Height above average terrain (HAAT) (or less popularly, EHAAT, Effective Height Above Average Terrain) is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is more important than effective radiated power (ERP) in determining the range of broadcasts (VHF and UHF in particular, as they are line of sight transmissions). For international coordination, it is officially measured in meters, even by the Federal Communications Commission in the United States, as Canada and Mexico (both of which use metric) have extensive border zones where international stations can be received on either side of the international boundaries. Stations that want to increase above a certain HAAT must reduce their power accordingly, based on the maximum distance their station class is allowed to cover (see list of broadcast station classes for more information on this).

Before metrification at the FCC, the procedure to figure HAAT was relatively simple: from the proposed or actual antenna site, either 12 or 16 radials were drawn, and points at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 miles (16 km) radius along each radial were used. The entire radial graph could be rotated to achieve the best effect for the station. The altitude of the antenna site, minus the average altitude of all the specified points, was the HAAT. This can create some unusual cases, particularly in mountainous regions—it is possible to have a negative number for HAAT (the transmitter would not be located underground, but rather in a valley, with hills on both sides taller than the transmitter itself, for example).

The FCC has divided the Continental United States into three zones for the determination of spacing between FM and TV stations using the same frequencies. FM and TV stations are assigned maximum ERP and HAAT values, depending on their assigned zones, to prevent Co-channel interference.

The FCC regulations for ERP and HAAT are listed under Title 47, Part 73 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

FM[link]

Zones I and I-A[link]

• Maximum HAAT: 150 meters (492 ft)
• Maximum ERP: 50 kW
• Minimum co-channel separation: 241 km (150 mi)

Zones II and III[link]

• Maximum HAAT: 600 meters (1968 ft)
• Maximum ERP: 100 kW
• Minimum co-channel separation: 290 km (180 mi).

TV[link]

In all zones, maximum ERP for analog TV transmitters is as follows:

• VHF 2-6: 300 kW
• VHF 7-13: 316 kW
• UHF: 5,000 kW

Maximum HAAT[link]

• Zone I: 305 meters (1000 ft)
• Zones II and III: 610 meters (2000 ft)

Minimum co-channel separation[link]

Zone layouts[link]

Zone I (the most densely populated zone) consists of the entire land masses of the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia; in addition to the southern and eastern portions of Virginia; the areas of Michigan and southeastern Wisconsin south of 43° 30' north latitude; the coastal strip of Maine; the areas of New Hampshire and Vermont south of 45° north latitude; and the areas of western New York south of 43° 30' north latitude and eastern New York south of 45° north latitude. In addition, Zone I-A (FM only) consists of all of California south of 40° north latitude, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (If the dividing line between Zones I and II runs through a city, that city is considered to be in Zone I.)

Zones I and I-A have the most "grandfathered" overpowered stations, which are allowed the same extended coverage areas that they had before the zones were established. One of the most powerful of these stations is WBCT in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which operates at 320,000 watts and 238 meters (781 ft) HAAT.

Zone III (the zone with the flattest terrain) consists of all of Florida and the areas of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas within approximately 241.4 kilometers (150.0 mi) of the Gulf of Mexico.

Zone II is all the rest of the Continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii.

See also[link]

• Above mean sea level (AMSL)
• Above ground level (AGL)
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
• List of broadcast station classes
• United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

External links[link]

• 47 CFR Part 73 Index (2005)
• FCC: Mass Media Calculated Contours
• FCC: HAAT Calculator

Nina Simone
Simone at a concert in Morlaix, France May 1982
Background information
Birth name	Eunice Kathleen Waymon
Born	(1933-02-21)February 21, 1933 Tryon, North Carolina, United States
Died	April 21, 2003(2003-04-21) (aged 70) Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
Genres	Jazz, blues, R&B, folk, gospel
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, activist
Years active	1954–2003
Labels	Bethlehem, Colpix, Philips, RCA Victor, CTI, Legacy Recordings
Website	http://www.ninasimone.com/

Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), better known by her stage name Nina Simone /ˈniːnə sɨˈmoʊn/, was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music. Simone aspired to become a classical pianist while working in a broad range of styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop.

Born the sixth child of a preacher's family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist as a child.^[1] Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Simone was later told by someone working at Curtis that she was rejected because she was black.^[2] She then began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education to become a classical pianist and was required to sing as well. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendition of "I Loves You Porgy" became a smash hit in the United States in 1958.^[1] Over the length of her career, Simone recorded more than 40 albums, mostly between 1958 — when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue — and 1974.

