Dee might refer to:

Sport[link]

• Abbreviation for "Defence (sport)"

People[link]

Surname[link]

• Dee, a romanization of several Chinese surnames, including:
  • Those listed at Di (surname)
  • Some Minnan pronunciations of the name Li (李)
• Di Renjie, Duke Wenhui of Liang, better known as Judge Dee, Tang-dynasty official
• Arthur Dee, son of John Dee
• Billy Dee
• Bob Dee
• Daisy Dee
• Dave Dee
• Ed Dee
• Frances Dee, actress
• Gandra Dee
• Gerry Dee, Canadian comedian
• Jack Dee, British comedian
• Jeff Dee
• John Dee, English mathematician and alchemist
• John Dee (disambiguation) for other people with the name
• Kiki Dee
• Kool Moe Dee
• Mikkey Dee, heavy-metal drummer
• Papa Dee
• Roger Dee
• Ruby Dee, African-American actress and activist
• Sandra Dee, American actress
• Simon Dee
• Waddle Dee

Given name[link]

• Diminutive for the name David, common in the UK and Ireland
• Dee Brown (novelist)
• Dee Dee Myers, first female White House press secretary
• Dee Dee Ramone, punk musician
• Dee Bradley Baker, American voice actor
• Dee Snider, singer
• Dee Roscioli, American actress

Stage name or nickname[link]

• Dee (pornographic actress), Puerto Rican pornographic actress
• Dee (singer), Canadian electro-pop singer, songwriter and DJ
• Dee (artist), Swedish dancer and singer
• Detlef Soost or Dee!, German dancer and choreographer
• Dia Mirza or Dee, Indian actress
• Walter Huddleston or Dee

Fictional characters[link]

• Judge Dee, Robert van Gulik's fictionalized interpretation of the Tang-dynasty official Di Renjie, Duke Wenhui of Liang
• Anastasia Dualla or Dee, character from the television series Battlestar Galactica
• Dee, a character from The Tribe
• Deandra Reynolds, "Sweet Dee" of the television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Other uses[link]

• River Dee (disambiguation)
• "Dee" (song), a song by Randy Rhoads
• Dead-end elimination
• D-electrodes, components of cyclotrons

See also[link]

• Cordelia (disambiguation)
• Dawn
• Deanna
• Deidre
• Denise (given name)
• Deane (disambiguation)
• Deanne
• Dolores (disambiguation)
• Douglas (given name)
• Jody (disambiguation)
• Mandy (disambiguation)

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

Jack Dee
Jack Dee in 2007
Born	(1961-09-24) 24 September 1961 (age 50) Bromley, Kent, England
Medium	Stand-up, television, radio
Nationality	British
Years active	1986–present
Genres	Deadpan, Observational comedy
Subject(s)	Everyday life, Family, Marriage, Human interaction, Current events
Influences	Larry David
Influenced	Jack Whitehall
Spouse	Susan Jane Hetherington (m. 1989–present)
Notable works and roles	The Jack Dee Show (1992–94) Just For Laughs (1992) 'Art' (1998) Jack Dee: Live at the Apollo (2004–06) Lead Balloon (2006–2011)
British Comedy Awards
Best Stage Newcomer 1991 Best Standup Comedian 1997

James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee (born 24 September 1961) is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sarcastic, witty, and deadpan humour. He won Celebrity Big Brother 2001.

Early life[link]

Dee was the youngest of three children born to Rosemary A. (née Stamper) and Geoffrey T. Dee, after Joanna Innes Dee & David Simon Innes Dee. Jack Dee was born in Bromley, Kent^[1] and grew up in nearby Petts Wood^[2] before moving with his family to Winchester when he was young. His father, Geoffrey, was a printer and his mother, Rosemary, was the daughter of two unsuccessful repertory actors, Henry Lionel Pope "Lionel" Stamper (1906–1985) & Edna May Howard Innes (1904–1969) (and the great-niece of Charles William Stamper, motor engineer to King Edward VII).^[3]

Education[link]

Dee was educated at both independent and state schools. His first school was The Pilgrims' School, a junior independent school in Winchester, followed by the state Montgomery of Alamein School for his secondary education, for some time he attended Frensham Heights School. He took his A-levels at Peter Symonds' College, and left with a D and an F grade. Following this, he planned to attend drama college, but his plans were scuppered when his mother persuaded him to get a vocation, and so he entered the catering industry and became a waiter.^[4]

Life and career[link]

In his twenties, Dee worked at the Ritz and started drinking heavily. He attended church and attempted to become a priest. After he realised that wasn't for him he gave that up, he never quit drinking, although he would later describe his condition as "alcohol abuse" rather than alcoholism, which was diagnosed at the time.^[5] Since then he has advertised John Smith's Bitter.

Career[link]

Dee's first public act was an open-mic gig in 1986 at the Comedy Store, which he went to one evening after work.^[6] He was encouraged to write additional material and to tour the circuit. Since the 1990s he has performed sell-out acts at many high-profile venues (including the London Palladium and the Hammersmith Apollo). After he scooped the British Comedy Award for Best Stage Newcomer in 1991, Dee was offered his own show; The Jack Dee Show first went out on Channel 4 in February 1992, bringing him to a wider audience. His combination of stand-up routines on television continued with Jack Dee's Saturday Night on ITV, Jack Dee's Happy Hour in 1997 and later Jack Dee Live at the Apollo in 2004 on BBC One.

