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A chart is a graphical representation of data, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tabular numeric data, functions or some kinds of qualitative structures.

Overview

The term "chart" as a graphical representation of data has multiple meaning

A data chart is a type of diagram or graph, that organizes and represents a set of numerical or qualitative data.

Maps that are adorned with extra information for some specific purpose are often known as charts, such as a nautical chart or aeronautical chart.

Other domain specific constructs are sometimes called charts, such as the chord chart in music notation or a record chart for album popularity.

Charts are often used to ease understanding of large quantities of data and the relationships between parts of the data. Charts can usually be read more quickly than the raw data that they are produced from. They are used in a wide variety of fields, and can be created by hand (often on graph paper) or by computer using a charting application. Certain types of charts are more useful for presenting a given data set than others. For example, data that presents percentages in different groups (such as "satisfied, not satisfied, unsure") are often displayed in a pie chart, but may be more easily understood when presented in a horizontal bar chart. On the other hand, data that represents numbers that change over a period of time (such as "annual revenue from 1990 to 2000") might be best shown as a line chart.

Features of a chart

A chart can take a large variety of forms, however there are common features that provide the chart with its ability to extract meaning from data.

Typically a chart is graphical, containing very little text, since humans are generally able to infer meaning from pictures quicker than from text. One of the more important uses of text in a graph is in the title. A graph's title usually appears above the main graphic and provides a succinct description of what the data in the graph refers to.

Dimensions in the data are often displayed on axes. If a horizontal and a vertical axis are used, they are usually referred to as the x-axis and y-axis respectively. Each axis will have a scale, denoted by periodic graduations and usually accompanied by numerical or categorical indications. Each axis will typically also have a label displayed outside or beside it, briefly describing the dimension represented. If the scale is numerical, the label will often be suffixed with the unit of that scale in parentheses. For example, "Distance traveled (m)" is a typical x-axis label and would mean that the distance travelled in metres is related to the horizontal position of the data.

Within the graph a grid of lines may appear to aid in the visual alignment of data. The grid can be enhanced by visually emphasizing the lines at regular or significant graduations. The emphasized lines are then called major grid lines and the rest of the grid lines are minor grid lines.

The data of a chart can appear in all manner of formats, with or without individual labels. It may appear as dots or shapes, connected or unconnected, and in any combination of colors and patterns. Inferences or points of interest can be overlayed directly on the graph to further aid information extraction.

When the data appearing in a chart contains multiple variables, the chart may include a legend. A legend contains a list of the variables appearing in the chart and an example of their appearance. This information allows the data from each variable to be identified in the chart.

Types of charts

Common charts

Four of the most common charts are:

This gallery shows:

A histogram typically shows the quantity of points that fall within various numeric ranges (or bins).

A bar chart uses bars to show frequencies or values for different categories.

A pie chart shows percentage values as a slice of a pie.

A line chart is a two-dimensional scatterplot of ordered observations where the observations are connected following their order.

Other common charts are:

Less-common charts

Examples of less common charts are:

This gallery shows:

A bubble chart is a two-dimensional scatterplot where a third variable is represented by the size of the points.

A Polar area diagram, sometimes called a Coxcomb chart developed by Florence Nightingale is an enhanced form of pie chart.

A radar chart or "spider chart" is a two-dimensional chart of three or more quantitative variables represented on axes starting from the same point.

A waterfall chart also known as a "Walk" chart, is a special type of floating-column chart.

A Tree Map where the areas of the rectangles correspond to values. Other dimensions can be represented with colour or hue.

Field-specific charts

Some types of charts have specific uses in a certain field

This gallery shows:

Stock market prices are often depicted with a open-high-low-close chart with a traditional bar chart of volume at the bottom.

Candlestick charts are another type of bar chart used to describe price movements of an equity over time.

A Kagi chart is a time-independent stock tracking chart that attempts to minimise noise.

Alternatively, where less detail is required, and chart size is paramount, a Sparkline may be used.

Other examples:

Interest rates, temperatures, etc., at the close of the period are plotted with a line chart.

Project planners use a Gantt chart to show the timing of tasks as they occur over time.

Well-known named charts

Some of the better-known named charts are:

Some specific charts have become well known by effectively explaining a phenomenon or idea.

An Allele chart is a chart originating from the study of genetics to show the interaction of two data points in a grid.

A Gantt chart helps in scheduling complex projects.

The Nolan chart is a libertarian political chart.

A PERT chart is often used in project management.

The Pournelle chart is a political chart to categorize state and rational ideologies.

The Smith chart serves in radio electronics.