Her musical style arose from a fusion of gospel and pop songs with classical music, in particular with influences from her first inspiration, Johann Sebastian Bach,^[3] and accompanied with her expressive jazz-like singing in her characteristic low tenor. She injected as much of her classical background into her music as possible to give it more depth and quality, as she felt that pop music was inferior to classical.^[4] Her intuitive grasp on the audience-performer relationship was gained from a unique background of playing piano accompaniment for church revivals and sermons regularly from the early age of six years.^[5]

After 20 years of performing, she became involved in the civil rights movement and the direction of her life shifted once again.^[4] Simone's music was highly influential in the fight for equal rights in the US.^[6]

Biography[link]

Youth (1933–1954)[link]

Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina. The sixth of eight children in a poor family, she began playing piano at age three; the first song she learned was "God Be With You, Till We Meet Again". Demonstrating a talent with the instrument, she performed at her local church, but her concert debut, a classical recital, was given when she was twelve. Simone later said that during this performance her parents, who had taken seats in the front row, were forced to move to the back of the hall to make way for white people. Simone said she refused to play until her parents were moved back to the front,^[7][8] and that the incident contributed to her later involvement in the civil rights movement.

Simone's mother, Mary Kate Waymon, was a strict Methodist minister and a housemaid. Simone's father, John Divine Waymon, was a handyman who at one time owned a dry cleaning business, but who also suffered bouts of ill health. Mary Kate's employer, hearing of her daughter's talent, provided funds for piano lessons.^[9] Subsequently, a local fund was set up to assist in Simone's continued education. With the assistance of this scholarship money she attended high school.

After finishing high school, she had studied for an interview with the help of a private tutor to study piano further at the Curtis Institute, but she was rejected. Simone believed that this rejection was related directly to her race.^[10] Simone then moved to New York City, where she studied at the Juilliard School of Music.

Early success (1954–1959)[link]

To fund her private lessons, Simone performed at the Midtown Bar & Grill on Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, whose owner insisted that she sing as well as play the piano. In 1954 she adopted the stage name Nina Simone. "Nina" (from niña, meaning 'little girl' in Spanish) was a nickname a boyfriend had given to her, and "Simone" was taken from the French actress Simone Signoret, whom she had seen in the movie Casque d'or.^[11] Simone's mixture of jazz, blues, and classical music in her performances at the bar earned her a small, but loyal, fan base.^[12]

In 1958, she befriended and married Don Ross, a beatnik who worked as a fairground barker, but quickly regretted their marriage.^[13] After playing in small clubs, in 1958 she recorded a rendition of George Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy" (from Porgy and Bess), which she learned from a Billie Holiday album and performed as a favor to a friend. It became her only Billboard top 40 success in the United States, and her debut album Little Girl Blue soon followed on Bethlehem Records. Simone missed out on more than $1 million in royalties (mainly because of the successful re-release of My Baby Just Cares for Me during the 1980s) and never benefited financially from the album, because she had sold her rights to it for $3,000.^[14]

Becoming popular (1959–1964)[link]

After the success of Little Girl Blue, Simone signed a contract with Colpix Records, and recorded a string of studio and live albums. Colpix relinquished all creative control to her, including the choice of material that would be recorded, in exchange for her signing the contract with them. At this point, Simone only performed pop music to make money to continue her classical music studies, and was indifferent about having a recording contract. She kept this attitude toward the record industry for most of her career.^[15]

Simone married a New York police detective, Andrew Stroud, in 1961; Stroud later became her manager.^[16]

Civil rights era (1964–1974)[link]

In 1964, she changed record distributors, from the American Colpix to the Dutch Philips, which also meant a change in the contents of her recordings. Simone had always included songs in her repertoire that drew upon her African-American origins (such as "Brown Baby" and "Zungo" on Nina at the Village Gate in 1962). On her debut album for Philips, Nina Simone In Concert (live recording, 1964), however, Simone for the first time openly addressed the racial inequality that was prevalent in the United States with the song "Mississippi Goddam", her response to the murder of Medgar Evers and the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four black children. The song was released as a single, and it was boycotted in certain southern states.^[17][18] "Old Jim Crow", on the same album, addressed the Jim Crow Laws.

From then on, a civil rights message was standard in Simone's recording repertoire, becoming a part of her live performances. Simone performed and spoke at many civil rights meetings, such as at the Selma to Montgomery marches.^[19] Simone advocated violent revolution during the civil rights period, rather than Martin Luther King's non-violent approach,^[20] and she hoped that African Americans could, by armed combat, form a separate state. Nevertheless, she wrote in her autobiography that she and her family regarded all races as equal.^[21]

She covered Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit", a song about the lynching of black men in the South, on Pastel Blues (1965). She also sang the W. Cuney poem "Images" on Let It All Out (1966), about the absence of pride she saw among African-American women. Simone wrote "Four Women", a song about four different stereotypes of African-American women,^[17] and included the recording on her 1966 album Wild Is the Wind.

Simone moved from Philips to RCA Victor during 1967. She sang "Backlash Blues", written by her friend Langston Hughes on her first RCA album, Nina Simone Sings The Blues (1967). On Silk & Soul (1967), she recorded Billy Taylor's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" and "Turning Point". The album Nuff Said (1968) contains live recordings from the Westbury Music Fair, April 7, 1968, three days after the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. She dedicated the whole performance to him and sang "Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)", a song written by her bass player, Gene Taylor, directly after the news of King's death had reached them.^[22] In the summer of 1969 she performed at the Harlem Cultural Festival in Harlem's Mount Morris Park.

