Anyone is a band from Southern California that formed in 1995. Their 2001 self-titled album was released on Roadrunner Records. They have described their music using the term "maximum acid", combining a heavy metal sound with psychedelic rock influences. Anyone is the brainchild of Riz Story, the band's lead singer and guitarist, and also the only member of the band that has remained since its inception.

Following some more changes to the band's lineup and an extended period between the releases, their second album, Sip the Pleasure of Days, is planned for a 2007 release, and the band have signed to a new record label, Delinquent Recordz.

History[link]

The group was preceded by the band Sylvia, consisting of Story, drummer Taylor Hawkins and guitarist Sean Murphy, which dissolved when Hawkins joined Alanis Morissette's band (and later Foo Fighters), and Murphy began to work with bands Magdalen and Divinorum, besides his solo career. This led to Story's formation of Anyone in 1995,^[1] him being joined by bassist "Static" and drummer Dave "Nipples" Murray.

In 1996, Anyone's first album Rats Live on no Evil Star (a palindrome) was released on an indie label.^[2] The live album Live Acid was released in 1999, and by 2001 the band were signed to Roadrunner Records and were working with record producer Rick Parashar, and released their self-titled full-length debut, Anyone in that year.^[1] The single "Don't Wake Me" was shown on the Kerrang! music channel.

Johnny Ransom replaced Nipples as drummer in 2002, and both Ransom and "Static" left the band in 2004, being replaced by "Boano" as drummer, and Miki Black as guitarist and keyboardist. The DVD The Story of Maximum Acid was released, as was the EP A Little Sip in 2006.

The band currently consist of Riz Story, Miki Black, Miles Martin as bassist and Lincoln Nesto replacing "Boano" as drummer. Their latest full-length album, Sip the Pleasure of Days, was set for a 2007 release on Delinquent Recordz.

Music[link]

They have been compared to Jane's Addiction, Faith No More and Tool.^[1] "Maximum Acid" is the term they use to describe their own sound, as a fusion of hard rock and psychedelia.^[3] In the past, some of the band's live shows have been conducted whilst an orgy is taking place.

Current members[link]

• Riz Story: lead vocals, guitars
• Miki Black: guitars, keyboards
• Miles Martin: bass
• Lincoln Nesto: drums

Former members[link]

• Static (musician) (1998–2003) Bassist on Rats Live on no Evil Star, Live Acid, and Anyone.
• Dave "Nipples" Murray (1996–2000) Drummer on Rats Live on no Evil Star and Live Acid.
• Johnny Ransom (2000–2002) Drummer on Anyone. Ransom still works with Anyone, but now plays full time in Boy Hits Car.
• Brendan Murphy (musician) (2002) Drummer on a tour supporting Anyone.
• Boano (2004–2006) drums
• Miki Black (2004–2006) guitars and keyboards

Discography[link]

• Rats Live on no Evil Star (1996)
• Live Acid (1999)
• Anyone (Roadrunner Records, 2001)
• The Story of Maximum Acid [DVD]
• A Little Sip [EP] (2006)
• Sip the Pleasure of Days (yet to be released)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Anyone at myspace.com
• RisStory at myspace.com
• Former member Miki Black's website

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

Irma Thomas
Irma Thomas (2006)
Background information
Birth name	Irma Lee
Also known as	Soul Queen of New Orleans
Born	(1941-02-18) February 18, 1941 (age 71)
Genres	Rhythm and blues,[1] blues, gospel
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1960–present
Labels	Minit Records Imperial Records Chess Records Rounder Records
Website	IrmaThomas.com

Irma Thomas (born February 18, 1941,^[2] Ponchatoula, Louisiana, United States) is an American singer from New Orleans.^[1] She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans".^[3]

Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial success; still, she has a large cult following among soul aficionados. In 2007, she won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album for After the Rain, her first Grammy in a career spanning over 50 years.

History[link]

Born Irma Lee, as a teen she sang with a Baptist church choir, auditioning for Specialty Records as a 13-year old. By the age of 19 she had been married twice and had four children. Keeping her second ex-husband's surname, she worked as a waitress in New Orleans, occasionally singing with bandleader Tommy Ridgley, who helped her land a record deal with the local Ron label. Her first single, "(You Can Have My Husband but) Don't Mess with My Man," was released in spring 1960, and reached number 22 on the Billboard R&B chart.

