-pop sound. The album went quadruple-platinum in Norway, platinum in Austria, and gold in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. Following the success of this album, two volumes of compilation albums were released entitled 'The Very Best Of Bonnie Tyler'. The first disc sold over 600,000 copies.^[25]

Tyler followed this up with the albums Angel Heart (1992) and Silhouette in Red in 1993. In light of her success in Germany, Tyler won Best International Female Vocalist at the RSH Gold Award, the "Goldene Europa" Award and the ECHO Award in 1994.

In April 1992, Tyler participated in a Greek ensemble CD with Sofia Arvaniti. The track was released on Arvaniti's 'Parafora' album on the EMI label, which was composed by Greek musician Michalis Rakintzis. It was named "The Desert Is In Your Heart", or "Petheno Stin Erimia" in Greek, and was a bilingual track (Greek and English). An instrumental version of the song was also released on Arvaniti's album.^[26] The album reached Gold.

In 1993, the first volume of Tyler's compilation The Very Best of Bonnie Tyler was released. It received a strong backing of advertising support. The featured tracks were selections from the 1970s to 1991, in chronological order and included a biography of Tyler's career. Over 600,000 copies were sold in Germany, dominating the charts over artists such as Madonna, Cher and Tina Turner.^[27] Later, in 1994, Columbia Records released Heaven & Hell, a Bonnie Tyler and Meat Loaf compilation album which featured tracks from both artists. The compilation became a Gold record in the UK.

After her three albums with producer Dieter Bohlen, Tyler wanted to have a more international sound on her next record. She switched labels to Warner Music in 1995 and recorded Free Spirit, an album on which she worked again with Jim Steinman as well as other prolific producers such as David Foster and Humberto Gatica. However, the album was only a minor success in continental Europe, though the single "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" (previously a hit for Air Supply in 1983) narrowly missed the UK Top 40. The single featured Tyler's mother's operatic vocals on the intro to the song. The album was re-released in 1996, now including the track "Limelight" which was used as the official song of the German Olympic Team.^[28] Tyler continued to record, releasing the folk influenced All in One Voice in 1999, though this was even less successful. Also in 1999, Tyler was part of an ensemble vocal unit for Rick Wakeman's Return to the Centre of the Earth CD.^[29] Tyler also recorded the track "Tyre Tracks And Broken Hearts" on the Jim Steinman and Andrew Lloyd Webber composed album Whistle Down The Wind.

The 2000s[link]

In 2003, Tyler was approached by her manager,David Aspen, to record an album that would consist of cover versions of Tyler's choice.David Aspden became the producer of the album. Tyler picked out 13 of her favourite songs, some of which are by U2, Richard Marx, Phil Collins and The Beatles. The tracks were recorded by City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, but Tyler requested for her band to feature on the tracks also.

Also in 2003, French vocalist Kareen Antonn sent Tyler a demo recording of Antonn singing a French arrangement of "Total Eclipse of the Heart", entitled "Si demain... (Turn Around)", requesting for a duet with her. Tyler, completely unaware of whether Antonn was famous or not, accepted immediately and began recording the track soon after, despite the discomfort of not knowing whether the song was suitable for a duet. Released in December 2003, it went to number 1 in France, holding that chart position for ten weeks, and 12 weeks in total, as well as Belgium and Poland, selling a total of two million copies. The follow-up, "Si tout s'arrête (It's A Heartache)", another French language remake with Antonn, also made the French Top 20. Both tracks were included on Tyler's 2004 album, "Simply Believe". Also on this album, Tyler worked with Stuart Emerson, who wrote several songs on Tyler's Free Spirit album in 1995, and who also worked with Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf in the 1980s. Emerson wrote and produced six tracks on this album, two of which were re-recordings from her 1995 album.