Aside from his successful stand-up career, Dee has played starring roles and guest appearances in television series. He played the part of Doug Digby in the Grimleys pilot (1997) before the role was recast for the series, and made guest appearances on such programmes as Silent Witness, Dalziel and Pascoe and Jonathan Creek.

In 2001, he won Celebrity Big Brother (then linked to fundraising for Comic Relief). During evictions, he dressed up in a tweed jacket and cap and held his packed suitcase, hoping to be voted out. During the eviction of another housemate he briefly absconded to sneak a quick kiss with his wife. He also escaped for several hours at night-time. He has subsequently said that he dislikes the treatment of the housemates by the show and its producers, and has refused all permission for any of the clips to be shown again.^[7]

In 2004 he played the role of Steven Sharples MP the self-styled 'Deputy Home Secretary' alongside Warren Clarke and Dervla Kirwan in The Deputy. Dee's performance was praised, though the film itself received a lukewarm response.^[8] Later that year he starred in another one-off drama, Tunnel of Love. He was the celebrity advocate in Britain's Best Sitcom for Fawlty Towers and presented an hour-long documentary about the series.

In 2005 he co-hosted Comic Aid, a one-off gathering of comedians that aimed to raise money for the Asian Tsunami Appeal. In May of the same year he appeared on the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment of the BBC Two series Top Gear, achieving a lap time of 1:53.5 (52nd on the Suzuki Liana leader board). His most recent series Lead Balloon, which he also co-wrote, began on BBC Four on 4 October 2006. Described as "Britain's answer to Curb Your Enthusiasm",^[9] Lead Balloon sees Dee play the semi-biographical role of Rick Spleen. A second series of eight episodes was commissioned and was broadcast on BBC Two in 2007, with a third series debuting on Thursday 13 November 2008. A fourth series has just finished being shown on the BBC as of the 5th July.^[10] He also starred as Harry in the 2005 film Short Order.

Dee hosts the radio panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, and is a frequent guest on QI and Have I Got News for You, which he has guest-presented ten times, and he hosts segments of the BBC's biennial Comic Relief telethon. He starred in advertisements for John Smith's Bitter in the 1990s, becoming known as "the midget with the widget".

He made his stage debut in 1998, playing Yvan in Yasmina Reza's Olivier award-winning 'Art'. He later returned as Serge for a 13-week run at the request of the director.^[2]

In 2008, Dee took part in the 15th anniversary special of Shooting Stars where he replaced Will Self as captain of Team A. The show aired on 30 December 2008 on BBC2.

Dee returned as team captain in series 6 of Shooting Stars on 26 August 2009, and again for the 7th series.

In February 2009, it was announced that Dee would be one of a trio of hosts to replace Humphrey Lyttelton for the summer series of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (the others being Stephen Fry and Rob Brydon).^[11] Dee subsequently became the permanent host from the 52nd series onwards.^[12]

Over Christmas 2009, Dee played the role of John Tweedledum in The News at Bedtime.

In 2010, Dee took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

Personal life[link]

Dee met Susan Jane "Jane" Hetherington, in 1986 when he was working as a waiter in Fulham and she was a receptionist at a nearby hotel.^[13] They married in Winchester, Hampshire, in 1989.^[14] Together they have four children^[14]: Hannah Jane Innes (born 1992), Sophie Jane Innes (born late 1994) and twins, Frederic 'Freddy' Leonardo Innes and Charles Leonardo Innes 'Charlie' (born 1998). The family lives in Wandsworth.

Dee suffered from Depression, and he has claimed that his work is the best therapy for his condition, saying "if you have the impulse to be creative, you ignore it at your peril".^[15]

He abused alcohol heavily in the 1980s. Following his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother he had a relapse, though did not attend AA meetings because he did not want paparazzi photographing him leaving the meetings.^[16]

In 2007, the Daily Express reported that he was in negotiations with publishers to release his autobiography.^[17] He signed with Doubleday in 2008 and the book, Thanks For Nothing: The Jack Dee Memoirs, was released in October 2009, along with an audiobook of the same title which he narrates.^[18] According to Dee, "it's really the story of how I got into comedy... It's kind of an autobiography but isn't, as it stops about 25 years ago. It goes right up to the first time I do stand up."^[19]

In February 2009 Dee and several other entertainers wrote an open letter to The Times supporting Bahá'í leaders then on trial in Iran.^[20]

Dee is also a director of Open Mike Productions, which produces shows for television and radio.