She then began recording on the Minit label, working with songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint on songs including "It’s Raining" and "Ruler of my Heart", which was later reinterpreted by Otis Redding as "Pain In My Heart". Imperial Records acquired Minit in 1963, and a string of successful releases followed. These included "Wish Someone Would Care” (her biggest national hit), its B-side "Break-a-Way" (later covered by Tracey Ullman among others), "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" (co-written by the young Randy Newman and future country star Jeannie Seely, among others), and "Time Is on My Side" (a song previously recorded by Kai Winding, and later by the Rolling Stones).

Although her first four Imperial singles all charted on Billboard's pop chart, later releases were less successful, and, unlike her contemporaries Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick, she never managed to cross over into mainstream commercial success. She recorded for Chess Records in 1967/68 with some success, the Otis Redding song "Good To Me" reaching the R&B chart. She then relocated to California, releasing records on various small labels, before returning to Louisiana, and in the early 1980s opened her own club, the Lion's Den.

Thomas was featured as a stellar singer from New Orleans, on the Southern Stars poster created by Dianna Chenevert to help promote Thomas and historically document her contribution to the music industry. On October 12, 1983 USA Today reporter Miles White's story highlighted the poster on the front page of the Life section, which provided more nationwide attention.

Down By Law, the 1986 independent film by Jim Jarmusch features "It's Raining" in the soundtrack. The film's actors Roberto Benigni and Nicoletta Braschi, whose characters fall in love in the movie, dance to this song.

After several years’ break from recording, she was signed by Rounder Records, and in 1991 earned her first-ever Grammy Award nomination for Live! Simply the Best, recorded in San Francisco. She subsequently released a number of traditional gospel albums, together with more secular recordings. The album Sing It! was nominated for a Grammy in 1999.

Thomas is still active as a performer, appearing annually at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. She reigned as Queen of the Krewe du Vieux for the 1998 New Orleans Mardi Gras season. She often headlined at her own club, which is now out of business due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Thomas relocated to Gonzales, Louisiana, 60 miles (97 km) from New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina^[4] . According to her web site she is now back in her home in New Orleans.

Thomas appearing with James Taylor and others in 2008

Thomas and her husband owned the Lion's Den Club near the French Quarter of New Orleans^[5].

In April 2007, Thomas was honored for her contributions to Louisiana music with induction into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Also in 2007, Thomas accepted an invitation to participate in Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino where, singing with Marcia Ball, she contributed "I Just Can't Get New Orleans Off My Mind".

In August 2009, a compilation album with three new songs titled The Soul Queen of New Orleans: 50th Anniversary Celebration was released from Rounder Records to commemorate Thomas' 50th year as a recording artist.

Thomas was the subject of the 2008 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival poster. She was chosen as the subject before the painting was chosen for the poster. Artist Douglas Bourgeois painted the singer in 2006. In 2010, Thomas rode in the New Orleans parade "Grela". In April that year, Thomas performed at the Corner Hotel, Richmond.

During Easter 2011, Thomas performed twice at the Bluesfest music festival in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia. On April 24, she performed on the Crossroads stage, coming on after Mavis Staples; then on April 25, she headlined the Crossroads stage, coming on after Jethro Tull and Osibisa.

In December 2011, Thomas' track "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" was featured in Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror; the second instalment entitled 15 Million Merits, portraying a not too distant dystopian future about the hopes and shattered dreams of the synthetically manufactured by-products of reality shows such as The X Factor, at which the episode is clearly a direct swipe.

Worked With[link]

• Tommy Ridgley
• Eddie Bo
• Edgar Blanchard
• Bill Sinigal
• Irving Banister
• Patsy Valdalia
• Dr. John
• Skip Easterling

^[6]

Influences[link]

• Mahalia Jackson
• Pearl Bailey
• Brooke Benton
• John Lee Hooker
• Percy Mayfield

^[7]

