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Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations. While in Europe many primarily-FM radio stations provide an additional unencrypted satellite feed, there are also subscription based digital packages of numerous channels that do not broadcast terrestrially, notably in the US. In Europe, FM radio is used by many suppliers that use a network of several local FM repeaters to broadcast a single programme to a large area, usually a whole nation. Many of those have an additional satellite signal that can be heard in many parts of the continent. In contrast, US terrestrial stations are always local and each of them has a unique programme, albeit they are sometimes interconnected for syndicated contents; but each local station still carries its own commercial and news breaks even then. This means that a national distribution of the contents of original terrestrial stations via satellite makes no real sense in the US, wherefore satellite radio is used in a different way there. History: Began broadcasting January 5, 2001 at 11:17AM Eastern, Tim McGraw was the first artist ever played on satellite radio. He gave a special welcome introduction which segued into his song "Things Change" on Sirius! Mobile services, such as Sirius, XM, and Worldspace, allow listeners to roam across an entire continent, listening to the same audio programming anywhere they go. Other services, such as Music Choice or Muzak's satellite-delivered content, require a fixed-location receiver and a dish antenna. In all cases, the antenna must have a clear view to the satellites. In areas where tall buildings, bridges, or even parking garages obscure the signal, repeaters can be placed to make the signal available to listeners.

Radio services are usually provided by commercial ventures and are subscription-based. The various services are proprietary signals, requiring specialized hardware for decoding and playback. Providers usually carry a variety of news, weather, sports, and music channels, with the music channels generally being commercial-free.

In areas with a relatively high population density, it is easier and less expensive to reach the bulk of the population with terrestrial broadcasts. Thus in the UK and some other countries, the contemporary evolution of radio services is focused on Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) services or HD Radio, rather than satellite radio.

Business applications[link]

Satellite radio, particularly in the United States, has become a major provider of background music to businesses such as hotels, retail chains, and restaurants. Compared to old-line competitors such as Muzak, satellite radio's significantly lower price, commercial-free channel variety, and more reliable technology make it a very attractive option.^{[citation needed]} Both North American satellite radio providers offer business subscriptions, though given the merger of XM Satellite Radio with Sirius, the future of XM for Business is uncertain. Sirius's commercial services are provided nationally by third-party partner Applied Media Technologies Corporation^{[citation needed]}.

System design[link]

Satellite radio uses the 2.3 GHz S band in North America and generally shares the 1.4 GHz L band with local Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) stations elsewhere. It is a type of direct broadcast satellite and is strong enough that it requires no satellite dish to receive. Curvature of the earth limits the reach of the signal, but due to the high orbit of the satellites, two or three are usually sufficient to provide coverage for an entire continent.

Local repeaters similar to broadcast translator boosters enable signals to be available even if the view of the satellite is blocked, for example, by skyscrapers in a large town. Major tunnels can also have repeaters. This method also allows local programming to be transmitted such as traffic and weather in most major metropolitan areas, as of March 2004.

Each receiver has an Electronic Serial Number (ESN) Radio ID to identify it. When a unit is activated with a subscription, an authorization code is sent in the digital stream telling the receiver to allow access to the blocked channels. Most services have at least one "free to air" or "in the clear" (ITC) channel as a test. For example, Sirius uses channel 184, Sirius Weather & Emergency.

Most (if not all) of the systems in use now are proprietary, using different codecs for audio data compression, different modulation techniques, and/or different methods for encryption and conditional access.

Like other radio services, satellite radio also transmits program-associated data (PAD or metadata), with the artist and title of each song or program and possibly the name of the channel.

Satellite radio vs. other formats[link]

Satellite radio differs from AM or FM radio and digital television radio (or DTR) in the following ways. The table applies primarily to the United States.

² The sound quality with both satellite radio providers and DTR providers varies with each channel. Some channels have near CD-quality audio, and others use low-bandwidth audio suitable only for speech. Since only a certain amount of bandwidth is available within the licenses available, adding more channels means that the quality on some channels must be reduced. Both the frequency response and the dynamic range of satellite channels can be superior to most, but not all AM or FM radio stations, as most AM and FM stations clip the audio peaks to sound louder; even the worst channels are still superior to most AM radios, but a very few AM tuners are equal to or better than the best FM or satellite broadcasts when tuned to a local station, even if not capable of stereo. AM does not suffer from multipath distortion or flutter in a moving vehicle like FM, nor does it become silent as you go behind a big hill like satellite radio.

³ Some satellite radio services and DTR services act as in situ repeaters for local AM/FM stations and thus feature a high frequency of interruption.

⁴ Nonprofit stations and public radio networks such as CBC/Radio-Canada, NPR, and PRI-affiliated stations and the BBC are commercial-free. In the US, all stations are required to have periodic station identifications and public service announcements.

⁵ In the United States, the FCC regulates technical broadcast spectrum only. Program content is unregulated. However, the FCC has tried in the past to expand its reach to regulate content to satellite radio and cable television, and its options are still open to attempt such in the future. The FCC does issue licenses to both satellite radio providers (XM and Sirius) and controls who holds these licenses to broadcast.

⁶ Degree of content regulation varies by country; however, the majority of industrialized nations have regulations regarding obscene and/or objectionable content.

United States[link]

In the United States and Canada, one holding company, Sirius XM Radio, operates the two satellite radio services, after a merger (technically the acquisition of XM by Sirius) in July 2008. A monthly fee is charged for both services. As of 2005, Sirius also offered a one-time lifetime subscription fee of nearly $500 valid for the lifetime of the equipment, and there was a $70.00 USD fee for switching receivers, which could be done only three times. However, as of 2012, Sirius customer service reports that lifetime subscriptions are no longer offered. Some XM music channels have commercials, while Sirius is commercial-free. Both services have commercial-free music stations, as well as talk and news stations, some of which include commercials. XM uses fixed-location geostationary satellites in two positions, and Sirius uses three geosynchronous satellites in highly elliptical orbits passing over North and South America, to transmit the digital streams. The net difference is that the Sirius signal comes from a higher elevation angle in the northern part of the U.S. and even more so in Canada. (This higher angle makes Sirius' signal less likely to drop out on cities, but more likely to drop out in parking garages, gas stations, tunnels, and other covered spaces.)

