Holiday name	Kwanzaa
Observedby	African Americans
Date	December 26 to January 1
Celebrations	UnitySelf-DeterminationCollective Work and ResponsibilityCooperative EconomicsPurposeCreativityFaith
Type	Cultural and ethnic
Significance	Celebrates Black heritage, unity and culture.
Relatedto	Black History Month
Nickname	}}

Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year. It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candles and culminates in a feast and gift giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–1967.

History and etymology

Ron Karenga of the US Organization created Kwanzaa in 1966 as the first specifically African American holiday. Karenga said his goal was to "give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society." The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase ''matunda ya kwanza'', meaning first fruits of the harvest. The choice of Swahili, an East African language, reflects its status as a symbol of Pan-Africanism, especially in the 1960s.

Kwanzaa is a celebration that has its roots in the black nationalist movement of the 1960s, and was established as a means to help African Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage by uniting in meditation and study of African traditions and ''Nguzu Saba'', the "seven principles of blackness" which Karenga said "is a communitarian African philosophy".

During the early years of Kwanzaa, Karenga said that it was meant to be an alternative to Christmas, that Jesus was psychotic, and that Christianity was a white religion that black people should shun. As Kwanzaa gained mainstream adherents, Karenga, who had since served a prison sentence for torture, altered his position so that practicing Christians would not be alienated, then stating in the 1997 ''Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture'', "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday."

Many Christian African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas.

In 2009, Maya Angelou narrated the award-winning documentary ''The Black Candle'', the first film about Kwanzaa.

Principles and symbols

Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or ''Nguzo Saba'' (originally ''Nguzu Saba''—the seven principles of blackness), which Karenga said "is a communitarian African philosophy," consisting of what Karenga called "the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world." These seven principles comprise ''Kawaida'', a Swahili term for tradition and reason. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows:

''Umoja'' (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

''Kujichagulia'' (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

''Ujima'' (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.

''Ujamaa'' (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

''Nia'' (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

''Kuumba'' (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

''Imani'' (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Kwanzaa symbols include a decorative mat on which other symbols are placed, corn and other crops, a candle holder with seven candles, called a kinara, a communal cup for pouring libations, gifts, a poster of the seven principles, and a black, red, and green flag. The symbols were designed to convey the seven principles.

Popularity

In 2004, BIG Research conducted a marketing survey in the United States for the National Retail Foundation, which found that 1.6% of those surveyed planned to celebrate Kwanzaa. If generalized to the US population as a whole, this would imply that around 4.7 million Americans planned to celebrate Kwanzaa in that year. In a 2006 speech, Ron Karenga asserted that 28 million people celebrate Kwanzaa. He has always maintained it is celebrated all over the world. Lee D. Baker puts the number at 12 million. The African American Cultural Center claims 30 million.

According to Keith Mayes, the author of ''Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition,'' the popularity within the US has "leveled off" as the black power movement there has declined, and now between half and two million people celebrate Kwanzaa in the US, or between one and five percent of African Americans. Mayes adds that white institutions now celebrate it.

Observance

Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with objects of art; colorful African cloth such as kente, especially the wearing of kaftans by women; and fresh fruits that represent African idealism. It is customary to include children in Kwanzaa ceremonies and to give respect and gratitude to ancestors. Libations are shared, generally with a common chalice, ''Kikombe cha Umoja'', passed around to all celebrants. Non-African Americans also celebrate Kwanzaa. The holiday greeting is "Joyous Kwanzaa".

A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance, and, finally, a feast (Karamu). The greeting for each day of Kwanzaa is ''Habari Gani?'' which is Swahili for "What's the News?"

At first, observers of Kwanzaa avoided the mixing of the holiday or its symbols, values, and practice with other holidays, as doing so would violate the principle of ''kujichagulia'' (self-determination) and thus violate the integrity of the holiday, which is partially intended as a reclamation of important African values. Today, many African American families celebrate Kwanzaa along with Christmas and New Year's. Frequently, both Christmas trees and kinaras, the traditional candle holder symbolic of African American roots, share space in kwanzaa-celebrating households. To them, Kwanzaa is an opportunity to incorporate elements of their particular ethnic heritage into holiday observances and celebrations of Christmas.

Cultural exhibitions include the Spirit of Kwanzaa, an annual celebration held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts featuring interpretive dance, African dance, song and poetry.

The first Kwanzaa stamp was issued by the United States Postal Service on October 22, 1997, with artwork by Synthia Saint James. In 2004, a second Kwanzaa stamp, designed by Daniel Minter, was issued; this has seven figures in colorful robes symbolizing the seven principles.

See also

''The Black Candle'' – a film about Kwanzaa

Dashiki – A shirt or suit worn during Kwanzaa celebrations

Kaftan (boubou) – A dress worn by women during Kwanzaa celebrations

Kufi – A cap worn during Kwanzaa celebrations

Further reading

A program to raise the faith level in African-American children through Scripture, Kwanzaa principles, and culture, Janette Elizabeth Chandler Kotey, DMin, Oral Roberts University,1999

The US Organization: African American cultural nationalism in the era of Black Power, 1965 to the 1970s, Scot D. Brown, PhD, Cornell University, 1999

Rituals of race, ceremonies of culture: Kwanzaa and the making of a Black Power holiday in the United States,1966—2000, Keith Alexander Mayes, PhD, Princeton University, 2002

Interview: Kwanzaa creator Ron Karenga discusses the evolution of the holiday and its meaning in 2004, conducted by Tony Cox. Tavis Smiley (NPR), 26 December 2003