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

• "(You Can Have My Husband But) Don't Mess with My Man" / "Set Me Free" (Ron 328) (#22 R&B, 1960)
• "A Good Man" / "I May Be Wrong" (Ron 330)
• "Cry On" / "Girl Needs Boy" (Minit 625) (1961)
• "It's Too Soon To Know" / "That's All I Ask" (Minit 633)
• "I Done Got Over It" / "Gone" (Minit 642) (1962)
• "It's Raining" / "I Did My Part" (Minit 653) (1962)
• "Two Winters Long" / "Somebody Told You" (Minit 660)
• "Ruler Of My Heart" / "Hittin' On Nothing" (Minit 666) (1963)
• "For Goodness Sake" / "When Ever" (Bandy 368)
• "Wish Someone Would Care" / "Break-A-Way" (Imperial 66013) (#17 pop, 1964)
• "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" / "Time Is on My Side" (Imperial 66041) (#52 pop, 1964)
• "Times Have Changed" / "Moments To Remember" (Imperial 66069) (#98 pop, 1964)
• "He's My Guy" / "(I Want A) True, True Love" (Imperial 66080) (#63 pop, 1964)
• "Some Things You Never Get Used To" / "You Don't Miss A Good Thing" (Imperial 66095) (#109 pop, 1965)
• "I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry" / "Nobody Wants To Hear Nobody's Troubles" (Imperial 66106) (#130 pop, 1965)
• "It's Starting To Get To Me Now" / "Hurt's All Gone" (Imperial 66120)
• "Take A Look" / "What Are You Trying To Do" (Imperial 66137) (#118 pop, 1965)
• "It's a Man's-Woman's World (parts 1 and 2)" (Imperial 66178) (#119 pop, 1966)
• "Somewhere Crying" / "Cheater Man" (Chess 2010) (1967)
• "A Woman Will Do Wrong" / "I Gave You Everything" (Chess 2017)
• "Good To Me" / "We Got Something Good" (Chess 2036) (#42 R&B, 1968)
• "Save A Little Bit For Me" / "That's How I Feel About You" (Canyon 21) (1970)
• "I'd Do It All Over You" / "We Won't Be In Your Way Anymore" (Canyon 31) (1971)
• "These Four Walls" / "A Woman's Viewpoint" (Roker 502) (1971)
• "Full Time Woman" / "She's Taking My Part" (Cotillion 41444) (1972)
• "She'll Never Be Your Wife" / "You're The Dog" (Fungus 15119) (1973)
• "In Between Tears" (Fungus 15141)
• "Coming From Behind (parts 1 and 2)" (Fungus 15353) (1974)
• "Don't Blame Him" / "Breakaway" (Maison de Soul 1012) (1977)
• "Hip Shakin'" / "Hittin' On Nothin'" (Maison de Soul 1058) (1977)
• "Safe With Me" / "Zero Willpower" (RCS 1006) (1979)
• "Take What You Find" / I Can't Help Her" (RCS 1008)
• "A Woman Left Lonely" / "Dance Me Down Easy" (RCS 1010)
• "Looking Back" / Don't Stop" (RCS 1013)
• "Mardi Gras Manbo" / "I Believe Saints Go All The Way" (Sound of New Orleans 10311) (1988)

^[8]

Albums[link]

• 1964: Wish Someone Would Care (Imperial)
• 1966: Take a Look (Imperial)
• 1973: In Between Tears (Fungus)
• 1976: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Island)
• 1977: Irma Thomas Live (Island)
• 1978: Soul Queen of New Orleans (Maison De Soul)
• 1979: Safe with Me (RCS)
• 1981: In Between Tears (reissue) (Charly) Fungus
• 1981: Hip Shakin' Mama (reissue of Island LP) (Charly) Island
• 1986: The New Rules (Rounder)
• 1988: The Way I Feel (Rounder)
• 1991: Live: Simply the Best (Rounder)
• 1992: True Believer (Rounder)
• 1993: Walk Around Heaven: New Orleans Gospel Soul (Rounder)
• 1997: The Story of My Life (Rounder)
• 1998: Sing It! (Rounder) with Marcia Ball & Tracy Nelson
• 2000: My Heart's in Memphis: The Songs Of Dan Penn (Rounder)
• 2006: After the Rain (Rounder)
• 2008: Simply Grand (Decca/Rounder)

Compilation albums[link]

• 1980s: Irma Thomas Sings (Bandy) Bandy/Minit
• 1986: Break-A-Way: The Best of Irma Thomas (Legendary Masters Series) (EMI-USA)
• 1983: Time Is on My Side (Kent) Minit/Imperial
• 1984: Down at Muscle Shoals (Chess/P-Vine) Chess
• 1987: Breakaway (Stateside) Minit/Imperial
• 1987: Breakaway (abridged version of Stateside LP) (EMI-USA) Minit/Imperial
• 1990: Something Good: The Muscle Shoals Sessions (MCA-Chess) Chess
• 1991: Safe with Me/Irma Thomas Live (Paula)
• 1992: Time Is on My Side: The Best Of Irma Thomas Volume 1 (EMI-USA) Minit/Imperial
• 1996: Ruler of Hearts (Charly) Minit/Bandy/Island
• 1996: Sweet Soul Queen of New Orleans: The Irma Thomas Collection (Razor & Tie) Imperial/Minit
• 1996: Time Is on My Side (expanded CD reissue of 1983 LP) (Kent) Minit/Imperial
• 2001: If You Want It, Come and Get It (Rounder) Rounder
• 2005: Straight from the Soul (Stateside) Imperial/Minit
• 2006: A Woman's Viewpoint (Ace) Fungus/Canyon/RCS, etc.
• 2006: Wish Someone Would Care/Take A Look (Collectables) Imperial
• 2009: The Soul Queen of New Orleans: 50th Anniversary Celebration (Rounder) Rounder

