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A compilation album is an album (music or spoken-word) featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources (such as studio albums, live albums, singles, demos and outtakes.) The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter. When the tracks are all essentially by the same recording artist, a compilation album is often referred to as a retrospective album. Compilation albums may employ traditional product bundling strategies.

Common types[link]

Common types of compilation include:

• Single-artist "greatest hits", "best of", or "singles collection" LPs, gathering together an artist's best-known songs. If the artist or group continues to record, compilers commonly include one or more previously unreleased tracks as an incentive for fans to buy the album, even if they already have the other material on the compilation.
• Other single-artist compilations, such as rarities or B-side collections, albums compiled from radio sessions, songs performed by an artist exclusively for a film soundtrack or collections that combine multiple releases, such as LPs and EPs together on one or more compact discs. Such compilations generally target existing fans of the artist and have little mainstream appeal, though postmortem compilations of unreleased materials from recently deceased artists have significant popularity^{[citation needed]}.
• Box sets, elaborate multi-disc collections often covering the entire breadth of an artist's career or the full sweep of an entire record label or genre. Many anthologies are released in this format.
• Various artist themed compilations, e.g. love songs, Christmas songs, songs featuring a particular instrument (such as saxophone or piano), and countless other variations.
• Various artist genre compilations, e.g. jazz, synthpop, rock, etc. These may be from the same time period (Year, decade or era, for example), or may incorporate a common theme, as a soundtrack exemplifies well.
• Various artist hit compilations. This has been a very successful part of the album market since the early 1970s. Recent hit singles are gathered together in one place. In the 1970s, these were often single vinyl LPs with 10 to 12 tracks or more. In the 1980s, a double album with 6 or 8 tracks on each side became the norm. Now that CDs are the dominant format, these compilations are usually released on one, two, or three CDs.
• Promotional compilations or Samplers. These are creative, successful forms of promotion for artists and/or record labels to promote their music. Generally, these types of releases are free or cost very little for the consumer or end listener. Elektra Records released the first sampler albums: in the 1950s.
• Private label promotional compilations. Promotional compilation CDs can be private labeled for products, retail outlets, or commercial organizations or non-profit organizations. Artists and labels like to co-brand themselves with well-known brands for marketing purposes, and transversely well-known brands like to co-brand themselves with artists.
• Business-to-business promotional compilations. Other types of promotional compilations are used within the music industry in a business-to-business capacity to promote artists to media concerns (radio stations, music supervisors for TV, film or video games for synchronization)
• Composer/producer albums. Many hip hop and reggaeton producers will release a compilation album, which feature various artists. Every track on the album will be composed by the same producer.

Charts[link]

In the United Kingdom, The Official Charts Company compiles a weekly compilation albums chart, limited to Various Artists compilations and soundtrack compilations.^[1]

Famous compilation series[link]

United States and United Kingdom[link]

1960s–1970s[link]

• Motown Chartbusters (Motown, 1967–1982), series of 12 label samplers plus variants
• The Rock Machine Turns You On (1968) and subsequent budget-price samplers produced by CBS in the UK
• You Can All Join In (1969), first of a series of Island Records samplers
• Nuggets (Elektra, 1972) collection of 1960s garage rock

1980s[link]

• Now That's What I Call Music! (Polygram/Virgin/EMI, 1983–present) – recent hit singles
• The Hits Album (CBS/WEA, 1984–1991 and Telstar/Global TV, 1993-1994, 1995–2006) – recent hits
• A Very Special Christmas (A&M, 1987–2009) Christmas album benefiting the Special Olympics

1990s[link]

