A bun is a small, usually sweet, bread. Commonly they are hand-sized or smaller, domed in shape, with a flat bottom. A bun can also be a savory bread roll similar to a bap or barmcake.

Basic buns are usually made using flour, sugar, milk, yeast, cardamom, and butter. Sometimes they contain sultanas and currants as well, and the iced bun is topped with an icing and sometimes filled with jam. Other fillings do occur.

"Bun" can also refer to a kind of filled dumpling, as Chinese baozi and the Lutonian Halapchi.

A bun can be long and skinny, short and round, and or come in many different shapes and sizes.

In North England, a bun is also a name for small cakes, e.g. sponge buns, currant buns and butterfly buns.

See also

Boston bun

Hamburger

Cinnamon bun

Hot dog bun

Mantou, or Chinese steamed bun

Hot Cross Bun

Saffron bun

Category:Breads

bg:Кифла da:Bolle (bagværk) es:Bollo ja:バンズ no:bolle nn:Bolle pl:drożdżówka fi:Pulla sv:Bulle zh:小圆面包

Coordinates	6°7′55″N1°13′22″N
name	Bun B
background	solo_singer
birth name	Bernard Freeman
alias	Big Boy B, Bunny Bee
birth date	March 19, 1973
death	July 30, 2011
origin	Port Arthur, Texas|
genre	Hip Hop, Southern Rap, Trill
occupation	Rapper, Songwriter, Producer, CEO
years active	1987–present
label	Rap-a-Lot
website	bunb.com/bun_b
associated acts	UGK, Slim Thug, Freddie Gibbs, Jay-Z, The Color Changin' Click, Rick Ross, Drake, E-40, Z-Ro, Ludacris, Lil Wayne }}

Bernard Freeman (born March 19, 1973) better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz). He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas. He recently released his third official solo album Trill OG on August 3, 2010, which received a 5 Mic "Classic" rating in The Source Magazine - the first album in over five years to receive the honor. Bun B is married with two stepchildren.

Solo career

When Bun B's UGK partner, the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler entered a jail sentence on an aggravated gun assault charge in 2003, Bun B made guest appearances on numerous albums by other Southern rappers and released a 2005 mixtape titled ''Legends''. Singles featuring a Bun B guest appearance included "They Don't Know" by Paul Wall, "Gimme That" by Webbie and "I'm A G" by Yung Joc. Bun B also appeared in a documentary titled ''Screwed In Houston'' produced by VBS/Vice Magazine that details the history of the Houston rap scene.

''Trill''

In October 2005, Bun B's debut solo album ''Trill'' was released. Singles included "Draped Up", "Git It", and "Get Throwed". The album peaked at the sixth spot on the American Billboard 200 chart and number one on the Top R&B;/Hip Hop Albums chart.

''II Trill''

After Pimp C died in 2007, Bun B returned to a solo career. In 2008, he released his second album, ''II Trill'' The first single was "That's Gangsta" featuring Jamaican American artist Sean Kingston. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, selling 98,000 copies. Other singles were "Damn I'm Cold" featuring Lil Wayne and "You're Everything" featuring Rick Ross, David Banner, and 8Ball & MJG, the latter of which was dedicated to the late Pimp C.

''Trill OG''

Bun B's third album is ''Trill OG''. In an interview with MTV Live, Bun B stated that 2Pac is set to feature on the album, claiming "It's a brand new verse." The album was released under Universal Music Group after leaving Warner Music Group's Asylum Records. The album was released on August 3, 2010.

Other Ventures

Acting

Bun B recently acted in the Straight-to-DVD movie "Ghetto Stories: The Movie". It is unknown at this time though if he is still pursuing an acting career.

Teaching

At the start of the Spring 2011 semester, Bun B joined the faculty of Rice University as a Distinguished Lecturer. He teaches a course in the School of the Humanities on Hip-Hop and Religion.

Personal life

Family

Bun B is married to Angela Walls with two stepchildren. One of his stepsons is American rapper Young B, who is currently a member of the rap group ''Youngest N Charge.'' Youngest N Charge is currently Bun B's opening act.

Discography

2005: ''Trill''

2008: ''II Trill''

2010: ''Trill OG''

2012: ''Keep It Trill IVEver''

Filmography

Films

''Ghetto Stories:the movie'' (2010)

References

External links

Rap-A-Lot Records

Discography at discogs.com

Category:1973 births Category:Screwed Up Click members Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from Houston, Texas Category:People from Port Arthur, Texas Category:Asylum Records artists Category:Living people Category:Rice University faculty Category:Southern hip hop musicians Category:Rappers from Texas

de:Bun B es:Bun B fr:Bun B it:Bun B nl:Bun B no:Bun B pl:Bun B pt:Bun B fi:Bun B sv:Bun B tr:Bun B

Coordinates	6°7′55″N1°13′22″N
name	Audrey Hepburn
birth name	Audrey Kathleen Ruston
birth date	May 04, 1929
birth place
death date	January 20, 1993
death place
death cause	Appendiceal cancer
resting place	Tolochenaz Cemetery, Tolochenaz, Vaud, Switzerland
occupation	Actress, humanitarian
years active	1948–92
nationality	British
other names
website
spouse
partner
children
parents
awards	List of awards and honours }}

Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 192920 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century. Redefining glamour with "elfin" features and a waif-like figure that inspired designs by Hubert de Givenchy, she was inducted in the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame, and ranked, by the American Film Institute, as the third greatest female screen legend in the history of American cinema.

Born in Ixelles, Belgium, Hepburn spent her childhood chiefly in the Netherlands, including German-occupied Arnhem during the Second World War. In Arnhem, she studied ballet before moving to London in 1948 where she continued to train in ballet while working as a photographer's model. Upon deciding to pursue a career in acting, she performed as a chorus girl in various West End musical theatre productions. After appearing in several British films and starring in the 1951 Broadway play ''Gigi'', Hepburn gained instant Hollywood stardom for playing the Academy Award-winning lead role in ''Roman Holiday'' (1953). Later performing in ''Sabrina'' (1954), ''The Nun's Story'' (1959), ''Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961), ''Charade'' (1963), ''My Fair Lady'' (1964) and ''Wait Until Dark'' (1967), Hepburn became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age who received nominations for Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs as well as winning a Tony Award for her theatrical performance in the 1954 Broadway play ''Ondine''. Hepburn remains one of few entertainers who have won Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards.

Although she appeared in fewer films as her life went on, Hepburn devoted much of her later life to UNICEF. Her war-time struggles inspired her passion for humanitarian work and, although Hepburn had contributed to the organisation since the 1950s, she worked in some of the most profoundly disadvantaged communities of Africa, South America and Asia in the late eighties and early nineties. In 1992, Hepburn was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In 1993, Hepburn died of appendiceal cancer at her home in Switzerland, aged 63.

Early life

Audrey Kathleen Ruston, later double-barrelled by her father to the surname Hepburn-Ruston, was born on Rue Keyenveld (or Keienveldstraat in Dutch) in Ixelles (or Elsene in Dutch), a municipality in Brussels, Belgium. Hepburn, the only child of Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston (1889–1980), an English banker of Irish descent, and his second wife Ella, baroness van Heemstra (1900–1984), a Dutch aristocrat, had two half-brothers: Jonkheer Arnoud Robert Alexander "Alex" Quarles van Ufford (1920–1979) and Jonkheer Ian Edgar Bruce Quarles van Ufford (1924–2010), by her mother's first marriage. Although born in Belgium, Hepburn had British citizenship and attended school in England as a child. Hepburn's father's job with a British insurance company meant that the family often travelled between Belgium, England, and the Netherlands. From 1935 to 1938, Hepburn was educated at Miss Rigden's School, an independent girls' school in the village of Elham, Kent, in the southeast of England.

Childhood and adolescence in World War II

Hepburn's parents, members of the British Union of Fascists in the mid-1930s (according to Unity Mitford, a friend of Ella van Heemstra and a follower of Adolf Hitler), divorced in 1935 when her father, a Nazi sympathiser, left the family. Her father's abandonment left her in a traumatic state. Years later, she located him in Dublin, Ireland, through the Red Cross. Although he remained emotionally detached, Hepburn remained in contact and supported him financially until his death.

Moving to their grandfather's home in Arnhem, the Netherlands, in 1939, her mother relocated her and her two half-brothers in the belief that the Netherlands would protect them from German attack. While in Arnhem, Hepburn attended the Arnhem Conservatory from 1939 to 1945 where she trained in ballet alongside the standard school curriculum. After the Germans invaded the Netherlands in 1940, Hepburn adopted the pseudonym Edda van Heemstra, a derivative of her mother's name "Ella," modifying her mother's documents because an "English sounding" name was considered dangerous during the German occupation. Her mother also felt that the name Audrey may have indicated her British roots too strongly – an unwanted asset particularly as it could have attracted the attention of occupying German forces and resulted in confinement or deportation.

By 1944, Hepburn had become a proficient ballerina. She had secretly danced for groups of people to collect money for the Dutch resistance. She later said, "The best audience I ever had made not a single sound at the end of my performances." After the Allied landing on D-Day, living conditions grew worse and Arnhem was subsequently devastated by Allied artillery fire under Operation Market Garden. During the Dutch famine that followed in the winter of 1944, the Germans blocked the resupply routes of the Netherlands’ already-limited food and fuel supplies as retaliation in railway strikes hindered German occupation. People starved and froze to death in the streets; Hepburn and many others resorted to making flour out of tulip bulbs to bake cakes and biscuits. One way that Hepburn passed the time was by drawing; some of her childhood artwork can be seen today.