Tolerance in the News: Kwanzaa: A threat to Christmas? By Camille Jackson | Staff Writer, Tolerance.org, 22 December 2005

References

External links

The Official Kwanzaa Web Site

The Black Candle: a Kwanzaa Celebration by Maya Angelou

Why Kwanzaa was created by Karenga

The History Channel: Kwanzaa

Category:African-American culture Category:December observances Category:Secular holidays Category:Swahili words and phrases Category:Winter holidays Category:Pop culture words of Bantu origin Category:1966 establishments

be:Кванзаа be-x-old:Кванзаа cs:Kwanzaa da:Kwanzaa de:Kwanzaa es:Kwanzaa eo:Kvanzao fr:Kwanzaa he:קוואנזה sw:Kwanzaa nl:Kwanzaa no:Kwanzaa nn:Kwanzaa pt:Kwanzaa ro:Kwanzaa ru:Кванзаа simple:Kwanzaa fi:Kwanzaa sv:Kwanzaa tl:Kwanzaa ta:குவான்சா tr:Kwanzaa

show name	Everybody Hates Chris| image
genre	Sitcom
runtime	22–30 minutes
camera	Film; Single-camera
creator	Chris RockAli LeRoi
starring	Tyler James WilliamsTerry CrewsTichina ArnoldTequan RichmondImani HakimVincent Martella
narrated	Chris Rock
theme music composer	Marcus Miller
composer	Marcus Miller
country	United States
language	English
executive producer	Chris RockAli LeRoiMichael RotenbergDave Becky (all; entire run)Howard Gewirtz(early season 1)Don Reo (seasons 2-4)
company	CR Enterprises, Inc.3 Arts EntertainmentParamount Television (season 1)CBS Paramount Television (seasons 2-4)
location	Paramount StudiosHollywood, California
distributor	CBS Television Distribution
network	UPN (2005–2006) The CW (2006–2009)
num seasons	4
num episodes	88
list episodes	List of Everybody Hates Chris episodes
picture format	480i (SDTV)1080i (HDTV)
audio format	Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
first aired
last aired
status	Ended }}

''Everybody Hates Chris'' is an American sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock (who is also the narrator), while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York (often referred to in the show as Bed-Stuy) from 1982 to 1987. Chris Rock grew up with a boy named Kenny Montero who he has often referred to as the inspiration for a lot of the episodes. In many interviews, Rock has described Kenny as the reason he got into comedy in the first place. The title of the show parodies the CBS sitcom ''Everybody Loves Raymond''. Rock stated "''Everybody Loves Raymond'' but ''Everybody Hates Chris!''". The show's lead actors are Tyler James Williams, Terry Crews, Tichina Arnold, Tequan Richmond, Imani Hakim, and Vincent Martella.

In fall 2008, the The CW moved ''Everybody Hates Chris'' and ''The Game'' to the Friday night death slot. The fourth season of the series premiered Friday, October 3, 2008, at 8:00PM Eastern/7:00PM Central. On May 21, 2009, The CW announced that it had cancelled ''Everybody Hates Chris''. Prior to this, executive producer Chris Rock announced that the end of season 4 matched up with his own past—dropping out of high school to become a comedian—and that it was time to end the show.

Plot summary

Set in the mid to late 1980s, the show revolves around the everyday life of Chris. Chris is a 16-year-old high school student in the series' last episode. Chris is one of the few, "normal" characters on the show, surrounded by a collection of eccentric characters that, in his point of view, act as if they dislike him. Chris lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, a working-class community and attends an all-white school in Brooklyn Beach, where students and teachers alike pick on him. If events progress favorably for Chris throughout an episode, they will almost certainly backfire on him by the end. Likewise, if a situation isn't going Chris' way, it always gets worse for him, whether or not he tries to change it or not.

In the third season finale, Chris graduates from Corleone Junior High School, but his joy is cut short when his best friend Greg moves to a new school—Chris quickly hatches a plan to go to Greg's high school. Greg ends up having to go to Chris' high school due to poor behavior.

There are several references to ''The Godfather'' on the show. Chris' junior high school is named Corleone, which is named after Vito Corleone and the Corleone family. Chris' high school is named Tattaglia, another one of the Five Families. Also, Tattaglia's mascot is The Sleeping Fishes. In the episode "Everybody Hates Bomb Threats", there is also a school called Barzini high school, the third of the Five Families. Finally, Tattaglia's rival is Clemenza high school, one of Don Corleone's caporegime.

Series finale

The fourth and final season concluded with a series finale titled "Everybody Hates the G.E.D.", which focused on Chris getting his G.E.D. after he decides to drop out of school due to having to repeat the tenth grade for being late 30 times. His parents oppose at first, but they later decide to support and love him regardless. The final episode was a spoof of ''The Sopranos'''s series finale. The entire Rock family were in a diner with Chris's G.E.D results, and as soon as they were about to announce his results, the screen goes black.

Characters

Reception

Critical

The American Film Institute selected ''Everybody Hates Chris'' as one of the best 10 television series of 2007, stating that the show "provides a very real look at growing up in America — a challenge that demands a discussion of race and class often absent from television today." Common Sense Media's Marjorie Kase gave the show 4 stars, and said it was "a prime example of how to take serious issues and approach them in a humorous yet thought-provoking way. The series is innovative, funny, and stereotype-defying -- enjoyable for teens and their parents." Marjorie, however, did warn parents that there are "jokes about drugs (becoming a "crackhead") and the "N" word has been used sparingly. There's also some mild kissing and jokes about teen pregnancy."