Other charts

There are dozens of other types of charts. Here are some of them:

Common plots

See also

Diagram

Edward Tufte

Exploratory data analysis

Information graphics

Graphic organizer

Mathematical diagram

Official statistics

Plot (graphics)

References

Category:Infographics

Coordinates	56°06′37″N47°15′04″N
Name	Laura Branigan
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Laura Ann Branigan
Born	July 03, 1957 Brewster, New York, U.S.
Died	August 26, 2004East Quogue, New York, U.S.
Spouse	Larry Kruteck (1981 - 1996) (his death)
Genre	Pop rock, Pop, Dance
Occupation	Singer, musician, actress
Years active	1973–2004
Label	Atlantic
Url	Official Website
Notable instruments	Piano
Filename	Laura Branigan - Gloria.ogg
Format	Ogg
Type	single
Title	"Gloria"

}} Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1957 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer-songwriter and actress of Italian and Irish ancestry. She is best known in the United States for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and in Europe for the number-one single "Self Control". Branigan is also remembered for the Top 10 "Solitaire," and for the number-one Adult Contemporary hit "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", as well as four other US Top 40 hits.

Branigan also contributed songs to notable motion picture and television soundtracks, including the Grammy- and Academy Award-winning Flashdance soundtrack (1983), the Ghostbusters soundtrack (1984), and the Baywatch soundtrack (1994), as well as having songs featured in the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series.

Her signature song "Gloria" stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, at the time a record for a female artist. The song holds a place in the top 100 singles of both 1982 and 1983.

Biography

Early career

In the early 1970s, Branigan was a member of the band Meadow, which released one album in 1973 called The Friend Ship. The record has never been re-released. Branigan preferred not to discuss her involvement with Meadow publicly. During the years after Meadow broke up, she had various jobs, including a stint as one of Leonard Cohen's backup singers for his European tour.

In 1979 Branigan was signed by Ahmet Ertegun to Atlantic Records. The strength of her alto voice, with its four-octave range, ironically impeded her career for a couple of years while the label went through the process of categorizing her. She was finally categorized as a pop singer and a single called "Looking Out for Number One" made a brief appearance on the U.S. Dance chart. Two other early Atlantic singles, "Tell Him" and "Fool's Affair", followed. None of these three singles (or the B-side "When") were included on her first album or ever reissued on any compilation LP or CD, although in July 2007 Rhino Records came close to releasing a 5-song digital EP release titled "Hi-5", which included these 4 songs as well as one other B-side titled "Love Me Tonight". (Rhino discontinued their "Hi-5" series shortly before the intended release date of this collection.) Her first solo album Branigan was released in 1982; the first single from this album was "All Night With Me," which hit #69 on the Billboard charts in early 1982. Her first reviews saw her voice compared to both Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand, both of whom had enjoyed iconic Disco hits.

Branigan, the nine-song debut album, alternated four energetic up-tempo songs with five ballads, including one of the few songs written solely by Branigan: "I Wish We Could Be Alone." "Gloria," originally an Italian love song recorded by Umberto Tozzi in 1979 (and successful in several European countries), was released as the album's second single. Branigan's version was reworked with Tozzi's own arranger, Greg Mathieson, who updated its production with fellow producer Jack White to give it what Branigan called "an American kick" to match the new English lyrics. American radio was initially unreceptive to "Gloria"; the song's combination of American and European sound predated the imminent second "British Invasion" of popular music by several months. Embraced by dance clubs, especially gay clubs, it eventually won over American radio stations and the song became one of the biggest hits of the 1980s. The album went Gold, and the single was eventually certified Platinum (for sales of more than two million U.S. copies). Branigan's vocal performance of "Gloria" was nominated for a Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female Grammy Award (alongside Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, Juice Newton, and that year's winner Melissa Manchester); "Gloria" marked Branigan's only solo nomination. The following year she received a second nomination as one of the various artists on the Flashdance original soundtrack album when it was nominated for Album of the Year. The album also won the Best Soundtrack Grammy but as this award is only given to the composers Branigan was not nominated.

In the spring of 1983, Branigan released her second album, Branigan 2. By this time, the dramatic European synth-pop sound was on the rise, and Branigan's vocals propelled her English-language version of the French song "Solitaire" to the upper reaches of the U.S. charts. The original "Solitaire" was written and recorded in 1981 by French singer-songwriter Martine Clemenceau. In addition to cementing a place in pop history and ensuring she was not a one-hit wonder, her second album's two big hits began the careers for two then-unknowns, who themselves became industry legends. The English translation of "Solitaire" was the first major hit for songwriter Diane Warren, while the album's second hit single, the ballad "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," was the first major hit for its co-writer, Michael Bolton. Branigan's debut recording of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" reached #12 on the Hot 100 and spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

The 1983 film Flashdance contained two Laura Branigan songs, "Gloria" and a new song, "Imagination." The latter song was included on the Grammy Award winning Flashdance soundtrack, which reached #1 and sold more than six million copies in the U.S. alone.

Height of her career

The year 1984 was the height of the European synth-pop era, and Self Control, the title track of Branigan's third album, became her biggest hit. The song became her most popular international hit, topping the charts in several countries, most notably West Germany, where it spent seven weeks at #1. The original version of "Self Control," recorded few months earlier in 1984 by one of the song's co-writer Raffaele Riefoli (under the name Raf), held the West German number-two spot during this time period; outside of Raf's native Italy, Branigan's version enjoyed more success.