By 2005, Tyler had already been working on her sixteenth studio album, Wings. The sixteen-track album included 12 new tracks, two French re-recordings and two re-recordings of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "It's a Heartache". Tyler co-wrote most of the tracks, and was given two new tracks from Stuart Emerson, one of which was recorded as a duet between Tyler and her friend Lorraine Crosby. The track was "I'll Stand By You" and was based on the theme of friendship. Tyler's two singles from the album were "Louise" and "Celebrate", both of which received no chart success and nor did the album. In 2006, the album was re-released in the UK with 14 tracks, and called Celebrate. Again, this received little chart success. For Tyler's birthday in 2005, Tyler performed several tracks from her new album at La Cigale in Paris and Zaragoza in Spain. Extracts from the concerts were released on CD (Bonnie Tyler Live) and DVD (Bonnie on Tour) in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

In 2006, French record label Stick Music released Tyler's first live album, Bonnie Tyler Live, which featured songs from her 2005 album Wings as well as a handful of her greatest hits. In September 2006, Tyler made her first appearance on U.S. television in years, as she sang a duet of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with actress Lucy Lawless on the American show Celebrity Duets.

In 2007, a new Greatest Hits collection, From the Heart: Greatest Hits, was released. The compilation reached #2 in the Irish album charts and #31 in the UK. Also in 2007, Tyler featured on a charity album called "Over the Rainbow". The event was filmed and shown on British TV series Challenge Anneka. Anneka Rice was set the challenge to put together a thirteen-track compilation album made up of songs from musicals in five days and organise a promotional concert for the release of the CD. The proceeds went to the Chase Trust disabled children's charity. Tyler selected "I Don’t Know How to Love Him" from one of her favourite musicals, Jesus Christ Superstar.^[30] In March 2007, Tyler appeared in the 20th season of the British TV show, "Never Mind The Buzzcocks".

In 2009, it was announced by Mal Pope that he had recruited Tyler to perform the title track to his self-written musical, Cappuccino Girls, which would tour in Wales in the following months. She mimed the title song on the closing night in the theater to celebrate its conclusion.^[31] Tyler made a guest appearance in Hollyoaks Later (the late night edition of the British Channel 4 teen soap Hollyoaks) in which she sang her hit "Holding Out For a Hero" with one of the characters. She also recorded a new version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with the Welsh male voice choir Only Men Aloud! for their second album Band of Brothers which was released in October 2009.

Sony re-released Tyler's first two albums, "The World Starts Tonight" and "Natural Force" in 2009 with the addition of two B-Sides, which were not featured on the albums in the original release in the 1970s.^[32][33] This was to be the first official release of four of Tyler's co-written songs from the 1970s since the release of Total Eclipse Anthology in 2002.

On 1 November 2009, Tyler joined artists such as Escala, Joss Stone and Bananarama in a charity concert in support of breast cancer research. It was held at the Royal Albert Hall as a fundraiser for Pinktober.^[34]

The 2010s[link]

In 2010, Tyler appeared in a television advertisement for MasterCard singing a parody of "Total Eclipse of the Heart".^[35] Tyler performed in Australia for the first time in her career in the end of October, first as a supporting guest for Robin Gibb^[36] and then performing her own shows in Australia and New Zeland.

In November, Albert Hammond released an album called Legend, which featured some of his most successful compositions, with many re-recorded as duets.^[37] Hammond and Tyler recorded a version of Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now".

In 2011, Tyler made a guest appearance in the music video "Newport State of Mind", a parody of the Jay Z and Alicia Keys song "Empire State of Mind" for the BBC's Comic Relief charity. Towards the end of 2011, Tyler dueted with the singer Laura Zen on "Amour Éternel", a new French/English version of The Bangles' 1989 hit "Eternal Flame". It was released to French radio stations on 29 August 2011.^[38] It was then released as an MP3 download in France on 26 September 2011, and also included on Tyler's triple-disc Best Of 3 CD album on 3 October 2011. Also in 2011, Tyler won an award at the BMI London Awards for "It's A Heartache"^[39] and appeared on Ukraine X Factor as one of the three British guests, alongside Kylie Minogue and Cher Lloyd, performing "It's A Heartache", "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" and "Holding Out For A Hero". In December 2011, a portrait of Tyler by Rolf Harris was sold by Cathy Sims for £50,000 on BBC's Antiques Roadshow.^[40]