Awards

''Everybody Hates Chris'' won an NAACP Image Award for its writing in 2008. It has also been nominated for many Golden Globe and Emmy Awards. In December 2008, ''Entertainment Weekly'' lists the Kwanzaa episode from this show as seventh on the magazine's "Must List: 10 Holiday Things We Love."

Syndication

The show airs regularly on broadcast TV during the week. The show was launched on September 7, 2009 on Nick at Nite, becoming the youngest syndicated show on the channel, beating ''George Lopez''. The series has since expanded from Nick at Nite, and has joined sister network, TeenNick, which lasted from July 18, 2011 to August 15, 2011. Currently, Nick @ Nite only airs the series; the show also airs weekdays on BET.

Awards and nominations

Boldface type indicates a win.

Golden Globes

:2006 - ''Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy'' (Nominated)

Emmy Awards

:2009 - ''Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series'' - Mark Doering-Powell for episode "Everybody Hates Back Talk" (Nominated) :2006 - ''Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series'' - Mark Doering-Powell for episode "Everybody Hates Funerals." :2006 - ''Outstanding Costumes for a Series'' - Darryle Johnson & Sharlene Williams for episode "Everybody Hates The Pilot" (Nominated)

Writers Guild of America

:2006 - ''New Series'' (Nominated)

Young Artist Awards

:2006 - ''Best Family Television Series (Comedy)'' :2006 - ''Best Performance in a TV Series - Leading Young Actor (Comedy or Drama)'' - Tyler James Williams (Nominated) :2006 - ''Best Performance in a TV Series - Supporting Young Actor (Comedy or Drama)'' - Vincent Martella (Nominated) :2008 - ''Best Performance in a TV Series - Leading Young Actor'' - Tyler James Williams (Nominated) :2008 - ''Best Performance in a TV Series - Supporting Young Actor'' - Vincent Martella (Nominated)

Television Critics Association Awards

:2006 - ''Outstanding Achievement in Comedy'' (Nominated) :2006 - ''Outstanding New Program of the Year'' (Nominated)

Teen Choice Awards

:2006 - ''TV - Choice Actor: Comedy'' - Tyler James Williams (Nominated) :2006 - ''TV - Choice Actress: Comedy'' - Tichina Arnold (Nominated) :2006 - ''TV - Choice Breakout Show'' (Nominated) :2006 - ''TV - Choice Comedy/Musical Show'' (Nominated) :2006 - ''TV - Choice Parental Unit'' - Tichina Arnold & Terry Crews (Nominated) :2006 - ''TV - Choice Sidekick'' - Vincent Martella (Nominated)

Image Awards

:2010 - ''Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Tyler James Williams (Nominated) :2010 - ''Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series'' - Tichina Arnold (Nominated) :2010 - ''Outstanding Comedy Series'' (Nominated) :2010 - ''Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series'' - Ali LeRoi for episode "Everybody Hates the G.E.D." (Nominated) :2009 - ''Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Tyler James Williams (Nominated) :2009 - ''Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Terry Crews (Nominated) :2009 - ''Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series'' - Tichina Arnold (Nominated) :2009 - ''Outstanding Comedy Series'' (Nominated) :2009 - ''Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series'' - Ali LeRoi for episode "Everybody Hates Port Authority" (Nominated) :2008 - ''Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series'' - Ali LeRoi for episode "Everybody Hates Guidance Counselor" :2008 - ''Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Tyler James Williams (Nominated) :2008 - ''Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Terry Crews (Nominated) :2008 - ''Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series'' - Tichina Arnold (Nominated) :2008 - ''Outstanding Comedy Series'' (Nominated) :2008 - ''Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series'' - Ali LeRoi for episode "Everybody Hates Baseball" (Nominated) :2008 - ''Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series'' - Millicent Shelton for episode "Everybody Hates the Substitute" (Nominated) :2007 - ''Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Tyler James Williams :2007 - ''Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series'' - Tichina Arnold (Nominated) :2007 - ''Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Terry Crews (Nominated) :2007 - ''Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Antonio Fargas (Nominated) :2007 - ''Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series'' - Whoopi Goldberg (Nominated) :2007 - ''Outstanding Comedy Series'' (Nominated) :2007 - ''Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series'' - Ali LeRoi for episode "Everybody Hates Elections" (Nominated) :2007 - ''Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series'' - Millicent Shelton for episode "Everybody Hates Valentine's Day" (Nominated) :2006 - ''Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series'' - Tichina Arnold :2006 - ''Outstanding Comedy Series'' :2006 - ''Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Tyler James Williams (Nominated) :2006 - ''Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series'' - Terry Crews (Nominated) :2006 - ''Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series'' - Ken Whittingham (Nominated)

Environmental Media Awards

2008 - ''Episodic Comedy'' (Nominated)

Satellite Awards

:2006 - ''Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical'' (Nominated)

People's Choice Awards

:2006 - ''Favorite New Television Comedy'' (Nominated)

Motion Picture Sound Editors

:2006 - ''Best Sound Editing in Television Short Form - Dialogue and Automated Dialogue Replacement'' - for episode "Everybody Hates Basketball" (Nominated) :2006 - ''Best Sound Editing in Television Short Form - Music'' - for episode "Everybody Hates Halloween" (Nominated)