Awards and nominations[link]

Stand-up VHS & DVDs[link]

• Live at the Duke of York's Theatre (1992)
• Live at the London Palladium (10 October 1994)
• Live in London (10 November 1997)
• Live and Uncut (5 November 2001)
• Live At The Apollo (18 November 2002)
• Live Again (14 November 2005)

See also[link]

• Lead Balloon

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

• Jack Dee on Twitter
• Jack Dee at Off The Kerb Productions
• Jack Dee – the website for his autobiography, Thanks for Nothing
• Jack Dee at BBC Online Guide to Comedy
• Jack Dee at the British Film Institute
• Jack Dee at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Jack Dee at the Internet Movie Database
• Johnston, Jenny (16 October 2009). "Don't tell me to cheer up! Jack Dee on being a borderline alcoholic and living with depression". London: Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1220330/Dont-tell-cheer-Jack-Dee-borderline-alcoholic-living-depression.html. 

v t e Big Brother in the United Kingdom Big Brother Series Regular 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 Celebrity 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 Special Teen · Panto · Celebrity Hijack · Ultimate Winners Regular Craig Phillips · Brian Dowling · Kate Lawler · Cameron Stout · Nadia Almada · Anthony Hutton · Pete Bennett · Brian Belo · Rachel Rice · Sophie Reade · Josie Gibson · Aaron Allard-Morgan Celebrity Jack Dee · Mark Owen · Bez · Chantelle Houghton · Shilpa Shetty · Ulrika Jonsson · Alex Reid · Paddy Doherty · Denise Welch Special Paul Brennan · John Loughton · Brian Dowling Main presenters Current Marcus Bentley · Brian Dowling · Emma Willis · Alice Levine · Jamie East Former Davina McCall · George Lamb · Dermot O'Leary · Russell Brand · James Corden · Mathew Horne · Zezi Ifore · Jack Whitehall Related articles Endemol · John de Mol · Channel 4/E4 · Channel 5/5* · Controversy and criticism · Housemates · Celebrity housemates · Jade Goody · Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy · Dead Set · "Bad Wolf" (Doctor Who episode) Category ·  Commons

Jo Dee Messina
Performing in Houston, TX on the 4th of July, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Jo Dee Marie Messina
Born	(1970-08-25) August 25, 1970 (age 41)
Origin	Holliston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals Rhythm guitar Piano
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Curb
Associated acts	Joe Diffie Tim McGraw
Website	Official Website

Jo Dee Marie Messina (born August 25, 1970), known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week Number One songs from the same album.^[1] To date, she has two Platinum and three Gold-certified albums by the RIAA.

Messina debuted in 1996 with the single Heads Carolina, Tails California. Her album was certified Gold by the RIAA. Her second album, I'm Alright produced five Top 10 Country hits between 1998 in 1999 and sold over a million copies in America. Since her debut, six of her singles have peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country singles chart and five of her albums have received a certification by the RIAA or the CRIA. She has sold 5 million records worldwide.

Early life[link]

Messina was born Jo Dee Marie Messina on August 25, 1970, in Framingham, Massachusetts to Vincent and Mary Messina. Her father was of Italian descent and her mother was of Irish descent. She was raised in Holliston, Massachusetts, with two sisters, Terese and Marianne, and a brother, Vincent.^[2] Messina had a variety of country music influences, including Patsy Cline, Reba McEntire, and The Judds. She soon started performing live, and by age 16 she was playing local clubs, singing while her brother and one sister provided backup on drums and guitar.^[3] The group continued performing until she graduated from high school.

Realizing that living in the Northeast would limit her chances of achieving country music stardom, Messina moved to Nashville, Tennessee at age 19.^[4] She worked various temp jobs, including computer programming and accounting, while entering talent contests around Nashville.

One win led to a regular gig on the radio show Live at Libby's, which caught the interest of producer Byron Gallimore, who helped her assemble a demonstration tape. Gallimore was also working with the young Tim McGraw around the same time, and Messina befriended him. Backstage at one of his concerts, Messina met an executive from his label, Curb, and jokingly suggested that they needed a redhead.^[3] With the help of fellow Curb producer James Stroud, Messina was soon signed to the record label. Gallimore and McGraw would later become co-producers of Messina's studio albums under Curb.

Music career[link]

1996–97: country success[link]

Messina released her self-titled debut album in 1996. It spawned two Top 10 hits, starting with the lead single, "Heads Carolina, Tails California," which peaked at #2 on the Country charts and its follow-up, "You're Not in Kansas Anymore" gained similar success.^[3] However, the two additional singles released from the album, "Do You Wanna Make Something of It" and "He'd Never Seen Julie Cry" peaked outside the Country Top 40 and were minor hits between 1996 and 1997. Following her major success, Messina performed 215 shows in 1996 and became one of the most successful new female vocalists of the 1990s. debut album sold over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold by RIAA.

Messina's finances suffered due to a series of poor business decisions and a change of management that led her to nearly declaring bankruptcy; she nearly lost her home and her car.^[2] She spent nearly a year trying to write new songs and material for a new album that could help bring herself out of bankruptcy.^[5] She credited the radio success of "Bye, Bye" and "I'm Alright" with giving her a "second chance."^[6]

1998−2006: breakthrough success[link]

Messina released her second album in 1998, I'm Alright. The album spawned three #1 hit singles on the Billboard Country Chart that year: "Bye, Bye";^[7] "I'm Alright"; and "Stand Beside Me," all three of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 as well. The fourth single, "Lesson in Leavin", was a cover of the #1 Country hit by Dottie West in 1980. The song peaked at #2 for 7 weeks. In 1999 she had another Top 10 hit from the album, "Because You Love Me," which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Country Chart.