On 13 February 2012, news of the release of Tyler's new album was released on her website.^[41] It claimed that Tyler has been working in Nashville to record a new country/rock album which will be available as a CD and online for digital download for an expected release in 2012. David Huff has been named the producer and songwriters for the tracks include Desmond Child and Frank J. Myers as well as a duet with country musician Vince Gill. On 16 April, an update on Tyler's website confirmed the duet (named "What You Need From Me"), and commented that Tyler had arrived in Los Angeles two days prior to the update to assist with mixing the recorded tracks. It was later announced on Tyler's website that it is due to receive a new design in conjunction to the upcoming album.^[42]

In March 2012, a newly recorded track was released on SoundCloud entitled "Never Gonna Take No For An Answer". The song was written by Ed Poole and Martin Brown.^[43]

In April 2012, the record label Rdeg re-released Goodbye to the Island, Angel Heart and Bitterblue digitally.^[44][45]

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

Tours[link]

• 1988: Hide Your Heart Tour
• 1994: Silhouette in Red Tour
• 1996: Free Spirit Tour
• 2003: Heart Strings Tour

Personal life[link]

After global success in the 1980s, Tyler and her husband Robert Sullivan decided to try to have a baby when she was aged 39. Tyler miscarried and did not conceive again.^[46]

Throughout her career, Tyler and her husband have owned a villa in Mumbles in Wales.^[47] They also own a home in the Algarve (in Albufeira, south Portugal), after Tyler recorded one of her albums there in the late 1970s.^[48] In 2005, Tyler was filmed for a short Polish entertainment TV show called Zacisze gwiazd, which explores the houses of actors and musicians.^[49]

Some of Tyler's siblings have also been recognised to have a career in music. Her bother, Paul Hopkins, is lead singer of local Swansea band, Sunshine Cab Co.^[50][51] He co-wrote most of Tyler's 1980s B-sides, including "Time" and "Gonna Get Better" as well as composing some tracks for her albums, such as "The Reason Why" from All in One Voice. Tyler's sister, Avis Hopkins, featured on Mal Pope's musical soundtrack of Cappuccino Girls, singing the track, "Today's My Birthday".^[52] Avis Hopkins changed her name in the 1980s to Amanda Scott and released the track, "Lies" in 1988.^[53][54]

Through her husband, Tyler is related to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and attended her wedding to Michael Douglas, performing "Total Eclipse of the Heart".^[55]

Awards, nominations and accolades[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

Music awards and nominations[link]

Grammy Awards

Brit Awards

Goldene Europa

Steiger Awards

Other commercial achievements[link]

• Tyler was listed as second most famous celebrity from Wales in 2005 by the BBC.^[60]
• Welsh singer Rhydian Roberts selected Tyler's track, "Faster Than The Speed Of Night", for the Tracks Of My Years segment of UK DJ Ken Bruce's BBC Radio 2 show on September 26, 2011.^[61]

See also[link]

• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (United States)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Jon Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi at the Tribeca Film Festival, 2009
Background information
Birth name	John Francis Bongiovi, Jr.
Also known as	Jon Bon Jovi jr
Born	(1962-03-02) March 2, 1962 (age 50) Sayreville, New Jersey, United States
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal, country rock, glam metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, actor, philanthropist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica, percussion, trumpet, horn, trombone, maracas
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Island, Mercury
Associated acts	Bon Jovi
Website	bonjovi.com

Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr., March 2, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him. During his career, he has released two solo albums and eleven studio albums with his band, which to date have sold over 130 million albums worldwide. Тhe band was declared the second richest band for 2011, behind U2, earning an approximate $125 million income.^[1] In addition, Jon Bon Jovi is one of the majority-owners of the Philadelphia Soul, a team playing in the Arena Football League. In 2010, President Barack Obama named Jon Bon Jovi to the White House Council for Community Solutions.