Nielsen Ratings

Season	Timeslot (EDT)	Season Premiere	Season Finale	TV Season	Rank	Viewers(in millions)
1	Thursday 8:00 PM	September 22, 2005	March 30, 2006	style="font-size:11px;text-align:center"	#120
2	Sunday 7:00 PM (October 2006) Monday 8:00 PM (October 2006 - May 2007)	October 1, 2006	May 14, 2007	style="font-size:11px;text-align:center"	#137
3	Monday 8:00 PM (October 1, 2007 - December 10, 2007) Sunday 8:00 PM (March 2, 2008 - May 18, 2008)	October 1, 2007	May 18, 2008	style="font-size:11px;text-align:center"	#198
4	Friday 8:00 PM	October 3, 2008	May 8, 2009	style="font-size:11px;text-align:center"	#176

Broadcast history

U.S. broadcast history

UPN

September 2005 – May 2006: Thursdays 8:00 PM/7:00 PM (new)

The CW

October 2006 – October 2006: Sundays 7:00 PM/6:00 PM (new)

October 2006 – March 2008: Mondays 8:00 PM/7:00 PM (new)

March 2008 – May 2008: Sundays 8:00 PM/7:00 PM (new)

October 2008 – Fridays 8:00 PM/7:00 PM (new)

December 2008 – Sundays 5:00 PM/4:00 PM (Repeats)

September 2009 – syndication

Nickelodeon (Nick at Nite)

Weekdays – 9:00PM & 9:30PM / 3:00AM & 3:30AM (syndication)

BET

Weekdays – 12:00PM & 12:30PM / 5:00PM & 5:30PM (syndication)

International broadcast history

''Everybody Hates Chris'' is broadcast on the following stations (and many others) around the world:

! Region	! Network(s)	! Regional Title
Arab World	MBC4	Everybody Hates Chris
Albania	Koha TV	Te Gjithë e urrejnë Krisin
Australia	Network Ten / The Comedy Channel	Everybody Hates Chris
Austria	ORF 1	Alle hassen Chris
Barbados	Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation / CBCTV CH8	Everybody Hates Chris
Belarus	kuraj bombey / kuraj bombey	Все ненавидят Криса
Belgium	VT4/ La deux	Everybody Hates Chris (subtitled) / Tout Le Monde Déteste Chris (dubbed)
Brazil		Everybody Hates Chris (subtitled) / Todo Mundo Odeia o Chris (dubbed)
Bosnia and Herzegovina		Svi mrze Chrisa
Bulgaria	BTV Comedy	Всички мразят Крис
Canada		Everybody Hates Chris
Croatia		Svi mrze Chrisa
Denmark	TV 2 Zulu	Everybody Hates Chris
Ecuador	Ecuavisa	Todos odian a Chris
Falkland Islands	Falkland Islands Television Service	Everybody Hates Chris
Finland	Nelonen	Lapsuuteni Luuserina
France		Tout Le Monde Déteste Chris
Germany	ProSieben	Alle hassen Chris
Hong Kong	TVB Pearl	阿傑出少年/ Everybody Hates Chris
Hungary	TV6	Mindenki utálja Christ!
Iceland	SkjárEinn
India	Zee Cafe	Everybody Hates Chris
Ireland	TV3 Ireland	Everybody Hates Chris
Israel	Bip, Channel 2 (Keshet)	כולם שונאים את כריס/Everybody Hates Chris (translation)
Italy	Comedy Central Italy, Rai 2	Tutti Odiano Chris
Jamaica	Television Jamaica (TVJ)	Everybody hates Chris
Kosovo	Kohavision	Te Gjithë e urrejnë Krisin
Latin America
	Sitel (TV channel)	Сите го мразат Крис
Malaysia	8TV	Everybody Hates Chris
México	TV Azteca	Todos odian a Chris
Montenegro	TV IN
Netherlands		Everybody Hates Chris
New Zealand	C4 (TV channel)
[[Norway	TV2 Norway	Alle Hater Chris
Peru
Philippines	Jack TV
Poland	Comedy Central Polska, VH1 Polska	Wszyscy nienawidzą Chrisa
Portugal		Todos Contra o Chris
Russia	kuraj-bambey.ru / Кураж-Бамбей.Ру	Все ненавидят Криса
Serbia	Fox televizija	Svi Mrze Krisa
Slovakia	TV Markíza	Chrisa nemá nikto rád
Slovenia	Kanal A	Vsi sovražijo Chrisa
South Africa	SABC 1
South Korea	FOXlife	크리스는 괴로워
Spain		Todo el Mundo Odia a Chris
Sweden	TV4 Komedi	Everybody Hates Chris
Switzerland	TSR 1 (French part)	SF zwei (German part)	Tout le monde déteste Chris (French part)	Alle hassen Chris (German part)
Trinidad and Tobago	CCN TV6 (TV6) / Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG)	Everybody Hates Chris
Turkey	ComedyMax	Everybody Hates Chris
United Kingdom	Comedy Central UK	Everybody Hates Chris
[[United States	Nick @ Nite / BET (2009-present) / UPN(2005–2006) / The CW Television Network	Everybody Hates Chris
[[Uganda	NTV Uganda	Everybody Hates Chris
Venezuela	RCTV	Todos Odian a Chris

Notes

A lot of popular and successful movies came out in the '80s such as ''Steven Spielberg's'' ''E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial''(1982), John Carpenter's ''The Thing'' (1982), ''Stanley Kubrick's'' ''The Shining''(1980), ''Wes Craven's'' ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984), ''Aliens'' (1986), ''Halloween II'' (1981), ''Back to The Future'' (1985), ''The Color Purple'' (1985) and many more.