Hepburn's half-brother, Ian van Ufford, spent time in a German labour camp. Suffering from malnutrition, Hepburn developed acute anæmia, respiratory problems, and œdema. Hepburn, in 1991, commented, "I have memories. More than once I was at the station seeing trainloads of Jews being transported, seeing all these faces over the top of the wagon. I remember, very sharply, one little boy standing with his parents on the platform, very pale, very blond, wearing a coat that was much too big for him, and he stepped on to the train. I was a child observing a child."

When the country was liberated, United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration trucks followed. Hepburn said in an interview that she fell ill from putting too much sugar in her oatmeal and eating an entire can of condensed milk. Hepburn's war-time experiences sparked her devotion to UNICEF, an international humanitarian organisation, in her later career.

Career

Career beginnings and early roles

After the war ended in 1945, Hepburn left the Arnhem Conservatory and moved to Amsterdam, where she took ballet lessons with Sonia Gaskell. Hepburn appeared as a stewardess in a short tourism film for KLM, before travelling with her mother to London. Gaskell provided an introduction to Marie Rambert, and Hepburn studied ballet at the Ballet Rambert, supporting herself with part-time work as a model. Hepburn eventually asked Rambert about her future; Rambert assured her that she could continue to work there and have a great career, but the fact that she was relatively tall (1.7m / 5 ft 7) coupled with her poor nutrition during the war would keep her from becoming a prima ballerina. Hepburn trusted Rambert's assessment and decided to pursue acting, a career in which she at least had the chance to excel. After Hepburn became a star, Rambert said in an interview, "She was a wonderful learner. If she had wanted to persevere, she might have become an outstanding ballerina."

Hepburn's mother worked menial jobs in order to support them and Hepburn needed to find employment. Since she had trained to become a performer all her life, acting seemed a sensible career. She said, "I needed the money; it paid ₤3 more than ballet jobs." Her acting career began with the educational film ''Dutch in Seven Lessons'' (1948). As a London chorus girl, she played in the musical theatre productions ''High Button Shoes'' (1948) at the London Hippodrome and Cecil Landeau's musical revues ''Sauce Tartare'' (1949) and ''Sauce Piquante'' (1950) at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End. Her theatre work, however, revealed that her voice was not strong and needed to be developed. Hepburn, therefore, took elocution lessons with the actor Felix Aylmer. Hepburn was spotted by a scout for Paramount Pictures during her work in the West End. She registered with the casting officers of British film studios while working in the West End to appear in small minor roles in the 1951 films ''One Wild Oat'', ''Laughter in Paradise'', ''Young Wives' Tale'' and ''The Lavender Hill Mob''.

During the filming of ''Monte Carlo Baby'' (1951), French novelist Colette appeared on set, choosing Hepburn to play the title character in the Broadway play ''Gigi''. Upon first sight of Hepburn, Colette whispered, "Voilà," indicating Hepburn, "there's your Gigi." Opening on 24 November 1951 at the Fulton Theatre, the play ran for 219 performances finishing on 31 May 1952. Hepburn's performance earned her a Theatre World Award. Hepburn's subsequent first significant film performance was in Thorold Dickinson's ''The Secret People'' (1952), in which, Hepburn played a prodigious ballerina; Hepburn performed all of her own dancing sequences.

''Roman Holiday'' and increased popularity

Hepburn's first starring role was in the Italian-set ''Roman Holiday'' (1953) as Princess Ann, a "bored and sheltered" European princess who, after escaping her guardians, falls in love with American newsman Gregory Peck. Producers initially wanted Elizabeth Taylor for the role but after Hepburn's screen test, director William Wyler was so impressed that he cast her in the lead. Following the screen test, the camera kept rolling while Hepburn, displaying her ability, candidly answered questions, relaxed and unaware that she was still being filmed. Wyler later commented, "She had everything I was looking for: charm, innocence and talent. She also was very funny. She was absolutely enchanting and we said, 'That's the girl!'" Originally, the film was to have had only Peck's name above its title in large font while she would receive "Introducing Audrey Hepburn" beneath. After filming had been completed and Hepburn had won the 1954 Academy Award for Best Actress for the role, Peck suggested to Wyler that he elevate her to equal billing so her name appeared before the title and in type as large as his. Due to the instant celebrity that came with ''Roman Holiday'', Hepburn spawned what became known as the Audrey Hepburn "look" while her illustration was placed on the September 1953 cover of ''TIME'' magazine. Hepburn garnered critical and commercial acclaim for her portrayal of the incognito princess and supplemented her Academy Award win with her first BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama. A. H. Weiler noted in ''The New York Times'' that although "she is not precisely a newcomer to films, [Hepburn,] who is being starred for the first time as Princess Ann, is a slender, elfin and wistful beauty, alternately regal and childlike in her profound appreciation of newly found, simple pleasures and love. Although she bravely smiles her acknowledgement of the end of that affair, she remains a pitifully lonely figure facing a stuffy future." In allowing her to become a star, Hepburn later called ''Roman Holiday'' her dearest movie. Returning to the New York stage after filming ''Roman Holiday'' for four months, Hepburn performed in ''Gigi'' for eight months. The play was performed in Los Angeles and San Francisco in its last month. She was signed to a seven-picture contract with Paramount with twelve months in between films to allow her time for stage work.

Following ''Roman Holiday'', she starred in Billy Wilder's romantic Cinderella-story comedy ''Sabrina'' (1954) where wealthy brothers (Humphrey Bogart and William Holden) compete for the affections of their chauffeur's innocent daughter (Hepburn). For her performance, she was nominated for the 1955 Academy Award for Best Actress while winning the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role the same year. The uncredited Hubert de Givenchy was responsible for many of Hepburn's outfits in the film. Initially disappointed, Givenchy noted that, upon being told that the actress would be"Miss Hepburn," he had expected Katharine Hepburn. When faced with this actress, he told Hepburn he had little time to spare. Nevertheless, she knew exactly how she wanted to look and asked to view his latest collection. Their collaboration in ''Sabrina'' developed into a life-long friendship and partnership; she was often a muse for many of his designs and her style became renowned internationally.

Hepburn also began another collaboration that year, this time with actor/writer/producer Mel Ferrer. After starring with him as the water spirit in ''Ondine'' on Broadway, Hepburn married Ferrer, and their sometimes tumultuous partnership would last for the better part of the next fifteen years. Her performance won her the 1954 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, the same year she won the Academy Award for ''Roman Holiday''. Hepburn, therefore, stands as one of three actresses to receive the Academy and Tony Awards for Best Actress in the same year (the others being Shirley Booth and Ellen Burstyn). By the mid-1950s, Hepburn was not only one of the biggest motion picture stars in Hollywood, but also a major fashion influence. Her gamine and elfin appearance and widely recognised sense of chic were both admired and imitated. In 1955, she was awarded the Golden Globe for World Film Favorite – Female. Hepburn was asked to play Anne Frank's counterpart in both the Broadway and film adaptations of Frank's life. Hepburn, however, who was born the same year as Frank, found herself "emotionally incapable" of the task, and at almost thirty years old, too old. The role was eventually given to Susan Strasberg and Millie Perkins in the play and film respectively.

Having become one of Hollywood's most popular box-office attractions, she went on to star in a series of successful films during the remainder of the decade, including her BAFTA- and Golden Globe-nominated role as Natasha Rostova in ''War and Peace'' (1956), an adaptation of the Tolstoy novel set during the Napoleonic wars with Mel Ferrer and Henry Fonda. The year 1957 saw her debut in musical film titled ''Funny Face'' which saw her perform alongside Fred Astaire; she also starred alongside Gary Cooper and Maurice Chevalier in the romantic comedy ''Love in the Afternoon''. ''The Nun's Story'' (1959), in which she starred alongside Peter Finch, accrued her third Academy Award nomination and earned her another BAFTA Award. ''Films in Review'' stated that her performance "will forever silence those who have thought her less an actress than a symbol of the sophisticated child/woman. Her portrayal of Sister Luke is one of the great performances of the screen." Reportedly, she spent hours in convents and with members of the Church to bring truth to her portrayal: "I gave more time, energy and thought to this than to any of my previous screen performances." Subsequently, she starred with Anthony Perkins in the romantic adventure ''Green Mansions'' (1959) where Perkins, a young man, meets "a girl of the forest" (Hepburn) and falls in love with her. In 1960, she appeared alongside Burt Lancaster and Lillian Gish in her only western film ''The Unforgiven'' for which she received lukewarm reception.

''Breakfast at Tiffany's'' and continued stardom

Three months after the birth of her son, Sean, in 1960, Hepburn began work on Blake Edwards' ''Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961), a film very loosely based on the Truman Capote novella. The film was drastically changed from the original version. Capote disapproved of many changes and proclaimed that Hepburn was "grossly miscast" as Holly Golightly, a quirky New York call girl, a role he had envisioned for Marilyn Monroe. Hepburn's portrayal of Golightly was adapted from the original: "I can't play a hooker," she admitted to Marty Jurow, co-producer of the film. Despite the lack of sexual innuendo in her character, her portrayal was nominated for the 1962 Academy Award for Best Actress and became an iconic character in American cinema. Often considered her defining role, Holly Golightly, Hepburn's high fashion style and sophistication within the film became synonymous with her. She named the role "the jazziest of my career" yet admitted that, "I'm an introvert. Playing the extroverted girl was the hardest thing I ever did." The little black dress which is worn by Hepburn in the beginning of the film is cited as one of the most iconic items of clothing in the history of the twentieth century and perhaps the most famous little black dress of all time.