• Mushroom Jazz (Om Records, (1992–present) – genre broken beat/nu jazz/hip-hop
• The Best... Album in the World...Ever! (Virgin Records, 1993–present) – genre & themed (e.g. The Best Christmas...)
• Sessions (Ministry of Sound, 1993–present. Includes Summer Sessions, Chillout Session, Defected Sessions etc. – genre (Dance/electronic)
• Café del Mar (Manifesto, 1994–present) – genre (dance/ambient)
• Jock Jams (Tommy Boy, 1995–~2001) – genre and themed (dance/techno/sports)
• The Annual (Ministry of Sound). 1995–present. The World's best selling dance series. – genre (Dance/electronic)
• DJ-Kicks (!K7, 1995-present)
• Bonkers (Resist Music, 1996–present) – genre (happy hardcore/UK)
• Global Underground (Boxed, 1996–present) – genre (Dance/electronic)
• "WOW", 1996-present – genre (Contemporary Christian music)
• Dance Nation, 1996–present, Ministry of Sound – genre (Dance/electronic)
• Pure Moods (Virgin Records, 1997–2004) – genre (New age)
• EMI Songbook Series (EMI, 1999, spotlight of favorite music of featured artist)
• 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection ((Universal Music Group, 1999–present))
• Have a Nice Day (CD series) - 70s music (Rhino Records, 1990–1996, 25 volumes)
• Trance Nation (Ministry of Sound), 1999–present – genre (Dance/electronic)
• In Search Of Sunrise (Songbird), 1999–present – genre (Dance/electronic)

2000s[link]

• Clubbers Guide to..., 2000–present, Ministry of Sound – genre (Dance/electronic)
• The Essential (Sony BMG, 2000–present)
• Gold (Universal Music Group, 2005–present)
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés Café, (2001–present) – genre nu jazz/deep house
• Simply the Best..., (Warner Music) – genre & themed (e.g. Simply The Best Movie Album)
• Endzeit Bunkertracks, (Alfa Matrix, 2005–present) – genre Electro-Industrial/Noise/Dark Electro
• Dark Was The Night (4AD, 2009–present) - Contains songs from many independent artists. A part of the AIDS Benefit Series.
• Essential R&B (Sony BMG, 2004–present)
• Housexy (Ministry of Sound), 2005–present – genre (Dance/electronic)
• Fabriclive (Fabric, 2000–present)
• Punk Goes... (Fearless Records, 2000–present) - genre pop/punk/metal
• Number Ones (Michael Jackson, 1979-present) - gente pop/rock/R&B
• Addicted To Bass (Ministry of Sound), 2009–present – genre (Dance/electronic)

Australia[link]

• 100% Hits – Top-40 tracks
• Ministry Of Sound Annuals – dance music (yearly)
• House Party! - dance music
• So Fresh – Top-20 tracks, quarterly, with an additional 20 tracks each summer, comprising the best-selling tracks of the year
• Triple J Hottest 100 – a selection from the overall yearly poll
• Now – Top-20 tracks, quarterly (similar to So Fresh)

Japan[link]

• Super Eurobeat (Avex, 1991–present) – genre : eurobeat
• Dancemania (Toshiba EMI, 1996–present) – genre : dance
• Image (Sony Music Entertainment Japan, 2000–present) - genre : easy listening

Asia[link]

• MTV Fantastic Females (Columbia Records, 1998-2000) - genre (pop/rock/dance)

See also[link]

• List of garage rock and psychedelic rock compilation albums
• List of punk compilation albums
• Mix album
• Mixtape
• Product bundling
• Shovelware

References[link]

116 Clique
116 Clique on the Don't Waste Your Life Tour (2009)
Background information
Origin	Dallas, Texas, USA
Genres	Christian hip hop
Years active	2005-present
Labels	Reach Records
Website	www.reachrecords.com
Members
Lecrae  · Tedashii  · Trip Lee  ·  · KB  · PRo  · Andy Mineo
Past members
Thi'sl  · Json  · Sho Baraka

The 116 Clique (pronounced one-one-six click) is a Hip Hop and Christian Rap group from Dallas, Texas signed to Reach Records. It consists mainly of Reach Records' solo artists and several who are signed to other labels.^[1] The 116 Clique is named after the Bible verse Romans 1:16.^[2] "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile."^[3] For them it means acknowledging the power of the Gospel and to proclaim it in every area of their life. "We can lay our lives down to serve and glorify God in everything we do."

Man Up, was expected to be released July 23, 2011.^[4] However, the official release date was pushed back to September 27, 2011. A corresponding film, directed by Sho Baraka, was made to show the importance of a godly man. The Man Up Movie & Concert Series tour took place in selected cities where fans could see a screening of Man Up followed by a concert with songs from the soundtrack.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

Debuting with The Compilation Album in 2005, DJ Primo remixed the original recordings the following year with The Compilation Album: Chopped and Screwed. The remix album was released in 2006 and included four bonus tracks. In 2007 they released 13 Letters, the album name representing the 13 letters Paul wrote to first-century Christians.^[5]

Albums[link]

"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles[link]

• "Man Up Anthem"

Music Videos[link]

• "116 clique video"
• "Man Up Anthem"

Tours[link]

In 2008, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka and Tedashii went on the Unashamed Tour. In 2009, Lecrae, Tedashii, Sho Baraka, Trip Lee and FLAME went on the Don't Waste Your Life Tour.^[13] Also in 2009, Lecrae, After Edmund, Sho Baraka, Tedashii and Mikeschair went on the Altered Minds tour. In 2010, Lecrae, Tedashii, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, PRo and DJ Official went on the Unashamed Tour 2010.