Guest appearances[link]

• 1993: B. B. King, Blues Summit (MCA) Duet on "We're Gonna Make It"
• 2005: Various Artists/I Believe To My Soul (Rhino)
• 2005: Various Artists/Our New Orleans (Elektra/Nonesuch)
• 2006: The New Orleans Social Club/Duet with Marcia Ball on "Look Up"/From Sing Me Back Home (Burgundy Records/Honey Darling Records)
• 2007: Various Artists, Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino (Vanguard), singing "I Can't Get New Orleans Off My Mind" with Marcia Ball.
• 2010: Galactic, Ya-Ka-May (Anti) Vocals on "Heart Of Steel"
• 2011: Hugh Laurie, Let Them Talk

Filmography[link]

• 2006: New Orleans Music in Exile
• 2010: Treme (TV series)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Irma Thomas

• Official website
• Irma Thomas at the Internet Movie Database
• Bio from Allmusic.com
• Fan page, includes extensive bio and discography
• Interview with Irma Thomas by John Sinclair
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Bio from the Oregonian
• NPR:A visit with the Soul Queen of New Orleans
• An interview with Irma Thomas at Soul Express
• Bob Edwards Interview "At Home with Irma Thomas"

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Gareth Paul Gates (born 12 July 1984, Bradford, England) is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK.^[1] He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly. Gates used the McGuire Programme to manage the problem and is now a speech coach with the programme.^[2]

In 2009, Gates moved into musical theatre, playing the title role in the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Adelphi Theatre. He has recently completed an eighteen month stint as Marius, initially in the touring production and then in the West End production of Les Misérables.^[3][4] and takes up the role of Eddie in the new musical Loserville at the west Yorkshire Playhouse in June 2012

Early life[link]

Gates was born in West Bowling, Bradford to father Paul and mother Wendy Broadbent (née Farry). He has three sisters, Nicola (born 1985), Charlotte (born 1991), and Jessica (born 1993) and grew up with his cousin James (born 1986) who was fostered by the family. His parents regularly foster other children.^[5]

Gates and his sisters attended Dixons City Technology College in West Bowling, Bradford where Gates studied art and music at GCSE level.

He joined Bradford Cathedral choir at age nine. He was head chorister by the age of eleven, singing solo for the Queen when she visited in 1997.^[6] Gates achieved Grade 8 in piano, classical guitar and singing. He had gained a place at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester before the finals of Pop Idol.^[7]

Career[link]

[edit] 2002-2003: Pop Idol, What My Heart Wants to Say and Go Your Own Way

Gates was the runner-up to Will Young on the first series of Pop Idol in February 2002. Gates auditioned with Flying Without Wings and was put through to the next round of the show. Despite not winning the competition, he was soon signed up by Simon Cowell to the BMG label.

Gates' first single, a cover of "Unchained Melody", entered the UK Singles Chart at number one. The single went double-platinum in the UK, and was voted 2002's The Record of the Year by ITV viewers. This was followed by another number-one single, "Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)". His third single, a double A-side "Suspicious Minds/"The Long and Winding Road", a duet with Pop Idol winner Will Young, also reached number one. His fourth, "What My Heart Wants to Say", reached number five. Gates's debut album What My Heart Wants to Say achieved first week sales of 100,000 copies, peaking at number two in the UK Albums Chart, and eventually earned double platinum status in the UK.

The now-defunct Smash Hits magazine dedicated 7 October 2002 as International Gareth Gates Day. In 2003, Gates sang the 2003 Comic Relief charity single, "Spirit in the Sky", with The Kumars. The single was a UK number-one for two weeks. He also appeared in Comic Relief's Celebrity Driving School. Through Comic Relief, he became involved with Body and Soul, a charity that helps people affected by HIV and AIDS.