Playing opposite Shirley MacLaine and James Garner, her next role was in William Wyler's lesbian-themed drama ''The Children's Hour'' (1961) which saw Hepburn and MacLaine play teachers whose lives become troubled after a student accuses them of being lesbians. The film was one of Hollywood's earliest treatments of the subject of lesbianism, and perhaps due to this and the illiberal state of society, the film and Hepburn's performance went seemingly unnoticed both critically and commercially. Bosley Crowther of ''The New York Times'', however, noted that "it is not too well acted" with the exception of Hepburn who "gives the impression of being sensitive and pure" of its "muted theme" while ''Variety'' magazine also complemented Hepburn's "soft sensitivity, marvellous projection and emotional understatement" adding that Hepburn and MacLaine "beautifully complement each other."

Her only film with Cary Grant came in the comic thriller ''Charade'' (1963). Hepburn, who plays Regina Lampert, finds herself pursued by several men (including Grant) who chase the fortune her murdered husband had stolen. The role earned her third and final competitive BAFTA Award and accrued another Golden Globe nomination. Grant (59 years old at the time), who had previously withdrawn from the starring male lead roles in ''Roman Holiday'' and ''Sabrina'', was sensitive about the age difference between Hepburn (at age 34) and him, making him uncomfortable about the romantic interplay. To satisfy his concerns, the filmmakers agreed to change the screenplay so that Hepburn's character would be the one to romantically pursue his. Grant, however, loved to humour Hepburn and once said, "All I want for Christmas is another picture with Audrey Hepburn."

''Paris When It Sizzles'' (1964) reteamed Hepburn with William Holden nearly ten years after ''Sabrina''. The screwball comedy set in Paris saw Hepburn as Gabrielle Simpson, the young assistant of a Hollywood screenwriter (Holden) who aids his writer's block by acting out his fantasies of possible plots. The film, called "marshmallow-weight hokum", was "uniformly panned"; Behind the scenes, the set was plagued with problems: Holden tried, without success, to rekindle a romance with the now-married actress; that, combined with his alcoholism made the situation a challenge. Hepburn did not help matters: after principal photography began, she demanded the dismissal of cinematographer Claude Renoir after seeing what she felt were unflattering dailies. Superstitious, she insisted on dressing room 55 because that was her lucky number (she had dressing room 55 for ''Roman Holiday'' and ''Breakfast at Tiffany’s''). She insisted that Givenchy, her long-time designer, be given a credit in the film for her perfume.

''My Fair Lady''

"Not since ''Gone with the Wind'' has a motion picture created such universal excitement as ''My Fair Lady''", wrote ''Soundstage'' magazine in 1964, yet Hepburn's landing the role of Eliza Doolittle in the 1964 George Cukor film adaptation of the stage musical sparked controversy. Firstly, by producer Jack Warner, the decision had been made to cast someone other than Julie Andrews, who had originated the role on Broadway, for fear that Andrews's then-limited film experience would prevent the film's success. Initially refusing, Hepburn asked Warner to give it to Andrews, but when informed that it was either her or Elizabeth Taylor who would receive the part, she accepted the role. Secondly, the casting of Hepburn, a non-singer, in a major musical created further friction. Deemed below par, Hepburn's originally recorded vocals were replaced with those of Marni Nixon. Upset, she reportedly stormed off the set, yet returned early the next day to apologise for her "wicked" behaviour. In the finished film, Hepburn's only singing vocals remain in one line in the song "I Could Have Danced All Night," on a section of the song "Just You Wait" and in the entirety of its reprise. Footage of several songs with Hepburn's original vocals still exist and have been included in documentaries and the recent releases of the film, yet only Nixon's renditions have been released on LP and CD. When asked about the dubbing of an actress with such distinctive vocal tones, Hepburn frowned and said, "You could tell, couldn't you? And there was Rex, recording all his songs as he acted ... next time —" She bit her lip to prevent her saying more. The controversy reached its height during the 1964–65 Academy Awards season, when despite the film's accumulation of eight out of a possible twelve awards, Hepburn was left nomination-less in the Best Actress category while Andrews was nominated for ''Mary Poppins'' (1964), and won it. The media tried to play up a rivalry between the two actresses, even though both women denied any such bad feelings existed and got along well. Despite such strife, many critics greatly applauded Hepburn's performance. "The happiest thing about [''My Fair Lady'']," wrote Bosley Crowther in The New York Times "is that Audrey Hepburn superbly justifies the decision of Jack Warner to get her to play the title role." Gene Ringgold of ''Soundstage'' also commented that "Audrey Hepburn is magnificent. She is Eliza for the ages" while adding, "Everyone agreed that if Julie Andrews was not to be in the film, Audrey Hepburn was the perfect choice." Although initially feeling that she was badly miscast, her co-star Rex Harrison, as Higgins, also called Hepburn his favourite leading lady.

In the heist comedy ''How to Steal a Million'' (1966), she played Nicole, the daughter of a famous art collector whose collection consists entirely of forgeries. Fearing her father's exposure, Nicole sets out to steal one of his priceless statues with the help of Simon Dermott (Peter O'Toole). In 1967, she starred in two films: ''Two for the Road'' and ''Wait Until Dark''. The former, a non-linear and innovative British comedy drama, traces the course of a troubled marriage. Director Stanley Donen said that Hepburn was more free and happy than he had ever seen her, and he credited that to Albert Finney. The latter was an edgy thriller in which Hepburn demonstrated her acting range by playing the part of a terrorised blind woman. It was a difficult film, but despite its being produced by Mel Ferrer, filmed on the brink of their divorce, and losing fifteen pounds under the stress, Hepburn earned a fifth Academy Award nomination. On the bright side, she found co-star Richard Crenna to be very funny, and she had a lot to laugh about with director Terence Young. They both joked that he had shelled his favourite star twenty-three years before; he had been a British Army tank commander during the Battle of Arnhem.

Departure from cinema and final entertainment-related projects

From 1967 onward, after fifteen highly successful years in film, Hepburn decided to devote more time to her family and acted only occasionally.

She attempted a comeback in 1976, co-starring with Sean Connery, in the period piece ''Robin and Marian'', which was moderately successful. In 1979, Hepburn took the lead role of Elizabeth Roffe in the international production of ''Bloodline'', re-teaming with director Terence Young (''Wait Until Dark''). She shared top billing with co-stars Ben Gazzara, James Mason and Romy Schneider. Author Sidney Sheldon revised his novel when it was reissued to tie into the film, making her character a much older woman to better match the actress's age. The film, an international intrigue amid the jet-set, was a critical and box office failure.

Hepburn's last starring role in a cinematic film was with Ben Gazzara in the 1981 comedy ''They All Laughed'', directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The film was overshadowed by the murder of one of its stars, Bogdanovich's girlfriend, Dorothy Stratten; the film was released after Stratten's death but only in limited runs. In 1987, she co-starred with Robert Wagner in a tongue-in-cheek made-for-television caper film, ''Love Among Thieves'', which borrowed elements from several of Hepburn's films, most notably ''Charade'' and ''How to Steal a Million''.

After finishing her last role in a motion picture in 1988, a cameo appearance as an angel in Steven Spielberg's ''Always'', Hepburn completed only two more entertainment-related projects, both critically acclaimed. ''Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn'' was a PBS documentary television series, her final performance before cameras filmed on location in seven countries in the spring and summer of 1990. A one-hour special preceded the series, debuting in March 1991, while the series commenced the day after her death (21 January 1993). For the series's debut, Hepburn was posthumously awarded the 1993 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming. Recorded in 1992, her spoken word album, ''Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales'', features readings of classic children's stories and earned her a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. She remains one of the few entertainers to win Grammy and Emmy Awards posthumously.

Contributions to UNICEF

Just after filming the cameo appearance for ''Always'' (1989), Hepburn was appointed Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF. Grateful for her own good fortune after enduring the German occupation as a child, she dedicated the remainder of her life to helping impoverished children in the poorest nations. Hepburn's travels were made easier by her wide knowledge of languages; besides being naturally bilingual in English and Dutch, Audrey also was fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, and German.

Though she had done work for UNICEF in the 1950s, starting in 1954 with radio presentations, this was a much higher level of dedication. Those close to her say that the thoughts of dying, helpless children consumed her for the rest of her life. Her first field mission was to Ethiopia in 1988. She visited an orphanage in Mek'ele that housed 500 starving children and had UNICEF send food. Of the trip, she said, "I have a broken heart. I feel desperate. I can't stand the idea that two million people are in imminent danger of starving to death, many of them children, [and] [sic] not because there isn't tons of food sitting in the northern port of Shoa. It can't be distributed. Last spring, Red Cross and UNICEF workers were ordered out of the northern provinces because of two simultaneous civil wars... I went into rebel country and saw mothers and their children who had walked for ten days, even three weeks, looking for food, settling onto the desert floor into makeshift camps where they may die. Horrible. That image is too much for me. The 'Third World' is a term I don't like very much, because we're all one world. I want people to know that the largest part of humanity is suffering".

In August 1988, Hepburn went to Turkey on an immunisation campaign. She called Turkey "the loveliest example" of UNICEF's capabilities. Of the trip, she said, "the army gave us their trucks, the fishmongers gave their wagons for the vaccines, and once the date was set, it took ten days to vaccinate the whole country. Not bad". In October, Hepburn went to South America. In Venezuela and Ecuador, Hepburn told the United States Congress, "I saw tiny mountain communities, slums, and shantytowns receive water systems for the first time by some miracle – and the miracle is UNICEF. I watched boys build their own schoolhouse with bricks and cement provided by UNICEF".