Other pop, dancefloor and adult contemporary hits from Branigan's Self Control album include "The Lucky One" (which won her a Tokyo Music Festival prize), the continental ballad "Ti Amo" (another Umberto Tozzi hit, and a #2 hit in Australia for Branigan) and the Dance hit "Satisfaction." The album also featured an understated version of Carole King's "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"; as a counterpoint to all the disco production, it was a bare-bones piano version. (In concerts and television appearances throughout her career, Branigan accompanied herself on the piano for the song.) That year, Branigan's live show was recorded twice, for a syndicated radio concert series and a concert video. Branigan was also nominated for an award at the American Music Awards of 1985 for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist (though Cyndi Lauper won the award). Also in 1985, Branigan performed the main theme song for the highly rated television mini-series Hollywood Wives, based on the novel by Jackie Collins.

By the time of Branigan's fourth album, 1985's Hold Me, "Self Control" was a world-wide success. The hits continued with "Spanish Eddie," which was her sixth US Billboard Top 40 Pop hit in two and a half years. The subsequent single release "Hold Me" was a U.S. top 40 dance hit, and Branigan's introduction of the rock ballad "I Found Someone" (cowritten by Michael Bolton, and later a hit for Cher) scored even higher on the Adult Contemporary chart. However, neither song was supported by a music video and stalled in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 chart.

Touch, which was released in 1987, marked a change in Branigan's career. Under new management and using different producers, Branigan took a more active role in her work and in the studio. Touch saw her return to dancefloors with the Stock/Aitken/Waterman-produced "Shattered Glass", written by Bob Mitchell and Steve Coe. The album also included a return to the Billboard Top 40 with her cover of Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love," which was one of the top 20 bestselling singles in the United States during Christmastime. The album's third single, "Cry Wolf," did not capture attention at pop radio and stalled. The ballad was recorded two years later by Stevie Nicks, and more recently by writer Jude Johnstone.

During the height of her career, Branigan also made acting appearances, first in 1981 in An American Girl in Berlin for German television, and then after the success of "Gloria," guest appearances on American television series such as CHiPs, Automan and Knight Rider. She would later do independent films such as Mugsy's Girls (aka Delta Pi, 1985) with Academy Award winner Ruth Gordon, and the Australian film Backstage. She sang on major national television and radio campaigns for products including Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola and Chrysler, which sponsored her 1985-1986 "Hold Me" tour.

Later Years

Branigan's 1990 self-titled album brought the singer back to the Hi-NRG charts and gay clubs with "Moonlight On Water" and scored a Top 30 Adult Contemporary hit with "Never in a Million Years". Branigan added production to her list of credits with her cover of Vicki Sue Robinson's disco-era "Turn the Beat Around" and the atmospheric "Let Me In," a cover of an Eddie Money song. The album also included "Unison," which was the title track for Celine Dion's English debut CD in the same year. The album's closing track, a cover of Bryan Adams' "The Best Was Yet to Come," was produced and arranged by Branigan herself. The singer's 1990-1991 concert tour was filmed for a syndicated U.S. television show, SRO in Concert, which was also released on videocassette and laserdisc (though not on DVD, to date.)

On Branigan's seventh and final studio album, 1993's Over My Heart, the singer again produced (with Phil Ramone), wrote and arranged. The album included a cover of Roxette's song "The Sweet Hello, the Sad Goodbye," and "Is There Anybody Here But Me?" (Pessis, Wells), a smooth mid-tempo number.

Branigan was married to Larry Kruteck, a lawyer 20 years her senior, in December 1981. Not long after the Over My Heart album's release, Branigan left the music industry in 1994 to spend more time with Kruteck following his diagnosis of colon cancer. He died on June 15, 1996.

During these years, Branigan's chart success cooled in the United States, though she was still in demand around the world and went on several global tours. Branigan had official hit collections released in South America, Japan, Germany, South Africa, and the United States. The United States collection was released in 1995: The 13-track The Best of Branigan and included two newly recorded covers: "Show Me Heaven" (written by Maria McKee) and the Donna Summer hit "Dim All the Lights", which Branigan released in several remixes.

Branigan's vocal coach was Carlo Menotti and she worked with Steve Lukather (Toto), Dann Huff (Giant) and Michael Landau; keyboardists Greg Mathieson, Harold Faltermeyer, Michael Boddicker and Robbie Buchanan; bassists Nathan East and Dennis Belfield (Rufus); drummer Carlos Vega; percussionists Paulinho Da Costa and Lenny Castro; and guest vocalists including Joe "Bean" Esposito and background vocalists including The Waters Sisters (Maxine & Julia), James Ingram, and Richard Page and Stephen George (Mr. Mister). As her stature grew, she attracted Grammy-winning producers including Phil Ramone, Richard Perry and David Kershenbaum. She performed duets with John Farnham as well as Latin pop artist Luis Miguel. She also appeared frequently on various television shows, including The Merv Griffin Show, Dick Clark's American Bandstand, Solid Gold, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

In 2001, Branigan's return to the stage was postponed when she broke both of her femurs in a fall. In 2002, she performed twice as the "singing" Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway musical Love, Janis, before dropping out of the show. "I left Janis because the producers didn't file with Equity properly", she told the Sunday News in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. "I was sort of relieved. My voice isn't anything like Janis Joplin's, and there were 19 of her songs in the show."