His next single, "Sunshine", reached number three and was taken from his second album Go Your Own Way, which was released in October 2003. However, the album was far less successful than his debut album. It peaked at number eleven in the UK before dropping to #32 the following week, and only spent four weeks on the album chart altogether. The album enjoyed slightly more success in a number of Asian countries however, and Gates won MTV Asia's award for Best International Male in 2003/04. He was awarded the same title by MTV China and MTV Taiwan.

His next single, "Say it Isn't So", reached number four in late 2003, but proved to be Gates' last single release in the UK until April 2007. At the start of 2004 he did an arena tour of the UK, then continued to promote his album throughout Europe and Asia, before taking a break and training as a speech coach and course instructor with the McGuire Programme.

By this point, Gates had sold just over three million music singles in the UK, including the second and sixth best selling singles in 2002 ("Unchained Melody", which sold 1.4 million, and "Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)", which sold 581,000) and the second best selling single in 2003 ("Spirit in the Sky", 561,000 copies). All three of these singles were listed in the Top 100 singles of the decade (2000–2009) as announced on Radio 1 with Spirit in the Sky at no. 62, Anyone of Us (no. 56), and Unchained Melody (no. 2). The biggest selling single of the decade was "Anything is Possible"/"Evergreen" by Will Young, whom Gates had lost the Pop Idol contest to.

In the 2003 film, Seeing Double, alongside pop group S Club, Gates played a clone version of himself. He also promoted AIDS awareness through a charity concert to 50,000 people with MTV in Indonesia.

[edit] 2004-2009: Pictures of the Other Side

In 2003 and 2004, it was reported that Gates was being dropped by his record company BMG. The reports, which also cited low sales of his second album and low concert ticket sales as reasons,^[8][9][10] were denied by both Gates and the record company at the time. Gates was later dropped from the label in April 2006 before the release of any new material.^[11]

In 2006, Gates appeared in a television documentary for ITV1 called Whatever Happened To Gareth Gates?, which dealt with his experiences in the music industry and his life outside it. The documentary was screened in December 2006, and confirmed a new record deal with UMTV (part of Universal) and a new album as well as showcasing snippets of the new material. An early preview of his new album was given at a secret gig on 29 November 2006.^[12] Gates had been working with writers such as Sacha Skarbek (who has worked with James Blunt), Ricky Ross (of Deacon Blue), Gary Clark and Pete Gordeno, and new the album was produced by Martin Terefe, Jon Hall and Nick Whitecross.^[13]

Since 2004 Gates had also been working with singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke. Initial contact was apparently made through Lucie Silvas. Gates' regular acoustic guitarist, Graham Kearns, also worked with Tzuke and has writing credits with Gates on both albums. Appearing at the Limelight venue in Crewe during Tzuke's October 2004 tour, Gates sang backing vocals to a surprised audience on Tzuke's track "Bully" (from her album Secret Agent). A song Gates co-wrote with Tzuke, "Dark Days", appeared on Tzuke's 2007 album Songs 1.

On 30 March 2007, Gates appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, the first time he had participated in an interview for a mainstream television chat-show since his speech improvement.

The first single from Gates' third album was "Changes" which was released on 9 April 2007. The single peaked at Number 14. A second single, "Angel on My Shoulder", was released on 18 June 2007, peaking at Number 22. Both singles remained in the UK Top 40 for only one week. Gates' third album, Pictures of the Other Side, was released on 25 June 2007. It proved to be Gates' lowest selling album to date and spent only two weeks on the UK album chart, entering at Number 23 before falling to Number 66 the following week, then dropping out of the chart altogether.

During his time working with Judie Tzuke, Gates also co-wrote the song "Christmas and I'm Home" with her. It was first premiered live by Gates in 2004 in Bradford, and Tzuke recorded the song with pianist Haim Cotton. Tzuke's version was released commercially in November 2008, as a charity single download and as a physical CD single sold exclusively through the CD Baby website.

Musical theatre[link]

On 6 July 2008, Gates starred in the line-up for "A Spoonful of Stiles & Drewe", a charity fundraiser to celebrate 25 years of musical theatre composers George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.^[14][15] Gates played the part of Robbie in a preview of a new musical "Soho Cinders"^[16] and features on the album.

In January 2009, Gates confirmed in an interview with the Daily Mail that he has no plans to go back to the pop music scene in the near future, planning instead to concentrate on musical theatre,^[17] as he had just been cast in the lead role in Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Adelphi Theatre, London. Taking over the role from Lee Mead, Gates began the role on 7 February 2009 and continued to play the part until the final performance on 30 May 2009.