As a solo artist, Bon Jovi has received numerous awards for his work, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for his solo hit, "Blaze of Glory". He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Monmouth University in 2001. He campaigned for Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election, John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, and Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election.

Early life[link]

Jon Bon Jovi was born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the son of two former Marines, barber John Francis Bongiovi, Sr. and Playboy Bunny turned florist Carol Sharkey.^[2] He has two brothers, Anthony and Matthew.^[3] His father was of Italian and Slovak ancestry and his mother was of German and Russian descent.^[4][5] He has stated that he is a blood relative of Frank Sinatra.^[6] Bon Jovi was raised Catholic.^[7] He spent summers in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his grandparents, and sold newspapers.^[8] As a child, John attended St. Joseph High School, in Metuchen, New Jersey, during his freshman and sophomore years.^[9] He later transferred to Sayreville War Memorial High School in Parlin, New Jersey.^[10]

John spent most of his adolescence skipping school to opt for music activities instead, and ended up playing in local bands with friends and his cousin Tony Bongiovi, who owned the then famous New York recording studio, The Power Station. As a result, his academic records displayed poor grades. By the time he was 16, John Bongiovi was playing clubs. It was not long before he joined up with keyboardist David Bryan (real name: David Bryan Rashbaum), who played with him in a ten-piece rhythm and blues band called Atlantic City Expressway. John also performed with bands called The Rest, The Lechers and John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones.

Music career[link]

Early career[link]

When he was seventeen, John was working sweeping floors at his cousin Tony Bongiovi's recording studio. In 1980, when Meco was there recording Christmas in the Stars: The Star Wars Christmas Album, Bongiovi recommended Bon Jovi for the song "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas." This became his first professional recording (credited as John Bongiovi).^[11] He left in 1983 when he got a record deal.^[12]

Bon Jovi recorded a song, Runaway, one of a few songs John wrote during his bus travels from Sayreville to The Power Station. He went to several record companies, including Atlantic Records and Mercury (PolyGram), but they all turned him down.

He visited major rock station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in New York City. He spoke directly to the promotion director John Lassman, who accepted the song "Runaway" for inclusion on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was initially reluctant to have it included but eventually gave them the song on which Bon Jovi had used studio musicians to play on the track. The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway" – known as The All Star Review – were guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, and bassist Hugh McDonald.

Runaway became a local hit on the charts. Along the way, Mercury gave Bon Jovi a recording contract in 1983, and to promote Runaway, Bon Jovi called up Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres and Alec John Such and formed a band. After Bon Jovi claimed he wanted a group name (and rejecting "Johnny Lightning"), one of the group suggested "Bon Jovi", slightly changing the spelling of Jon's last name.

Bon Jovi[link]

With the help of their new manager Doc McGhee, the band's debut album, Bon Jovi, was released on January 21, 1984. The album went gold in the US (sales of over 500,000). In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album 7800°Fahrenheit was released, and though the response weaker, it proved to be a fan favorite. The turning point came when they brought in songwriter Desmond Child for their third album, Slippery When Wet. With Child co-writing many of their hits on this and future albums the band shot to super-stardom around the world with songs such as "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' On A Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive". The album has sold in excess of 28 million copies worldwide since its release in late 1986.^[13]

During their 1986–1987 tour, Jon's attempt to give it his all during live shows (plus the tour's exhausting schedule) greatly strained his vocal cords, and he began receiving steroid shots to help him sing.^[14] With the help of a vocal coach, he was able to continue doing the tour. Contrary to popular belief, Bon Jovi did not have voice damage during the New Jersey Syndicate Tour. However by the time of the recording of Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi could no longer reach the extreme high notes heard across some of the songs in his first two albums.