Both services are available mainly via portable receivers in automobiles, but both have many accessories so one can listen at home through a home stereo, with a portable boombox, or online through a personal computer. Both services now have some form of receiver that is completely portable.

Satellite radio's chief asset is the fact that it is not localized: drivers can receive the same programming anywhere in the footprint of the service. A stop at any truck stop will demonstrate the popularity of Sirius XM among long-haul drivers. In addition, both XM and Sirius carry programming that is simply not feasible on commercial radio stations. Specialty stations cover things such as family talk, radio drama, classical music, and live events.

The footprint of both Sirius and XM is only the United States, Canada, and the upper third of Mexico. Although It does not cover portions of Alaska or the state of Hawaii as satellite TV does, SiriusXM has been given the green light by the FCC to expand its services into the two states in 2011, even though the date as to when it will be available in those states has yet to be announced.

Success so far[link]

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As of November, 2010 Sirius XM claims over 20 million subscribers.^[1] One critical factor for the success of satellite radio is the deployment of in-car receivers. Sirius XM has attempted to convince automakers to equip vehicles with their receiver. As of 2008, the following manufacturers offer satellite radio as original equipment:

Sirius has an exclusive contract for VW and Audi vehicles from 2007 through 2012^{[citation needed]}. Those brands previously offered both services. GM, Honda and Suzuki are all major investors in XM; Sirius is not offered as options in their vehicles.^[2] Bentley and Rolls-Royce come not only with receivers but lifetime subscriptions for Sirius service as well. XM is featured in select Harley-Davidson motorcycle models, while Sirius can be heard in several brands of recreational vehicles and boats.^{[citation needed]}

One of the challenges for satellite radio has been to move away from cars and into the homes of consumers.^{[citation needed]} Several portable satellite radio receivers have been made for this purpose. XM satellite radio has developed the XM2go line of "Walkman-like" portable receivers, such as the Delphi MyFi, the Pioneer AirWare and Giant International's Tao. Polk Audio makes a component-style home XM Reference Tuner^[3] and a tabletop entertainment system, the I-Sonic,^[4] with XM capability. Sirius has developed the Kenwood Portable Satellite Radio Tuner, Sirius S50, Here2Anywhere and the Sirius Stiletto 100.^[5] The Pioneer Inno and Samsung Helix for XM were among the first portable receivers to offer the ability of recording live content for playback later. Thus allowing for satellite radio to compete more fully with MP3 players.

While key agreements with automobile manufacturers are still being made, both companies have made the leap away from satellite radio only in the car and into the homes of consumers. One bump in the road to becoming more widely used in the home was both Sirius and XM running into legal issues in early 2006 with the FCC about their internal FM Transmitters. This required Sirius and XM to pull several of their models off the shelf and fix the problem. The FCC was claiming that the emissions of the internal FM Transmitters were too powerful and needed to be lowered. With these changes any customer buying a new satellite radio receiver doesn't achieve nearly the broadcast distance as the old models. Since this is a key point in the ability to use a satellite radio in the home (i.e. by taking the signal received and then broadcasting it to multiple points throughout the home at the same time and avoid having to bring the satellite radio with them as they move around the home) it has led many subscribers to use an external Personal FM transmitter to replace the lower powered internal FM Transmitter. Since these external FM Transmitters are Part 15 compliant they can broadcast the signal further than the new internal FM Transmitters now included in the satellite radios and still be legal. These external FM transmitters may prevent a slow down in the progress already made into the home consumer market for Sirius and XM satellite radio.

Satellite radio technology was inducted into the Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2002.

Canada[link]

On November 1, 2004, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) began hearing applications for Canada's first satellite radio operations. Three applications were filed: one by Standard Broadcasting and the CBC in partnership with Sirius, one by Canadian Satellite Radio in partnership with XM, and one at the last minute by CHUM Limited and Astral Media.

The first two would use the same systems already set up for the U.S., while CHUM's application was for a subscription radio service delivered through existing terrestrial DAB transmitters rather than directly by satellite (although satellites would be used to deliver programming to the transmitters). The CHUM service was all-Canadian; the other two applications propose to offer a mix of Canadian-produced channels and existing channels from their American partner services.

A small "grey market" already existed for Sirius and XM receivers in Canada in which a Canadian would use an American address to register their receiver and setup.

On June 16, 2005, the CRTC approved all three services.^[6]

In its decision, the CRTC required the following conditions from the satellite radio licensees:

• A minimum of eight channels must be produced in Canada, and for each Canadian channel, nine foreign channels can be broadcast.
• At least 85% of the content on the Canadian-produced channels (whether musical or spoken word) must be Canadian.
• At least 25% of the Canadian channels must be French-language stations.
• At least 25% of the music aired on the Canadian channels must be new Canadian music.
• At least 25% of the music played on the Canadian channels must be from up-and-coming Canadian artists.

These conditions were an extension of the existing Canadian content rules applicable to all broadcasters in Canada. The applicants had until 13 November 2005, to notify the CRTC of their decision. Both companies managed to negotiate the standards a little to their favor, and in return, they would instead play 50% French content as opposed to 25%. Also, XM Canada succeeded in getting an extra five channels of National Hockey League Play-by-Play onto their platform, without an additional channel creation, by agreeing to cover every Canadian team's game during the season.