Together with Weldon Irvine, Simone turned the late Lorraine Hansberry's unfinished play To Be Young, Gifted, and Black into a civil rights song. Hansberry had been a personal friend whom Simone credited with cultivating her social and political consciousness. She performed the song live on the album Black Gold (1970). A studio recording was released as a single, and renditions of the song have been recorded by Aretha Franklin (on her 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black) and by Donny Hathaway.^[17][21]

Later life (1974–2003)[link]

Simone left the United States in September 1970, flying to Barbados and expecting Stroud to communicate with her when she had to perform again. However, Stroud interpreted Simone's sudden disappearance, and the fact that she had left behind her wedding ring, as an indication of a desire for a divorce. As her manager, Stroud was in charge of Simone's income.

When Simone returned to the United States she learned that a warrant had been issued for her arrest for unpaid taxes (as a protest against her country's involvement with the Vietnam War), causing her to return to Barbados again to evade the authorities and prosecution.^[23] Simone stayed in Barbados for quite some time and she had a lengthy affair with the Prime Minister, Errol Barrow.^[24][25] A close friend, singer Miriam Makeba, then persuaded her to go to Liberia. Later, she lived in Switzerland and the Netherlands, before settling in France during 1992.

She recorded her last album for RCA, It Is Finished, during 1974. Simone did not make another record until 1978, when she was persuaded to go into the recording studio by CTI Records owner Creed Taylor. The result was the album Baltimore, which, while not a commercial success, did get good reviews and marked a quiet artistic renaissance in Simone's recording output.^[26] Her choice of material retained its eclecticism, ranging from spiritual songs to Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl". Four years later Simone recorded Fodder On My Wings on a French label. During the 1980s Simone performed regularly at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London, where she recorded the album Live at Ronnie Scott's in 1984. Although her early on-stage style could be somewhat haughty and aloof, in later years, Simone particularly seemed to enjoy engaging her audiences sometimes by recounting humorous anecdotes related to her career and music and by soliciting requests. In 1987, the original 1958 recording of "My Baby Just Cares For Me" was used in a commercial for Chanel No. 5 perfume in the United Kingdom. This led to a re-release of the recording, which stormed to number 4 on the UK's NME singles chart, giving her a brief surge in popularity in the UK. Her autobiography, I Put a Spell on You, was published in 1992. She recorded her last album, A Single Woman, in 1993.

In 1993, Simone settled near Aix-en-Provence in Southern France. She had suffered from breast cancer for several years before she died in her sleep at her home in Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône on April 21, 2003. (In addition, Simone received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in the late 1980s).^[27] Her funeral service was attended by singers Miriam Makeba and Patti Labelle, poet Sonia Sanchez, actor Ossie Davis, and hundreds of others. Elton John sent a floral tribute with the message "You were the greatest and I love you".^[28] Simone's ashes were scattered in several African countries. She left behind a daughter, Lisa Celeste Stroud, an actress and singer, who took the stage name Simone, and has appeared on Broadway in Aida.^[29]

Musical style[link]

Simone standards[link]

Throughout her career, Simone assembled a collection of songs that would become standards in her repertoire. These songs were self-written tunes, tributes to works by others with a new arrangement by Simone, or songs written especially for Simone. Her first hit song in America was her rendition of George Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" (1958). It peaked at number 18 in the pop singles chart and number 2 on the black singles chart.^[30] During that same period Simone recorded "My Baby Just Cares for Me", which would become her biggest success years later, in 1987, when it was featured in a Chanel No. 5 perfume commercial. A music video was created by Aardman Studios for the commercial.^[31]

Well known songs from her Philips albums include "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" on Broadway-Blues-Ballads (1964), "I Put a Spell on You", "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (a rendition of a Jacques Brel song) and "Feeling Good" on I Put A Spell On You (1965), "Lilac Wine" and "Wild Is the Wind" on Wild is the Wind (1966).^[32] Especially the songs "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Feeling Good", and "Sinnerman" (Pastel Blues, 1965) have great popularity today in terms of cover versions (most notably a version of the former song by The Animals), sample usage, and its use on soundtracks for various movies, TV-series, and video games. "Sinnerman", in particular, has been featured in the TV series Scrubs, Person of Interest, and Sherlock, and on movies such as The Thomas Crown Affair, Miami Vice, and Inland Empire, and sampled by artists such as Talib Kweli and Timbaland. The song "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was sampled by Devo Springsteen on "Misunderstood" from Common's 2007 album Finding Forever, and by little-known producers Rodnae and Mousa for the song "Don't Get It" on Lil Wayne's 2008 album Tha Carter III. The song "See-Line Woman" was sampled by Kanye West for "Bad News" on his album 808s and Heartbreak.