References

External links

Category:2000s American television series Category:2005 American television series debuts Category:2009 American television series endings Category:1980s in fiction Category:American television sitcoms Category:Black sitcoms Category:UPN network shows Category:The CW Television Network shows Category:English-language television series Category:Everybody Hates Chris Category:Fictional versions of real people Category:Period television series Category:Teen sitcoms Category:Television series by CBS Paramount Television Category:Television shows set in New York City

de:Alle hassen Chris es:Todo el Mundo Odia a Chris fr:Tout le monde déteste Chris ko:에브리바디 헤이츠 크리스 it:Tutti odiano Chris la:Omnis Christopherum Odit nl:Everybody Hates Chris pl:Wszyscy nienawidzą Chrisa pt:Everybody Hates Chris ru:Все ненавидят Криса sq:Everybody Hates Chris fi:Lapsuuteni luuserina sv:Everybody Hates Chris th:เอเวอรีบอดีเฮตส์คริส tr:Everybody Hates Chris zh:阿傑出少年

name	Teddy Pendergrass
background	solo_singer
birth name	Theodore DeReese Pendergrass
alias
born	March 26, 1950Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
died	January 13, 2010Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States
instrument	Vocals, piano, guitar, drums
genre	R&B;, soul, gospel, jazz
occupation	Singer, songwriter, composer
years active	1970–2006
label	Philadelphia InternationalAsylumElektraSurefire/Wind Up
associated acts	Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
website	}}

Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American R&B;/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade. In 1982, he was severely injured in an auto accident in Philadelphia, resulting in his being paralyzed from the waist down. After his injury, the affable entertainer founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, a foundation that helps those with spinal cord injuries. Pendergrass commemorated 25 years of living after his spinal cord injury with star filled event, Teddy 25 - A Celebration of Life at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. His last performance was on a PBS special at Atlantic City's Borgata Casino in November 2008.

Early life

Pendergrass was born Theodore DeReese Pendergrass at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of Jesse Pendergrass and Ida Geraldine Epps. When Pendergrass was still very young, his father left the family; Jesse Pendergrass was murdered when Teddy was 12. Pendergrass grew up in a Philadelphia slum and sang often at church. He dreamed of being a pastor and got his wish when, at 10, he was ordained a minister (according to author Robert Ewell Greene). He also took up drums during this time and was a junior deacon of his church. Pendergrass attended Thomas Edison High School for Boys in North Philadelphia (now closed). He sang with the Edison Mastersingers. He dropped out in the eleventh grade to enter the music business, recording his first song "Angel With Muddy Feet." The recording, however, was not a commercial success.

Pendergrass played drums for several local Philadelphia bands, eventually becoming the drummer of the The Cadillacs. In 1970, the singer was spotted by the Blue Notes' founder, Harold Melvin (1939–1997), who convinced Pendergrass to play drums in the group. However, during a performance, Pendergrass began singing along, and Melvin, impressed by Pendergass's vocals, made him the lead singer. Before Pendergrass joined the group, the Blue Notes had struggled to find success. That all changed when they landed a recording deal with Philadelphia International Records in 1971, thus beginning Pendergrass's successful collaboration with label founders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

Early career

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes: 1972-1977

In 1972, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes released their first single, a slow, solemn ballad titled "I Miss You". The song was originally written for The Dells but the group passed on the song and noting how Pendergrass sounded like Dells lead singer Marvin Junior, Kenny Gamble decided to build the song with Pendergrass, then only 21 at the time of the recording of the song, singing much of the song in a raspy baritone wail that became his trademark. The song also featured Bluenotes member Lloyd Parks singing falsetto in the background and spotlighted Harold Melvin adding in a rap near the end of the song as Pendergrass kept singing, feigning tears. The song, one of Gamble and Huff's most creative productions, became a major rhythm and blues hit and put the Blue Notes on the map.

The group's follow-up single, "If You Don't Know Me by Now", brought the group to the mainstream with the song reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 while also reaching number-one on the soul singles chart. Like "I Miss You" before it, the song was originally intended for a different artist, fellow Philadelphian native Patti LaBelle and her group Labelle but the group couldn't record it due to scheduling conflicts. Pendergrass and LaBelle developed a close friendship that would last until Pendergrass' death.

The group rode to fame with several more releases over the years including "The Love I Lost", a song which predated the upcoming disco music scene; the ballad "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon", and socially conscious singles "Wake Up Everybody" and "Bad Luck", the latter song about the Watergate scandal. One of the group's important singles was their original version of the Philly soul classic, "Don't Leave Me This Way", which turned into a disco smash when Motown artist Thelma Houston released her version in 1976. By 1975, Pendergrass and Harold Melvin were at odds, mainly over monetary issues and personality conflicts. Despite the fact that Pendergrass sung all of the group's songs, Melvin was controlling the group's finances. Pendergrass discovered this while attending a party with Melvin. At one point, Pendergrass wanted the group to be renamed "Teddy Pendergrass and the Blue Notes" because fans kept mistaking him as Melvin. Pendergrass left the group in 1977 and the Blue Notes struggled with his replacements. They eventually left Philadelphia International and by the early 1980s had disbanded for good.

Solo career

Early solo success

In 1977, Pendergrass released his self-titled album, which went platinum on the strength of the disco hit, "I Don't Love You Anymore". Its follow-up single, "The Whole Town's Laughing At Me", became a top 20 R&B; hit. It was quickly followed by ''Life Is a Song Worth Singing'', in 1978. That album was even more successful with its singles including "Only You" and "Close the Door". The disco single, "Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose" was popular in dance clubs. 1979 brought two successes, ''Teddy'' and the live release, ''Live Coast to Coast''. Hits off ''Teddy'' included "Come and Go With Me" and "Turn Off the Lights". His 1980 album, ''TP'', included his signature song, "Love TKO" and the Ashford & Simpson composition, "Is It Still Good to You". Between 1977 and 1981, Pendergrass landed five consecutive platinum albums, which was a then-record setting number for a rhythm and blues artist.