Hepburn toured Central America in February 1989, and met with leaders in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. In April, Hepburn visited Sudan with Wolders as part of a mission called "Operation Lifeline". Because of civil war, food from aid agencies had been cut off. The mission was to ferry food to southern Sudan. Hepburn said, "I saw but one glaring truth: These are not natural disasters but man-made tragedies for which there is only one man-made solution – peace". In October, Hepburn and Wolders went to Bangladesh. John Isaac, a UN photographer, said, "Often the kids would have flies all over them, but she would just go hug them. I had never seen that. Other people had a certain amount of hesitation, but she would just grab them. Children would just come up to hold her hand, touch her – she was like the Pied Piper".

In October 1990, Hepburn went to Vietnam in an effort to collaborate with the government for national UNICEF-supported immunisation and clean water programmes.

In September 1992, four months before she died, Hepburn went to Somalia. Hepburn called it "apocalyptic" and said, "I walked into a nightmare. I have seen famine in Ethiopia and Bangladesh, but I have seen nothing like this – so much worse than I could possibly have imagined. I wasn't prepared for this". "The earth is red – an extraordinary sight – that deep terracotta red. And you see the villages, displacement camps and compounds, and the earth is all rippled around them like an ocean bed. And those were the graves. There are graves everywhere. Along the road, around the paths that you take, along the riverbeds, near every camp – there are graves everywhere". Though scarred by what she had seen, Hepburn still had hope. "Taking care of children has nothing to do with politics. I think perhaps with time, instead of there being a politicisation of humanitarian aid, there will be a humanisation of politics". "Anyone who doesn't believe in miracles is not a realist. I have seen the miracle of water which UNICEF has helped to make a reality. Where for centuries young girls and women had to walk for miles to get water, now they have clean drinking water near their homes. Water is life, and clean water now means health for the children of this village". "People in these places don't know Audrey Hepburn, but they recognise the name UNICEF. When they see UNICEF their faces light up, because they know that something is happening. In the Sudan, for example, they call a water pump UNICEF".

In 1992, United States President George H. W. Bush presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work with UNICEF, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded her The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her contribution to humanity. This was awarded posthumously, with her son accepting on her behalf.

Personal life

Romances, marriages, children and miscarriages

In 1952, Hepburn was engaged to the young James Hanson, whom she had known since her London dancing days. She called it "love at first sight"; however, after having her wedding dress fitted and the date set, she decided the marriage would not work because the demands of their careers would keep them apart most of the time. She issued a statement about her decision, saying, "When I get married, I want to be ''really'' married." In the early 1950s, she also dated future ''Hair'' producer Michael Butler. Hepburn and Gregory Peck bonded during the filming of ''Roman Holiday'' (1953) and there were rumours that they were romantically involved; both denied it. Hepburn, however, added, "Actually, you have to be a little bit in love with your leading man and vice versa. If you're going to portray love, you have to feel it. You can't do it any other way. But you don't carry it beyond the set." They did however become lifelong friends. During the filming of ''Sabrina'' (1954), Hepburn and the already-married William Holden became romantically involved. She hoped to marry him and have children, but she broke off the relationship when Holden revealed that he had undergone a vasectomy. Although a common perception that Bogart and Hepburn (both starred in ''Sabrina'' together) did not get along, Hepburn commented that, "Sometimes it's the so-called 'tough guys' that are the most tender hearted, as Bogey was with me."

At a cocktail party hosted by Gregory Peck, Hepburn met American actor Mel Ferrer. Ferrer recalled that, "We began talking about theatre; she knew all about the La Jolla Playhouse Summer Theatre, where Greg Peck and I had been co-producing plays. She also said she'd seen me three times in the movie ''Lili''. Finally, she said she'd like to do a play with me, and she asked me to send her a likely play if I found one." Ferrer, vying for Hepburn to take the title role, sent her the script for the play ''Ondine''. She agreed and rehearsals started in January 1954. Eight months later, on 24 September 1954, after meeting, working together and falling in love, the pair were married while preparing to star together in the film ''War and Peace'' (1955). Before having their only son, Hepburn had two miscarriages in March 1955 and in 1959. The latter occurred when filming ''The Unforgiven'' (1960) where breaking her back after falling off a horse and onto a rock resulted in hospital stay and miscarriage induced by physical and mental stress. Hepburn, therefore, took a year off work in order to successfully have a child. Sean Hepburn Ferrer, their son, whose godfather was the novelist A. J. Cronin who resided near Hepburn in Lucerne, was born on 17 July 1960. Despite the insistence from gossip columns that the marriage would not last, Hepburn claimed that she and her husband were inseparable and very happy together yet admitting that he had a bad temper. Ferrer was rumoured to be too controlling of Hepburn and had been referred to by others as being her Svengali – an accusation that Hepburn laughed off. William Holden was quoted as saying, "I think Audrey allows Mel to think he influences her". Despite their marriage of 14 years, the pair lasted until 5 December 1968, separated and divorced. Their son believed that Hepburn had stayed in the marriage too long. In June 2008, Mel Ferrer died of heart failure at the age of ninety.

She met Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti on a cruise and fell in love with him on a trip to Greek ruins. She believed she would have more children, and possibly stop working. She married him on 18 January 1969 and aged 40, she gave birth to their son Luca Dotti on 8 February 1970. When pregnant with Luca in 1969, Hepburn was more careful, resting for months and passing the time by painting before delivering him by caesarean section. Hepburn had her final miscarriage in 1974. although Dotti loved Hepburn and was well liked by Sean, who called him "fun", he began having affairs with younger women. The marriage lasted thirteen years and ended in 1982 when Hepburn felt Luca and Sean were old enough to handle life with a single mother. Although Hepburn broke off all contact with Ferrer (she only spoke to him twice more in the remainder of her life), she remained in touch with Dotti for the benefit of Luca. In October 2007, Andrea Dotti died from complications of a colonoscopy.

From 1980 until her death, Hepburn lived and was romantically involved with Dutch actor Robert Wolders who was the widower of actress Merle Oberon. She had met Wolders through a friend, in the later stage of her marriage to Dotti. After Hepburn's divorce from Dotti was final, Wolders and she started their lives together, although they never married. In 1989, she called the nine years she had spent him the happiest years of her life. "Took me long enough," she said in an interview with American journalist Barbara Walters. Walters then asked why they never married; Hepburn replied that they were married, just not formally.

Pets

While resting at home from her first miscarriage, Mel Ferrer brought her the fawn from the movie ''Green Mansions'' to keep as a pet. They called him Ip (short for Pippin). Hepburn had several pets, including a Yorkshire Terrier named Mr. Famous, who was hit by a car and killed. To cheer her up, Mel Ferrer got her another Yorkshire named Assam of Assam. She also kept Ip; they made a bed for him out of a bathtub. Her son Sean also had a Cocker Spaniel named Cokey. When Hepburn was older, she had two Jack Russell Terriers.

Miscellaneous

One year after Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to President John F. Kennedy, Hepburn, the President's favourite actress, sang "Happy Birthday, Dear Jack" to him, on what turned out to be his final birthday (29 May 1963). Hepburn is associated with the poem "Time-Tested Beauty Tips" (although the author is humourist Sam Levenson), which she used to recite to her sons. The poem includes verses such as, "For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day", and, "For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry".

Death

Upon return from Somalia to Switzerland in the autumn of 1992, Hepburn began suffering from abdominal pains. She went to specialists and received inconclusive results, so decided to have herself examined while on a trip to Los Angeles, California in October. On 1 November, Hepburn checked in at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with her family. Doctors performed a laparoscopy and discovered abdominal cancer that had spread from her appendix, a very rare form of cancer belonging to a group of cancers known as pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). Having grown slowly over several years, the cancer had metastasised, not as a tumour, but as a thin coating over her small intestine. After performing surgery, the doctors put Hepburn through 5-fluorouracil Leucovorin chemotherapy. A few days later, she had an obstruction and medication was not enough to dull the pain. She underwent further surgery on 1 December. After one hour, the surgeon decided that the cancer had spread too far to be removed fully.

After coming to terms with the gravity of Hepburn's illness, her family decided to return home to Switzerland in order to celebrate her last Christmas. Because Hepburn was unable to fly on commercial aircraft, Hubert de Givenchy arranged for Rachel Lambert "Bunny" Mellon to send her private Gulfstream jet, filled with flowers, to take Hepburn from Los Angeles to Geneva. Hepburn died in her sleep of appendiceal cancer, on the evening of 20 January 1993, at her home in Tolochenaz, Vaud, Switzerland. After her death, Gregory Peck went on camera and tearfully recited her favourite poem, "Unending Love" by Rabindranath Tagore.

Funeral services were held at the village church of Tolochenaz, Switzerland, on 24 January 1993. Maurice Eindiguer, the same pastor who wed Hepburn and Mel Ferrer and baptised her son Sean in 1960, presided over her funeral while Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, of UNICEF, delivered a eulogy. Many family members and friends attended the funeral, including her sons, partner Robert Wolders, brother Ian Quarles von Ufford, ex-husbands Andrea Dotti and Mel Ferrer, Hubert de Givenchy, executives of UNICEF, and fellow actors Alain Delon and Roger Moore. The same day as her funeral, Hepburn was interred at the Tolochenaz Cemetery, a small cemetery that sits atop a hill overlooking the village.

Legacy

Hepburn's legacy as an actress and a personality has endured long after her death. The American Film Institute named Hepburn third among the Greatest Female Stars of All Time. Even in her last years, she remained a visible presence in the film world. She received a tribute from the Film Society of Lincoln Center in 1991 and was a frequent presenter at the Academy Awards. She was the recipient of four posthumous awards including the 1993 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and competitive Grammy and Emmy Awards. She has been the subject of many biographies since her death and the 2000 dramatisation of her life titled ''The Audrey Hepburn Story'' which starred Jennifer Love Hewitt and Emmy Rossum as the older and younger Hepburn respectively. The film concludes with footage of the real Audrey Hepburn, shot during one of her final missions for UNICEF.