Simone's years at RCA-Victor spawned a number of singles and album tracks that were popular, particularly in Europe. In 1968, it was "Ain't Got No, I Got Life", a medley from the musical Hair from the album 'Nuff Said! (1968) that became a surprise hit for Simone, reaching number 4 on the UK pop charts and introducing her to a younger audience.^[33] In 2006, it returned to the UK Top 30 in a remixed version by Groovefinder. The following single, the Bee Gees' rendition of "To Love Somebody" also reached the UK top 10 in 1969. "House of the Rising Sun" was featured on Nina Simone Sings The Blues in 1967, but Simone had recorded the song in 1961 and it was featured on Nina At The Village Gate (1962), predating the versions by Dave Van Ronk and Bob Dylan.^[34][35] It was later covered by The Animals, for whom it became a signature hit.

Performing style[link]

Simone's bearing and stage presence earned her the title "High Priestess of Soul".^{[citation needed]} She was a piano player, singer, and performer, "separately and simultaneously".^[16] On stage, Simone moved from gospel to blues, jazz, and folk, to numbers with European classical styling, and Bach-style fugal counterpoint. She incorporated monologues and dialogues with the audience into the program, and often used silence as a musical element.^[36] Simone compared it to "mass hypnosis. I use it all the time".^[21] Throughout most of her life and recording career she was accompanied by percussionist Leopoldo Fleming and guitarist and musical director Al Schackman.^[37]

Simone had a reputation in the music industry for her volatility. In 1995, she shot and wounded her neighbor's son with a pneumatic pistol after his laughter disturbed her concentration.^[38] She also fired a gun at a record company executive whom she accused of stealing royalties.^[39] According to a biographer, Simone took medication for a condition from the mid-1960s on.^[40] All this was only known to a small group of intimates, and kept out of public view for many years, until the biography Break Down And Let It All Out written by Sylvia Hampton and David Nathan revealed this in 2004 after her death.

Legacy and influence[link]

Music[link]

Musicians who have cited Simone as important for their own musical upbringing include Antony and the Johnsons, Nick Cave, Van Morrison, Christina Aguilera, Elkie Brooks, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Kanye West, Lena Horne, Bono, John Legend, Elizabeth Fraser, Cat Stevens, Anna Calvi, Peter Gabriel, Maynard James Keenan, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Mary J. Blige, Michael Gira, Angela McCluskey, Lauryn Hill, Patrice Babatunde, Alicia Keys, Ian MacKaye, Kerry Brothers, Jr. "Krucial", Amanda Palmer, Steve Adey and Jeff Buckley.^{[17][41][42][43][44]} John Lennon cited Simone's version of "I Put a Spell on You" as a source of inspiration for the Beatles song "Michelle".^[44] Musicians who have covered her work (or her specific renditions of songs) include Black Rock Coalition Orchestra, J.Viewz, Carola, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Marilyn Manson, Donny Hathaway, David Bowie, Elkie Brooks, Roberta Flack, Jeff Buckley, Kimbra, The Animals, Nick Cave, Shivaree (band), Ambrosia Parsley, Muse, Cat Power, Katie Melua, Timbaland, Feist, Shara Worden, Common, Lil Wayne, and Michael Bublé. Simone's music has been featured in soundtracks of various motion pictures and video games, including but not limited to, The Big Lebowski (1998), Point of No Return (AKA The Assassin, 1993), Notting Hill (1999), Any Given Sunday (1999), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Six Feet Under (2001), The Dancer Upstairs (film) (2002), Before Sunset (2004), Cellular (2004), Inland Empire (2006), Miami Vice (2006), Sex and the City (2008), The World Unseen (2008), Revolutionary Road (2008), Watchmen (2009), The Saboteur (2009), Repo Men (2010). Frequently her music is used in remixes, commercials, and TV series including Feelin' Good featured prominently in the Season Four Promo of Six Feet Under, 2004.

Film[link]

The documentary Nina Simone: La Legende (The Legend) was made in the 1990s by French filmmakers,^[21] based on her autobiography I Put A Spell On You. It features live footage from different periods of her career, interviews with friends and family, various interviews with Simone then living in the Netherlands, and while on a trip to her birthplace. A portion of footage from The Legend was taken from an earlier 26-minute biographical documentary by Peter Rodis, released in 1969 and entitled simply, Nina.^[45]

Her filmed 1976 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival is available on video courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment, and it is screened annually in New York City at an event called, "The Rise and Fall of Nina Simone: Montreux, 1976,", which is curated by Tom Blunt.^[46]

Plans for a Nina Simone biographical film were released at the end of 2005, to be based on Simone's autobiography I Put A Spell On You (1992) and to focus on her relationship in later life with her assistant, Clifton Henderson, who died in 2006. TV writer Cynthia Mort (Will & Grace, Roseanne) is working on the script, and singer Mary J. Blige will play the lead role. Release of the movie is scheduled for 2012.^[47]

Her song "Sinnerman" was used in the 1999 film "The Thomas Crown Affair" as well as the award winning documentary "Sharkwater" by Rob Stewart in 2007.

Her song "I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good" was used in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski"

Her music was used in the S4C show, "Alys", in 2010.

A song sung by Nina Simone on her 1970 live album, Black Gold, is used in the film The Dancer Upstairs.

In the film Point of No Return, the protagonist choses "Nina" as her codename in honor of Simone, her mother's favorite musical artist as well as her own. Simone's music features prominently in the film.