Pendergrass' popularity became massive at the end of 1977. With sold-out audiences packing his shows, Pendergrass' manager soon noticed that a huge number of his audience consisted of women of all races. They made up a plan for Pendergrass' next tour to have it with just female audiences only, starting a trend that continues today called "women's only concerts". With five platinum albums and two gold albums, Pendergrass was on his way to be what the media was calling him, "the black Elvis", not only in terms of his crossover popularity but also due to him buying a mansion akin to Elvis' Graceland, located just outside of his hometown of Philadelphia. By early 1982, Pendergrass was the leading R&B; male artist of his day usurping competition including closest rivals Marvin Gaye and Barry White. In 1980, the Isley Brothers released "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love)" to compete with Pendergrass' "Turn Off the Lights", which sensed Pendergrass' influence on the quiet storm format of black music.

Accident

On March 18, 1982, in the East Falls section of Philadelphia on Lincoln Drive near Rittenhouse Street, Pendergrass was involved in an automobile accident. The brakes failed on his 1981 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, causing the car to hit a guard rail, cross into the opposite traffic lane, and hit two trees. Pendergrass and his passenger, Tenika Watson, a nightclub performer with whom Pendergrass was acquainted, were trapped in the wreckage for 45 minutes. While Watson walked away from the accident with minor injuries, Pendergrass suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

Later solo career

Pendergrass got well-wishes from thousands of his fans during his recovery. In August 1982, his label released ''This One's for You'', which failed to chart successfully, as did 1983's ''Heaven Only Knows''. Both albums included material Pendergrass had recorded prior to his accident. The albums completed Pendergrass' contract with Philadelphia International, in which by that time Pendergrass decided to return to the studio to work on new music and struggled to find a recording deal. Eventually signing a deal and completing physical therapy, Pendergrass released ''Love Language'' in 1984. The album included the pop ballad "Hold Me", featuring a then unknown Whitney Houston.

On July 13, 1985, Pendergrass made an emotional return to the stage at the historic Live Aid concert in Philadelphia in front of a live audience of over 99,000 and 2 billion television viewers. It was the 35-year-old's first live performance following his 1982 accident. Pendergrass tearfully thanked the audience for keeping him in their well-wishes and then performed the Ashford & Simpson classic, "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". In 1988, Pendergrass scored his first R&B; number-one hit in nearly a decade when the new jack swing-styled "Joy", off his album of the same name, was released. A video of the song was in heavy rotation on BET. It was also his final Hot 100 charted single, peaking at number 77. Also, Pendergrass' voice was heard on the jingles of a back then local Philadelphia radio station, WSNI-FM.

Pendergrass kept recording through the 1990s. One of the singer's final hits was the hip-hop leaning "Believe in Love", released in 1994. In 1996, he starred alongside Stephanie Mills in the touring production of the gospel musical ''Your Arms Too Short to Box with God''. In 1998, Pendergrass released his autobiography entitled, ''Truly Blessed''.

Pendergrass did a concert at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, California on February 14, 2002 entitled "The Power of Love". The concert became the album ''From Teddy, With Love'', which was released on the Razor & Tie record label later that year. It was his second (after ''Live! Coast to Coast'') and final live album. Clips of the concert, in particular his performance of his comeback song "Joy", can still be seen on YouTube. In his later years, Pendergrass' “Wake Up Everybody” has been covered by a diverse range of acts from Simply Red to Patti LaBelle and was chosen as a rallying cry during the 2004 Presidential campaign by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds to mobilize voters. In addition, Little Brother, Kanye West, Cam'ron, Twista, Ghostface, Tyrese Gibson, 9th Wonder, DMX and DJ Green Lantern have utilized his works.

In 2006, Pendergrass announced his retirement from the music business. In 2007, he briefly returned to performing to participate in ''Teddy 25: A Celebration of Life, Hope & Possibilities'', a 25th anniversary awards ceremony that marked Pendergrass' accident date, but also raised money for his charity, The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, and honored those who helped Pendergrass since his accident.

Personal life

Pendergrass had three children, Tisha, LaDonna and Teddy II. In 1987, he married a former Philadanco dancer named Karen Still, who had also danced in his shows. Karen was Pendergrass' primary caregiver. The couple amicably divorced in 2003. Pendergrass met Joan Williams in the spring of 2006. Pendergrass proposed to Joan after four months and they married in a private ceremony officiated by Teddy's Pastor Allyn Waller of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008. A formal wedding was celebrated at The Ocean Cliff Resort in Newport, Rhode Island on September 6, 2008.

As members of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Joan Pendergrass set up The Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Youth Fund in the name of Teddy Pendergrass to provide assistance and a center for Philadelphia's inner city youth.

He published his autobiography, ''Truly Blessed'', in 1992. There are plans to make a feature film biopic of Teddy's life. Tyrese Gibson is set to star as the late singer.

Death

On June 5, 2009, Pendergrass underwent successful surgery for colon cancer and recovered to return home. A few weeks later he returned to the hospital with respiratory issues. After seven months, he died of respiratory failure on January 13, 2010, at age 59 with wife Joan by his side, while hospitalized at Bryn Mawr Hospital in suburban Philadelphia. Teddy is survived by his mother Ida, wife Joan, three children; Tisha, Teddy II, LaDonna, stepdaughters Sherilla Leftrade, Jessica Avila and four grandchildren and three stepgrandchildren.