Lecrae was on the 2011 Mission Cruise (Cruise With A Cause) on May 30-June 4, 2011.

• Unashamed (Summer 2008) Lecrae, Tedashii, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka^[14]
• Don't Waste Your Life (Summer 2009) FLAME, Lecrae, Tedashii, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka^[15]
• Altered Minds (Fall 2009) After Edmund, Lecrae, Mikeschair, Tedashii, Sho Baraka^[16]
• Unashamed 2010: The Movement (Fall 2010) Lecrae, PRo, Tedashii, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, DJ Official^[17]
• Man Up: Movie & Concert Series (Fall 2011) Lecrae, PRo, Tedashii, KB, Sho Baraka , Trip Lee and Andy Mineo

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official myspace page
• Reach Records

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. (July 2010)

Chris Rea
Chris Rea during the Santo Spirito Tour (2011).
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Anton Rea
Born	(1951-03-04) 4 March 1951 (age 61)
Origin	Middlesbrough, England
Genres	Pop rock, soft rock, blues rock
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Magnet, East West, Edel

Chris Rea ( /ˈriːə/ REE-ə; born Christopher Anton Rea, 4 March 1951)^[1] is an English singer-songwriter, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice and slide guitar playing.^[2] The British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s. He was already a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10 with his 18th chart entry; "The Road to Hell (Part 2)".^[3] By 2009, Rea had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.^[4]

He is well known for his 1978 hit song "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" that charted #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at #1 on the U.S. Billboard adult contemporary chart. The song was later covered by Elkie Brooks and was a top 20 hit in the UK.

Although Rea had limited success in the United States, two of his albums, The Road to Hell and Auberge, topped the UK Albums Chart.^[3] The book Guinness Rockopedia described him as a "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart".^[5]

Biography[link]

Chris Rea playing slide/bottleneck on his Italia Maranello Classic Blue Sparkle! at the Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 5th 2010 during the 2010 Still So Far To Go Tour.

Chris Rea, probably in the 1980's

Santo Spirito Tour (2011)

Santo Spirito Tour (2011)

Early life[link]

Rea was born in Middlesbrough, England, the son of ice cream producer Camillo Rea who together with his brother Gaetano owned an ice cream factory and ran twenty-one cafés.^[6]

Early career[link]

After leaving school Rea worked in casual labouring jobs, including working in his father's ice cream business. It was at the comparatively late age of 22 that Rea bought his first guitar and began his musical career, inspired by the music of Joe Walsh and Ry Cooder.^[7] A natural left-hander, Rea nevertheless learned to play the guitar right-handed. In 1973 he joined the Middlesbrough band Magdalene, replacing David Coverdale who later created Whitesnake.^[5] Rea then went on to form the band Beautiful Losers which he left when he secured a solo recording deal with Magnet Records^[7] and released his first single entitled "So Much Love"^[8] in 1974.^[9] In 1977 he performed on Hank Marvin's album The Hank Marvin Guitar Syndicate and also guested on Catherine Howe's EP The Truth of the Matter.^[1]

Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? was Rea's debut album. It was released in June 1978 and produced by Elton John's music producer Gus Dudgeon. The title of the album was a reference to "Benjamin Santini", the stage name that Rea's record label suggested he should adopt.^[1] The first single taken from the album, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", was Rea's biggest hit in the US, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching #1 on the Adult Contemporary Singles chart. "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was nominated for a Song of the Year Grammy, losing out to Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are". Like most of Rea's early singles, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" failed to appear on the UK Singles Chart on its first release and only reached #30 when re-released in late 1978 to capitalise on its US achievement.^[3]

The singer Elkie Brooks enjoyed greater success with the song in 1982 when she charted her cover version at #17.^[1][10] It was also the first record played by Radio Caroline after a long period off the air.^[11] Another cover of "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" by Kenny Craddock was used as the theme tune for BBC sitcom Joking Apart.