The final scene of the film Before Sunset involves the protagonists discussing and playing a Nina Simone CD, with one of them singing along with "Just in Time" while imitating the performer's stage moves.

Honors[link]

On Human Kindness Day 1974 in Washington, D.C., more than 10,000 people paid tribute to Nina Simone.^[48][49] Simone received two honorary degrees in music and humanities, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Malcolm X College.^[50] She preferred to be called "Dr. Nina Simone" after these honors were bestowed upon her.^[51] Only two days before her death, Simone was awarded an honorary degree by the Curtis Institute, the music school that had refused to admit her as a student at the beginning of her career.^[52] In 2010, Tryon, NC erected a statue in her honor along Trade street.

Discography[link]

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Brun-Lambert, David (October 2006) [2006] (in Dutch, translated from French original). Nina Simone, het tragische lot van een uitzonderlijke zangeres. Introduction by Lisa Celeste Stroud, afterword by Gerrit de Bruin. Zwolle: Sirene. ISBN 90-5831-425-1. 
• Feldstein, Ruth (March 2005). ""I Don't Trust You Anymore": Nina Simone, Culture, and Black Activism in the 1960s". Journal of American History 91 (4). 
• Hampton, Sylvia (2004) [2004]. Break Down and Let It All Out. David Nathan, introduction by Lisa Celeste Stroud. London: Sanctuary. ISBN 1-86074-552-0. 
• Simone, Nina; Stephen Cleary (2003) [1992]. I Put a Spell on You. introduction by Dave Marsh (2nd ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80525-1. 

External links[link]

	Book: Nina Simone
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nina Simone

Music portal

Main sites[link]

• Official website
• Nina Simone discography at Discogs
• Nina Simone discography at iMusic.am
• Nina Simone in the Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians
• Nina Simone at Legacy Recordings
• The Nina Simone Database – comprehensive Nina Simone website
• L'hommage: Nina Simone – tribute and archival site

Reviews and other sites[link]

• Nina Simone at The Music Box – a collection of reviews
• Eunice Waymon-Nina Simone Memorial Project North Carolina-based scholarship, statue & music festival
• Nina Simone Biography at About.com
• Obituary from The Daily Telegraph
• Nina Simone: The "Princess Noire" - audio report by NPR

v t e Nina Simone Studio albums Little Girl Blue Nina Simone and Her Friends The Amazing Nina Simone Forbidden Fruit Nina Simone Sings Ellington Broadway-Blues-Ballads I Put a Spell on You Pastel Blues Nina Simone with Strings Wild Is the Wind High Priestess of Soul Nina Simone Sings the Blues Silk & Soul Nina Simone and Piano To Love Somebody Here Comes the Sun Baltimore Fodder on My Wings Nina's Back A Single Woman Compilation albums Nina's Choice The Rising Sun Collection Released Gold Anthology Nina Simone's Finest Hour The Soul of Nina Simone The Very Best of Nina Simone Songs to Sing: the Best of Nina Simone To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story Live albums Nina Simone at Newport Nina at the Village Gate Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall Folksy Nina Nina Simone in Concert Black Gold Backlash Live & Kickin Let It Be Me Live at Ronnie Scott's A Very Rare Evening The Great Show Live In Paris Live and studio Nina Simone at Town Hall Let It All Out 'Nuff Said! Emergency Ward It Is Finished Remix albums Remixed and Reimagined Forever Young, Gifted & Black: Songs of Freedom and Spirit Songs and singles "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" "Alone Again (Naturally)" "Angel of the Morning" "Ballad of Hollis Brown" "Baubles, Bangles, & Beads" "Black Is the Colour (Of My True Love's Hair)" "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" "Cherish" "Cotton-Eyed Joe" "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" "Exactly Like You" "Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)" "Feeling Good" "Fine and Mellow" "For All We Know" "Four Women" "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" "Here Comes the Sun" "The House of the Rising Sun" "I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)" "I Loves You, Porgy" "I Put a Spell on You" "I Shall Be Released" "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" "If I Should Lose You" "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" "It Might as Well Be Spring" "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" "Just Like a Woman" "Lilac Wine" "Little Girl Blue" "The Look of Love" "Love Me or Leave Me" "Mississippi Goddam" "Mood Indigo" "The More I See You" "Mr. Bojangles" "My Baby Just Cares for Me" "My Sweet Lord" "My Way" "Ne me quitte pas" "Nobody" "Nobody's Fault but Mine" "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" "The Pusher" "Rich Girl" "(In My) Solitude" "Satin Doll" "Sea Lion Woman" "Sign o' the Times" "Since I Fell for You" "Sinner Man" "Someone to Watch Over Me" "Something Wonderful" "Spring Is Here" "Strange Fruit" "Summertime" "Suzanne" "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" "That's All" "That's All I Want from You" "The Times They Are a-Changin'" "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" "To Love Somebody" "Trouble in Mind" "Turn! Turn! Turn!" "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" "Wild is the Wind" "Willow Weep for Me" "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" Book:Nina Simone

Ramesh Bhatkar is a Marathi film, stage and TV actor. Of the various roles that Ramesh has portrayed, he is best known for his roles in the TV series Commander and Hello Inspector.