CHUM appealed the decision, claiming they would not survive if Sirius and XM both were allowed in the Canadian market, and that the licence conditions regarding Canadian content imposed on Canadian Satellite Radio and Sirius Canada were too lax. Canadian Satellite Radio and Sirius Canada countered that CHUM was simply trying to create a monopoly in the Canadian market.

In late August 2005, Heritage Minister Liza Frulla asked the federal cabinet to review the CRTC decision and possibly send it back to the CRTC for further review. Lobbyists complained that the CRTC decision did not require enough Canadian content from the broadcasters. The broadcasters responded by promising to add additional Canadian and French content.

After vigorous lobbying from both sides, the federal cabinet officially accepted the CRTC decision on September 10, 2005.

XM satellite radio was launched in Canada on November 29, 2005. Sirius followed later on December 1, 2005. Monthly subscription rates are $12.99 for XM (85 channels) with a one-time activation fee of $19.99 and $14.99 for Sirius with a one-time activation fee of $19.99 (100 channels). (All prices are in Canadian dollars.) The CHUM/Astral service never launched, and its license expired on June 16, 2007.

Following the merger of Sirius and XM in the United States in 2010, the Canadian companies did not immediately follow suit, but continued as competing providers even as their programming became increasingly integrated. They subsequently reached a merger deal, becoming Sirius XM Canada in June 2011.^[7]

Europe[link]

Eutelsat W2A satellite carrying a Solaris Mobile ([1] an Eutelsat and SES joint venture) DVB-SH S band payload was launched on 3 April 2009.

WorldSpace Europe ([2]) and ONDAS Media ([3]) will use ETSI SDR for their new networks covering Europe.

See also[link]

Radio portal

• Digital Multimedia Broadcasting
• List of United States radio networks
• Ripping music from satellite radio broadcasts
• XM/Sirius merger
• MobaHo!
• Satellite subcarrier audio

References[link]

External links[link]

• Orbitcast Satellite radio trade publication

For the drummer Steve Earle, see Afghan Whigs

Steve Earle
Earle performing in 2007 at the Midlands Music Festival in Westmeath, Ireland
Background information
Birth name	Stephen Fain Earle
Born	(1955-01-17) January 17, 1955 (age 57) Hampton, Virginia United States
Origin	San Antonio, Texas, United States
Genres	Country, rock and roll, folk
Occupations	Musician, Singer-songwriter, Author, Playwright
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, banjo, bouzouki, bass
Labels	Uni. MCA Nashville, New West, E² Records, Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Allison Moorer, Justin Townes Earle, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Buddy Miller, Joan Baez, Del McCoury Band, Lucinda Williams, Stacey Earle
Website	SteveEarle.com

Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle ( /ˈɜrl/; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock, folk and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play.

Personal life[link]

Earle was born on January 17, 1955, at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. He is the eldest son of Jack Earle, an air traffic controller, and Barbara Earle. Although he was born in Virginia where his father was stationed in the military, the family returned to Texas before Earle's second birthday. His ancestry is Irish Catholic on his mother's side and Scots-Irish on his father's side.^[1] They moved often during his childhood, primarily within Texas, but spent several of his formative years in and around San Antonio, Texas including East Terrell Hills, Converse, and Schertz.^[2] He dropped out of school in the 9th grade to move to Houston and learn more about the music business. Earle released his first album, Guitar Town, in 1986. His sister, Stacey Earle, is also a musician, having toured with her brother in the 1990s and sung on the song "When I Fall" on Earle's 2000 album, Transcendental Blues.

Earle has been married seven times, including twice to the same woman.^[3] His wives were Sandra "Sandy" Henderson, Cynthia Dunn, Carol-Ann Hunter (with whom he had his first child, Justin), Lou-Anne Gill (with whom he had a second son, Ian and a stepdaughter, Amy), Maria Teresa Ensenat, Lou-Anne Gill a second time, and finally, in 2005, singer-songwriter Allison Moorer. His first son, Justin Townes Earle, is also a musician, and is named for Townes Van Zandt. Earle and Moorer had their first child together, John Henry Earle, on April 5, 2010.^[4]

Career[link]

Musical career[link]

In 1975, Earle moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he met Guy Clark and his wife Susanna. He appears in the 1975 film Heartworn Highways, which documents the songwriting scene in Nashville around Clark, including fellow Texas musicians Townes van Zandt and Rodney Crowell. Earle had already met Van Zandt in Texas, and refers to Clark and Van Zandt as his mentors and teachers. Clark was instrumental in Earle being hired as a songwriter by the Sunbury Dunbar publishing division of RCA. There he wrote songs for the likes of Carl Perkins, Johnny Lee, Vince Gill and Steve Wariner. His song "Mustang Wine" was due to be recorded by Elvis Presley in 1975, but Presley did not turn up for the recording session. The song was released as a single by Carl Perkins. He also wrote the Patty Loveless hit "A Little Bit in Love." Earle did backing vocals on "Desperados Waiting for a Train" (together with Emmylou Harris) on Clark's first album Old No. 1 and toured in Clark's band. In 1981 Earle achieved a top-ten cut with "When You Fall in Love," which was recorded by Johnny Lee. In 1985 one of his compositions "A Far Cry from You" was recorded by Connie Smith, who made the song a minor hit that year.

Earle's early work as a recorded performer was in the rockabilly style, and can be heard on his compilation album: Early Tracks. The album was recorded for Epic Records, but the company dropped Earle, only releasing the album in 1987 after he found success with MCA Nashville. Earle had to wait until 1986 before his first album, Guitar Town, was released by MCA. It was a critical success and was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The follow-up albums Exit 0 in 1987 and the certified-gold Copperhead Road, 1988, built on this success. With Copperhead Road, Earle moved to MCA Los Angeles and drew increasingly on Rock and roll influences.