In 2000 Messina received the Country Music Association's "Horizon award," which is awarded to new Country music artists.^[7] She also won Billboard magazine's "Most Played Female at Country Radio", and won three major awards from the Boston Music Awards, located in her home state of Massachusetts.^[4]

Messina's album also became her biggest-selling album to date, selling over two million copies in the US, receiving an RIAA certification of 2XPlatinum. Around the same time, Messina had guest roles on the television shows, Crash and Burn, Nash Bridges and Touched by an Angel. She guest-starred on the series a couple of years earlier and stayed in touch with the show's producer/creator. In the episode titled "Bring On the Rain" (named after Messina's hit song), she appeared as Annie, the single mother of a teenage girl.^[4]

She released her third studio album, Burn in 2000, which aimed towards Country pop-styled music.^[3] The album's lead single, "That's the Way" peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country Chart and also became her highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #25. Following that success, she had two additional Top 10 hits with "Burn" and "Downtime."^[7]

Messina had another #1 hit from the album in 2001 with "Bring On the Rain," a duet with Tim McGraw that also became a Top 10 hit on the Adult Contemporary Chart, peaking at #6.

In addition to headlining concerts, she also toured with Vince Gill, George Strait, and The Judds' reunion tour.^[8]

Messina released her first holiday album in 2002 with A Joyful Noise. The title track was released as a single and peaked at #16 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 2003. The album consisted of remakes of holiday songs previously made famous by other singers.

Messina planned to release a new album in 2003, but a Greatest Hits album was released instead due to delays.^[8] The album covered most of Messina's hits between 1996 and 2003, and also included four new songs, including two that were released as singles. The first single, "Was That My Life," peaked in the Top 25 and the second single, "I Wish," became a Top 15 hit. The album was also certified Gold by RIAA.

In 2005 Messina released her first Country music studio album since 2000, Delicious Surprise.^[3] It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #9 on the Billboard 200.^[9] It sold over 500,000 copies and became her fourth album to receive an RIAA Gold certification.^[10] The lead single, "My Give a Damn's Busted," peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country Chart and became Messina's first #1 single since 2001. The three follow-up singles ("Delicious Surprise (I Believe It)," "Not Going Down," and "It's Too Late To Worry") were minor Top 40 hits on the Billboard Country chart between 2005 and 2006.

2007–present: Unmistakable[link]

Performing in Naples, Italy in January 2007

Messina released a new single in July 2007, "Biker Chick," from her upcoming fifth studio album, Unmistakable. It was written by Kelly Archer and Max T. Barnes and was recorded in the fall of 2006 in Nashville.^[11] Although the album was set for release on November 6, 2007, the album was shelved and therefore, the single was dropped from Country radio after spending 9 weeks on the charts, rising to a peak of #48.

On March 22, 2008, Messina released her second single from Unmistakable, titled "I'm Done." The single peaked at #34 on the Billboard Country Chart. Messina, who co-wrote the song, explained that the release of the album was "truly dictated by the success of the single."^[12] On June 10, 2008, Messina and Phil Vassar opened the 2008 CMA Music Festival, where she performed her two #1 hits, Bye, Bye and I'm Alright, both co-written by Vassar.^[13] She also performed her latest single, "I'm Done," which received a positive reaction from the audience that day.^[14] In early 2009 she released Shine, but that song failed to chart, and the album was pushed again.

In January 2010, Messina released the single, "That's God,"^[15] although it failed to chart. Messina began debuting the single in late 2009 on her Music Room Series Tour. "My heart is exploding with excitement. This song is truly what I want to say. I believe in it and its message."^[16] Having had her first child in January 2009,^[17] Messina was inspired to write the song while spending time with her son on a trip to Jasper, Canada, where she saw mountains with glacier lakes.^{[18][dead link]} The single received a negative review at The 9513, where critic Sam Gadzidak thought that it was derivative of Lee Ann Womack's "There Is a God."^[19]

She later announced that the album would be released in a trilogy of extended plays, beginning with Unmistakable: Love, released on April 27, 2010. It was followed by two additional extended plays, Drive and Inspiration, both released on November 9, 2010, via MP3 format.

In 2012, Jo Dee was featured on the fourth season of Bravo's hit reality show The Real Housewives of Atlanta. On the show, Jo Dee and cast member Kandi Burruss collaboratively write a song together - Burruss' first effort at creating country music. Jo Dee is currently working on her next album.

A collection of her songs is available for free download with the purchase of 2000 Flushes, a product of the WD-40 Company^[20], curiously associating her music with dirty toilets.

Personal life[link]

In 2004, Messina was engaged to road manager Don Muzquiz, but then broke off the engagement. However, the two remained in a business relationship.^[21]

Messina became involved with the Special Olympics after stumbling across an event while jogging. She has become an ambassador and performs at Special Olympics events in order to increase attendance.^[22]

In April 2004 Messina entered a rehabilitation facility in Utah for treatment of alcoholism.^[23] Messina says her manager, Stuart Dill, confronted her in Houston following a rough performance after the 2004 Super Bowl. She says she wasn't "stumbling drunk," but she acknowledges that she doesn't recall much about the performance either. "I forgot the words to Stand Beside Me. That's what I can remember," Messina said. After Dill's confrontation, Messina was on a plane to Utah the next day. She entered a detox center for a few days before checking into rehab. Messina doesn't blame Muzquiz or Curb Records for her drinking problem; she points to her workaholic tendencies. She said rehab gave her the time to focus on herself and her issues, and she was able to turn to songwriting again for the first time in a long time.^[24] After finishing rehabilitation, Messina rented a cabin at Sundance Ski Resort in Utah. She resumed touring on May 30, 2004, in Marksville, Louisiana. On June 22, 2007, Messina announced her engagement to businessman Chris Deffenbaugh from Albuquerque, New Mexico.^[25] They were married in Nashville in late 2007.^[26] A son, Noah Roger Deffenbaugh was born on January 12, 2009.^[27] On January 11, 2012, they welcomed son Jonah Christopher Deffenbaugh.^[28]