Hepburn's image is widely used in advertising campaigns across the world. In Japan, a series of commercials used colourised and digitally enhanced clips of Hepburn in ''Roman Holiday'' to advertise Kirin black tea. In the United States, Hepburn was featured in a Gap commercial which ran from 7 September 2006, to 5 October 2006. It used clips of her dancing from ''Funny Face'', set to AC/DC's "Back in Black", with the tagline "It's Back – The Skinny Black Pant". To celebrate its "Keep it Simple" campaign, the Gap made a sizeable donation to the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.

Hepburn has been considered a gay icon.

Style

Hepburn's stardom created her status as a fashion icon, exercising fashion both in her lifetime while continuing to influence fashion today. She appeared on the covers of ''Vogue'' and ''Harper's Bazaar''. Her style was partially the result of the meeting with the couturier Hubert de Givenchy during the filming of ''Sabrina'' in 1954 who designed her dresses for the film. Givenchy remained Hepburn's friend and ambassador, and she his muse throughout her life. He was always amazed that, even after many years of collaboration: "Her measurements have not changed an inch in thirty-five years." To which Audrey replied, "I have many things in common with Hubert. We like the same things." She agreed to model again, on occasions, to present the creations of her friend. In 1988, when he presented his summer collection in Paris, she said, "Wherever I am in the world, he is still there. For a bouquet, a telegram [...] he is a man who does not disperse into worldliness. He has time for those he loves." The designer drew her outfits for many films and subsequently created a perfume for her titled L'Interdit (French for "The Forbidden"). The films in which he dressed Hepburn include ''Funny Face'', ''Love in the Afternoon'', ''Breakfast at Tiffany's'', ''Paris When It Sizzles'', ''Charade'' and ''How to Steal a Million''. In the latter, actor Peter O'Toole tells Hepburn's character to "give Givenchy the night off", persuading her to dress as a cleaning lady. It would appear, from the chic cleaning lady's costume that she wears, that she did not take his advice. Hepburn later revealed that, "[Givenchy] gave me a look, a kind, a silhouette." She furthered, "He has always been the best and he stayed the best. Because he kept the spare style that I love. What is more beautiful than a simple sheath made an extraordinary way in a special fabric, and just two earrings?"

Fashion experts have said that Hepburn's longevity as a style icon was because she stuck with a look that suited her – "clean lines, simple yet bold accessories, minimalist palette." Voted the "most beautiful woman of all time" in a poll of beauty experts by Evian, Hepburn's fashion styles continue to be popular among women today. Contrary to her image, although Hepburn did enjoy fashion, she did not place much importance on it; she preferred casual and comfortable clothes. In addition, she never considered herself to be attractive. She stated in a 1959 interview, "you can even say that I hated myself at certain periods. I was too fat, or maybe too tall, or maybe just plain too ugly... you can say my definiteness stems from underlying feelings of insecurity and inferiority. I couldn't conquer these feelings by acting indecisive. I found the only way to get the better of them was by adopting a forceful, concentrated drive."

The "little black dress" from ''Breakfast at Tiffany's'', designed by Givenchy, was sold at a Christie's auction on 5 December 2006 for £467,200 (approximately $920,000), almost seven times its £70,000 pre-sale estimate. This is the highest price paid for a dress from a film. The proceeds went to the City of Joy Aid charity to aid underprivileged children in India. The head of the charity said, "there are tears in my eyes. I am absolutely dumbfounded to believe that a piece of cloth which belonged to such a magical actress will now enable me to buy bricks and cement to put the most destitute children in the world into schools". However, the dress auctioned by Christie's was not the one that Hepburn wore in the film. Of the two dresses that Hepburn did wear, one is held in the Givenchy archives while the other is displayed in the Museum of Costume in Madrid. A subsequent London auction of Hepburn's film wardrobe in December 2009 raised £270,200 ($437,000), including £60,000 for the black Chantilly lace cocktail gown from ''How to Steal a Million''. Half the proceeds were donated to All Children in School, a joint venture of The Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund and UNICEF.

Credits

Awards

See also

List of persons who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards

Little black Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn (''Breakfast at Tiffany's'', 1961)

White floral Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn (Academy Awards, 1954)

References

Further reading

External links

of Hepburn (and the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund)

Category:1929 births Category:1993 deaths Category:20th-century actors Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients Category:Anti-poverty advocates Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:British expatriates in Switzerland Category:Cancer deaths in Switzerland Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer Category:Dutch nobility Category:Emmy Award winners Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:English film actors Category:English humanitarians Category:English musical theatre actors Category:English people of Dutch descent Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English stage actors Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Barons of Heemstra Category:Miscarriage victims Category:People from Arnhem Category:People from Brussels Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Category:Tony Award winners Category:UNICEF people

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Coordinates	6°7′55″N1°13′22″N
name	Travis Barker
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Travis Landon Barker
alias	The Baron von Tito (when with the Aquabats)
birth date	November 14, 1975
origin	Fontana, California, United States
instrument	Drums, percussion, bass, synthesizers, guitar
genre	Pop punk, hip hop, rap metal, rap rock, alternative rock, post-hardcore
occupation	Drummer, musician, songwriter, producer
years active	1993–present
label	Interscope, LaSalle/Atlantic, Geffen, Hellcat, MCA, Golden Voice Records, Goliath Artists
associated acts	Blink-182, +44, Box Car Racer, Transplants, Paul Wall, TRV$DJAM, The Aquabats, Expensive Taste, Game, Royce da 5'9, Slash, RZA, Raekwon, Kanye West, Lil Twist, Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, Lil Jon, Kid Cudi , Tinie Tempah, Yelawolf
website	TravisBarker.com
notable instruments	Orange County Drum and PercussionRemo DrumheadsZildjian }}

Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with the late DJ AM, and together they formed TRV$DJAM.

After the split of his first band, Feeble, Barker began playing for The Aquabats in 1996 as The Baron Von Tito. He recorded one album with them, ''The Fury of The Aquabats!'', in 1997. His career took off when he joined up with pop punk band Blink-182 in 1998. Barker has since established himself as a versatile drummer, producing and making guest appearances in music projects of numerous music genres including hip hop, alternative rock, pop and country. He has gained significant acceptance within the hip-hop community in particular and often collaborates with artists to compose rock-tinged remixes to their songs.

He founded clothing company Famous Stars and Straps in 1999 and LaSalle Records in 2004. Companies such as DC Shoes and Zildjian cymbals have co-designed products in his name.

Barker collaborated with artists (including Game, Tom Morello, Slaughterhouse, Raekwon, RZA, Slash, and other musicians) for his solo debut album, ''Give the Drummer Some'', which was released on March 15, 2011.

Early life

Travis Barker was born to Randy and Gloria Barker in Fontana, California. Barker grew up in a high-crime area, where his father worked as a mechanic and his mother babysat for local kids. When Barker was four, his mother gave him his first drum kit, which was the only one he would have until he was fifteen. Barker began taking drum lessons at age five with jazz drummer Michael Mai, who would expose young Barker to many different playing styles. At this time, he also began taking trumpet lessons. In junior high, Barker learned to play the piano and briefly tried singing, joining the madrigals men and women's choir. In addition, Barker had non-musical aspirations; he also was interested in becoming a professional surfer and skateboarder. However, Barker states that "I always migrated back to drums, though. That was the one thing that kind of felt like I was connected to and I could kind of understand. I could express myself better through my drums than I could anything else."

His mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer three months earlier, died the day before he started high school. She told him to keep playing music and to follow his dreams. Barker attended Fontana High School, where he played in the jazz ensemble and marching band. He gained a lot of experience performing at regional competitions and festivals. During his senior year, he passed up drum corps tryouts to tour with a rock band. Barker gained a lot of experience performing with a few early rock bands. After Barker graduated from high school in 1993 he became a member of The Aquabats. He was nicknamed "Baron Von Tito." Barker did go back to drum corps for his age out year in 1996, to audition with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, but was ultimately cut and did not march.

Recording career

Blink-182 (1998–2005; 2009–present)

Blink-182 was formed in 1992 by Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge. After recruiting drummer Scott Raynor, the band recorded three early demos and two studio albums: ''Cheshire Cat'' (1994) and ''Dude Ranch'' (1997). Hoppus and DeLonge fired Raynor midway through a U.S. tour in 1998 after a drinking problem became far too prevalent. Hoppus and DeLonge asked drummer Barker of Blink-182's support band The Aquabats to fill in for Raynor for the remainder of the tour, and, after being impressed with Barker, asked him to join the band. Blink-182 released their breakthrough album ''Enema of the State'' in June 1999 to commercial success, fueled by successful singles "What's My Age Again", "All the Small Things", and "Adam's Song". After releasing live album ''The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!)'' in November 2000, the band entered the studio and recorded their fourth studio album ''Take Off Your Pants and Jacket'', released in June 2001. The album continued the band's commercial success and popularity.

After performing with Box Car Racer for much of 2002, DeLonge and Barker rejoined the band to record their eponymous fifth studio album, released in November 2003. The album continued the commercial success that previous albums had endured, as well as being critically acclaimed: ''Blink-182'' represented a more "mature" band than seen in the past, with the band infusing experimentalist elements into their usual pop punk sound, inspired by lifestyle changes (the band members all became fathers before the album was released) and side-projects (Box Car Racer and Transplants).