Earle had been a substance abuser since an early age and was addicted to heroin for many years. By the time of his 1990 album The Hard Way, it started to become clear that the drugs were seriously affecting him. By 1992, due to his drug problem, he had discontinued performing and recording for two years, a period he refers to as his "vacation in the ghetto." He eventually ended up in jail on drug and firearms charges. Kicking the drug habit while in jail, Earle came out a new man and released two albums within 18 months of his release in late 1994. His comeback album, Train a Comin', was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1996. Train a Comin' was a return to the country blues-influenced folk of Earle's early career and drew on his older catalog of unrecorded material.

Steve Earle and Allison Moorer at Bumbershoot, 2007

Earle's post-jail musical career is more diversified than his early work. He set up his own record label with producer and engineer Ray Kennedy, allowing him increasing artistic control. This has led to experimentation with a range of styles from country and bluegrass music to folk and hard rock music. He has maintained a strict work ethic. Several albums have been released since. Earle also tours often, playing over 200 shows per year. His concerts tend to be either solo acoustic shows or ensemble affairs with one of his two backing bands, the Dukes or the Bluegrass Dukes.

Earle is the subject of the documentary film Just an American Boy, directed by Amos Poe, which explores his political views as well as his music. The film was shot while Earle was touring in support of his 2002 release Jerusalem. In 2005, he caused consternation among his fans by allowing the song The Revolution Starts Now to be used by General Motors in a TV advertisement for pick-up trucks.^[5] In 2006, Earle contributed a cover of Randy Newman's song "Rednecks" to the tribute album Sail Away: The Songs of Randy Newman.^[6] Earle is also the subject of two biographies, Steve Earle: Fearless Heart, Outlaw Poet, by the noted New York-based music writer David McGee and Hardcore Troubadour: The Life and Near Death of Steve Earle by Lauren St. John.

In September 2007, Earle released his twelfth studio album, Washington Square Serenade,^[7] on New West Records. Earle recorded the album after relocating to New York City, and it was his first attempt at using digital audio workstation ProTools, as opposed to traditional analog recording techniques.^[8] The disc features wife Allison Moorer on "Days Aren't Long Enough" and "Down Here Below." The album includes Earle's version of Tom Waits' song "Way Down in the Hole" which is featured as the theme song for the fifth season of The Wire in which Earle himself appears as Walon. In 2008, Earle produced Joan Baez's album Day After Tomorrow.^[9] (Prior to their collaboration on Day After Tomorrow, Baez had covered two Earle songs, "Christmas in Washington" and "Jerusalem," on previous albums.) In the winter, he toured Europe and North America in support of Washington Square Serenade, performing half the set solo and the other half with a DJ.^[8] On May 12, 2009, Earle released a tribute album, Townes, on New West Records. The album contains 15 songs written by his late friend and musical mentor Townes Van Zandt. Guest artists appearing on the album include Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Earle's wife Allison Moorer, and his son Justin Townes Earle.^[10] Both Washington Square Serenade and Townes also earned Grammy awards in the contemporary folk category.

Earle released his first novel and fourteenth studio album, both entitled I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive after a Hank Williams song, in the spring of 2011. The album was released on April 26, 2011 and was produced by T-Bone Burnett. Earle describes it as dealing with questions of mortality and having a "more country" sound than his earlier work. He plans a full band tour in support of the album in the summer of 2011.^[11]

Since his emergence as a performer, his songs have been covered by various well-known artists, including Joan Baez, The Pretenders, The Proclaimers, Eddi Reader, The Highwaymen, Waylon Jennings, Levon Helm, Emmylou Harris, Percy Sledge and Johnny Cash.^[12] Travis Tritt had a #7 country hit in 1995 with Earle's "Sometimes She Forgets."

Writing career[link]

In addition to music, Earle has written a collection of short stories called Doghouse Roses, several of which draw on his personal experiences as a musician and addict. The book was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in June 2001. Earle has also written poetry and wrote and produced a play about the death penalty entitled Karla. The play was produced off-Broadway and focuses on the death of Karla Faye Tucker, who was the first woman excuted by the state of Texas since the death penalty was reinstated.

Earle's first novel, entitled I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive after a Hank Williams song, was published the spring of 2011. The novel is set in San Antonio in 1963, and tells the story of a defrocked doctor and morphine addict. The doctor makes a living by performing illegal abortions and is haunted by the ghost of Hank Williams, with whom he was traveling when Williams died of an overdose.^[11] The novel is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt1.^[13]

Acting career[link]

Earle portrayed a recovering drug addict named Walon in several episodes of the HBO television series The Wire, created by David Simon.^[14] He appears first in season one where he addresses a 12-step-type meeting with an account of how he lost everything to addiction: "I pawned my pickup, my bike, and my National steel guitar, a stamp collection that my granddad left me; lost a good wife, a bad girlfriend, and the respect of anyone who ever lent me money." His story affects Bubbles and appears to spur him towards recovery. After season one, Walon does not return until Bubbles hits rock-bottom hard in the season four finale. Picking up the thread, he then appears throughout season five as sponsor, as Bubbles attempts to overcome his heroin addiction and its consequences. Earle's song "I Feel Alright" is used in a montage to close out season two. He also performs the opening theme of the fifth season, performing "Way Down in the Hole," a song written by Tom Waits.

Earle also played a supporting role as a drug dealer in Tim Blake Nelson's 2009 movie Leaves of Grass, starring Edward Norton. He also played a musician in the HBO series Treme, set in post-Katrina New Orleans. Earle's song "This City" can be heard over the closing credits of the first season finale. He was also one of several musicians who sang a mock charity appeal in the final episode of Season 3 of 30 Rock.

Radio shows[link]

Earle's radio show on Air America began in August 2004 and last aired on June 10, 2007, and that was a rebroadcast of a past episode.^[15] Shortly thereafter, he started DJing on a show on Sirius Satellite Radio called Hardcore Troubadour on their Outlaw Country channel.^[16]

Political views[link]

Earle performing in front of the United States Supreme Court on July 1st 2003

Since early in his career, Earle has been involved in a number of political causes. In his first public performances, Earle was unable to play in bars due to his age and took to playing in coffeehouses alongside anti-Vietnam War campaigners. These experiences had a strong effect on him, evidenced by his opposition to the Iraq War. He is also a regular participant in the "Concerts for a Landmine Free World," benefiting the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation.

