{{taxobox |image = Stockholm-lilac.jpg |image_caption = ''Syringa vulgaris'' (Common Lilac) flowers |regnum = Plantae |unranked_divisio = Angiosperms |unranked_classis = Eudicots |unranked_ordo = Asterids |ordo = Lamiales |familia = Oleaceae |tribus = Oleeae |genus = ''Syringa'' |genus_authority = L. |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = About 20 species; see text. |}}

''Syringa'' (Lilac) is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering woody plants in the olive family (Oleaceae), native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere.

They are deciduous shrubs or small trees, ranging in size from tall, with stems up to diameter. The leaves are opposite (occasionally in whorls of three) in arrangement, and their shape is simple and heart-shaped to broad lanceolate in most species, but pinnate in a few species (e.g. ''S. protolaciniata, S. pinnatifolia''). The flowers are produced in spring, each flower being in diameter with a four-lobed corolla, the corolla tube narrow, long; they are bisexual, with fertile stamens and stigma in each flower. The usual flower colour is a shade of purple (often a light purple or lilac), but white, pale yellow and pink, and even a dark burgundy color are also found. The flowers grow in large panicles, and in several species have a strong fragrance. Flowering varies between mid spring to early summer, depending on the species. The fruit is a dry, brown capsule, splitting in two at maturity to release the two winged seeds.

The genus is most closely related to ''Ligustrum'' (privet), classified with it in Oleaceae tribus Oleeae subtribus Ligustrinae.

Lilacs are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Copper Underwing, Scalloped Oak and Svensson's Copper Underwing and Saras.

Etymology[link]

via Arabic للك lilak from Persian نیلک nilak meaning "bluish", ultimately from Sanskrit नील nila, which means "dark blue".[78]

The genus name ''Syringa'' is derived from Greek syrinx, meaning a hollow tube or pipe, and refers to the broad pith in the shoots in some species, easily hollowed out since ancient times to make reed pipes and flutes.

The English common name "lilac" is from the from French ''lilac'' ("shrub of genus Syringa with mauve flowers"), from Spanish lilac, from Arabic lilak, from Persian lilak, variant of nilak "bluish," from nil, "indigo",

A pale purple colour is generally known as lilac after the characteristic color of the flowers of many kinds of lilac, especially ''Syringa vulgaris.''

Species[link]

{| |- alinee- |

''Syringa afghanica''

''Syringa emodi'' - Himalayan Lilac

''Syringa josikaea''

''Syringa komarowii'' (syn. ''S. reflexa'')

''Syringa mairei''

''Syringa microphylla''

''Syringa meyeri''

''Syringa oblata''

''Syringa pinetorum''

''Syringa pinnatifolia''

''Syringa protolaciniata''

''Syringa pubescens''

''Syringa pubescens'' subsp. ''julianae'' (syn. ''S. julianae'')

''Syringa pubescens'' subsp. ''microphylla'' (syn. ''S. microphylla'')

''Syringa pubescens'' subsp. ''patula'' (syn. ''S. patula'')

''Syringa reticulata'' (syn. ''S. pekinensis'') - Japanese Tree Lilac

''Syringa spontanea''

''Syringa sweginzowii''

''Syringa tibetica''

''Syringa tomentella''

''Syringa villosa''

''Syringa vulgaris'' - Common Lilac

''Syringa wardii''

''Syringa wolfii''

''Syringa yunnanensis'' - Yunnan Lilac

| ;Hybrids

''Syringa × diversifolia'' (''S. oblata'' × ''S. pinnatifolia'')

''Syringa × henryi'' (''S. josikaea'' × ''S. villosa'')

''Syringa × hyacinthiflora'' (''S. oblata'' × ''S. vulgaris'')

''Syringa × josiflexa'' (''S. josikaea'' × ''S. komarowii'')

''Syringa × lacinoata'' (''S. protolaciniata'' × ''S. vulgaris'')

''Syringa × persica'' (''S. protolaciniata'' × unknown)

''Syringa × prestoniae'' (''S. komarowii'' × ''S. villosa'')

''Syringa × swegiflexa'' (''S. komarowii'' × ''S. sweginzowii'')

|}

Cultivation and uses[link]

Lilacs are popular shrubs in parks and gardens throughout the temperate zone, and several hybrids and numerous cultivars have been developed. The term French lilac is often used to refer to modern double-flowered cultivars, thanks to the work of prolific breeder Victor Lemoine. Lilacs grow most successfully in well-drained soils, particularly those based on chalk. They flower on old wood, and produce more flowers if unpruned. If pruned, the plant responds by producing fast-growing young vegetative growth with no flowers, in an attempt to restore the removed branches. Lilac bushes can be prone to powdery mildew disease.

The wood of lilac is close-grained, diffuse-porous, extremely hard and one of the densest in Europe. The sapwood is typically cream-coloured and the heartwood has various shades of brown and purple. Lilac wood has traditionally been used for engraving, musical instruments, knife handles etc. When drying, the wood has a tendency to be encurved as a twisted material, and to split into narrow sticks.

Symbolism[link]

Lilacs are often considered to symbolize love (see language of flowers). In Greece, Lebanon, and Cyprus, the lilac is strongly associated with Easter time because it flowers around that time; it is consequently called ''paschalia''.

''Syringa vulgaris'' is the state flower of New Hampshire, because it "is symbolic of that hardy character of the men and women of the Granite State" (New Hampshire Revised Statute Annotated (RSA) 3:5).

"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" is a poem written by Walt Whitman as an elegy to Abraham Lincoln. The poem was set to music by both Paul Hindemith and Roger Sessions.