Tensions arose between the band members as DeLonge expressed his desire to cancel the tour and enter a half-year respite from touring in late 2004, and the band officially announced an "indefinite hiatus" in February 2005. DeLonge formed Angels & Airwaves while Hoppus and Barker continued playing music together in +44. In August 2008, the band's frequent producer Jerry Finn died of a cerebral hemorrhage, and Barker barely survived a plane crash, sustaining second and third degree burns on his lower body and torso. Both events would be catalysts for the band reuniting; in 2010, DeLonge reflected, "If that accident hadn't happened, we wouldn't be a band. Plain and simple. That was fate."

The band announced their reunion in February 2009 at the 51st Grammy Awards ceremony. A well-received reunion tour took place in mid-2009, with a European leg performed in summer 2010. Currently, the band is recording their sixth studio album, entitled Neighborhoods, which is planned to be released in September 2011.

Collaborations/Remixes (2002–present)

Barker has said he has always been interested in many genres of music outside rock, especially hip hop. In a 2002 interview with MTV he said, "I probably listen to more hip-hop and drum'n'bass than I do rock music.". Not being able to explore these interests within Blink-182, Barker participated in two hip hop related side projects during that the time: Transplants and Expensive Taste.

Box Car Racer is a side project begun by Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 in 2002. This project resulted in one self-titled album, which was released that year. DeLonge said he asked Barker to play drums so that he would not have to find and pay a session drummer to come in.

Transplants is a hip hop-induced punk band for which Barker partnered with Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Rob Aston (former roadie for Rancid). Transplants released two studio records as well as a remixed version of their second album, which was chopped and screwed by rapper and hip-hop artist, Paul Wall. The first album released by Transplants was their self-titled album in 2002. The second Transplants record, ''Haunted Cities'', was released by LaSalle Records in June 2005. After the Vans Warped Tour of 2005, the members decided to disband. This was confirmed by vocalist Rob Aston in January 2006 during an interview. In January 2010, Barker announced that the Transplants would reform for new material.

He was best friends with the late DJ AM, Adam Goldstein. Some of his first forays into other genres was on Bad Boy 4 Life by P. Diddy and Back In The Mudd by Bubba Sparxxx (who also toured with blink). Barker has produced or worked on albums with The Black Eyed Peas, Pink and Pharrell. He appears on Bun B's album, ''Trill'' (2005) with Skinhead Rob for the bonus track, "Late Night Creepin'". In 2006 he was a producer on T.I.'s fourth album, ''King''. Also in 2006 he played drums for several songs on Avril Lavigne's third album, "The Best Damn Thing". He also dueted with Rihanna on a remix of her hit "Umbrella", he also appeared in her video. Barker also had a remix with Eminem, on the song 3 A.M.

In late 2005 Barker started a new band, +44, with fellow Blink-182 member Mark Hoppus. +44 only released one studio album, ''When Your Heart Stops Beating''. They played several tour dates with Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday, and Cobra Starship.

Barker made a very well received remix of Soulja Boy's "Crank That". In a similar fashion to the Soulja Boy remix, he has also remixed Flo Rida's single "Low" that was later included within the deluxe version of Flo Rida's debut album. Barker is a playable character in ''Guitar Hero: World Tour'' and his remix of "Low" is available as downloadable content. Barker is also featured on The Game's latest album, ''L.A.X.'', drumming on the song "Dope Boys".

He was the drummer for all of the performers at the MTV Video Music Awards of 2008, including Kid Cudi and LL Cool J.

In November 2009, Barker made a remix with hip-hop artist Drake's song "Forever", featuring Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West.

On April 22, 2010, Barker performed "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin on ''American Idol'' along with Mary J. Blige, Orianthi, Steve Vai and Randy Jackson.

On March 1, 2011, Ourstage, Guitar Center and Travis Barker team up to create the unsigned artist discovery program Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record With Travis Barker. The winner gets a 3-song ep produced by Travis Barker at Red Bull Studios in Los Angeles, Travis Barker appears on the winning artists single, $10,000 in new gear from Guitar Center and Worldwide distribution of the winners music through TuneCore.

Business ventures

Barker owns and contributes to several businesses in addition to his musical interests. He founded an accessory/apparel company called Famous Stars and Straps in 1999, which sells street/skate style clothing and gear. Barker has said the brand's trademark "F" for the logo was chosen for its resemblance to a car logo but mainly for the fact that it can stand on its own. Barker is also business partners with famous skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and together they are part of the team that own the clothing label named Rogue Status, and in 2009 another label called DTA.

He co-founded LaSalle Records, a record company to which his band, Transplants, are signed. He has dabbled in the restaurant industry, opening a Wahoo's Fish Taco restaurant in Norco, California.

Barker has developed a shoe for DC Shoe Company called the "Alias Remix" and is endorsed by Orange County Drum and Percussion and Zildjian. He also has his own line of drumming products, sponsored by Zildjian.

Personal life

Relationships

Barker has been married twice. He first married his long time girlfriend, Melissa Kennedy, on September 22, 2001. The couple divorced August 6, 2002, after eleven months of marriage.

Barker married actress and First Runner Up Miss USA 1995 Shanna Moakler on October 30, 2004. The couple had a Gothic-style ceremony inspired by the Tim Burton film, ''The Nightmare Before Christmas,'' which was held on the eve of Halloween. Barker and Moakler have two children together, Landon Asher (born October 9, 2003) and Alabama Luella (born December 24, 2005). Atiana Cecilia de la Hoya (born March 29, 1999) is Moakler's daughter with former boyfriend Oscar de la Hoya. The family appeared in a reality television series, ''Meet the Barkers'', which aired on MTV from 2005 to 2006.

On August 8, 2006, Barker filed for divorce from Moakler after nearly two years of marriage. The couple's divorce was made public as each used their MySpace pages to air their feelings on the matter. During their separation, Barker had a brief fling with Paris Hilton in September 2006.

Despite their pending divorce, reports surfaced in early 2007 that Barker and Moakler were "quietly trying to give it another go" as they were reportedly seen autographing a fan's book, with a heart around their names.

In March 2007, Moakler revealed to ''People'' magazine that she and Barker (still married) were back together, but denied that she was pregnant. This admission came after the couple were publicly affectionate at a surprise birthday Barker threw for his wife in Miami. People.com later reported that the couple had separated again. No reason was given for the split. Barker and Moakler were seen together at the 2007 Video Music Awards kissing and holding hands. However, as of February 11, 2008, the couple's divorce had been finalized.

Barker and Moakler were together during a DJ set Barker was playing with DJ AM in Las Vegas on January 7, 2009. The couple attempted to rekindle their relationship in early 2009 but announced that they were no longer together on April 1, 2009, amid reports that police had been called to their home after a fight; no charges were filed against either party.

Plane crash

On September 19, 2008, Barker was injured when the Learjet 60, which he boarded, crashed outside Columbia, South Carolina. The jet was headed for Van Nuys, California. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was departing the airport when air traffic controllers saw sparks emanating from the plane. It went off the runway, smashed through a fence, crossed a nearby road, slammed into an embankment and caught fire. Barker had performed the night before at an event with Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell, Gavin DeGraw and DJ AM. Barker and DJ AM were transported to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, where they were both listed in critical condition. Four others were killed in the crash, three males and one female. With autopsies being performed to identify the bodies, two of the deceased were crew members, and two were passengers, including Chris Baker, Barker's personal assistant who often appeared in ''Meet The Barkers'', and Charles Still, Barker's security guard. On September 21, Dr. Fred Mullins, medical director of the Burn Center reported that Barker sustained second and third degree burns on his lower body and torso and was expected to fully recover within a year. Barker stopped his vegetarian diet and began eating meat to increase his protein intake and possibly speed up healing of his burns.

Barker survived the incident, enabling him to return to the recording studio in November 2008 with long time friend and Keys to the Cadillac drummer Mike Barbalaci. On his first television interview since the crash, he said to MTV, "I'm already playing my drums again, and I'm already back in the studio". Elaborating by stating that the return to the studio "was like riding a bike. It was really exciting to know I still have my chops. It still felt good... I still can make it around the kit. Everything felt right, so I'm thankful to be able to play."

Barker sued the plane's owners, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., and an airplane maintenance company on November 21, 2008. He sought more than $25,000 in damages "for pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of earnings, and medical and legal expenses", claiming that the companies had "improperly operated and maintained the Learjet". The lawsuit claims the Learjet's pilots were "improperly trained and should have tried to take off rather than continue down the runway." The mother of Barker's bodyguard, Charles Monroe Still Jr., who was killed in the crash, joined the lawsuit. She sued the companies for "damages including grief and sorrow, funeral expenses and loss of earnings." The court case was settled in December 2009, with lawyer William L. Robinson, who represented some of the companies, saying the terms of the settlement are confidential.

On December 1, 2008, ''TV Guide'' reported that Barker would make his first appearance with DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) since the two survived the plane crash. The duo performed at New Year's Nation's Los Angeles New Year's Eve Party at The Wiltern. Their performance was streamed live on the Internet via New Year's Nation's official site, and broadcast at other New Year's Nation parties across the U.S. Of the gig, Barker told press, "I'm ready to get back onstage with AM and continue to rock the house. I'm very excited to bring in the New Year in my hometown of L.A." DJ AM died on August 28, 2009, of an accidental drug overdose in his New York City apartment.

Equipment

Zildjian (Cymbals) A Series 21" Sweet Ride, 18" A Custom Crash, 14" Master Sound Hi-Hats, 21" K Crash Ride, 18" Oriental China Trash, 10" A Custom Splash,

Orange County Drums and Percussion or OCDP (Drums) 22" x 20" kick drum, 12" x 9" mounted tom, 16" x 14" floor tom, 14" x 7" snare drum, 10" x 6" side snare,

Remo Emperor x (snare) Remo Smooth White Emperor (Batter toms) Remo Smooth White Ambassador(toms reso) Remo Hazy Ambassador (snare side) Smooth White Remo Powerstroke 3 (bass batter) Smooth white Remo powerstroke 3 (Bass reso) Travis Barker Signature Drumsticks. Roland electronic drums/triggers.