Earle's mother took part in anti-death penalty vigils, a cause that has been taken up by Earle. He has worked to abolish the death penalty and has recorded several songs about this cause, including "Billy Austin," "Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song)" and "Ellis Unit One" for the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. Ellis Unit, located in Huntsville, Texas, previously housed the Texas male death row convicts, until it was moved to Polunsky Unit near Livingston, Texas. He exchanged letters with a prisoner on death row named Jonathan Wayne Nobles, the subject of "Over Yonder", and, at the request of Nobles, attended his execution in 1998.^[17] In 2010 Earle was awarded the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty's Shining Star of Abolition award.^[18]

In the early 2000s Earle's music was more explicitly political. His 2002 album, Jerusalem, was largely inspired by the US-led War on Terrorism. This album featured "John Walker's Blues," which was about the captured American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh. Many accused Earle of sympathizing with terrorists as the song was written from Lindh's perspective. Earle responded that he was simply empathizing with Lindh and attempting to understand his motivation through song rather than glorifying or forgiving terrorism. He said that, as a parent, he was moved by pictures of Lindh bound to a stretcher. "For some reason when I saw him on TV, I related it to my son. That skinny and that age, exactly. I thought, he's got parents somewhere, and they must be sick.^[19] "

His 2004 album, The Revolution Starts Now, which features several songs relating to the Iraq War, was deliberately released to coincide with the run-up to the 2004 US presidential election, with the aim of encouraging votes for John Kerry.^[20] The song "The Revolution Starts Now" was used in the promotion of Michael Moore's anti-war documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11 and appears on the album Songs and Artists That Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11, the songs for which were selected by Moore. The song also opened Earle's weekly Sunday-night show on Air America Radio. He appears in the 2008 political documentary Slacker Uprising.

While Earle's work subsequent to The Revolution Starts Now is less explicitly political, he continues to support activist causes and his albums and stage banter include political references. During the second half of his 2011 tour with The Dukes and Duchesses featuring Allison Moorer, the drum kit was adorned with the slogan "we are the 99%" a clear reference to the occupy movement which began in September that year.

Discography[link]

Use in media[link]

Steve Earle's songs have appeared in many major motion pictures and television as writer and performer.

As performer and writer[link]

• The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) ("Honey Don't")
• Dead Man Walking (1995) ("Ellis Unit One")
• The Horse Whisperer (1998) ("Me and the Eagle")
• Pay It Forward (2000) ("Open Your Window")
• You Can Count on Me (2000) ("I'm Still In Love With You", "Harlan Man", "Texas Eagle", "The Mountain", "Pilgrim")
• The Pledge (2001) ("The Other Side of Town")
• Last Party 2000 (also known as The Party's Over (2001) ("Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song)")
• Big Bad Love (2001) ("Goodbye")
• The Rookie (2002) ("Some Dreams")
• Stevie (2002) ("I Ain't Ever Satisfied")
• The Wire (2004) ("I Feel Alright"), ("Down in the Hole" as performer only, written by Tom Waits)
• Silver City (2004) ("Amerika v. 6.0")
• Brokeback Mountain (2005) ("Devil's Right Hand")
• Talladega Nights (2006) ("Valentine's Day", "Hard-Core Troubadour", "I Feel Alright")
• The Guardian (2006) ("Home To Houston")
• Bridge to Terabithia (2007) ("Someday")
• The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (2007) ("Nothing But A Child")
• Friday Night Lights (Tv Series) (2009) ("Hard-core Troubadour")
• Leaves of Grass (2009) ("Lonely Are the Free")
• Treme (2010) ("This City")
• Moonshiners (2011) ("Copperhead Road")

As writer[link]

• Sgt. Bilko (1996) ("Sometimes She Forgets")
• G.I. Jane (1997) ("Goodbye")
• P.S. I Love You (2007) ("The Galway Girl")

Awards[link]

• Steve Earle has received a total of fourteen nominations for Grammy Awards and won three.

2012 Nominated "Best Folk Album" for I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive.

2010 Won "Best Contemporary Folk Album" for Townes.

2008 Won "Best Contemporary Folk Album" for Washington Square Serenade.

2005 Won "Best Contemporary Folk Album" for The Revolution Starts...Now.

2005 Nominated “Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance” for The Revolution Starts...Now.

2003 Nominated "Best Contemporary Folk Album" for Jerusalem.

2001 Nominated "Best Contemporary Folk Album" for Transcendental Blues.

2000 Nominated "Best Bluegrass Album" for The Mountain with the Del McCoury Band.

1999 Nominated "Best Contemporary Folk Album" for El Corazón.

1996 Nominated "Best Contemporary Folk Album" for Train A Comin'. (Lost in 1996 to Lucinda Williams' Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, which Earle co-produced.)

1988 Nominated "Best Country Male Vocalist" for Exit 0.

1988 Nominated "Best Country Song" for “Nowhere Road”.

1987 Nominated "Best Country Male Vocalist" for Guitar Town.

1987 Nominated "Best Country Song" for “Guitar Town”.

• He was named Country Artist of the Year for 1986 by Rolling Stone magazine.
• In 2004, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting by the UK's BBC Radio 2.
• In July 2010, Earle was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Music and Lyrics category, for the song "This City," which was written for the television series Tremé.
• On May 13, 2011, Earle was granted an honorary degree from the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law.