Also in 2002, her second official United States hits collection, , was released and included the long out-of-print hit "I Found Someone".

Death

Branigan died at her home on Long Island, New York, on August 26, 2004. Her death was attributed to a previously undiagnosed brain aneurysm. It was reported in the media that she had been experiencing headaches for several weeks before her death but did not seek medical attention. Her ashes were scattered over Long Island Sound.

Legacy

Other Half Entertainment, Branigan's management company at the time of her death, continues to oversee her career legacy through her official website, www.LauraBraniganOnline.com, her official MySpace and Facebook pages, by taking part in various media opportunities, as well as through relationships with Warner Music Group and other entertainment industry entities. Other Half Entertainment serves as the comprehensive, official voice for her legacy interests, while keeping Laura's artistic visions and standards at the heart of its operations.

In 2005, Other Half Entertainment organized a memorial for Branigan's friends and fans, held on the anniversary of her death, near the Long Island home in which she was caring for her mother at the time of her death. Following its initial success, the "Spirit of Love Memorial Gathering" remains an annual event in celebration of her life and the legacy of her passionate vocal performances and the heartfelt connection she made with her fans, whom she consistently referred to as "my other half".

Between 2006 and the present, Branigan's management company worked regularly with Warner Music Group entities in the production and release of various new greatest hits compilations. The Platinum Collection is an 18-song compilation including all the major hits as well as tracks such as "Silent Partners", "Satisfaction", "All Night With Me" and "If You Loved Me", that were four relatively new additions to Branigan hits compilations. In 2007, the 1995 "The Best of Branigan" was re-released as part of Rhino's 2007 "Greatest Hits" series of CDs. In 2008, Rhino/WEA authorized the re-release of three out-of-print Branigan albums, Touch, Laura Branigan and Over My Heart. In June 2010, Shine On: The Ultimate Collection was released, which for the first time, incorporated a region-free DVD featuring official Atlantic music videos to 10 of Branigan's songs in addition to an 18-track CD including Forever Young which made its return to the greatest hits compilations. The CD contains an edited version of the hit "Solitaire".

Discography

Studio albums

Branigan (1982)

Branigan 2 (1983)

Self Control (1984)

Hold Me (1985)

Touch (1987)

Laura Branigan (1990)

Over My Heart (1993)

Compilation albums

The Best of Laura Branigan (1988)

The Very Best of Laura Branigan (1992)

The Best of Branigan (1995)

(2002)

The Platinum Collection (2006)

(2010)

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Film ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 1985 | Mugsy's Girls | Monica | Also known as Delta Pi |- | 1988 | Backstage | Kate Lawrence | |- |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Title ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | rowspan="2"| 1982 | Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade | Herself | Performer of "Gloria" |- | Saturday Night Live | Herself | Performer of "Gloria" and "Living a Lie" |- | rowspan="3"| 1983 | CHiPs | Sarah | Guest star in "Fox Trap" (Season 6, Episode 16) |- | A Solid Gold Christmas | Herself | Performer of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" |- | Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve | Herself | Performer of "How am I Supposed to Live Without You" and "Solitaire" |- | rowspan="3"| 1984 | Automan | Jessie Cole | Guest star in "Murder MTV" (Season 1, Episode 9) |- | Laura Branigan In Concert | Herself | Her concert live from Caesars Tahoe |- | Rock Rolls On | Herself | Co-host, Performer of "Self Control" and "The Lucky One" |- | 1985 | Cover Story | Herself | Biography |- | 1986 | Disney's Living Seas | Herself | Performer and composer of "If I Were a River" |- | 1988 | Record Guide '88 | Herself | Interview |- | 1990 | SRO: In Concert | Herself | Her concert live from Atlantic City |- | 1991 | Monsters | Amanda Smith-Jones | Guest star in "A Face for Radio" (Season 3, Episode 19) |- |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Theater |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Title ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 2002 | Love, Janis | Janis Joplin | Off-Broadway, New York |- |}

Awards and nominations

^ This nomination was not awarded to Laura Branigan alone.

Certifications

''For a list of certifications awarded to Branigan for album and single sales, see Laura Branigan discography - Certifications.

References

External links

Laura Branigan's Official Website

Category:1957 births Category:2004 deaths Category:1970s singers Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:Actors from New York Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American dance musicians Category:American pop singers Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Deaths from cerebral hemorrhage Category:Female rock singers Category:Hi-NRG musicians Category:People from Westchester County, New York Category:Singers from New York

Coordinates	56°06′37″N47°15′04″N
Name	Keith Urban
Landscape	Yes
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Keith Lionel Urban
Born	October 26, 1967 in Whangarei, New Zealand
Origin	Caboolture, Australia
Instrument	Vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, Banjo, piano, bass, mandolin, bouzouki, Ebow, drums, sitar
Genre	Country
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1990–present
Label	EMI/Capitol Nashville
Spouse	Nicole Kidman (2006 - present)
Associated acts	The Ranch, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, Dann Huff, Radney Foster, John Butler Trio, John Mayer, Trisha Yearwood, Nelly Furtado, John Fogerty, Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood
Url	http://www.keithurban.net/

Keith Lionel Urban (born October 26, 1967) is a New Zealand born, Australian,country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Brisbane having moved to Caboolture, Australia at an early age. In 1991, he released a self-titled debut album, and charted four singles in Australia before moving to the United States in 1992. Eventually, Urban found work as a session guitarist before starting a band known as The Ranch, which recorded one studio album on Capitol Records and charted two singles on the Billboard country charts.