Joan Pendergrass is the executrix of The Theodore Dereese Pendergrass Estate.

Discography

Grammy Award nominations

Pendergrass received the following five nominations for Grammy Awards.

NominationNominationNominationNominationNomination

style="background-color: #BCBCBC"	Award	Year	Result	Category	Song
rowspan=5	Grammy Award	1979	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"Close the Door"
1982	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"I Can't Live Without Your Love"
1989	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"Joy"
1992	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
1994	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"Voodoo"

In popular culture

In Eddie Murphy's standup comedy, ''Delirious'', Murphy does an imitation of Pendergrass singing "Only You", saying Pendergrass' masculine voice "scares the bitches into liking him". Cedric the Entertainer references Teddy in the hit movie "The Kings of Comedy"

Teddy appeared on the dance show Soul Train on a number of occasions.

Latin Legend India, also known as The Princess of Salsa Music, recorded a cover of Teddy's song "Turn off the lights" on her 2010 album, Unica. India explained in an interview that she had grown up listening to some of this music and she had decided to do a cover to this song with a more tropical/Salsa feel to it.

In the live episode of 30 Rock, Dr. Leo Spaceman (performed by Chris Parnell) says that the last good "doing it" song is "Close the Door", and claims that the lack of such songs are the direct cause of erectile dysfunction.

On the Kanye West song "Devil in a New Dress", Rick Ross raps, "Poke County, Jacksonville, write Melbourne/whole clique appetites had tape worms/spinning Teddy Pendergrass vinyl as my J burns."

At the Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011, country band Lady Antebellum paid tribute to Pendergrass, performing a medley that included "If You Don't Know Me By Now."

References

External links

The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance

Teddy Pendergrass at Philly Soul Classics

Teddy Pendergrass at Discogs

Teddy Pendergrass at WhoSampled

Obituary article at Lasting Tribute

RIP Teddy Pendergrass

Teddy Pendergrass - Daily Telegraph obituary

talking about covering Teddy's song 'Turn Off the Lights'- Interview with Salsa's Princess and a fan of Pendergrass

Category:1950 births Category:2010 deaths Category:African American singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American male singers Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American soul musicians Category:Cancer deaths in Pennsylvania Category:Culture of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:People with quadriplegia Category:Philadelphia International Records artists

da:Teddy Pendergrass de:Teddy Pendergrass et:Teddy Pendergrass el:Τέντι Πέντεργκρας es:Teddy Pendergrass fr:Teddy Pendergrass it:Teddy Pendergrass nl:Teddy Pendergrass ja:テディ・ペンダーグラス no:Teddy Pendergrass pt:Teddy Pendergrass simple:Teddy Pendergrass sv:Teddy Pendergrass yo:Teddy Pendergrass

Jeff Marx (born September 10, 1970) is a composer and lyricist of musicals. He is best known for creating the Broadway musical ''Avenue Q'' with collaborator Robert Lopez.

Early life

Marx grew up in Hollywood, Florida. He attended Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Following graduation, he attended the University of Michigan, where he was a member of the Men's Glee Club. He also holds a juris doctor degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and is a member of the New York State Bar Association, but he does not practice law or represent himself.

Musical career

After passing the New York State Bar examination Marx enrolled at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop in order to meet potential clients in the entertainment industry. Here he met Robert Lopez who was also in the course.

Their first major project together, a spec Muppet movie, ''Kermit, Prince of Denmark'', which was very loosely based on Hamlet, won them (as part of a tie) part of the $150,000 Kleban Award.

Together, they created the original concept for ''Avenue Q'' and wrote all the show's 21 songs. ''Avenue Q'' is currently running Off Broadway, in the West End, on a US National Tour, and continues to have various international productions. (It is now the 21st longest running musical in Broadway history.)

''Avenue Q'' won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical. Lopez/Marx's musical score earned them a 2004 Tony Award, and another 2004 Tony Award was awarded to ''Avenue Q'' bookwriter Jeff Whitty. The musical's Original Cast Album, on the RCA/Victor label, was nominated for a Grammy Award. To date , it has sold over 150,000 copies.

Marx (and his parents) can be seen in the documentary film "ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway", which followed the trajectories of four Tony-nominated musicals from 2004, ''Avenue Q'', ''Wicked'', ''Taboo'', and ''Caroline, or Change''. Marx, along with filmmaker Dori Berinstein and actor Alan Cumming, provided the audio commentary for the documentary's DVD.

Lopez and Marx wrote (with Deb Fordham) four songs for a musical episode of the NBC sitcom ''Scrubs'' which aired on January 18, 2007. Their song "Everything Comes Down to Poo" was nominated for an Emmy Award. Marx appeared in the episode as a pharmacist, dancing in the background during the song "We're Gonna Miss You Carla".

Marx co-wrote the theme song for the Logo Network's animated series "Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World" and contributed additional songs for the show.

Lopez and Marx have written songs for the Disney Channel TV series "Bear in the Big Blue House" and "The Book of Pooh", as well as touring stage musicals for the children's theater company Theaterworks/USA.

Other work

Marx has also written the book ''How To Win A High School Election.''

Personal life

He lives in Los Angeles and is a member of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA).

Recent projects

Marx contributed to a musical version of the NBC sitcom ''Scrubs'', an episode that the ''New York Times'' reported has "energized a cast and crew that, at a point when most situation comedies are sputtering along or dead, have recently been doing some of their best work." Marx enjoyed working on the show enough that he attributed it as a reason for his move to Los Angeles. In comparing it to his work on ''Avenue Q'', Marx said: “It took us five years to write ''Avenue Q'' .... There were a million readings and previews and staged readings. With this thing, we wrote the songs in a week. They rehearsed for a week. They filmed it in a week, and it was done. It was liberating, and a collaborative effort that created a much more feel-good way of working.”