Collaborations[link]

• Recorded and performed "Johnny Come Lately" with The Pogues.
• Performed a duet with Iris DeMent on "I'm Still In Love With You".
• Co-wrote the Jason & the Scorchers song "A Bible & A Gun".
• Sang on Jason Ringenberg's re-recording of "A Bible & A Gun" (2002).
• Worked with the Supersuckers, recording their song "Creepy Jackalope Eye" and his song "NYC" (1996).
• Released split single of the Rolling Stones song "Before They Make Me Run" with the Supersuckers (1997).
• Sang backup vocals and played the harmonica on the Indigo Girls song "Shame on You", on their album Shaming of the Sun (1997).
• Recorded "The Galway Girl" and "Dominick Street" with Sharon Shannon and The Woodchoppers.
• Recorded covers of Alejandro Escovedo's "Paradise" and Warren Zevon's "Reconsider Me" with Reckless Kelly, for Escovedo and Zevon tribute albums.
• Collaborated with the Del McCoury Band on The Mountain (1999).
• Performed a duet with Lucinda Williams on "You're Still Standin' There".
• Performed a duet with Chris Hillman on "High Fashion Queen" for the Gram Parsons tribute album Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons.
• Performed a duet with Siobhan Maher Kennedy on "Poison Lovers".
• Performed a duet with Emmylou Harris on "Comin' Around", "Goodbye", and "I Remember You".
• Performed a duet with Stacey Earle on "When I Fall".
• Played guitar and sang backup on Emmylou Harris's version of "Goodbye" (from her Wrecking Ball album.)
• Co-wrote "Go Amanda" with Sheryl Crow (on Jerusalem).
• Sang with Sheryl Crow on his cover of "Time Has Come Today" on Sidetracks.
• Covered the Son Volt classic "Windfall"
• Played banjo on Patti Smith's cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
• Produces and collaborates on Joan Baez's album Day After Tomorrow.
• Performed a duet with Jill Sobule on her song "Love is Never Equal"
• Covered NRBQ's "A Girl Like That" on the NRBQ tribute album The Q People (2004).
• Performed with Allison Moorer on the song "After The Fire Is Gone" from Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn (2010).

Sources[link]

• McGee, David. Steve Earle: Fearless Heart, Outlaw Poet, Backbeat, 2005.
• Schone, Mark. (1998). "Steve Earle." In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 160–1.
• St John, Lauren. Hardcore Troubadour: The Life and Near Death of Steve Earle, Fourth Estate, 2002 ISBN 1-84115-611-6

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Steve Earle

• Steve Earle Official website
• "Death in Texas" Article By Earle On Witnessing The Execution Of A Friend
• Just an American Boy
• Interview with Steve Earle
• Features, CD and concert reviews with Steve Earle at Country Standard Time
• GM commercial featuring The Revolution Starts Now
• Steve Earle to Release Townes Van Zandt Tribute Album
• Freeing a Mentor From His Mythology
• Steve Earle Lays it Down

Zack Ryder
Ryder with his Internet Championship
Ring name(s)	Brett Matthews[1][2] Brett Major[2] Zack Ryder[2]
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[3]
Billed weight	214 lb (97 kg)[4]
Born	(1985-05-14) May 14, 1985 (age 27) Merrick, New York[3]
Resides	Long Island, New York
Billed from	The L.I.[4]
Trained by	Mikey Whipwreck[5]
Debut	2004

Matt Cardona (born May 14, 1985), better known by his ring name Zack Ryder, is an American professional wrestler signed to WWE and appearing on its Raw brand.

Cardona wrestled mostly with his tag team partner Brian Myers/Curt Hawkins on the independent circuit and initially in WWE, where they won the WWE Tag Team Championship. After the team split in 2009, Cardona was featured sparingly on WWE television. In 2011, Cardona used YouTube and Twitter to establish a niche fan following, which translated to a rise in status in WWE.

Professional wrestling career[link]

New York Wrestling Connection (2004–2006)[link]

Cardona debuted with New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC) in 2004, using the name Brett Matthews. By 2005 he began regularly teaming with Bryan Myers and the duo of Myers and Matthews went on to defeat the NYWC Tag Team Champions Dickie Rodz and Mason Raige by disqualification, for which titles do not change hands.^[6] At the next event on June 4 they won a rematch decisively to become Tag Team Champions.^[7] Later that month they were attacked by The Dead Presidents (Lo Lincoln and Boog Washington) to set up a feud where they eventually lost their titles against them in July.^[6] on August 27.^[7] On September 23 they were entered into a three way match with the champions but Team Tremendous (Dan Barry and Ken Scampi) ended up with the belts.^[6] After continuing to win matches they re-earned a match against Team Tremendous and won the titles for the second time on January 25, 2006. They held the titles until they faced the B.S. Xpress (Tony Burma & Mike Spinelli), who defeated them for the gold on March 26.^[7]

World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE[link]

Tag team; La Familia (2006–2009)[link]

On February 24, 2006, Matthew Cardona signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment.^[3] In Deep South Wrestling in Georgia, he was renamed Brett Majors while Myers was renamed Bryan Majors. By October they won the DSW Tag Team Championship from The Untouchables (Dice Domino and Deuce Shade) and held them until the end of November, losing them to Urban Assault (Eric Pérez and Sonny Siaki). After the titles were vacated in the following year, they became two-time champions defeating the new team of Siaki and Afa, Jr (The Samoan Swat Team) and the Blue Bloods (William Regal and Dave Taylor).^[8] Later in 2007 they moved to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship once, reigning from June 15 to 29.^[9]

Zack Ryder (left) and Curt Hawkins in 2009.

The team was moved from the developmental league to the main roster in May 2007, changing their last names from Majors to Major. They worked on WWE's ECW brand, winning only their first match^[10][11][12] until they were drafted to SmackDown! in June.^[13] On November 9 they won a battle royal to receive a WWE Tag Team Championship match, but didn't win.^[14]

Ryder (left) posing with Edge and Hawkins.