Discography[link]

Main albums

• 1996: Jo Dee Messina
• 1998: I'm Alright
• 2000: Burn
• 2005: Delicious Surprise

EPs & Other albums

• 2002: A Joyful Noise
• 2003: Greatest Hits
• 2010: Unmistakable: Love
• 2010: Unmistakable: Drive
• 2010: Unmistakable: Inspiration

Awards & honors[link]

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

• Gilbert, Calvin. (1998). "Jo Dee Messina". In The Encyclopedia of County Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 343.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jo Dee Messina

• Jo Dee Messina Official Website
• Jo Dee Messina at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview with Jo Dee Messina

Dee Snider
Snider performing at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA, on October 11, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Dee Snider
Born	(1955-03-15) March 15, 1955 (age 57) Astoria, New York, U.S.
Genres	Heavy metal, glam metal, hard rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, actor, radio personality, television personality, voice over artist, screenplay writer, spokesperson
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1974–present
Associated acts	Twisted Sister Bent Brother Desperado Widowmaker S.M.F.'s (Sick Mother Fuckers) Van Helsing's Curse
Website	http://www.deesnider.com http://www.twistedsister.com

Daniel "Dee" Snider (born March 15, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider is most famous for his role as the frontman of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He was ranked 83 in the Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalist of All Time.^[1]

Early life[link]

Born in Astoria, Queens New York, Snider grew up in nearby Baldwin and graduated from Baldwin Senior High School in 1973.^[2] His father, Bob, is a retired New York State Trooper and Nassau County court clerk while his mother, Marguerite, is a retired art teacher.^[3] As a child he sang in a church choir, several school choruses, and Baldwin HS Concert Choir. He also was selected for the All-State Chorus by singing.^[4] While in eighth grade, Snider was in a Black Sabbath cover band.^[5]

Career[link]

1970s–1980s[link]

In early 1976, Snider joined Twisted Sister and became the sole songwriter of the band thereafter. The group released their first studio album, Under the Blade, in September 1982 and developed a following in the UK. Less than a year later, Twisted Sister released their sophomore effort, You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll. Their third album, Stay Hungry, hit shelves on May 10, 1984. This would become the band's most successful record with the hits "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock." To emphasize the "twisted sister" image, Snider adopted a trademark persona of metal-inspired drag with long blond hair, an excessive amount of eye shadow and rouge, and bright red lipstick.

Dee Snider testifies before the US Senate, 1985

Testimony continued

During the mid 1980s, before the premiere of Headbangers Ball, the first MTV program to consist entirely of heavy metal videos was Heavy Metal Mania. The first episode aired in June 1985 and was hosted by Dee Snider. It featured metal news, interviews with metal artists, and in-studio co-hosts. That same year in November, Twisted Sister released Come Out and Play which sold over 500,000 copies but was marred by a poor concert tour.

In 1985, a Senate hearing was instigated by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), who wanted to introduce a parental warning system that would label all albums containing offensive material. The system was to include letters identifying the type of objectionable content to be found in each album (e.g. O for occult themes, S for sex, D for drugs, V for violence, etc.). Dee Snider, John Denver, and Frank Zappa all testified against censorship and the proposed warning system. Such a system was never implemented, but the result of the hearing brought about what is now the generic "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" label.

The PMRC was initially formed by the wives of Washington, D.C. power brokers Senator Al Gore (D-TN), and Secretary of State James Baker. Tipper Gore in particular became the face of the PMRC and a public foil for Snider in the hearings. Ironically, in the 2000 US Presidential Election cycle, Snider endorsed Vice President Gore for office.

A fifth Twisted Sister album would be made in 1987's Love Is for Suckers. The record was originally planned to be a Dee Snider solo effort, but Atlantic Records encouraged a release under the Twisted Sister name. Touring lasted only into October that year and on the 12th of that month, Snider announced his departure from the band. It was during this time that Snider formed Desperado, a band featuring ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, ex-Gillan guitarist Bernie Torme, and bassist Marc Russel.^[6] The group's only album, Ace, has never been officially released but was heavily bootlegged on CD under the title Bloodied But Unbowed.

1990s[link]

Snider performing in Manchester, England

In the 1990s, Snider formed Widowmaker with Joe Franco, a good friend to Twisted Sister and drummer on the Love Is for Suckers, as well as Al Pitrelli and Marc Russel. The quartet recorded two albums with limited underground success, titled Blood and Bullets and Stand By For Pain. In the late 1990s, Snider toured with a "self-tribute" band called Dee Snider's SMFs (Sick Mother Fuckers), sometimes featuring ex-Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero. The usual line up included Dee Snider, Derek Tailer, Charlie Mills, Keith Alexander, and Spike.