Dudgeon went on to produce Rea's next album Deltics. Rea has since spoken about the difficult working relationship he had at the time with Dudgeon who he felt 'smoothed out' the blues influenced elements of his music in order to make it sound more like that of Elton John or Billy Joel.^[12]

Rea's second and third albums failed to provide further hit singles. By the time his fourth album was released, Rea's relationship with his record company had deteriorated to the extent that it was not even given a title but was simply called "Chris Rea".

European breakthrough[link]

By 1983 Rea's record company had become so uninterested in him that they released the raw demo tapes as his fifth studio album. The album "Water Sign" (likely a nod to Rea's Pisces star sign) became a surprise hit in Ireland and mainland Europe, selling over half a million in just a few months and the single "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat" taken from it entered the top 20 across Europe.^[9]

With the success of "Water Sign" Rea began to focus his attention on touring continental Europe and built up a significant fan base. It was not until 1985's Shamrock Diaries and the songs "Stainsby Girls" and "Josephine" that UK audiences began to take notice of him. His following albums were On The Beach (1986) and Dancing with Strangers (1987).^[5] The Dancing with Strangers tour in 1987 saw Rea sell out stadium size venues for the first time across the world, and Rea played Wembley Arena twice. His following album was the New Light Through Old Windows compilation album which saw studio re-workings of his earlier work.^[5]

His next full album was to be his major breakthrough.^[5] The Road to Hell (1989) enjoyed massive success and became his first #1 album in the UK. This accomplishment could not be mirrored in the US where it only reached #107 in spite of the single track "Texas" achieving extensive radio airplay. The title track was released as a single and reached the UK Top 10. Rea appeared on the Band Aid II project's single in December 1989.^[5] His next album Auberge was also a European hit, reaching the top spot in the UK.

[edit] After Auberge

After Auberge Rea released God's Great Banana Skin which reached #4 in the UK.^[5] The album returned Rea to the rockier sound of Road to Hell and the single "Nothing to Fear" gave him another Top 20 hit. A year later Espresso Logic hit the Top 10 and "Julia", written about his second daughter, gave him his eleventh Top 40 position. The album was part promoted by Rea taking part in the British Touring Car Championship, although he was eliminated in the first round.^[5] A period of ill health meant his next album did not appear until 1998. The Blue Cafe made the UK Top 10, though it proved to be Rea's last. In 1999, 10 years after Road to Hell, Rea released The Road to Hell: Part 2, which received no promotion and never made the Top 40. In 2000, he released King of the Beach, receiving critical praise and a respectable Top 30 placing.

In 2000 a remix of Rea's 1986 "On the Beach" single by York was released and enjoyed moderate success on the dance floor.

Fighting pancreatic cancer and back to the blues[link]

After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Rea underwent an operation called a Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy), with a predicted 50% chance of survival. In 2001, Rea promised himself that if he recovered, he would be returning to his blues roots. This near brush with death was the catalyst for a change in musical direction and motivation. The resulting Blue Guitars eleven CD collection of 137 blues-inspired tracks recorded in eighteen months, complete with his own paintings as album covers, is seen by himself as his finest work to date.^{[citation needed]} In an interview with The Britsound Radio Show, Rea revealed that "it’s not until you become seriously ill and you nearly die and you’re at home for six months, that you suddenly stop to realise that this isn’t the way I intended it to be in the beginning. Everything that you’ve done falls away and start wondering why you went through all that rock business stuff."^[13] In 2002, Rea released Dancing Down the Stony Road following recording sessions in France and the UK. (An abridged version of the album was later released under the title Stony Road.) The album was followed by a DVD of the same name, comprising a documentary and footage from a concert in Cologne. Rea set up his own JazzeeBlue label in 2003 to free himself from the pressure of record company expectations. Since then he has released the blues albums Blue Street (Five Guitars) (an instrumental jazz-blues album) and then The Blue Jukebox. He has worked with David Knopfler for two albums: Wishbones (2001) and Ship of Dreams (2004).

[edit] Blue Guitars and retirement

Following the release of the box set, Blue Guitars, in 2005, it was announced that Rea would not record any further solo albums. He has stated that he would continue to make records with some of his favourite players under the name The Memphis Fireflies.^[14] A double DVD set and a separate double CD set was released in 2006, including live selections from Rea's farewell tour entitled The Road To Hell & Back.