He has worked for more than 30 years as an actor in the mainstream commercial movie industry of Marathi as well as of Hindi. Ramesh Bhatkar was born to the illustrious music director-composer and accomplished singer Mr. Snehal (Vasudeo) Bhatkar in 1949. In addition to his artistic background, in his early college days he was a champion swimmer, played for the college aquatics team, and was an enthusiastic kho-kho player with the reputed Vijay Club in Dadar.

Personal life[link]

Ramesh Bhatkar is married to Mridula Bhatkar, now a judge in Bombay High Court.^[1][2]

Movies[link]

Main stream Movie debut was with film Chandoba Chandoba Bhaglaas ka (1977) followed by AshtaVinayak (1978), Duniya kari Salam, Maaherchi Manasa, Aapli Maanasa, and Maherchi Sadi (1991). (Of his nearly 90 films, most are in Marathi, with a few in the Hindi language.)

Television[link]

His prosperous television career showcased very popular detective serials such as Hello Inspector (1990) on DoorDarshan, Commander (1992) on Zee TV, Teesra Dola (1998) on DD2; all these made Ramesh a very popular TV personality. He also appeared in Haddapaar, Bandini, Yugandhara; his career includes about 30 series with more than 1,000 episodes aired.

Theatre[link]

Marathi Theatre has been his first love with very prominent lead roles in numerous plays. He played a lead role in Ashroonchi Zaali Phule (1975) which ran on Marathi theatre industry for about 28 years. For the last 30 years, Ramesh has played lead roles in such plays as Ooghadale Swargache Daar (1982), Denaryaache Haath Hazaar (1980), Shadyantra (1991), Kevha Tari Pahate, Akher Tu Yeshilach, Rahu Ketu, Mukta, The Boss- Sutradhar, Kinara. (About 50 different plays)

Filmography[link]

1. Maherchi Sadi (1991)

Partial list is mentioned here on IMDB website.^[3]

References[link]

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Mithun Chakraborty
Born	Gouranga Chakraborty 16 June 1950[1] India
Other names	Mithunda
Occupation	Actor Entrepreneur Television presenter
Years active	1976–present
Spouse	Yogeeta Bali (1979–present)
Children	Mahakshay Chakraborty Rimoh Chakraborty Namashi Chakraborty Dishani Chakraborty

Mithun Chakraborty Miṭhun Chôkroborti, born as Gouranga Chakraborty on June 16, 1950) is an Indian film actor, social activist, and entrepreneur, who has won three National Film Awards. He made his acting debut with the arthouse drama Mrigayaa (1976), for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor.

He gained a fan following as a dancing star and went on to establish himself as one of the most popular actors of India, particularly recognized for his role as street dancer Jimmy in the 1982 Bollywood movie Disco Dancer. He also attracted worldwide audiences, particularly in the former Soviet Union^[2] where he became a household name for his role in Disco Dancer.^[3] He later won two more National Film Awards for his performances in Bengali film Tahader Katha (1992) and Hindi film Swami Vivekananda (1998).

Chakraborty has appeared in about 400 films^[4] including Bengali, Oriya and Bhojpuri pictures. He owns the Monarch Group, which has interests in the hospitality sector^[5] and educational sector.^[6]

Early life and education[link]

Mithun Chakraborty was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, to a Bengali Hindu Brahmin family.

He was educated at the Oriental Seminary and also graduated with a degree in chemistry from the Scottish Church College in Kolkata.^[7] Later, he attended and graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

Mithun Chakraborty was a staunch Naxalite before entering the film industry,^{[citation needed]} but tragedy struck his family when his only brother was electrocuted and killed in a freak accident. He returned to his family and left the Naxalite fold, even though doing so posed a grave risk to his own life.^{[citation needed]} He had also undergone expert training in Martial Arts to the grade of black belt.^{[8][dubious – discuss]}

Film career[link]

1970s[link]

Mithun Chakraborty made his film debut in the 1976 Mrinal Sen-directed film Mrigaya, for which he won the coveted National Film Award for Best Actor. Then he shared the screen with Amitabh Bachchan, a small role in Do Anjaane, followed by Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, Hamara Sansar and Amar Deep. In between, his Mera Rakshak was a success of 1978 . Mithun rose to stardom with the low budget Ravikant Nagaich directed spy film Surakshaa, released in 1979. The film was so successful, that many movies starring Mithun in the lead role were launched. The combination with director Deepak Bahry also happened for the first time in 1979 with Tarana. Another important film for Mithun in the late 70s was Prem Vivah, directed by Basu Chatterjee.