At Armageddon, the duo dressed up like Edge and interfered in the World Heavyweight Championship match, replacing Edge at several points along the match to help him win the title and thus turning heel for the first time in their WWE career.^[15] On December 21, the Major Brothers were revealed as an acquaintance to Edge and his lover, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero. The Major Brothers were repackaged and renamed, with Cardona being renamed Zack Ryder.^[16] Occasionally referred to as the Rated-R Entourage by commentators Michael Cole and John "Bradshaw" Layfield, the group allied with Guerrero's nephew, Chavo Guerrero and his enforcer Bam Neely as the group La Familia, which dominated SmackDown's storyline through 2008. Ryder and Hawkins interfered in Edge's match at WrestleMania XXIV against The Undertaker, but Undertaker eventually won the match.

At The Great American Bash on July 20 Curt Hawkins (the former Bryan Major) and Ryder won the WWE Tag Team Championship from John Morrison and The Miz in a fatal four-way match which also featured Jesse and Festus and Finlay and Hornswoggle after Hawkins pinned Jesse.^[17][18] Their victory meant that they were the youngest team to hold the championships.^[19] By SummerSlam, La Familia had begun to fracture and Ryder, with Hawkins, went back to appearing on their own. On the September 26 airing of SmackDown, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder lost the titles to The Colóns (Carlito and Primo Colón) in their first televised title defense.^[20] On April 15, 2009 Ryder was drafted back to the ECW brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft, separating the team.^[21]

The Long Island Loudmouth (2009–2011)[link]

Ryder made his return to ECW on May 5, 2009 in a backstage segment with General Manager Tiffany. He now sported short hair, tanned skin, sunglasses, a headband, half-trunks/half-tights, displaying something of an arrogant Long Island guido character and more frequent uses of catchphrases "woo woo woo" and "you know it", that he had used sparingly in the tag team.^[22][23] He lost to Finlay on his first singles match, on May 7's Superstars^[24] and would not gain victory until the May 19 episode of ECW on Sci Fi over a local competitor.^[23] On September 15, Ryder won a 10-man battle royal to earn contendership to the ECW Championship^[25] but lost to the champion, Christian, the following week.^[26] On the November 3 episode of ECW, Ryder entered a love angle with Rosa Mendes who became his valet.^[27] He also feuded with Tommy Dreamer, culminating in a match on December 29 where Ryder won to force Dreamer to leave the company.^[28]

Ryder with his signature LI pose

When the ECW brand came to an end in February 2010, Ryder and Mendes moved to the Raw brand, making his debut on the February 25 episode of Superstars, defeating Primo. Ryder made his Raw debut on March 1, losing to Montel Vontavious Porter in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.^[29] He participated in an untelevised 26-man battle royal at WrestleMania XXVI, being the last person eliminated by the winning Yoshi Tatsu. Mendes was drafted to SmackDown as part of the 2010 Supplemental Draft without Ryder,^[30] so Ryder sought a new valet, trying to impress Alicia Fox and Gail Kim while they watched his matches at ringside. During a match with Evan Bourne on the May 10 episode of Raw, Fox attempted to interfere on Ryder's behalf but was stopped by Kim, leading to Bourne winning the match.^[31] The two new pairings faced off in a mixed tag team match on the May 17 episode of Raw, which Ryder and Fox lost.^[32] Ryder had a return win over Bourne on May 27's Superstars.^[33] The next week on Raw, Fox attacked Ryder with an axe kick after Raw guest host Ashton Kutcher put a bounty on Ryder's head.^[34] During the June 7 Viewer's Choice episode of Raw, Ryder was voted to team with the Miz, defeating John Morrison and R-Truth.^[35] The next week, Ryder had a title shot in a Fatal Four Way match for the WWE United States Championship but lost.^[36] Months later, in August, he was given a WWE Championship match against Sheamus that lasted 11 seconds, which was the second-shortest WWE Championship match in WWE history, in an attempt by Sheamus to circumvent the company's 30 day championship defence policy.^[37]

During this time, Ryder became a mentor on the second season of WWE NXT to Titus O'Neil. They debuted in a losing effort against John Morrison and Eli Cottonwood;^[38] O'Neil was the first rookie eliminated from the second season, on June 29.^[39] On the July 27 episode of NXT, Ryder lost against Percy Watson, making him the first mentor of season 2 to lose to a rookie in a singles match.^[40] For the remainder of the year and well into 2011, Ryder mostly became used on the non-branded Superstars show, occasionally teaming with Primo. Ryder won a 2010 Slammy Award for Most Annoying Catchphrase in December.^[41]

The Ryder Revolution (2011–present)[link]

As a result of being underutilised on television, Ryder became dissatisfied with his place in WWE and he started a YouTube web series^[42] called Z! True Long Island Story in February 2011^[43] to promote his character.^[44] The web series soon earned Ryder a dedicated fan following: his T-shirts sold out despite^[44] and by June, "we want Ryder" chants were started by the audiences of Raw and the Capitol Punishment pay-per-view without Ryder appearing on the show.^[45][46]

Ryder in November 2011

The web show's popularity led to Ryder having a rise in status, making more appearances on television. Between April and June, Ryder appeared during Raw more often, often in backstage segments with John Cena.^[47][48] On June 6 Ryder had his first match on Raw in 2011, losing to Kofi Kingston.^[49] On the June 16 episode of Superstars in front of his hometown of Long Island his status as a babyface wrestler was confirmed when he defeated his former tag team partner Primo.^[50] On the July 29 episode of Smackdown, Ryder was appointed as the assistant to Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long, allowing him to make TV appearances on both Raw and SmackDown.^[51]