The return[link]

In November 2007, Rea announced a new tour and a new album featuring 38 new tracks on three CDs and two vinyls, which included a hardback book in the style of a slightly tatty 12" vinyl sleeve. The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Blue Notes (a dedication to the 1960s guitar of the same name) was released in February 2008. In writing the album, Rea dreamed up a band that had never existed — a pastiche instrumental group from the late 1950s called The Delmonts.

The release of the album was followed by a European tour. The band was introduced as "The Delmonts featuring Chris Rea", and played in various venues across the UK, including the Royal Albert Hall in London.

His song "Driving Home for Christmas", which originally reached #53 in the UK chart when first released in 1988, re-entered at #33 nineteen years later in December 2007, making it the first time the song had made the UK Top 40.^[3] In a live interview on the BBC Radio 4 programme Today on December 16, 2009 Rea said he wrote “Driving Home for Christmas” many years before he first recorded it. His wife, a vegetarian, had come down to London to drive him home to Middlesbrough in her Austin Mini to save money because it was cheaper to drive than travel by train. Inspiration for the song came as she and Rea were stuck in heavy traffic heading out of London with a long drive to Middlesbrough ahead of them. Rea said "Driving Home for Christmas" is a “car version of a carol”.^[15]

In October 2009, Rhino released a new 2-disc best of compilation. Still So Far To Go - The Best of Chris Rea contained some of his best known hits over the last thirty years, many of them less well known, as well as more recent songs from his "blues" period. There are also two new songs "Come So Far, Yet Still So Far to Go" and the ballad "Valentino", a song about his dog that had died. In actuality Chris had to give the day to a friend as the dog was loopy. Perhaps not surprising as the dog had spent six months in quarantine. Chris brought the Jack Russell back from Italy. But then again it might have been in the nature of the dog. After all each day while in quarantine Chris visited the dog. The album was Rea's highest charting album in 15 years, reaching #8 and staying in the Top 50 for four weeks. In 2010 Rea performed on a European tour called Still So Far to Go. His special guest on stage was an Irish musician Paul Casey. The tour ended on 5 April in Belfast, United Kingdom.

In September 2011, Chris Rea released "The Santo Spirito Project" containing two feature-length films on DVD written and directed by Chris and 2 accompanying CDs of the soundtracks and one CD of songs.

Family life[link]

Rea is the son of the late Camillo Rea (died December 2010) and Winifred of Irish descent (died September 1983).^[16] He has two brothers, Nick and Mike, and four sisters, Catherine, Geraldine, Paula and Camille.

He is married to Joan, with whom he has two daughters (Josephine, born 16 September 1983, and Julia Christina, born 18 March 1989). He used to live at in Cookham, Berkshire. The Sol Mill Recording Studios was where he produced some of his later albums. He also produced albums for other artists such as Sylvin Marc, and Robert Ahwai on his JazeeBlue label. The property was sold in 2006.

The name Rea was well known locally thanks to the chain of Rea's Ice Cream shops owned by Rea's father.^[5] In later years the chain folded except for one shop operated by Camillo himself. Chris Rea holds a season ticket with Middlesbrough FC.^{[citation needed]}

Other interests[link]

Rea is a huge fan of motor racing and races a Ferrari Dino^[17] and a 1955 Lotus 6.^[18][19] He recorded a song, "Saudade," in tribute to three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna. It featured prominently in the BBC documentary that can be watched in full here ^[20] (UK users only) and was released on The Very Best of Chris Rea (2001).

Politics[link]

In August 2008, it was erroneously reported that Rea had donated £25,000 to the Conservative Party.^[21] This was followed by further incorrect reports in April 2010, just weeks before the UK general election, that Rea had donated a further £100,000 to the Conservatives.^[22] The donations were in fact made by a businessman called Chris Rea and not the musician. This error has been acknowledged by The Daily Mail newspaper, which printed a retraction.^[23] The Times reported in 2009 that Rea has been a longtime supporter of the Conservative Party.^[24] Rea supported the Conservative Candidate for Middlesbrough in the 2010 general election by allowing use of his song "Steel River" to highlight the plight of the local Corus steel workers who had lost their jobs.