1980s[link]

Mithun had much success in Bollywood throughout the 1980s, being a part of over 110 releases. The minimum guarantee tag he earned with hit film Surakshaa continued with its sequel Wardat. His lead roles in Hum Paanch, Unees-Bees and Aadat Se Majboor made him the most bankable star of 80's. He also done lighter roles in Shaukeen, Sun Sajna and Aamne Samne, which made him a favourite among family audience. But Disco Dancer became the real blockbuster in 1982, the breakthrough role of musical drama which was a huge success and remains a cult favorite to this day. Along with Disco Dancer and other musical films such as Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki and Dance Dance in a time where dancing was essentially a woman's forté in India, showcased him as a talented dancer. As Amitabh Bachchan moved to politics, Mithun became the numero uno of Bollywood with consistent hit films and became Bollywood' s second highest paid star after Big B.^[9] He also became India's highest tax payer in 1986.^[10] Chakraborty went on to star in a number of successful romantic and family dramas during the 1980s, such as Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye, Ghar Ek Mandir, Pyaar Jhukta Nahin, Swarag Se Sunder and Pyaar Ka Mandir. These films remain his most commercially successful films to date.^[11] He was also widely recognized as an action hero in hit films like Jagir (1984), Jaal, Dilwaala (1986), Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987), Jeete Hain Shaan Se, Waqt Ki Awaz (1988) and Guru (1989). His action movies always done good business especially in B and C class theatres. However his teaming with Amitabh Bachchan again in Ganga Jamuna Saraswati flopped, but Mithun had a good teaming with Jeetendra and Dharmendra in many successful movies of 80's. His good performances never won an Award in 1986 and 1987 as Filmfare Awards was never announced due to technical reasons. As Mithun always had higher number of releases, sometimes it affected the business of his own films as happened in 1989, where he had a record 19 films. Still his Prem Pratigyaa, Guru, Ilaaka and Mujrim were successful. Had he concentrated in spacing out his releases, the success ratio would have been higher.

1990s[link]

Mithun had 100 plus releases in this decade too, starting with Agneepath which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. Films like Shandaar, Pyar Ka Karz, Gunahon Ka Devta, Pyar Ka Devta, Pyar Hua Chori Chori, Trinetra and Mere Sajana Saath Nibhana followed. In 1992, the critically acclaimed Bengali film Tahader Katha won him his second National Film Award for Best Actor. In this period he decided to take a break from Mumbai. He shifted his entire family to Ooty and he constructed The Monarch Hotel. Mithun then decided to do movies only to be shot at Ooty and nearby locations and he provided discount rates to the film crew to stay in his hotel as well. This strategy paid off as numerous films starring Mithun was launched every week, so he shifted his focus from mainstream Hindi cinema to low-budget movies. Hit film Dalaal was released followed by other low budget hit films like Phool Aur Angaar and Ravan Raaj: A True Story. Jallad won him the Filmfare Best Villain Award and Star Screen Award Best Villain for the year 1995. His economical film production was popular as Mithun's Dream Factory.^{[12][13][14][15][16]} Even he could not do Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar as his character had to crop his hair, which would have affected 15 films he was doing, at a time. He paid more tax than anyone else in the country in the mean period for 5 continuous years, from 1995 to 1999.^[10] By this time, Chakraborty held the record for appearing in the most number of Hindi films as a hero. Once again the overdose of Mithun releases affected the business as 1998 and 1999 itself had almost 30 Mithun films like 1989. This decade proved Mithun as a businessman more than a star as low budget filmmakers were given their due by Mithun. He operates hotels in Mudhumalai and Ooty in Tamil Nadu, Darjeeling, Siliguri^[17] and Kolkata in West Bengal.^[18]

2000s[link]

Mithun's Dream Factory films still continued to hold the audiences, moreover he started doing more Bengali films as well. Chakraborty also made a comeback to the mainstream Hindi film industry in 2005 with the film Elaan. After a few supporting roles in films such as Lucky: No Time for Love (2005), he was acclaimed for his villainous role in Kalpana Lajmi's Chingari (2005). In 2007 he starred in Mani Ratnam's hit film Guru. His 2009 movie Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya! won multiple International awards^[19] and Chal Chalein was appreciated by critics for its bold theme. Critically acclaimed Phir Kabhi with Dimple Kapadia had a very successful première through a direct to home (DTH) release in September 2009 and won as many as six awards in as many categories at the Los Angeles Reel Awards-2009. His act along with Salman Khan in Veer (2010), though a commercial failure, won him rave reviews, but Golmaal 3 (2010) and Housefull 2 (2012) became blockbusters at the box-office. He won acclaim for best performance in Golmaal 3 He is working on Enemmy with his son Mimoh Chakraborty, Sunil Shetty and Yuvika Chaudhary. He has also signed Akshay Kumar' s Khiladi 786.

Regional films[link]

Parallel to his Bollywood career, Mithun Chakraborty has also worked in Bengali, as well as in realistic or arthouse movies including Troyee, made in 1982. He appeared in director Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Tahader Katha which got him his second National Award in 1992. A third National Award followed in 1995, this time for the Best Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, in G V Iyer's Swami Vivekananda. Mithun, occasionally did Bengali films like Anyay Abichar, Swarna Trishna and Jiban Yuddha, but post 2000, he has concentrated more in Bengali films. He also appeared in Goutam Ghose's Gudia in 1999 as well as Rituparno Ghosh's Titli in 2002. In 2008, he collaborated again with Buddhadeb Dasgupta for Kaalpurush and later appeared in hit films Shukno Lanka, Ami Shubhash Bolchi and Target-The Final Mission. His performances in Mrigaya, Tahader Katha, Swami Vivekananda, Kalpurush and Titli won him National Film Awards and nominations. His debut Bhojpuri film Bhole Shankar is considered as the biggest Bhojpuri hit.^[20] Similarly his Oriya language film Ae Jugara Krushna Sudama was also a huge success.^[21] The latest Bengali hits for Mithun are Nobel Chor and Le Halwa Le.