On December 13, 2008, Marx premiered a new song he wrote, "White Kwanzaa," on the CNN show ''D.L. Hughley Breaks the News''.

References

External links

www.lopezmarx.com, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx's website

The Official ''Avenue Q'' website

''Avenue Q'' merchandise: cd, program, posters, etc.

Internet Broadway Database listing for Jeff Marx

Production: Avenue Q - ''Working in the Theatre Seminar'' video at American Theatre Wing.org, September 2003

Marx's book ''How To Win A High School Election'' Online

Jeff Marx interviewed on a free podcast from ''Masterworks Broadway''

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:American musical theatre composers Category:American musical theatre lyricists

Category:University of Michigan alumni Category:Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law alumni Category:LGBT musicians from the United States

fr:Jeff Marx

birth name	Darryl Lynn Hughley
birth date	March 06, 1963
birth place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
occupation	Actor/Comedian
years active	1991–present
spouse	LaDonna Hughley (1986–present; 3 children)
website	}}

Darryl Lynn "D. L." Hughley (; born March 7, 1963) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is perhaps best known as the star of the ABC/UPN sitcom ''The Hughleys'', and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film ''The Original Kings of Comedy''. Additionally, he has been the host of CNN's ''D. L. Hughley Breaks the News'', a correspondent for ''The Jay Leno Show'' on NBC, and a local radio personality in New York City.

Early life

Hughley was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Audrey and Charles Hughley, who was a Delta Air Lines maintenance worker.

Career

From 1992 to 1993, Hughley was the original host of ''ComicView'', the stand-up comedy program on BET. In 1998, through 2002, he wrote, produced and starred in the television sitcom series, ''The Hughleys''. During 2005, he had a short-lived talk show on Comedy Central called Weekends at the D.L.. He is a member of ''The Original Kings of Comedy'', and has also had roles on ''Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip'', and on NBC's ''Scrubs'' as Turk's brother. He was the host of the 2008 BET Awards. He also attended the funeral of one of his best friends and fellow King of Comedy, Bernie Mac. At the service, he gave a tearful speech during the eulogy.

It was announced in June 2010 that NBC has ordered a game show pilot that Hughley will host entitled ''Who's Bluffing Who?''

Hughley is scheduled to guest-star on TBS' ''Glory Daze'' as well as guest host ' ''Who Wants To Be A Millionaire''.

CNN

Hughley was selected to host and write a comedic news-show on CNN which covers global happenings in politics, entertainment, sports and pop culture, titled ''D. L. Hughley Breaks the News,'' which aired its premiere episode on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 10 p.m. EDT on CNN. On March 9, 2009, CNN announced Hughley would be ending the show due to a desire to work in Los Angeles and be closer to his family. He plans to continue his work with CNN as a Los Angeles-based contributor for the network.

Radio

Recently, Hughley began a career as an on-air radio personality. On July 20, 2009, ''The D.L. Hughley Morning Show'' premiered on WRKS (more popularly known as 98.7 Kiss FM), an urban adult contemporary station in New York City. His co-hosts included former BET news correspondent Jacque Reid. Airing from 6-10 am, the show placed Hughley in direct competition with his fellow "King of Comedy" Steve Harvey, whose nationally-syndicated ''Steve Harvey Morning Show'' airs in New York on WBLS (Kiss FM's longtime rival). There were plans to take Hughley's show into syndication as well, but a dispute regarding his salary erupted between Kiss FM's parent company and the potential syndication company. In August 2010, Kiss FM dropped the show from its schedule, and Hughley moved on to other endeavors.

Personal life

Hughley and his wife, LaDonna, have three children: Ryan, Tyler and Kyle. Hughley has discussed his son's Asperger syndrome on several occasions.

Filmography

''The Hughleys'' ''Inspector Gadget (film) ''The Original Kings of Comedy'' ''The Brothers (2001 film) ''Inspector Gadget 2'' ''Scrubs (TV series) ''Soul Plane'' ''Shackles'' ''Cloud 9 (film) ''Spy School'' ''Hawaii Five-0''

Year !! Film !! Role !! Notes
1993 in film	1993	''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''	Keith
1998 in film	1998	|	Darryl Hughley
1999 in film	1999	Inspector Gadget'' ||	Gadgetmobile	Voice
2000 in film	2000	|	Himself
2001 in film	2001	The Brothers'' ||	Derrick West
rowspan="3"	2003	|	Gadgetmobile	Voice/Video
''Chasing Papi''	Rodrigo
''Scary Movie 3''	John Wilson
2003 in film	2003	Scrubs'' ||	Kevin Turk	Guest star
2004 in film	2004	|	Johnny
rowspan="2"	2005	|	Ben Cross
''Weekends at the D. L.''	Host
rowspan="3"	2006	Cloud 9'' ||	Tenspot
''The Adventures of Brer Rabbit''	Brer Fox
''Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip''	Simon Styles
rowspan="2"	2008	|	Albert
''D. L. Hughley Breaks the News''	Host
2010 in film	2010	|	Skeet	Guest star
2011 in film	2011	''Who Wants To Be A Millionaire''

References

External links

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from California Category:African American comedians Category:African American film actors Category:African American television actors Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American voice actors Category:People from Los Angeles, California

fr:D.L. Hughley sv:D.L. Hughley