Gates performed at the charity event "Broadway To West End by Special Arrangement" on 4 October 2009 at the Drury Lane Theatre, singing "Why God, Why?" as a solo and "The Last Night of the World" as a duet with Ima Castro. Both songs come from the musical Miss Saigon. The event was to honour the work of orchestrator William David Brohm and raised funds for CLIC Sargent Cancer care.

In June 2009, it was announced that Gates was joining the cast of the International 25th Anniversary World Tour production of Les Misérables in the role of Marius.^[3][4] Gates had been offered the choice of playing Marius in London's West End or in the anniversary tour, but opted for the tour as it was a new production and there was the opportunity to make the part his own.^[18]

In January 2010 Cameron Mackintosh BBC Manchester that there was to be a live cast recording of the production, recorded in Manchester,.^[19] This double album was released in the UK on 13 September 2010, Les Misérables Live on the label First Night Records.

Following the final performance of the anniversary tour at The Barbican, London, in October 2010, Gates joined the West End production of Les Misérables at Queen's Theatre where he continued to play the part of Marius until June 2011.

Gates is currently taking a break from musical theatre to work on other projects, including writing a new album,^[20] but planned to return in March 2012, taking the part of Claude in the UK touring production of Hair It was later announced that the musical would not proceed as efforts to rescue the tour following the bankruptcy of the original production company had failed.

In January 2012 Gates featured in a one night only charity production of Children of Eden^[21] in aid of Crohn's disease.

From June 18 to July 14, 2012 Gates will play Eddie in the new musical Loserville at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. The musical is written by Busted's James Bourne and Elliot Davis. Along with Gareth the cast also includes EastEnders Aaron Sidwell and Lil' Chris.^[22]

Personal life, charitable work and other activities[link]

Gates lives in Chiswick, West London, with wife Suzanne Gates (née Mole), a dancer he met at the Record of the Year awards in 2002, which he won for "Unchained Melody". In October 2006, The People newspaper incorrectly reported that they had secretly married.^[23] Gates and Mole got engaged on New Years Eve 2007 and were married on 18 July 2008 in a private ceremony for family and friends. The couple had their first child together on 6 April 2009, a girl they named Missy.^[24]

Gates qualified as a speech coach and latterly as a course instructor with the McGuire Programme where he helps those with stammers similar to his own. He co-led his first full course in February 2005 and in August 2006 he instructed his first course single-handedly in Galway, Ireland.^[25] He led his second at Bournemouth in November 2006, and continues to lead courses in the UK and Ireland, the most recent of which was in November 2010, with further courses scheduled in October in Birmingham^[26] and in Galway in November 2011.^[27]

"Gareth Gates' Stammer House" is to form part of the new documentary season for BBC Three recently announced by Zai Bennett at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August 2011, due to air later this year.^[28] In the documentary made by IWC Media, Gates will take five young men and women who've stammered since childhood and in four intense days transform their lives. Over the four days the group will confront their stuttering demons on an intensive and testing course. Speaking of the documentary, he said "Hopefully this documentary will give people an insight into something that most take for granted - speaking!"^[29][30][31]

The documentary, remnamed "Stop my Sutter" will air on BBC3 on 27 February 2012 on BBC Three ^[32] and Gareth will discuss stammering on The Surgery on BBC Radio 1, 26 February 2012.^[33]

Gates spoke to MPs including David Amess MP, Robert Buckland MP, and Steve Brine MP at the Palace of Westminster as part of a briefing on communication disability hosted by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the Centre for Social Justice. Gates said “By speaking today I hope to shed light on the issues that surround speech and language difficulties. In particular, through my own experiences, I want to explain how the inability to converse and communicate drastically shapes and moulds people’s lives. It determines the sort of people they become and the paths they follow.^[34][35] On 18 October 2011 his work as an ambassador, raising awareness of the issues surrounding speech difficulties was recognised at the Giving Voice Awards Ceremony.^[36]

Gates is a patron of the HIV/AIDS charity Body and Soul and of the Bobby Moore Fund,^[37] which supports research into bowel cancer. He took part in the 2009 Cosmo Everyman campaign to raise awareness of prostate and testicular cancer.

In 2008, Gates appeared on ITV1's Dancing on Ice with skating partner Maria Filippov, finishing fourth, losing a place in the final to Zaraah Abrahams and dancing partner Fred Palascak.