Sports[link]

Mithun Chakraborty was also the co-owner of Royal Bengal Tigers, a cricket team of the now abandoned Indian Cricket League.^[22] In a football match, he even captained celebrity XI against team of ex-footballers captained by former Indian Cricket Captain Sourav Ganguly. It was a benefit match to raise charity fund.^[23]

Personal life[link]

Mithun Chakraborty is married to former Indian actress Yogeeta Bali and has four children, three sons and a daughter. The eldest son, Mimoh Chakraborty is an actor in Bollywood, who made his debut in the 2008 film Jimmy. His second son, Rimoh Chakraborty played Mithun's younger version in the film Phir Kabhi. Mithun's other two children, Namashi Chakraborty and Dishani Chakraborty, are currently studying.

Awards and Nominations[link]

• 1976 - National Film Award for Best Actor - Mrigaya
• 1996 - National Film Award for Best Actor - Tahader Katha
• 1998 - National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor - Swami Vivekananda

Filmfare Awards[link]

• 1990 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award - Agneepath - Won
• 1995 - Filmfare Best Villain Award - Jallaad - Won
• 2008 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award - Guru - Nominated

Star Screen Awards[link]

• 1995 - Star Screen Award Best Villain for Jallaad

Stardust Awards[link]

• 2007 - Stardust Award for Lifetime Achievement^[24]
• 2007 - Role Model Of The Year Award^[25]

Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards[link]

• 1977 - BFJA Awards, Best Actor - Mrigayaa^[26]
• 1995 - BFJA Awards, Best Actor - Tahader Katha^[27]

Anandalok Awards[link]

• 1999 - Special Editor Award
• 2001 - Best Actor
• 2007 - Best Actor - Minister Fatakesto

IIFA Awards[link]

• 2011 - Best Supporting Actor Award - Golmaal 3 - Nominated ^{[28][citation needed]}

Selected filmography[link]

Books on Mithun Chakraborty[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• !
• Mithun Chakraborty at the Internet Movie Database

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mithun Chakraborty

• Rishi Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty's item number!
• Mithun Chakraborty rocks it
• Mithun Da wins over cine workers' hearts
• Mithun Chakraborty, the professional

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Emraan Anwar Hashmi (Hindi: इमरान हाशमी Urdu: عمران انور ہاشمی; (born 24 March 1979) is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. His successful films include Murder, Gangster (2006), Jannat, Raaz – The Mystery Continues,Awarapan,Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai,Murder 2,The Dirty Picture and Jannat 2. He has established himself as one of the industry's successful actors,^[1] and one of the most popular Indian film actors in Pakistan.^[2] He was chosen as the brand ambassador of LG mobile company in Pakistan.^[3]

Early life[link]

Hashmi was born to Anwar Hashmi and Maherah Hashmi.^[4] After briefly changing his first name to Farhan, he decided to keep his original name but later he changed his name as Emraan Hashmi .^[4]

Career[link]

Debut & Breakthrough (2003-2009)[link]

Hashmi entered Bollywood at the age of 18, as an assistant director on Raaz.^[5] He made his film debut in 2003 with the film Footpath, opposite Aftab Shivdasani, Bipasha Basu and Rahul Dev. Footpath did not do well at the box office.^[6]

In 2004, he and his co-star Mallika Sherawat shot to fame with the thriller Murder, which became a super hit at the box office. It was Hashmi's first release of the year and his second film. It became the tenth-highest grossing movie of the year.^[7]

In 2005, Hashmi appeared in several films such as Zeher, Kalyug,^[8] which did moderately well at the box office.^[9] He became notable as the "Serial Kisser" for his sex scenes in films.

In 2006, his film Gangster, opposite Shiney Ahuja and debutant Kangana Ranaut, was a semi-hit at the box office.^[10] His performance in it earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role in 2007.

In 2007, Hashmi had three back-to-back releases: Good Boy Bad Boy, Awarapan and The Train. All failed at the box office.

In 2008, Hashmi had only one release, Jannat, opposite debutant Sonal Chauhan, which had a 100% opening, making it a critical and commercial success.^[11][12]

His first release in 2009, Raaz – The Mystery Continues, opened well and became the first box-office success of the year.^[13] His second film of the year, Tum Mile opposite Soha Ali Khan, opened to mixed reviews and was rated a box office failure.^[14]

Success (2010–present)[link]

In 2010, he appeared in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, which opened to positive reviews and was declared a hit at the box office.^[15][16] He was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.