Still signed to Capitol, he made his solo American debut in 1999 with the album Keith Urban. Certified platinum in the U.S., it also produced his first American Number One in "But for the Grace of God". His breakthrough hit was the Number One "Somebody Like You", from his second Capitol album Golden Road (2002). This album also earned Urban his first Grammy Award win for "You'll Think of Me", its fourth single and the third Billboard Number One of his career. 2004's Be Here, his third American album, produced three more Number Ones, and became his highest-selling album, earning 4× Multi-Platinum certification. Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing was released in 2006, producing the record-setting #17 country chart debut of "Once in a Lifetime", as well as Urban's second Grammy for the song "Stupid Boy", while a Greatest Hits package entitled followed in late 2007. This album was re-released a year later as Greatest Hits: 19 Kids with one track added: the number one "You Look Good in My Shirt", which he had previously recorded on Golden Road. Additional albums Defying Gravity and Get Closer were released on March 31, 2009 and November 16, 2010, respectively.

Urban has released a total of nine studio albums (one of which was released only in the United Kingdom), as well as one album in The Ranch. He has charted more than fifteen singles on the U.S. country charts, including ten Number Ones. Urban plays acoustic and electric guitar, as well as ganjo, bass guitar, mandolin, piano, sitar, bouzouki and drums.

Life and career

Background

Keith Lionel Urban was born in Whangarei, New Zealand but later moved and lived with his parents in Caboolture, Queensland, Australia. By age six, Urban was already thinking about getting into the music business. He began learning the techniques at age seven and began winning young singing contests by age eight.

A few years later he began to make inroads into the Australian country music scene with regular appearances on the Reg Lindsay Country Homestead TV Program, Mike McClellands Music Program and various other TV Programs performing in duet with Jenny Wilson, local Brisbane girl with whom he won a golden guitar award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. He also performed regularly on stage at the Northern Suburbs Country Music Club near Caboolture.

In 1990, Urban signed with EMI in Australia and recorded his first solo album, which charted four No. 1 country hits in Australia, New Zealand, and Germany. Urban toured as a back-up to Slim Dusty in 1993-4. In the mid 1990s, Dusty and Urban recorded a re-worked duet of Dusty's classic "Lights on the Hill" and Urban appeared for the first time at the Grand Old Opry backing Dusty.

In 1992, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he found work as a guitarist for Brooks & Dunn and can be seen backing Alan Jackson in his music video for "Mercury Blues". Later, Urban formed The Ranch, a three-piece group that released one album in 1997. Originally the front man for The Ranch, Urban disbanded the group to pursue a solo career in 1998. In 1999, Urban found "Vocal Coach to the Stars" Brett Manning, and worked with him up until 2001.

In Nashville, Urban became a frequent user of cocaine. After reaching a personal nadir in 1998, he became determined to give up the habit and checked into Cumberland Heights, a treatment center in Nashville. After cleaning up, Urban released his self-titled American debut in 1999, which produced three top 5 hits and secured for him the Top New Male Vocalist Award at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards and the 2001 Country Music Association's Horizon Award. Widely regarded for his guitar skills, has performed as a session musician on albums such as Garth Brooks' Double Live, Dixie Chicks' Fly, and Paul Brandt's This Time Around.

Urban performed "Lights on the Hill" for Tamworth's 2004 tribute concert following the death of Australia's Slim Dusty, an artist whom Urban had both written for and covered.

Urban was also a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards. His contributions helped assist independent artists' careers across the globe.

Golden Road & Be Here

Urban released Golden Road in 2002, and the success of the single "Somebody Like You" sent his career into high gear. Touring as a supporting act for renowned country acts Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride and Kenny Chesney honed Urban's skills and stage-craft. Country video channel CMT signed on as the title sponsor of Urban's first headlining arena tour titled Keith Urban Be Here '04 with opening act Katrina Elam. Urban continued his meteoric rise to fame in 2005 with a very successful tour with Elam called Alive in '05. He performed in the Live 8 Philadelphia concert on 2 July 2005 and had been chosen by The Gap to appear alongside seven other musical stars in their "Favorites" campaign. He was named the 2005 CMA's Male Vocalist of the Year. He released a DVD in late September 2005 entitled Livin' Right Now, recorded in at the Wiltern Theater in California in December 2004. 2005]] In 2005 Urban played in front of European audiences for the first time. In May Urban supported Bryan Adams on his UK and Ireland tour, which included dates in Earls Court, London, SECC, Glasgow and The Point, Dublin. On 6 June a UK only album, Days Go By was released, this album contained songs from both Be Here and Golden Road .