Films[link]

Rea has also been an actor, playing the lead in the 1999 comedy film, Parting Shots, alongside John Cleese, Bob Hoskins and Joanna Lumley. Rea played a character who was told that cancer gave him six weeks to live, and decided to kill those people who had badly affected his life.^[5]

He also had a cameo role in the 1996 film, La Passione, for which he wrote the soundtrack.^[5]

References in Rea's lyrics[link]

Rea has acknowledged that many of his songs were 'born out of Middlesbrough,' his home town. Perhaps the most famous of these is the song "Stainsby Girls," from the album Shamrock Diaries, which he wrote and composed in tribute to his wife Joan, who had attended Stainsby Secondary Modern School years before it was renamed Acklam Grange Secondary School. The song "Steel River," on the same album, reflects Rea's feelings about the re-development of Middlesbrough town centre while he was out of the country touring:

"I went back to see me father after me mother had died and the fuckers had knocked the whole place down. I'd been gone three years, hard touring in Europe. I literally went to drive somewhere that wasn't there. It was like a sci-fi movie. The Middlesbrough I knew, it's as if there was a war there 10 years ago."^[25]

"Steel River" is also another name for the River Tees.^[26] In the song there is a mention of 'salmon who have lost their steel mother' and, in the 1980s, it looked like they were gone for good. However, salmon stocks are slowly beginning to recover.^[27]

Discography[link]

• Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? (1978)
• Deltics (1979)
• Tennis (1980)
• Chris Rea (1982)
• Water Sign (1983)
• Wired to the Moon (1984)
• Shamrock Diaries (1985)
• On the Beach (1986)
• Dancing with Strangers (1987)
• New Light Through Old Windows (1988)
• The Road to Hell (1989)
• Auberge (1991)
• God's Great Banana Skin (1992)
• Espresso Logic (1993)
• La Passione (1996)
• The Blue Cafe (1998)
• The Road to Hell: Part 2 (1999)
• King of the Beach (2000)
• Dancing Down the Stony Road / Stony Road (2002)
• Blue Street (Five Guitars) (2003)
• Hofner Blue Notes (2003)
• The Blue Jukebox (2004)
• Blue Guitars (2005)
• The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes (2008)
• Still So Far To Go: The Best of Chris Rea (2009)^[1]
• Santo Spirito Blues (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Official site of Rea's record label, JazzeeBlue
• Interview on the Britsound Radio Show, November 2005

"The Black Dahlia" was a nickname given to Elizabeth Short^[1][2][3] (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947), an American woman who was the victim of a gruesome and much-publicized murder. Short acquired the moniker posthumously by newspapers in the habit of nicknaming crimes they found particularly colorful. Short was found mutilated, her body sliced in half at the waist, on January 15, 1947, in Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California. Short's unsolved murder has been the source of widespread speculation, leading to many suspects, along with several books and film adaptations of the story.

Early life[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Elizabeth Short was born in greater Boston, Massachusetts; she grew up and lived in Medford. She was the third of five daughters of Cleo Short and Phoebe Mae Sawyer. Her father built miniature golf courses until the 1929 stock market crash, in which he lost much of the family's assets. In 1930, he parked his car on a bridge and vanished,^[4] leading some to believe he had committed suicide. Short's mother moved the family to a small apartment in Medford, and found work as a bookkeeper. It was not until later that Short would discover her father was alive and was living in California.

Arrest photo from 1943 for underage drinking

Troubled by asthma and bronchitis, Short was sent to live for the winter in Miami, Florida at the age of 16. She spent the next three years living there during the cold months and in Medford the remainder of the year. At age 19, Short travelled to Vallejo, California to live with her father, who was working nearby at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on San Francisco Bay. The two moved to Los Angeles in early 1943, but an altercation resulted in her leaving there and finding work in the post exchange at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base), near Lompoc, California. Short next moved to Santa Barbara, where she was arrested on September 23, 1943, for underage drinking. Following her arrest, she was sent back to Medford by the juvenile authorities in Santa Barbara. Short then returned to Florida to live, with occasional visits back to Massachusetts.

In Florida, Short met Major Matthew Michael Gordon Jr., a decorated United States Army Air Forces officer who was assigned to the 2nd Air Commando Group and in training for deployment to China Burma India Theater of Operations. Short told friends that Gordon wrote her a letter from India proposing marriage while he was recovering from injuries sustained from an airplane crash. She accepted his proposal, but Gordon died in a second airplane crash on August 10, 1945 before he could return to the United States. She later exaggerated this story, saying that they were married and had a child who died. Although Gordon's friends in the air commandos confirmed that Gordon and Short were engaged, his family denied any connection after Short's murder.