Jon Bon Jovi in the Netherlands on May 26, 2006

The next album from Bon Jovi was New Jersey released in 1988. The album was recorded very shortly after the tour for Slippery, because the band wanted to prove that they were not just a one hit wonder. The resulting album is a fan favorite and a mammoth commercial success, with hit songs such as "Bad Medicine", "Lay Your Hands on Me" and "I'll Be There for You", which are still nightly stalwarts in their live repertoire.

Despite the band achieving massive success, New Jersey almost led to the end of the band as they went straight back out on the road so soon after the heavy touring for their previous album. This constant living on the road almost destroyed the strong bond between the band members. Sambora is noted on the albums as co-writer for many songs, yet he resented the lack of attention that was heaped on Jon alone. As mentioned in VH1's Behind the Music, the band members note that at the end of the tour, each band member went their separate way, even departing in separate jets after the tour ended in Guadalajara, Mexico in early 1990.

Between 1990 and 1992, members of Bon Jovi went their separate ways after the very rigorous two year New Jersey Tour, which exceeded 200 shows on 5 continents. This time off also helped them determine where Bon Jovi would fit within the rapidly changing music scene upon their return.

In 1992, the band returned with the album Keep the Faith. The album was released in November 1992. Produced by Bob Rock, the album signified an ending to their early metal roots in previous albums and introduced a more "rock n roll"-driven groove to the album. Much more complex, lyrically and musically, the album proved that Bon Jovi could still be a viable band in the 90's, despite the industry's and audience's growing affinity for Grunge.

In 1994, Bon Jovi released a "greatest hits" album titled Cross Road, which also contained two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night". "Always" spent six months on the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of Bon Jovi's all-time biggest hits. The song peaked at #4 on the U.S. charts and at #1 in countries across Europe, Asia and in Australia. The single sold very well, going platinum in the U.S. That same year, bassist Alec John Such left the band, the first and only lineup change since Bon Jovi began. Hugh McDonald, who was the bassist on "Runaway", unofficially replaced Such as bassist.

Their sixth studio album These Days was released in June 1995 to the most critical acclaim that the band had ever received. With the album These Days, Bon Jovi took the mature rock sound they had developed on Keep the Faith further. The record as a whole was darker and more downbeat than the usual Bon Jovi flare. By 1996, Bon Jovi had established themselves as a "force" in the music industry, proving much more durable than most of their 80's glam peers.

After another lengthy hiatus of nearly three years, during which several band members worked on independent projects, Bon Jovi regrouped in 1999 to begin work on their next studio album. Their 2000 release, Crush, enjoyed overwhelming success all around the world, thanks in part to the smash-hit single "It's My Life", co-written by famous Swedish producer Max Martin. Crush, which also produced such hits as "Say It Isn't So", helped introduce Bon Jovi to a new, younger fan base.

In late 2002, Bounce, the band's follow-up to Crush, hit stores. Though Bounce did not enjoy the level of success of its predecessor, the album did produce hit singles such as "Everyday" and the title track.

Bon Jovi singing 'Bed Of Roses' in Montreal on November, 2007

Bon Jovi's ninth studio album, Have a Nice Day, was released in September 2005. "Have A Nice Day" was the first single off the new album and the second single from the album "Who Says You Can't Go Home", was released in the U.S. in the spring of 2006. In the U.S. a duet version of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with country singer Jennifer Nettles of the band Sugarland was released, and in May 2006, Bon Jovi made history by becoming the first Rock & Roll Band to have a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Chart. On February 11, 2007, Bon Jovi also won a Grammy Award, for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home".

In June 2007, Bon Jovi released their studio album, Lost Highway. The album debuted at number #1 on the Billboard charts, the first time that Bon Jovi have had a number one album on the US charts since the release of New Jersey in 1988. Thanks to the band's new country music fanbase, the album sold 292,000 copies in its first week on sale in the U.S., and became Bon Jovi's third US number one album.