In October Urban returned for a headlining tour with Nerina Pallot and Richard Winsland as support acts.

Urban has recently performed "Better Life" on the CMA Awards and "You'll Think of Me" on the American Music Awards. He also performed at the Grammys playing "You'll Think of Me" and "The Lucky One" with Faith Hill. At the 2006 ACM Awards Urban performed "Tonight I Wanna Cry" and played guitar for Brooks & Dunn's song "Believe."

Love, Pain, & The Whole Crazy Thing

On Monday 21 August 2006, Urban made history when his new single "Once in a Lifetime" debuted at #17, setting a new record for the highest-debuting country single in the 62-year history of Billboard's country charts. The record was formerly held by Garth Brooks' "Good Ride Cowboy" and Eddie Rabbitt's "Every Which Way But Loose", both of which debuted at #18. "Good Ride Cowboy" was the highest in the BDS era (1990–present). The song however would soon be beaten by Kenny Chesney's Don't Blink, which debuted at #16, and later Garth Brooks' "More Than A Memory", which debuted at #1.

Urban is also a winner of numerous "Golden Guitars", which are presented annually during the Tamworth Country Music Festival at "The Country Music Association of Australia's Annual Awards" in Tamworth, Australia. He is also a former winner of the Toyota Starmaker Contest, which is held each year in conjunction with the CMAA Awards and the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Keith was named artist of the month for July 2007 on the television network GAC (Great American Country). He answered a question of the day every day that month, and did multiple interviews about love, life, his new album and his stay in rehab.

On July 7, 2007, Keith performed with Alicia Keys at one of Al Gore's Live Earth concerts held around the world. The concerts were held to raise awareness of global warming. Keith performed at the concert held in New York City and said in an interview that global warming is not a political issue, and what he is doing to help the environment is running all bio-diesel buses in his Love, Pain and The Whole Crazy World Tour.

Urban released his first greatest hits collection, , on 20 November 2007. The CD contains all of his top 10 hits, along with two new songs, "Romeo's Tune" and "Got It Right This Time (The Celebration)."

In January 2008, Urban embarked on the Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour with fellow country singer Carrie Underwood. In early May 2008, Urban debuted a new song at the Grand Ole Opry titled "A New Sunshine". And in late May 2008, Urban re-recorded a song from his sophomore CD, "You Look Good in My Shirt". The song was released on the radio at the end of May. "Over the years it ("You Look Good In My Shirt") has always played like a hit song," said Keith. "That, combined with numerous requests from both fans and radio about why it was never a single, inspired us to get back into the studio and re-record the song."(keithurban.net) The single was a pre-cursor to the "Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy World Tour" concert DVD release in the Fall of '08. Urban's newest release "Defying Gravity" was released March 31, 2009.

"You Look Good in My Shirt" was the first single from Keith Urban's re-recorded 2007 album, Greatest Hits: 18 Kids. The album was released under a different title, Greatest Hits: 19 Kids on 19 August 2008. Keith Urban was also featured on Brad Paisley's instrumental album titled Play, on a song called "Start a Band."

Defying Gravity

Urban recently announced that the lead single for his forthcoming 5th studio album will be titled "Sweet Thing". This song became the first #1 single off the album. The song was co-written with Monty Powell, who wrote some of Urban's past hits, and co-produced with his longtime producer Dann Huff. The album, Defying Gravity, was released on 31 March 2009, through Capitol Records. Its second single, "Kiss a Girl"., debuted in March 2009. Urban performed this song on American Idol, during the season 8 finale, as a duet with eventual winner Kris Allen. Its third single, "Only You Can Love Me This Way", is another chart-topping song, co-written by Steve McEwan and John Reid. Defying Gravity debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. This was Urban's first #1 CD. His past two albums debuted at #3.

Keith Urban has received four nominations on the 2009 CMA Awards, including Entertainer Of The Year and Male Vocalist Of The Year for a fourth consecutive year in a row. He also earned a nomination for Album Of The Year for Defying Gravity and shares a nomination with Brad Paisley for Music Video Of The Year for "Start A Band".

A video for "Hit The Ground Runnin'" premiered on October 2 on CMT and CMT.com.

Urban's 2009 Escape Together tour, supporting the album, Defying Gravity, featured many big name opening acts, including Taylor Swift, Sugarland, and Jason Aldean. On June 27, 2009 Keith filmed a video for the song, "Only You Can Love Me This Way", at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

On May 5, 2010, whilst being interviwed by CNN about the flooding in Nashville, Urban stated that he was about to begin recording a new album, but all his guitars were now underwater.

Urban's 2010 Summer Lovin' tour consisted of mostly festival shows.

Get Closer

In May 2010, Urban entered the studio to begin work on a new album. The recording process was documented in a blog on his official website. At the beginning of September, it was announced that the album would be titled Get Closer and would see release on November 16. At the same time, "Put You in a Song" was revealed to be the first single and was released digitally and to radio on September 13.