Barker is currently sponsored by Orange County Drum and Percussion and Zildjian.

Discography

Album appearances

; Solo albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions
! style="width:3em;font-size:75%"	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%"	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%"	!style="width:3em;font-size:75%"	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%"	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%"	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%"
		* Released: March 15, 2011	Interscope Records>Interscope (B0015394)	* Format: Compact Disc

; With [[Blink-182

''Enema of the State'' (1999)

''The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!)'' (2000)

''Take Off Your Pants and Jacket'' (2001)

''Blink-182'' (2003)

''Greatest Hits'' (2005)

''Neighborhoods'' (2011)

; With Transplants

''Transplants'' (2002)

''Haunted Cities'' (2005)

; With +44

''When Your Heart Stops Beating'' (2006)

; With TRV$DJAM

''Fix Your Face'' (mixtape) (2008)

''Fix Your Face, Vol 2: Coachella'' (mixtape) (2009)

; With The Aquabats

''The Fury of the Aquabats!'' (1997)

; With Box Car Racer

''Box Car Racer'' (2002)

; With Expensive Taste

''DJ Skee Presents: Expensive Taste'' (2007)

Solo singles

! Year	! Song	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%"	! Album
	"Can a Drummer Get Some?" (featuring Lil Wayne, Rick Ross (rapper)	Rick Ross, Swizz Beatz & Game)	—
	119
"Saturday Night" (featuring Transplants (band)	Transplants & Slash)	—
	—

Guest appearances

"In Search Of..." (by N.E.R.D) (2001) – drums on the track "Provider"

"Elephunk" (by The Black Eyed Peas) (2003) – drums on the track "Rock My Shit"

"Try This" (by Pink) (2003) – drums on the track "Unwind"

"Trill" (by Bun B) (2005) – drums on "Late Night Creepin"

"King" (by T.I.) (2006) – co-production on "You Know Who"

"Wolves" (by Idiot Pilot) (2007) – drums on "Elephant"

"I Don't Have to Try" / "Alone" / "Runaway" / "I Can Do Better" (by Avril Lavigne) (2007) – drums

"Get Money, Stay True" (by Paul Wall with Expensive Taste) (2007) – drums and production on "Slidin' on That Oil"

"Hardcore 4 Life" (by Danny Diablo (2007) – Drums On "Livin' By The Gun" & "Jersey White Trash"

"The Way It Is" (by Blestenation) (2007) – drums

"It's Whateva" (by the Federation) (2007) – drums on "Black Rosez"

"Dope Boys" (by Game) (2008) – drums, production and vocals contribution

"Goodbye" (by The Centerfolds) (2008) – drums

"OG'z" (by Wale) (2008) – drums

"The G Files" (by Warren G) (2009) – drums on "Let's Get High"

"Stronger with Each Tear" (by Mary J. Blige) (2009) – drums on "Stairway to Heaven"

"Drop the World/Forever" (by Drake, Lil Wayne & Eminem) (2010) – drums and percussion on Live Performance

"Rebirth" (by Lil Wayne) (2010) – production on "One Way Trip"

"Rockstar 101" (by Rihanna with Slash) (2010) – drums on music video

"Outta Control" (by Mams Taylor featuring Jacoby Shaddix) (2010) – Drums and Production

"Electric Gigolo" (by Mickey Avalon) (2010) – Drums on track "Fast Life"

"Heart of a Champion" (by Paul Wall) (2010) – Drums and production on tracks "Take Notes", "Im'ma Get It", "Live It", "Not My Friend" and "Heart Of A Hustler"

"31 Minutes to Takeoff" (by Mike Posner) (2010) – Drums on track "Gone In September"

"Passion, Pain & Pleasure" (by Trey Songz) (2010) – Drums on track "Blind"

"Piece Of Mind" (by Eddie Rap Life) (2010) – Drums and production on tracks "Rock N Roll Memorabilia", "Invisible Ingredients", "Oh Lord" and "Waitin' For The Moment"

"I Am Not a Human Being" (by Lil Wayne) (2010) – Drums and percussion on track "I Am Not A Human Being"

"You Need This Music" (by Nottz) (2010) – Drums and percussion on track "Intro"

"Bad Season" (by Tech N9ne featuring Krizz Kaliko, Nesto & Tonesha Sanders) (2010) – Producer on track "Hard Liquor"

"Femme Fatale" (by Britney Spears) (2011) - Drums on track "Don't Keep Me Waiting"

"Simply Unstoppable (YES remix)" (by Tinie Tempah) (2011) - Drums on remix of the song from the album Disc-Overy used on Lucozade Sport advertising featuring Travis, Tinie Tempah and boxer Katie Taylor.

"Boarding Pass Mixtape" (by Lax Boyz) (2011) - Drums and production on track "Eye Of The Tiger"

"Haute Living" (by Swizz Beatz featuring Lil Wayne & Lenny Kravitz) (2011) - Drums on track "Rock 'N' Roll"

"Success Is Certain" (by Royce da 5'9") (2011) - Drums on track "Legendary"

"When Fish Ride Bicycles" (by The Cool Kids) (2011) - Drums on track "Sour Apples"

"808's" (by Traxamillion) (2011) - Drums on single

"ESPN MLB Theme" (2011) - Drums on Remix to track

"Check Out My Swag" (by Young Dro) (2011) - Drums and percussion on track

Film and television

Travis has appeared in numerous films and television shows, most notably his own reality show, ''Meet the Barkers'', with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler, which debuted in 2005. However, Barker can be found in a brief scene with Blink-182 in the teen movie, ''American Pie''. In 2003, he appeared in an episode of MTV's ''Punk'd'', a ''Candid Camera''-esque television show, in which he took part in a set-up bareknuckle boxing match; he also appeared and spoke alongside Linkin Park-vocalist Chester Bennington on MTV's ''Icon'' show honoring heavy metal band Metallica in May of that year.

In 2006 Barker starred in a Boost Mobile commercial, which was detailed in an episode of ''Meet the Barkers''. He's also played a few guest starring roles such as a rapper on the popular crime drama, ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''. In 2001, he appeared with Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge in the skit "Leave it to Blink-182", a parody of "Leave It to Beaver", on the late night TV show MADtv.

In a slight departure from his usual genres, he made an appearance on the 41st annual CMA Awards in 2006, performing a medley of songs by country icon Buck Owens with a group of artists including Dwight Yoakam, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, and former Byrds bass player Chris Hillman.

; Filmography

Video games

Travis appears as a secret, playable character in ''Tony Hawk's Project 8''.

Travis appears as a playable character in ''Guitar Hero: World Tour''.

Videos

In addition to his own work with Blink-182, Box Car Racer, Transplants, and +44, Barker has made numerous guest appearances. In 2001, Barker appeared, playing drums, in P. Diddy's video, "Bad Boy for Life". In 2003 he played the drums in Bubba Sparxxx's video for "Back in the Mud".

He was featured in the opening sequence of the Dem Franchise Boys music video, "Ridin Rims," in 2006. Travis appeared in Xzibit's music video "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)", T.I.'s video "What You Know", Ice Cube's "Go to Church", New Found Glory's "My Friends Over You", Three 6 Mafia's "Side 2 Side (Remix)" and "Doe Boy Fresh" videos. He was also featured on the Outkast music video "Morris Brown" and can be seen playing drums in The Game's AOL Session.

; Videography

!Year	!Song	!Band	!Notes
1998	"Super Rad"	The Aquabats
	"All the Small Things"	Blink-182
"What's My Age Again?"	Blink-182
"Ziplock"
		Blink-182
"Adam's Song"	Blink-182
		Blink-182
"Stay Together for the Kids"	Blink-182
"The Rock Show"	Blink-182
"Bad Boy 4 Life"
	N.E.R.D.
	"I Feel So"	Box Car Racer
"There Is"	Box Car Racer
"My Friends Over You"	New Found Glory	Appears with the Transplants
	"Feeling This"	Blink-182
"Back in the Mud"	Bubba Sparxxx
"Diamonds and Guns"
"D.J. D.J."
"Violence"	Blink-182	Enhanced CD Version
"Feeling This"	Blink-182	Enhanced CD Version
"Obvious"	Blink-182	Enhanced CD Version
"The Fallen Interlude"	Blink-182	Enhanced CD Version
"Stockholm Syndrome"	Blink-182	Enhanced CD Version
	Blink-182	Enhanced CD Version
"What's Your Number"	Cypress Hill
	The Black Eyed Peas
		Blink-182
	Blink-182
	Blink-182
"Hey Now (Mean Muggin')"	Xzibit featuring Keri Hilson
	"What I Can't Describe"
"Not Now"	Blink-182
"Gangsters & Thugs"
	Blink-182
	"What You Know"	T.I.
"When Your Heart Stops Beating"
"Chapter 13"
"God's Gonna Cut You Down"	Johnny Cash
"Ridin' Rims"	Dem Franchize Boyz
"Side 2 Side"	Three 6 Mafia
	Outkast
"It's OK (One Blood)"		AOL Sessions
		AOL Sessions
"Too Much"		AOL Sessions
		AOL Sessions
"Baby Come On"		AOL Sessions
"When Your Heart Stops Beating"		AOL Sessions
"Cliff Diving"		AOL Sessions
"Lycanthrope"		AOL Sessions
	"Doe Boy Fresh"	Three Six Mafia featuring Chamillionaire
	Rihanna
"Can U Werk With Dat"	QUIK & AMG (The Fixxers)
"I'm Throwed"	Paul Wall
"Crank That (Soulja Boy)"	Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
"155"
	"Dope Boys"
	Flo Rida featuring T-Pain
"Fix Your Face"	TRV$ & DJAM
	"Day 'n' Nite"	Kid Cudi
"Rockstar 101"
	"Jump Down"	Himself featuring The Cool Kids
"Carry It"	Himself featuring Tom Morello, RZA and Raekwon
	"Can a Drummer Get Some?"
"Saturday Night"
"Misfits"	Himself featuring Steve Aoki
"Rock 'N' Roll"	Swizz Beatz featuring Lil wayne, Travis Barker & Lenny Kravitz
"Let's Go"	Himself featuring Yelawolf, Twista, Busta Rhymes & Lil Jon
"Up All Night"	Blink-182

Notes

A. "Let's Go" was not released as a single; it charted due to digital downloads. B. "Let's Go" peaked outside of the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, therefore it is listed on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.