In 1993, he composed the theme song for The Terrible Thunderlizards.

In 1997, Dee Snider began hosting the House of Hair, a syndicated 1980s hard rock/heavy metal radio show that airs on over 200 radio stations across North America. It is syndicated by the United Stations Radio Networks. The show's format runs two hours and features Snider's closing catchphrase, "If it ain't metal, it's crap!"

In 1998, Snider had penned a song entitled "The Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)" which would be recorded in 1998 by Celine Dion for her album These Are Special Times. According to Snider, Dion at the time was not aware of who wrote the song. Later that year, he also wrote and starred in the horror film Strangeland. Snider has also penned the script to a sequel which has the working title of Strangeland: Disciple. As of January 2008, however, Snider was less than optimistic that it would ever see the light of day, saying in an interview with Bullz-Eye.com that he had reached a point where he should "put a sign on my website that says, 'Y’got ten million dollars? Give me a call. I’ve got the script ready to go, Robert Englund’s attached, I’m attached. If somebody’s serious and wants to make it, call me. But don’t call me ‘til you’re ready to hand the check over.'” In May 2009, Dee Snider revealed on his radio show,"The House Of Hair," that Strangeland: Rising Sons will go ahead and is set to begin shooting in the fall of 2009 and is slated for a 2010 release.

Radio 104 Dee Snider Euro Sticker

2000s–Present[link]

From June 1999 to August 2003, Snider hosted a morning radio show on a Hartford, Connecticut Clear Channel station, Radio 104 (104.1 FM WMRQ), called Dee Snider Radio. His show returned to the air at night in August 2004 on 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until June 2005. He fondly referred to his listeners as his "Peeps," and "DEE" euro stickers, printed by the station, could be seen on the bumpers of his fans' cars throughout Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Other members of the morning show included Nick Lentino, Beth Lockwood, "Psycho Dan" Williams, Sean Robbins, and "Darkside Dave" Wallace. He frequently featured high-profile guests, including Ozzy Osbourne, pro wrestler Mick Foley, and KISS singer/bassist Gene Simmons.

In 2001, Snider was the voice of Gol Acheron, the main villain for the PlayStation 2 video game Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. The following year, he rejoined with the reunited Twisted Sister. Snider also played himself in the 2002 TV-movie Warning: Parental Advisory. In 2003, he appeared with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger during his drive to recall incumbent California Governor Gray Davis. Snider sang the Twisted Sister hit, "We're Not Gonna Take It," which was adopted by the Schwarzenegger campaign.

Snider also voiced Angry Jack in the episode "Shell Shocked" for the Nickelodeon cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants. He admitted to being a huge fan of the show during an hour-long 10th anniversary documentary of the show in 2009, and to be asked to voice a character on the show was a real honor. He changed the lyrics of his famous "I Wanna Rock" to "Goofy Goober Rock" for the 2004 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

Snider narrates and hosts many shows and specials on VH1, movie trailers, behind the scenes segments, and DVD special features. He was featured as the 'voice' in the bumpers for MSNBC's 2001/2002 "Fiercely Independent" branding campaign. Every year since 2004, Snider has narrated a live show known as Van Helsing's Curse which tours the US around Halloween giving a mix of famous music with dark overtones and an occasional part of a storytelling to accompany the music. The concert has also been released on CD. Snider hosted VH1's 2008 "Aftermath" concert in remembrance of the victims and survivors of the 2003 Station nightclub fire.

Snider returned to radio in June 2006 with Fangoria Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 102 from 9-12 Eastern.

During winter of 2008, Snider was featured as a contestant on CMT's Gone Country. The show recruited famous musical celebrities who competed against each other to win a chance to release a country song. Also in 2008, Snider appeared on the first episode of season two's Kitchen Nightmares who Gordon Ramsay had recruited as part of the marketing for the re-launch of the Handlebar restaurant. On the show, Snider donated a motorcycle for auction in which customers of the Handlebar were able to bid on through the Handlebar restaurants website.

Dee hosts DEAD ART on Gallery HD, a show about the beauty and art of cemeteries. He also hosts House of Hair, a radio show that plays heavy metal music. Snider has made appearances on the IFC Channel's original series Z Rock as himself playing the character of a "rock guru."

On July 27, 2010.,^[7] Dee Snider and his family began appearing in the reality television show "Growing Up Twisted," airing on the Arts and Entertainment Network.

On October 8, 2010 started an 11 week run in the cast of Rock of Ages as Dennis, the owner of The Bourbon Room, with his official start date being October 11.

In 2011, Snider performed with Ohio-based metalcore band Attack Attack! on stage at the Bamboozle Festival playing their song "Turbo Swag". On the May 15, 2011 episode of The Apprentice (U.S. season 11), Snider appeared to assist John Rich with his final challenge. He starred in a commercial featuring a mock audition where he came on as himself, and after drinking a soda turns into the lead singer from Twisted Sister (himself). Snider agreed to come because he is personal friends with John Rich and wanted to support the charity effort for St. Jude Medical Center.