Elizabeth Short returned to Los Angeles in July 1946 to visit Army Air Corps Lieutenant Joseph Gordon Fickling, an old boyfriend she had met in Florida during the war. At the time Short returned to Los Angeles, Fickling was stationed at NARB, Long Beach. For the six months prior to her death, Short remained in southern California, mainly in the Los Angeles area.

Murder and aftermath[link]

The grave of Elizabeth Short

The body of Elizabeth Short was found in the Leimert Park district of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her remains had been left on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue midway between Coliseum Street and West 39th Street. (at 34°00′59″N 118°19′59″W / 34.0164°N 118.333°W / 34.0164; -118.333) The body was discovered by local resident Betty Bersinger, who was walking with her three-year-old daughter.^[5] Short's severely mutilated body had been found nude and severed at the waist, completely drained of blood.^[6] Her face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth toward her ears, creating an effect called the Glasgow smile. The body had been washed and cleaned and she had been "posed" with her hands over her head and elbows bent at right angles.^[4]

The autopsy stated Short was 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall, weighed 115 pounds (52 kg), and had light blue eyes, brown hair, and badly decayed teeth. There were marks on her ankles and wrists made by rope, consistent with being tied either spreadeagled or hung upside down. Although the skull was not fractured, Short had bruising on the front and right side of her scalp with a small amount of bleeding in the subarachnoid space on the right side, consistent with blows to the head. The cause of death was blood loss from the lacerations to the face combined with shock due to a concussion of the brain.

William Randolph Hearst's papers, the Los Angeles Herald-Express and the Los Angeles Examiner, sensationalized the case; the black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing became "a tight skirt and a sheer blouse" and Elizabeth Short became the "Black Dahlia," an "adventuress" who "prowled Hollywood Boulevard". As time passed, the media coverage became more outrageous with claims her lifestyle "made her victim material."

On January 23, 1947, the killer called the editor of the Los Angeles Examiner, expressing concern that news of the murder was tailing off in the newspapers and offering to mail items belonging to Short to the editor. The following day a packet arrived at the Los Angeles newspaper containing Short's birth certificate, business cards, photographs, names written on pieces of paper and an address book with the name Mark Hansen embossed on the cover. Hansen, the last person known to have seen Short alive (on January 9), became the prime suspect. The killer would later write more letters to the newspaper, calling himself "the Black Dahlia Avenger," after the name given to Short by the newspapers. On January 25, Short's handbag and one shoe were found in a garbage bin a short distance from Norton Avenue. Due to the notoriety of the case, more than 50 men and women have confessed to the murder and police are swamped with tips every time a newspaper mentions the case or a book or movie about it is released. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated: "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer."

Gerry Ramlow, a Los Angeles Daily News reporter later stated, "If the murder was never solved it was because of the reporters ... They were all over, trampling evidence, withholding information."^{[citation needed]} It took several days for the police to take full control of the investigation during which time reporters roamed freely throughout the department's offices, sat at officers' desks, and answered their phones. Many tips from the public were not passed on to police as the reporters who received them rushed out to get "scoops".

Short was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California. After Short's sisters had grown up and married, Short's mother moved to Oakland to be near her daughter's grave. Phoebe Short finally returned to the East Coast in the 1970s and lived into her 90s.^[4]

Rumors and popular misconceptions[link]

According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Elizabeth Short received the nickname "Black Dahlia" at a Long Beach, California drugstore in mid-1946, as a word play on the then-current movie The Blue Dahlia. Los Angeles County district attorney investigators' reports state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering the murder. Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Bevo Means, who interviewed Short's acquaintances at the drug store, is credited with first using the "Black Dahlia" name.^[7]

A number of people, none of whom knew Short, contacted police and the newspapers claiming to have seen her during her so-called "missing week"—a time period between the time of her January 9 disappearance and the time her body was found on January 15. Police and district attorney investigators ruled out each of these alleged sightings, wherein in some cases, those interviewed were identifying other women they had mistaken for Short.^[8]