Keith Urban appeared at the 44th Annual Country Music Awards on November 10, 2010.

To promote the new album, Keith played surprise concerts at New York City's Penn Station as well as a train station in Philadelphia. The impromptu concerts included a 4-song set list mixing in new and old hits.

On November 30, Keith played a free concert in the ice rink of the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Fans lined up days in advance to hear him play the first single (Put You in a Song) from "Get Closer" and a short collection of past hits. He also played a tribute to Johnny Cash with "Folsom Prison Blues" and Steve Miller's "The Joker"

Personal life

Starting in 1992, Urban dated veterinary technician Laura Sigler for eight years. Urban proposed to Sigler in 2001, but the pair eventually split in 2002.

Urban was rumored to have been dating supermodel Niki Taylor on and off from 2002 to 2004.

Urban met Australian actress Nicole Kidman at G'Day LA, a Hollywood event honoring Australians, in January 2005, but they reportedly didn't begin dating until 6 months later. Kidman and Urban were married on Sunday, June 25, 2006, at the Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel on the grounds of St Patrick's Estate, Manly in Sydney.

October 19, 2006, Urban checked himself into the Betty Ford Center in California. October 20, Urban issued a statement saying: "I deeply regret the hurt this has caused Nicole and the ones who love and support me. One can never let one's guard down on recovery, and I'm afraid that I have." On January 18, 2007, Urban announced his completion of rehab and his plans to go on tour to promote his new album, Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing.

February 2, 2007, Urban filed a lawsuit against a New Jersey painter by the same name, who has a web site http://www.keithurban.com. The singer wanted to acquire the rights to the URL. Keith Urban the singer's URL is http://www.keithurban.net. The painter counter sued. The lawsuit was settled in the painter's favor.

October 1, 2007, while riding, Urban skidded off his motorbike when a paparazzo followed him near his home in Sydney; Urban was not hurt. In a statement released by his publicists, Urban says the incident was "the result of one person's desire to do his job and my desire to maintain my privacy." Urban says he tried to avoid an oncoming car and dropped his bike. He says the photographer came to his assistance without taking photos.

January 7, 2008, Nicole Kidman confirmed she and Urban were expecting their first child together. Kidman's publicist said "the couple are thrilled and cannot wait." Kidman gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, on July 7, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee. She weighed 2.93 kg (6 lbs, 7.5 oz). On his website, Urban stated,

"Earlier this morning Nic gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban. We want to thank everybody that has kept us in their thoughts and prayers. We feel very blessed and grateful that we can share this joy with all of you today."

Urban has stated he does not want his daughter to be used for publicity stunts and positive P.R.

Discography

Studio albums

Keith Urban (1991)^A

Keith Urban in The Ranch (1997)

Keith Urban (1999)

Golden Road (2002)

Be Here (2004)

Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing (2006)

Defying Gravity (2009)

Get Closer (2010)

Compilation albums

(2007)^B

Number one singles

"But for the Grace of God"

"Somebody Like You"

"Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me"

"You'll Think of Me"

"Days Go By"

"Making Memories of Us"

"Better Life"

"You Look Good in My Shirt"

"Start a Band" (with Brad Paisley)

"Sweet Thing"

"Only You Can Love Me This Way"

^A Released only in Australia, but later re-released independently in 2005. ^B Re-released in 2008 as Greatest Hits: 19 Kids, with one track added.

Tours

Official Tours

Get Closer 2011 World Tour (Coming 2011) – supporting his seventh studio album, Get Closer, released on November 16, 2010

Summer Lovin' 2010 (2010) – supporting his sixth studio album, Defying Gravity, released on March 31, 2009

Escape Together World Tour 2009 (2009) – supporting his sixth studio album, Defying Gravity, released on March 31, 2009

Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride (2008) – supporting his fifth studio album, Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing touring with Carrie Underwood supporting her album Carnival Ride

Love, Pain & the Whole crazy World Tour (2007) – supporting his fifth studio album, Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing

Still Alive in 06 (2006) – supporting his fourth studio album, Be Here

Alive In 05 (2005) – supporting his fourth studio album, Be Here

Livin' Right Now Tour (2004) – supporting his fourth studio album, Be Here

Supporting Tours

Eagles Summer 2010 Tour (2010) - touring with The Eagles and The Dixie Chicks. It was announced on March 16, 2010 that Keith will be hitting the road with The Eagles and The Dixie Chicks for a North American stadium concert tour. 5 concert dates have been announced so far, which include Boston, and Chicago.

Brooks & Dunn's Neon Circus & Wild West Show 2001

Band

Touring Band

2010–2011

Danny Rader has recently been added to Urban's touring band.