Snider guest starred in the video for "Immaculate Misconception" by the metalcore band, Motionless in White.^[8] Snider's son, Cody Blue Snider directed the video.^[9]

Snider and his family appeared on Celebrity Wife Swap January 10, 2012. Dee's wife Suzette traded places with Flavor Flav's long-time fiancée Liz.^[10]

On the Valentine's Day 2012 taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Snider partnered with Donald Trump in a skit based upon the format of the TV game show, Password. On February 19, 2012, Snider began appearing as one of 18 contestants vying to become Trump's next Celebrity Apprentice and was fired after the eighth task during the seventh episode.

Personal life[link]

Snider has been married to his wife Suzette, a costume designer, since October 21, 1981.^[11] They have four children, Jesse Blaze Snider (September 19, 1982), Shane Royal Snider (February 29, 1988), Cody Blue Snider (December 7, 1989), and Cheyenne Jean Snider (October 31, 1996) who is currently in the band They All Float (Facebook.com/They.All.Float.LI). His eldest son Jesse hosted MTV2 Rock, a music video countdown program in 2003, and was the runner-up in MTV's 2008 show Rock the Cradle. Dee appeared on the show as Jesse's mentor. Jesse is also the lead singer of the punk metal band Baptized By Fire. Cody directed a music video for the band, Motionless in White (for the song "Immaculate Misconception) to where Dee guest-starred in its filming.^[9]

In 2003, Snider's brother-in-law, Vincent Gargiulo, was murdered.^[12] The murderer was apprehended in 2009.

Snider currently lives part-time in East Setauket, New York.^[13] He appeared on MTV Cribs in 2005 to show his Long Island home, along with two of his four children, Shane and Cheyenne.

Snider is a personal friend of professional wrestlers Mick Foley and Chris Jericho.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, he stated in a TMZ interview that he would be voting for Barack Obama because John McCain (whom he liked and supported for many years) would not acknowledge George W. Bush's mistakes that he made while in office.^[14]

At the PMRC hearings, Dee Snider stated: "I was born and raised a Christian and I still adhere to those principles."^[15]

Projects[link]

Bands[link]

• Twisted Sister
• Desperado
• Widowmaker
• Bent Brother (heavy metal group)

Books[link]

• Dee Snider's Teenage Survival Guide, Doubleday, 1987 - available in hardcover & softcover
• Rock & Roll War Stories, Pitbull Publishing LLC, a chapter is dedicated to a hilarious anecdote Dee Snider told musician/author Gordon G.G. Gebert on Dee's House of Hair Radio show. The story inspired Gebert to write his third book.

Solo albums[link]

• Never Let the Bastards Wear You Down, 2000
• Dee Does Broadway, 2012 ^[16]

Guest appearances[link]

• "Crazy Train" on Bat Head Soup: A Tribute to Ozzy, 2000
• "Go to Hell" on Humanary Stew: A Tribute To Alice Cooper, 1999
• "Go to Hell" on Welcome to My Nightmare: An All Star Salute To Alice Cooper, 1999
• "Eleanor Rigby" on Eddie Ojeda's Axes 2 Axes, 2005
• "Wasted Years" on Numbers From The Beast: An All Star Tribute to Iron Maiden, 2005
• "SCG3 Special Report" on Lordi: The Arockalypse, 2006
• "Detroit Rock City" on Spin The Bottle: An All-Star Tribute To KISS, 2004
• "Howard Stern" on Sirius, Feb 8, 2006; 2007
• "Saigon Suicide Show"; an episode of the television show "The Upright Citizens Brigade", 1998
• "Handlebar"; an episode of the television show "Kitchen Nightmares", 2008
• "Episode#1.7"; an episode of the television show "Z Rock (ZO2)", 2008
• Monster Circus live at the Las Vegas Hilton March 19–21 & 26-28, 2009
• "Paint it Black" on "Harder & Heavier-60's British Invasion Goes Metal," 2010
• "I Wanna Rock" on America's Got Talent, 2010
• Celebrity Apprentice May 15, 2011
• "It Was a Very Good Year" on Sin-Atra, 2011
• VH1's I love the... series, 2002-2004

Filmography[link]

• Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) - cameo appearance on top of a car hood singing "Burn in Hell"
• Private Parts (1997) - cameo appearance in the opening scene
• Strangeland (1998)
• Warning: Parental Advisory (2002)
• Van Helsing's Curse (2004)
• Kiss Loves You (2004)
• Metal: A Headbangers Journey (2005)

Other appearances in media[link]

• "Street Monkeys", SNI/SI Networks L.L.C (2011) - narrator
• SpongeBob SquarePants (2009) - played the character Angry Jack on the episode "Shell Shocked" (coincidentally, Twisted Sister's song "I Wanna Rock" was spoofed in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)
• Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001) - did the voice of Gol the Sage
• Bluetooth= D-bag (2009)- Partook in the JOHNisFUNNY.com [1] YouTube sketch about Bluetooth headsets, created by Long Island filmmaker John Mingione
• "Penn Radio" (October 19, 2006) - Interviewed by Penn Jillette [2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Dee Snider.com - Official website
• HouseOfHairOnline.com - Official House of Hair website
• Dee Snider at the Internet Movie Database
• Dee Snider with Von Dutch Kustom Cycles — Dee Snider hanging out with Von Dutch.
• Meet the Snider Family on VH1- Official VH1 Site
• MTV Cribs with Dee Snider and his home- Official MTV Site
• HardRadio.com interview with Dee Snider
• Dee Snider radio talk show
• http://www.ntunega.com/Dark-Times.html

Kiki Dee
Kiki Dee, 1975
Background information
Birth name	Pauline Matthews
Born	(1947-03-06) 6 March 1947 (age 65)
Origin	Little Horton, Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1960s–present
Labels	Fontana, Tamla Motown, Rocket Records, Columbia/EMI
Associated acts	Elton John
Website	kikiandcarmelo.com

Kiki Dee (born Pauline Matthews, 6 March 1947, Little Horton, Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England)^[1] is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years.