Many true crime books claim that Short lived in or visited Los Angeles at various times in the mid 1940s; these claims have never been substantiated and are refuted by the findings of law enforcement officers who investigated the case. A document in the Los Angeles County district attorney's files titled "Movements of Elizabeth Short Prior to June 1, 1946" states that Short was in Florida and Massachusetts from September 1943 through the early months of 1946 and gives a detailed account of her living and working arrangements during this period. Although a popular portrayal amongst her acquaintances and many true crime authors was of Short as a call girl, the Los Angeles district attorney's grand jury proved there was no existing evidence that she was ever a prostitute and the district attorney's office attributes the claim to confusion with a prostitute of the same name. Another widely circulated rumor holds that Short was unable to have sexual intercourse because of a congenital defect that left her with "infantile genitalia." Los Angeles County district attorney's files state that the investigators had questioned three men with whom Short had sex,^[9] including a Chicago police officer who was a suspect in the case.^[10] The FBI files on the case also contain a statement from one of Short's alleged lovers. Found in the Los Angeles district attorney's files and in the Los Angeles Police Department's summary of the case, Short's autopsy describes her reproductive organs as anatomically normal although the report notes evidence of what it called "female trouble." The autopsy also states that Short was not and had never been pregnant, contrary to what had been claimed prior to and following her death.^[9]

Suspects[link]

The Black Dahlia murder investigation was conducted by the LAPD. The case also enlisted the help of hundreds of officers borrowed from other law enforcement agencies. Owing to the nature of the crime, sensational and sometimes inaccurate press coverage focused intense public attention on the case.

Theories and possibly related murders[link]

Some crime authors have speculated on a link between the Short murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland between 1934 and 1938.^[11] As with a large number of killings that took place before and after the Short murder, the original LAPD investigators looked into the Cleveland murders in 1947 and later discounted any relationship between the two cases. Nevertheless, new evidence implicating a former Cleveland torso murder suspect, Jack Anderson Wilson, with Short's death was investigated by Detective John P. St. John in 1980. St. John claimed he was close to arresting Wilson for the death of Short when Wilson unexpectedly died in a fire on February 4, 1982.^[12]

Crime authors such as Steve Hodel and William Rasmussen have suggested a link between the Short murder and the 1946 murder and dismemberment of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan in Chicago.^[13] Captain Donahoe of the Los Angeles police also stated publicly that he believed the Black Dahlia and Lipstick murders were "likely connected."^[14] Among the evidence cited is the fact that Elizabeth Short's body was found on Norton Avenue three blocks west of Degnan Boulevard, Degnan being the last name of the girl from Chicago and there were striking similarities between the writing of the Degnan ransom note and that of "the Black Dahlia Avenger." For example, both used a combination of capitals and small letters, the Degnan note read in part "BuRN This FoR heR SAfTY" with both notes containing a similar mis-shapen letter P and have one word matching exactly.^[15] Convicted serial killer William Heirens served life in prison for Degnan's murder. Initially arrested at age 17 for breaking into a residence close to that of Suzanne Degnan, Heirens claimed he was tortured by police, forced to confess, and made a scapegoat in the Degnan murder.^[16]

Depictions in fiction[link]

The radio show Somebody Knows!, a summer replacement for Suspense, ran an episode on the killing in August 1950 on the CBS Radio Network.

James Ellroy's neo-noir novel The Black Dahlia was published in 1987. It was made into a 2006 movie directed by Brian De Palma. Elizabeth Short was played by actress Mia Kirshner in the film.

Lucie Arnaz played Elizabeth Short in the 1975 TV movie Who Is the Black Dahlia?

An episode of the NBC television series Unsolved Mysteries (hosted by actor Robert Stack) ran a profile on the murder in 1989, and it has aired on reruns on Lifetime several times, and was even revisited in the more recent iteration of the series.

In the ninth episode of the horror television series American Horror Story, Short is among the people murdered in the show's haunted house setting over the course of a century. Short, played by Mena Suvari, is depicted as having died accidentally from anesthesia while being sexually assaulted by a dentist, her body then being dismembered by a ghost for easier transport. In the same episode, the character Travis is murdered in a similar fashion and his murder case is dubbed the "Boy Dahlia". ^[17]

See also[link]

• Ernest E. Debs, Los Angeles City Council member who sought investigation of J. Paul de River, the Los Angeles Police Department psychiatrist at the time of the Black Dahlia.

References[link]