References

External links

Travis Barker's Official Website Official Website

Cymbal configuration at Zildjian.com

Category:1975 births Category:American punk rock drummers Category:Blink-182 members Category:Car collectors Category:Living people Category:Musicians from California Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Corona, California Category:People from Fontana, California Category:Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents Category:The Aquabats members

an:Travis Barker bs:Travis Barker ca:Travis Barker cs:Travis Barker da:Travis Barker de:Travis Barker et:Travis Barker es:Travis Barker fr:Travis Barker id:Travis Barker it:Travis Barker he:טראוויס בארקר lv:Treviss Bārkers hu:Travis Barker nl:Travis Barker no:Travis Barker pl:Travis Barker pt:Travis Barker ru:Баркер, Трэвис simple:Travis Barker sk:Travis Barker sl:Travis Landon Barker fi:Travis Barker sv:Travis Barker uk:Тревіс Баркер vls:Travis Barker

Coordinates	6°7′55″N1°13′22″N
Name	Beanie Sigel
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Dwight Grant
Alias
Born	March 06, 1974
Origin	South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	1994–present
Associated acts	Scarface, Freeway, Raekwon, Young Gunz, The Roots, State Property, The Lox, 50 Cent, G-Unit
Label	Roc-A-Fella Records (1998–2009)G-Unit Records(2009–2010,2011–present)G-Unit Philly(2011–present) }}

Dwight Grant (born on March 6, 1974), also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers Jay-Z, Freeway and other former and current artists on the Roc-A-Fella roster. His stage name comes from a street in South Philadelphia, the rapper's former stomping grounds where he worked alongside Senior Durham in the projects. He has sold more than two million albums worldwide. He decided to end his career in middle 2010 when he made his last song, "I Go Off" with 50 Cent who had signed Grant to his G-Unit Records label in 2009, in early 2011 Grant appeared in Travis Barker album Give the Drummer Some, saying that it was the end of his career. In May 31, 2011 Grant apologized to his former boss Jay-Z. But in an interview with DJ Green Lantern, he said that he had never "apologized" to Jay-Z, and that he was still making music.

Music career

''State Property'' (2002-2003)

In 2002, Sigel and much of the Roc roster starred in a Dame Dash-produced movie entitled ''State Property''. Its release coincided with the creation and promotion of State Property, a group of artists signed to Roc-A-Fella that hailed from Philadelphia and organized by Sigel and Freeway. Its members included Peedi Crakk, the Young Gunz Chris,Neef, Oschino and Omilio Sparks. Their first collaboration was for the movie's soundtrack, an eponymous release that featured the original "Roc the Mic" by Sigel and Freeway. They followed up with 2003's ''The Chain Gang Vol. 2'', featuring the single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by the Young Gunz; the record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group.

The B. Coming (2005)

In 2005 Sigel finished his 3rd album, ''The B. Coming'', and shot multiple videos, directed by Joe Briscella, before he had to start he got arrested. During this time, Jay-Z ascended to the Presidency of Def Jam Records, causing former business partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke to split off and form the Dame Dash Music Group. Sigel's ''B. Coming'' was released on DDMG and Def Jam rather than Roc-A-Fella, but contained production from a slew of Roc/Jay-Z-affiliated producers including Chad West, The Neptunes, Just Blaze, Boola and Buckwild. Artists from both sides of the split were present on the record, from State Property members to Cam'ron and Jay-Z; the record spawned Sigel a hit with "Feel it in the Air," sold 131,000 copies in its first week.

Advertising his friendship with the incarcerated Beanie, Dash publicly claimed the artist was leaving the roster with him; during the sentence, State Property was thrown into turmoil, eventually choosing to remain at Roc-A-Fella—apparently against Sigel's wishes. Upon his release, Beanie called the loyalty of his group into question and stated that he was signing with Dame and Biggs courtesy of a stronger casual relationship with the pair than with Jay-Z:

Soon after, he clarified his comments, saying he simply didn't want to be involved in the conflict and electing to re-open talks with Roc-A-Fella instead of moving to DDMG.

The Solution (2006-2007)

In 2006 Sigel resigned with Roc-A-Fella Records & started to recording for his fourth studio album ''The Solution''. On October 29, 2007 Sigel released the first single off ''The Solution'' entitled "All The Above" which featured R. Kelly it debuted on the U.S. R&B; charts at #83. On May 22, 2007 Sigel released ''The Solution'' it debuted on the Billboard charts at #37.

The Classic (2009-Present)

In 2009 after finally getting out of his contracts with Roc-A-Fella & Def Jam. Beanie Sigel released his first Independent album ''The Broad Street Bully''. In 2010 Sigel announced he was working on his fifth studio album entitled ''The Closure'' which was to be released from Universal Republic and G-Unit Records. But on May 31, 2011 Sigel cancelled the album & retired from the music industry. But just after two weeks he later returned and started working on the album again. He then also renamed the album as ''The Classic''.In 2011 Sigel signed with 50 Cent's subsidary label G-Unit Philly and renewed his contract with G-Unit Records from 2009. On July 13, 2011 Sigel released his first single from the album entitled "B-Boy Stance".

Other ventures

Acting career

Beanie Sigel first appeared in the documentary "Backstage" but his first main role was in the hood movie ''State Property'' which spawned a sequel "State Property 2". Sigel released a DVD shortly after his third solo release "The B. Coming" entitled "The B. Coming of Beanie Sigel"in the year of 2005. Sigel also auditioned for the lead role of the 2009 film "Notorious"

Beanie Sigel also appeared in the 2011 film ''Rhyme and Punishment'' a documentary about Hip-Hop artist who have served time in county jail or state/federal prison. The film features an interview with Beanie Sigel where he discusses his conviction and life in prison.

Controversy

Jadakiss

The new millennium also saw various Roc artists, including Sigel, engage in a conflict with artists from ''Ruff Ryders''. Beanie was a forerunner of the beef, publicly decrying Jadakiss, the rest of the L.O.X. and DMX. While Sigel and Jadakiss both denied any violent intent, they continued to send shots back and forth until Beanie put out a freestyle over Jada's hit "Put Ya Hands Up".

Personal life

Religion

Beanie Sigel practices the Islamic faith along with Freeway.

Friendship with Scarface

Conversely, Sigel cultivated a friendship with southern rapper Scarface. Having first appeared together on "This Can't Be Life" with Jay-Z from ''Dynasty'', the two would go on to collaborate on Sigel's first two records, Scarface's ''The Fix'', and later on Sigel's 2007 album ''The Solution.''

Legal issues

In 2004, Sigel was found guilty of federal weapons charges and sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. In 2010, Sigel was charged with three counts of failing to file income tax returns between 2003-2005 on earnings of over $9.2 million.

Discography

;Studio albums

2000: ''The Truth''

2001: ''The Reason''

2005: ''The B. Coming''

2007: ''The Solution''

TBA: ''The Classic''

;Independent albums

2009: ''The Broad Street Bully''

;Collaboration albums

2002: ''State Property OST'' (with State Property)

2003: ''The Chain Gang Vol. 2'' (with State Property)

2010: ''The Roc Boys'' (with Freeway)

Fimography

;Films 2000 ''Brown Sugar (2002 film) ''Death of a Dynasty'' ''Fade to Black (2004 film) ''State Property 2'' ''Beef IV'' ''Rhyme and Punishment''

Year
	|	Backstage (2000 film)>Backstage''	As himself	Cameo/Documentary
rowspan="3">2002	Brown Sugar'' ||	As himself	Cameo
''State Property (film)	State Property''	Beans
''Paper Soldiers''	Stu
	2003	|	Charles "Sandman" Patterson	Support Role
	2004	Fade to Black'' ||	As himself	Cameo/Documentary
	2005	|	Beans	Main Role
	2007	|	As himself	Cameo/Documentary
	2011	|	As himself	Cameo/Documentary

References

External links

Beanie Sigel page at Roc-A-Fella Records

Official The Playpen Myspace

Official Beanie Sigel Myspace

MTV News

Category:African American musicians Category:Culture of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:American rappers Category:African American rappers Category:Living people Category:People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:1974 births Category:American shooting survivors Category:State Property members Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Rappers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:American Sunni Muslims Category:African American Muslims Category:American prisoners and detainees

de:Beanie Sigel es:Beanie Sigel fr:Beanie Sigel ko:비니 시겔 no:Beanie Sigel pl:Beanie Sigel pt:Beanie Sigel fi:Beanie Sigel tr:Beanie Sigel uk:Beanie Sigel