2010

After four years with the band, Chris Rodriguez and Brad Rice departed. Coming off the Escape Together World Tour, the two could not come to terms on money with Urban's agent. The following band was from 2010 onwards for the CMT Crossroads and the Summerlovin Tour, as well as the current tour with The Eagles:

Keith Urban – Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Bass Guitar, Bouzouki, E-Bow, Drums

Chris McHugh – Drums, Percussion

Brian Nutter – Acoustic Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards, Ganjo, Mandolin, Bass Guitar, Background Vocals, Drums

Jerry Flowers – Bass Guitar, Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals

2005–2009

The following band was used for Keith's Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour (2008), Love, Pain & the whole crazy World Tour (2007) and soon for the Escape Together World Tour (2009).

Keith Urban – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Bass Guitar, Bouzouki, E-Bow, Drums

Chris McHugh – Drums, Percussion

Chris Rodriguez – Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Ganjo, Mandolin, Bass Guitar, Background Vocals

Brian Nutter – Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Ganjo, Mandolin, Bass Guitar, Background Vocals, Drums

Jerry Flowers – Bass Guitar, Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals

Brad Rice – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Ganjo, Mandolin, Background Vocals

2004

The following band was used for Keith's Be Here 2004 Tour.

Mark Hill – Bass Guitar

Steven King – Piano, Keyboards

Chad Jeffers – Acoustic Guitar, Ganjo, Mandolin, Dobro

Chris Rodriguez – Instruments above

Chris McHugh – Instruments above

Pre-2005

The following band was used before 2004

Peter Clarke - Drums

Jason Mowery – Fiddle, Mandolin

Scotty Huff – Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Electric guitar

Tim Horsely – Drums

Robbie Harrington – Bass

Randall Waller

Jimmy Mattingly

Millard Powers

Awards & honors

Notes

External links

Keith Urban's official website

Category:1967 births Category:ARIA Award winners Category:Australian country guitarists Category:Australian country singers Category:Australian country singer-songwriters Category:Australian expatriates in the United States Category:Australian multi-instrumentalists Category:Australian people of New Zealand descent Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Whangarei Category:People from Queensland

Coordinates	56°06′37″N47°15′04″N
Name	Del Reeves |
Background	solo_singer |
Birth name	Franklin Delano Reeves |
Born	July 14, 1932 |
Died	January 01, 2007 |
Origin	Sparta, North Carolina |
Genre	country |
Occupation	singer songwriter |
Years active	1961–2007 |
Label	United Artists Decca Records Columbia Records Capitol Records Reprise Records |
Associated acts	Dick Curless Red Simpson Red Steagall Bobby Goldsboro Penny DeHaven Billie Jo Spears |

Franklin Delano Reeves (July 14, 1932–January 1, 2007), better known as Del Reeves, was an American country music singer, best known for his "girl-watching" novelty songs of the 1960s including "Girl on the Billboard" and "The Belles of Southern Bell". He is also known for his 1968 trucker's anthem, "Looking At The World Through A Windshield", which demonstrated he was capable more than just novelty songs. He became one of the most successful male country singers of the 1960s.

Biography

Rise to fame

Reeves was born in Sparta, North Carolina in 1932. He was named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who had been nominated by the Democratic Party to be their presidential nominee just a few days before he was born.

In 1954, he signed on with Capitol Records. Later in the 1950s, he recorded for Decca Records, as well as Reprise Records and Columbia Records.

1960s–1970s

Everything began to change when Reeves signed with United Artists Records. The work he did for United Artists is probably his best-known work. He finally scored big in 1961 with the hit song "Be Quiet Mind". Later in 1965, he had his first #1 hit with "The Girl On The Billboard". His follow-up, "The Belles of the Southern Belle" made the country top five. During this time, he and his wife became a songwriting team and wrote songs for the likes of Rose Maddox, Carl Smith and Roy Drusky, to name a few.

His success continued throughout the rest of the 1960s. Songs that became hits during this time are "Be Glad" and "Good Time Charlie's". In the late 1960s, he recorded an album paying tribute to Jim Reeves (no relation) and also appeared in several Hollywood films, including a starring role in "Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers", and a supporting role in Burt Reynolds' first big movie "Sam Whiskey".

In the 1970s, he released a series of duets with Bobby Goldsboro and Penny DeHaven. He also returned to television, hosting the syndicated TV program, Del Reeves' Country Carnival.

His last big hit was "The Philadelphia Fillies". His career declined in the mid-70s and then started to slowly move away from country music, although he recorded some duets with Billie Jo Spears in 1976.

Decline

In 1979, Reeves left his musical career to pursue a career as a music executive and played a big role in the signing of Billy Ray Cyrus. He continued to record in the 1980s, just not as much and for smaller labels.

Reeves joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1966, where he continued to perform until his final years. His last Opry performance was in August 2002. He died from emphysema on New Year's Day, 2007.

Discography

Albums

Singles

^APeaked at #96 on Billboard Hot 100 and #31 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada.

Notes

References

Allmusic

Trott, Walt. (1998). "Del Reeves." In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 434.

Wolff, Kurt. Country Music: The Rough Guide.

External links

Del Reeves At CMT.com

Del Reeves, Grand Ole Opry member known for country hit "Girl on the Billboard", dies at 74

Category:1932 births Category:2007 deaths Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:Deaths from emphysema Category:Musicians from North Carolina Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:United Artists Records artists