On the September 19 episode of Raw, Ryder won a non-title match against United States Champion Dolph Ziggler with the help of guest star Hugh Jackman who punched Ziggler mid-match.^[52] Following his victory over Ziggler, Ryder received a match for the United States Championship the following week and again at Vengeance but both unsuccessful due to interference from Jack Swagger.^[53][54] Ryder main-evented Raw for the first time on November 7, teaming with John Cena in a losing effort against The Miz and R-Truth.^[55] Ryder was then placed in a match with Cena where the victor would earn a championship opportunity; Ryder was defeated, but Cena surrendered his WWE Championship match for Ryder to have a second chance and then interfered in a No Disqualification match to help Ryder beat World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry.^[56] This won Ryder a match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs where he defeated Dolph Ziggler to win the WWE United States Championship, his first singles title in any wrestling promotion.^[57] Shortly after, Ryder left his position as assistant to the Smackdown General Manager due to his championship commitments.^[58]

Going into 2012, Ryder started trying to woo Eve as part of a romantic storyline.^[59] As Cena's friend, Ryder also became a target of Kane, who was feuding with Cena at the time and attacked Ryder on several occasions. On the January 16 episode of Raw, Ryder lost his United States Championship to Jack Swagger due to a rib injury he suffered at the hands of Kane.^[60] Ryder's injuries mounted after he was chokeslammed through the Raw stage^[61] and Tombstoned at the Royal Rumble.^[62] On the February 13 episode of Raw, a wheelchair-bound Ryder saw Eve kiss Cena, after Cena saved her from a kidnapping by Kane. After a confrontation with Cena, Kane wheeled Ryder off the stage, injuring him even further.^[63]

While Ryder was out injured, Eve sparked a villainous turn for her character when she revealed that she had never liked Ryder and had disingenuously used him for fame and publicity.^[64] Ryder returned on the March 5 episode of Raw, confronting Eve on her recent actions, but she managed to seduce him.^[65] Ryder then joined Theodore Long's team for a match to determine the General Manager of Raw and SmackDown at WrestleMania XXVIII. During the match, Eve distracted Ryder, costing him and Team Teddy the match, and she added further insult to injury by giving Ryder a low blow after the match.^[66] After wrestling sporadically, Ryder returned to pay-per-views in the pre-show match of the Over the Limit, where he was defeated by Kane.^[67]

Other media[link]

Ryder started a YouTube web series called Z! True Long Island Story in February 2011, which has amassed over 12 million views to date. The web series is a collection of short comments from Ryder, containing comedic allusions to wrestling and pop culture; it also features cameos from his friends and family, as well as fellow WWE colleagues.^[68] In April 2011, Ryder proclaimed himself WWE Internet Champion^[69] complete with a children's replica belt covered in stickers, as it was unsanctioned by WWE.^[70] In July 2011, Ryder would appear to defend his Internet Championship at a non-televised show in Australia against Primo,^[71] but later commented that it was a non-title match, and that he would never defend his Internet Championship.^[72] Ryder soon replaced the toy belt with a $1,500 custom-made belt by Wildcat Championship Belts in July 2011.^[73] On episode 50 of Z! True Long Island Story, Ryder announced the show will be part of WWE's YouTube funded channel.^[74]

Ryder's online popularity also translated to social media. He has over 600,000 followers on Twitter,^[75] over 200,000 Facebook "likes",^[76] and over 120,000 YouTube subscribers.^[77] This led him to be featured in Sports Illustrated's list of the 100 most influential social media users in sports.^[78]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Lifting inverted DDT^[79] – 2008
  • Rough Ryder^[80] (Jumping leg lariat)^[81] – 2010–present
  • Zack Attack^[82] (Inverted overdrive) – 2009–2010

Ryder counters a charging Miz with a double high knee.

• Signature moves
  • Broski Boot^[83] (Running facewash, with theatrics)^[84]
  • Corner elbow smash^[85][86]
  • Double high knee from out of the corner, as a counter to an oncoming opponent^[87][88]
  • Double underhook powerbomb^[89] – 2009
  • Dropkick,^[90][91][92] sometimes from the top rope^[93][94]
  • Facebuster^[95][96]
  • Flapjack^[97][98]
  • Flying forearm smash^[97][99]
  • Hangman's neckbreaker^[100][101]
  • Leg drop^[86][97]
  • Plancha,^[102][103] sometimes while performing a somersault^[104]
  • Swinging neckbreaker^[105][106]

• With Curt Hawkins
  • Double team finishing moves
    • Double lifting DDT^[107] – 2008
    • Heat Stroke^[2] (NYWC) / Long Island Express^[2] (DSW / OVW) (Samoan drop / Diving neckbreaker combination)
    • STO / Russian legsweep combination^[108]
  • Double team signature moves
    • Double hip toss, sometimes preceded by a double leapfrog or transitioned into a backbreaker^[108]
    • Double spear^[109] – 2008

• Managers
  • Rosa Mendes^[110]
  • Alicia Fox^[32]
  • Eve Torres^[59]
  • Hornswoggle^[111]

• Nicknames
  • "The Long Island Loudmouth"^[4]
  • "Long Island Iced-Z"^[4]
  • "The Ultimate Broski"^[4]
  • "The Internet Sensation"^[4]

• Entrance themes
  • "What I Want" by Daughtry (DSW / OVW)^[2]
  • "In the Middle of it Now" by Disciple (WWE)^[112]
  • "Radio" by Watt White^[113] (WWE; May 2009–present)

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Deep South Wrestling
  • DSW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Bryan Majors^[8]

• New York Wrestling Connection
  • NYWC Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Bryan Myers^[1][7]

• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bryan Majors^[114]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked Ryder #117 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010^[115]

• World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
  • WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Curt Hawkins^[116]
  • WWE United States Championship (1 time)^[117]
  • Slammy Award for Most Annoying Catchphrase (2010)^[118]
  • Slammy Award for #Trending Superstar of the Year (2011)^[119]
  • Slammy Award for Superstar Transformation of the Year (2011)^[119]

References[link]