On 7 September 2008, Gates played for England against The Rest of the World in Soccer Aid 2008 at Wembley in aid of UNICEF. He was substituted for Tom Felton. England won 4-3.

Gates played Prince Charming in the pantomime Cinderella at New Wimbledon Theatre, from December 2008 to January 2009 alongside Joanna Page and Alistair McGowan. Further pantomimes followed - the Prince in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Woking in 2010-11 and Aladdin in Milton Keynes in 2011-12

In December 2009, Gates took part in ITV's All Star Family Fortunes, along with wife Suzanne, mum Wendy, sister Nicola and best friend Matt, and won £30,000 for the Bobby Moore Fund for bowel cancer. Other TV and sporting activities for charity have included an appearance on Sky's Don't Forget the Lyrics! and ITV's Mr and Mrs again for the Bobby Moore Fund and various events for the Rhys Daniels Trust.^[38]

In August 2011, he was Jersey's Mr Battle in the Battle of the Flowers.^[39]

Working with Jonathan Wilkes, his wife Suzanne and Wilkes' wife Nikki, Gates set up the Gates and Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts for young people from 5-18, in London and his home town of Bradford.^[40] In October 2011, Gates announced that he and Wilkes were opening a further academy in Milton Keynes.^[41]

It was reported that Gates lost his virginity to glamour model Katie Price during the 2002 Pop Idol. Gates initially denied the rumours but finally admitted the relationship in 2003.^[42][43]

In 2009, it was reported that Gates has made an estimated £6.5 million during his career to date.^[44] The Irish Independent newspaper reported that Gates was one of a number of celebrities with investments in the company Ingenious Media, which backed a number of films,^[45] including Avatar and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

On 19 November 2011, Gates performed and headlined Derby's Christmas Lights turn on.

Discography[link]

Tours and concerts[link]

Pop Tours

• Pop Idol Arena Tour 2002
• Will and Gareth Arena Tour 2002
• Go Your Own Way Arena Tour - UK and Asia 2004

West End and other theatre

• Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Joseph. West End 2009
• Les Misérables international Tour. Marius 2009/10
• Les Misérables. Marius. West End 2010/11
• Hair. Claude. UK and Europe Tour 2012

Other notable events and charity concerts

• A Spoonful of Stiles and Drew 2008
• Broadway To West End by Special Arrangement 2009
• Children of Eden 2012
• Private concert for the Prince of Brunei, January 2005
• MTV Asia AIDS Awareness Concert, Indonesia, December 2004
• Concert to open Louis Vuitton's first store in Shanghai, China, October 2004
• Dancing On Ice Tour 2008

Records and awards[link]

Awards[link]

UK

• The Record of the Year 2002: "Unchained Melody"
• Smash Hits Awards 2002: best male, best hair, best newcomer, most fanciable male
• Smash Hits Awards 2003: best male, best single ("Sunshine")
• Young Achievers Yorkshire 2002
• Special award for service to Yorkshire 2002
• Giving Voice Celebrity Ambassador award. October 2011 ^[46]

Overseas

• MTV Asia: Best International Male 2003/2004
• MTV China: Best International Male 2003/2004
• MTV Taiwan: Best International Male 2003/2004
• TMF Belgium: Best International Pop
• MTV Taiwan: Inspiration to Youth
• G-Music (Taiwan): Best International Artist 2003
• Hit FM: Best single of 2003 (AOU)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Gareth Gates on Myspace

Zachary Quinto
Quinto at a Midtown Comics signing in 2011
Born	Zachary John Quinto (1977-06-02) June 2, 1977 (age 35) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2000–present
Website
http://www.zacharyquinto.com/

Zachary John Quinto (born June 2, 1977) is an American actor and producer. Quinto grew up in Pennsylvania and was active in high school musical theater. In the early 2000s, he guest starred in television series and appeared in a recurring role in the serial drama 24 from 2003 to 2004. In 2006, Quinto acted in the sitcom So NoTORIous and portrayed series antagonist Sylar in the science fiction drama Heroes from 2006 to 2010. He was cast as Spock of the Star Trek franchise and appeared in the 2009 reboot Star Trek. He will continue the role in the 2013 sequel. He also voiced the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) in the Star Trek Online MMORPG

Early life[link]

Quinto, who is of half-Italian and half-Irish descent,^[1] was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in Green Tree, Pennsylvania, with his mother Margo and his brother Joe.^[2] His father, John, who was a barber, died of cancer when Quinto was 7 years old.^[3] He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1995, where he participated in their musicals and won the Gene Kelly Award for Best Supporting Actor, and then attended Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama, from which he graduated in 1999.^[4][5]

Career[link]

Quinto first appeared on television in the short-lived television series The Others, and appeared as a guest star on shows including CSI, Touched by an Angel, Charmed, Six Feet Under, Lizzie McGuire, and L.A. Dragnet. In 2003, he landed a recurring role as computer expert Adam Kaufman on the Fox series 24; Quinto appeared in 23 episodes of the third season.