On April 6, 2009, it was announced that the Tribeca Film Festival will screen a Bon Jovi documentary called When We Were Beautiful. The film follows the band on the Lost Highway Tour during 2008. The film is directed by Phil Griffin and will be the centerpiece of the festival and is considered a work-in-progress.In November 2009, Bon Jovi released their latest studio album The Circle.

Solo career[link]

Jon Bon Jovi recorded a solo album, a soundtrack to the movie Young Guns II (in which he also appeared for less than a second), more commonly known as Blaze of Glory. Released in 1990, the album featured high profile guests such as: Elton John, Aldo Nova, Little Richard, and Jeff Beck, among others. The album fared well commercially and received very positive reviews and quickly achieved double platinum status. The title track, "Blaze of Glory", hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Jon an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, but he did not win the award. That same year, however, "Blaze of Glory" was awarded a Golden Globe.

Jon wrote what would become his second solo album, 1997's Destination Anywhere. The album received very positive reviews and was a success across Europe. It was rumored that the record company was pursuing Jon to name the record "These Days, Part 2", since the album was somewhat of a moody progression from These Days. A short movie of the same name was recorded right around the record's release, based entirely on the songs from the record and starring Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and Whoopi Goldberg. Dave Stewart of Eurythmics played guitar on the record, as well as producing some of the tracks. That year Jon Bon Jovi earned a BRIT Award for Best International Male and also won a MTV Europe Music Award for Best Male.

In 1998, Jon Bon Jovi joined Luciano Pavarotti in his then annual charity concert "Pavarotti and Friends" in Italy.

Other ventures[link]

Acting career[link]

Jon Bon Jovi is a credited actor in the movies Moonlight and Valentino, The Leading Man, Destination Anywhere, Homegrown, Little City, No Looking Back, Row Your Boat, Vampires Los Muertos, U-571, Cry Wolf, National Lampoon's Pucked, and New Year's Eve. He also had a supporting role in the movie Pay It Forward, where he played Helen Hunt's abusive ex-husband. His TV series appearances include Sex and the City, 30 Rock, Las Vegas, The West Wing, and an extended stint on Ally McBeal as a plumber who was Ally's boyfriend for a short period of time. He also had a brief, uncredited role in the 1990 film Young Guns II.^[15] On January 24, 2011, it was confirmed that Jon would be cast in the film New Year's Eve, released later that year, as a successful rock star who is connected with Katherine Heigl's character.

Presenting[link]

He was guest star on American Idol in May 2007, during the show's "Rock Week" in which the contestants all performed his or his band's songs. On October 13, 2007 Jon hosted the third episode of the 33rd season of Saturday Night Live. He guest starred on American Idol again on May 12, 2010, during the results show that would reveal the top three contestants.

Personal life[link]

During a stop in Los Angeles on the New Jersey tour in 1989, Bon Jovi secretly took a trip to Las Vegas, where he married his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley (born September 29, 1962) on April 29, 1989, at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Together they have four children: Stephanie Rose (born 31 May 1993), Jesse James Louis (born 19 February 1995), Jacob Hurley (born 7 May 2002) and Romeo Jon (29 March 2004). Bon Jovi maintains a strong family foundation to this day.^[12]

In 2004, he became founder and primary owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. He appeared in several television commercials for the league, typically with John Elway, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Denver Broncos. The AFL will be returning in 2011, but Jon will no longer be part owner of the Soul.^[16]

In 2011, Bon Jovi expressed interest in purchasing 15% of the Atlanta Falcons for 150 million dollars.^[17]

Bon Jovi described himself as a recovering Catholic.^[7]

He is also a supporter of Australian soccer team, Melbourne Heart FC.

Charitable work[link]

Bon Jovi has worked on behalf of the Special Olympics, the American Red Cross, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Covenant House, Project H.O.M.E., The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation (formerly the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation), and other groups.