She is best known for her 1976 duet with Elton John, entitled "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", which went to Number 1 both in the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1993 she performed another duet with Elton John for his Duets album, a cover version of Cole Porter's "True Love", which reached #2 in the UK.

Career[link]

Kiki Dee began singing with a local band in Bradford in the early 1960s. Her recording career began as a session singer. She sang backing vocals for Dusty Springfield, among others, and was well regarded by other singers but did not achieve solo success in the UK for many years. However, her 1965 release "Why Don't I Run Away From You" was a big hit on Radios London and Caroline in 1965, and her 1968 release, "On a Magic Carpet Ride", which was originally a B-side, has remained popular with the Northern Soul circuit. Much of her early recorded work for Fontana Records was released on Jan. 24, 2011, on the single-CD compilation "I'm Kiki Dee."

Hit songwriter Mitch Murray came up with her stage name, and also penned her first single, "Early Night".^[2] In the United States she became the first white British artist to be signed by Motown,^[1] releasing her first Motown single in 1970.

In the days before BBC Radio 1, Dee was a regular performer of cover versions on BBC Radio, and she starred with a group of session singers in the BBC Two singalong series, One More Time. She also appeared in an early episode of The Benny Hill Show in January 1971, performing the Blood, Sweat and Tears hit, "You've Made Me So Very Happy". Nevertheless, it was only after she signed with Elton John's Rocket Records that she became a household name in the UK. Her first major solo hits were "Amoureuse" (written by Véronique Sanson, with English lyrics by Gary Osborne) (1973) and "I've Got the Music in Me" (written by Tobias Stephen Boshell), the latter credited to the Kiki Dee Band (1974). In addition to her burgeoning career as a lead vocalist, she could sometimes be heard singing backing vocals on various Elton John recordings, such as "All the Girls Love Alice" on "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and various tracks on Rock of the Westies. Her biggest hit came when she recorded a duet with John, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" in 1976. The single reached #1 in both the UK and US, remaining at the top for six weeks in the UK.^[3]

After a quiet period in the late 1970s, Dee launched a comeback in 1981, releasing one of her biggest hits, "Star" - a song written by Doreen Chanter of the Chanter Sisters. This later became the theme music to the BBC One programme Opportunity Knocks between 1987 and 1990. Also in 1981, Dee joined forces again with Elton John, recording a cover of the Four Tops' song "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever," which was written by Ivy Jo Hunter and Stevie Wonder. Both of these were included on her album Perfect Timing, which became a modest hit on the album chart. In 1983, she supplied backing vocals to Elton John's album Too Low for Zero. Dee also sang the song "What Can't Speak Can't Lie" (1983), composed and recorded by the Japanese jazz fusion group Casiopea, and with lyrics by Gary Osborne.^[4][5] In 1985 she performed at Live Aid, reprising "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with John, and performing backing vocals on the other songs in his set. In 1992, she also contributed backing vocals on John's The One album, and a year later recorded "True Love" with John for his 1993 Duets album.

Dee has also appeared in musical theatre - notably in the lead role in Willy Russell's West End musical Blood Brothers, in which she took on the role originally played by Barbara Dickson for the 1988 production and recording. She received an Olivier Award nomination in 1989 for her acting skills.^[1] In 1990, she contributed to the last recording studio collaboration between Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, on the album Freudiana, performing "You're On Your Own" and part of "No One Can Love You Better Than Me".

In 2008, Dee's first DVD was released. Under The Night Sky was a collaboration with guitarist Carmelo Luggeri, filmed live at the Bray Studios in London, and the music was produced by Ted Carfrae. That same year, several albums from her earlier 1970s-1980s Rocket catalogue were re-released by EMI Records, including an expanded edition of Almost Naked with extra tracks, including a cover of Neil Young's "Heart of Gold", and a new take on "Sugar on the Floor". The latter song, a Kiki Dee composition, had previously appeared as a full band version by Dee; a piano/vocal version (with slide guitar from Davey Johnstone) by Elton John (a bonus CD track on Rock of the Westies that was the b-side to "Island Girl"), and was covered in a jazz version by Etta James. Also that year, Demon Records (UK) issued a remastered edition of "Perfect Timing" with several bonus tracks including an alternate mix of "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever."

She has released 39 singles, three EPs and twelve albums to date. She still tours, and occasionally makes guest appearances on television in shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks. She has recorded with other artists such as Dave Stewart and guitarist Carmelo Luggeri.

Discography[link]

Kiki Dee (right) performing at London's Royal Albert Hall, October 2009, in aid of the PRS for Music (formerly the Performing Right Society) for Music Members' Benevolent Fund.

Albums[link]

^[6]

Singles[link]

^[6]

DVDs[link]