Quinto at the premiere party of Heroes' third season in 2008

In 2006, Quinto played the role of Sasan, the haughty, gay Iranian-American best friend of Tori Spelling on her VH1 series So NoTORIous. Later that year, he joined the cast of Tim Kring's Heroes as Gabriel Gray, better known as the serial killer Sylar.^[6] He worked on the series until its cancellation in 2010 after four seasons.

His casting as a young Spock in the J. J. Abrams-directed reboot of the Star Trek film franchise was officially announced at the 2007 Comic-Con.^[7][8][9] Speaking alongside Leonard Nimoy at a press conference to promote the new Star Trek film, Quinto revealed that Nimoy had been given casting approval over who would play the role of the young Spock. "For me Leonard's involvement was only liberating, frankly,"^[10] says Quinto. "I knew that he had approval over the actor that would play young Spock, so when I got the role I knew from the beginning it was with his blessing."

In a September 2008 interview, Abrams said of Quinto's performance as Spock: "Zachary brought a gravity and an incredible sense of humor, which is a wonderful combination because Spock's character is deceivingly complicated. The revelation for me watching the movie, when I finally got to watch the whole thing after working on sequences, was that he is extraordinary. He was doing things I didn't even realize while we were shooting – these amazing things to track his story."^[11]

Following Star Trek, he appeared in the comedy short Boutonniere (2009). It "...was a movie written and directed by my former landlady and friend [actress Coley Sohn]. She called up and said, 'Would you do me a favor and be in my short film?'"^[12]

Quinto at the premiere of Love the Beast in 2009

Quinto has joined with Corey Moosa and Neal Dodson to form Before the Door Pictures.^[13] The company is working on projects in film, television, new media, and the graphic novel arena. It announced a three-book publishing deal with comic book publisher Archaia at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. The first project from the partnership is expected to be a 100-page graphic novel called Mr. Murder is Dead, created by writer Victor Quinaz. It will be followed by the comic book series LUCID: A Matthew Dee Adventure written by writer/actor Michael McMillian.^[14]

Quinto's theatre experience includes roles in a variety of productions, including Much Ado About Nothing at the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival and Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow at the Old Globe Theatre. Baseline Studio Systems announced in January 2010 that Steven Spielberg may direct a biopic about George Gershwin, which is scheduled for release in 2012, with Quinto confirmed for the lead role.^[15][16] From October, 2010 to February 2011, Quinto played the lead role of Louis Ironson in an Off-Broadway revival of Tony Kushner's Angels in America at the Signature Theatre, New York City.^[17][18] For this role, Quinto received the Theatreworld Outstanding Debut Performance award.^[19] He has modeled for magazines including GQ and August.^[20][21]

In 2010, Quinto's company Before the Door Pictures produced Margin Call, an independent film about the financial crisis. Quinto played the role of Peter Sullivan in the film, in a cast that included Jeremy Irons, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci and Demi Moore. Margin Call premiered in January 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival.^[22] In October 2011, Quinto began his recurring role on the FX series, American Horror Story, as Chad, former owner of the house. Quinto will return for the second season in a lead role.^[23]

Personal life[link]

Quinto publicly came out as gay in October 2011.^[24] He explained that, after the suicide of gay teenager Jamey Rodemeyer, he realized "that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it, is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality."^[25] Prior to his coming out, Quinto had long been an active supporter of gay rights and organizations like the Trevor Project.^[26] In 2009, he appeared in the one-night production Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, a benefit stage reading in response to the passing of Proposition 8,^[27] as well as in the play The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, about the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard.^[28] In 2010, Quinto contributed a video to the It Gets Better Project, an Internet-based campaign that aims to prevent suicide among LGBT youth.^[25]

Film and television[link]

Quinto at the 84th Academy Awards, Red Carpet 2012

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zachary Quinto

• Official website
• Zachary Quinto at the Internet Movie Database
• Zachary Quinto at AllRovi
• Zachary Quinto at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)