He has been named the first Founding Ambassador of the Habitat for Humanity Ambassador program as part of the international-nonprofit organization’s new advocacy outreach initiative. Bon Jovi has been raising awareness with Habitat for Humanity since 2005 when he provided the funds to build six homes in Philadelphia and built the homes alongside the homeowner families, as well as with members of his Philadelphia Soul Arena Football Team (now non existent). The construction site also served as the video shoot location for his band’s single, "Who Says You Can’t Go Home". In 2006, Bon Jovi made a $1 million donation to build 28 Habitat homes in Louisiana in partnership with low-income families on the hurricane-stricken coast. In July, 2007, Bon Jovi announced a project that will rehabilitate a block of 15 homes in north Philadelphia.^[18][19] During an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005, the band donated $1 million to the Angel Network foundation.^[20][21]

The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation (formerly the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation) was founded in 2006 and exists to combat issues that force families and individuals into economic despair. Through the funding and creation of programs and partnerships, they support innovative community efforts to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.^[22] On October 19, 2011, they opened the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a community restaurant where patrons pay what they can afford for their meal, either with money or by volunteering work.

He is one of 21 artists singing on "Everybody Hurts", a charity single organized by Simon Cowell in aid of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[23]

Political activism[link]

As a Democrat, Bon Jovi toured extensively on behalf of Presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004, appearing at and playing acoustic sets (with Richie Sambora) at rallies for the Kerry-Edwards ticket throughout the United States.^[12] Bon Jovi also played as a part of the Live Earth concert at the Meadowlands in 2007, and was introduced by former Vice President Al Gore. In 2008, Jon Bon Jovi supported Barack Obama for President, even holding an exclusive fundraiser at his home for him; he also played a 2009 Manhattan fundraiser for now Secretary of State Clinton to lessen some of her $6.3 million dollar campaign debt. On Sunday, January 18, 2009 Bon Jovi performed a duet at the Obama Inauguration Concert of the Sam Cooke classic "A Change is Gonna Come" with Bettye LaVette.^[24] On June 4, 2009 Bon Jovi performed an acoustic benefit show for democratic Gov. Jon Corzine at the NJPAC in Newark, New Jersey.^[25]

On June 24, 2009, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Andy Madadian recorded a musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran. The handwritten Persian sign in the video translates to "we are one".^[26]

On 15 December 2010, Bon Jovi was appointed by Barack Obama to the new White House Council for Community Solutions. Bon Jovi's efforts with his own The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation in recent years have resulted in creative public/private partnerships as well as more than 260 units of affordable housing for low income individuals and families.^{[citation needed]} In addition to providing advice to the President on solving specific community needs, the White House Council for Community Solutions has been tasked with three key functions: enlisting leaders in the non-profit, private, and philanthropic sectors to make progress on key policy goals; providing strategic input and recommendations to help the federal government promote greater innovation and cross-sector collaboration; and honoring and highlighting those making a significant impact in their own communities.^[27]

Although he is generally associated with the Democratic Party, Bon Jovi's voter registration indicates that he is unaffiliated.^[28]

Filmography[link]

Awards and Nominations[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

MTV Video Music Awards[link]

American Music Awards[link]

Academy Awards[link]

Golden Globe Awards[link]

Other awards[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Solo singles[link]

• ⁺ "Please Come Home for Christmas" was originally credited as a solo recording by Jon Bon Jovi when included on the Christmas compilation A Very Special Christmas 2 in 1992, but when released as a single in UK, Ireland and Europe in 1994 it was released as a Bon Jovi single under the band name. The cover artwork of the single was a still from the musicvideo of Jon Bon Jovi and Cindy Crawford and the same Bon Jovi logo as was used on the albums Keep the Faith and Cross Road and the singles taken from them.

Guest singles[link]

With Bon Jovi[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jon Bon Jovi

• Official website
• Interview on CNN's Larry King Live, Aug 16, 2006
• Jon Bon Jovi at the Internet Movie Database
• Jon Bon Jovi at AllRovi
• Jon Bon Jovi at Facebook