"Syringa" is the title of a poem by John Ashbery, from his collection ''Houseboat Days''.

Lilac Wine is a song written by James Sheldon in 1950.

Festivals[link]

Several locations in North America hold annual Lilac Festivals, including:

The Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts, which celebrates "Lilac Sunday" every May. The Arboretum shows off its collection of over 422 lilac plants, of 194 different varieties. Lilac Sunday is the only day of the year when picnicking is allowed on the grounds of the Arboretum.

Lombard, Illinois, called the "Lilac Village", which has an annual lilac festival and parade in May. The village also contains Lilacia Park, a garden with over 200 varieties of lilacs, as well as over 50 kinds of tulips.

Mackinac Island, in Michigan, which celebrates a weeklong lilac festival and lilac parade each June.

Rochester, New York, which has held its Lilac Festival since 1898, the longest-running in North America. This celebration is held in Highland Park, which has the most varieties of lilacs at any single place, many of which were developed in Rochester.

The Royal Botanical Gardens near Hamilton, Ontario, which holds its Lilac Celebration each May.

Spokane, Washington, known as the "Lilac City", which holds an annual lilac festival and lilac parade.

References[link]

External links[link]

Spokanelilacfestival.org

Category:Garden plants Category:Flowers Category:Shrubs

ar:ليلك az:Yasəmən bg:Люляк bo:ལི་ཤིའི་མེ་ཏོག bs:Jorgovan ca:Lilà cs:Šeřík da:Syren-slægten de:Flieder et:Sirel es:Syringa eo:Siringo fr:Syringa ko:수수꽃다리속 hsb:Bozowc hr:Jorgovan io:Lilaco it:Syringa he:לילך ka:იასამანი la:Syringa lt:Alyva mn:Голт бор no:Syrinslekta nn:Syringa pl:Lilak pt:Syringa ro:Syringa ru:Сирень simple:Lilac sr:Јоргован fi:Syreenit sv:Syrensläktet th:ไลแล็ค tr:Leylak uk:Бузок vi:Chi Tử đinh hương wa:Clawsonî zh:丁香屬

name	Nina Simone
background	solo_singer
birth name	Eunice Kathleen Waymon
birth date	February 21, 1933
Birth place	Tryon, North Carolina, United States
death date	April 21, 2003
Death place	Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
genre	Jazz, blues, R&B;, folk, gospel
occupation	Singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, activist
years active	1954–2003
label	Bethlehem, Colpix, Philips, RCA Victor, CTI, Legacy Recordings
website	http://www.ninasimone.com/ }}

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

Born the sixth child of a preacher's family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist as a child. Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Simone was later told by someone working at Curtis that she was rejected because she was black. She then began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education to become a classical pianist and was required to sing as well. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendition of "I Loves You Porgy" became a smash hit in the United States in 1958. and accompanied with her expressive jazz-like singing in her characteristic low tenor. She injected as much of her classical background into her music as possible to give it more depth and quality, as she felt that pop music was inferior to classical. Her intuitive grasp on the audience-performer relationship was gained from a unique background of playing piano accompaniment for church revivals and sermons regularly from the early age of six years.

After 20 years of performing, she became involved in the civil rights movement and the direction of her life shifted once again.

Biography [link]

Youth (1933–1954)[link]

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

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

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

Early success (1954–1959)[link]

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

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

Becoming popular (1959–1964)[link]

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

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

Civil rights era (1964–1974)[link]

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

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

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

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

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

Later life (1974–2003)[link]

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

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

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

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

Musical style[link]

Simone standards[link]

Throughout her career, Simone assembled a collection of songs that would become standards in her repertoire. These songs were self-written tunes, tributes to works by others with a new arrangement by Simone, or songs written especially for Simone. Her first hit song in America was her rendition of George Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" (1958). It peaked at number 18 in the pop singles chart and number 2 on the black singles chart. During that same period Simone recorded "My Baby Just Cares for Me", which would become her biggest success years later, in 1987, when it was featured in a Chanel No. 5 perfume commercial. A music video was created by Aardman Studios for the commercial. !!DON'T put detailed cover/sample/soundtrack use of songs here, only the very basics. Put that sort of information on the ARTICLE ABOUT THE SONG OR ALBUM!! Well known songs from her Philips albums include "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" on ''Broadway-Blues-Ballads'' (1964), "I Put a Spell on You", "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (a rendition of a Jacques Brel song) and "Feeling Good" on ''I Put A Spell On You'' (1965), "Lilac Wine" and "Wild Is the Wind" on ''Wild is the Wind'' (1966). Especially the songs "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Feeling Good", and "Sinnerman" (''Pastel Blues'', 1965) have great popularity today in terms of cover versions (most notably a version of the former song by The Animals), sample usage, and its use on soundtracks for various movies, TV-series, and video games. "Sinnerman", in particular, has been featured in the TV series ''Scrubs'', ''Person of Interest'', and ''Sherlock'', and on movies such as ''The Thomas Crown Affair'', ''Miami Vice'', and ''Inland Empire'', and sampled by artists such as Talib Kweli and Timbaland. The song "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was sampled by Devo Springsteen on "Misunderstood" from Common's 2007 album ''Finding Forever'', and by little-known producers Rodnae and Mousa for the song "Don't Get It" on Lil Wayne's 2008 album ''Tha Carter III''. The song "See-Line Woman" was sampled by Kanye West for "Bad News" on his album ''808s and Heartbreak''.

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

Performing style[link]

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

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

Legacy and influence[link]

Music[link]

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

Film[link]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honors[link]

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

Discography[link]

! Year	! Album	! Type	! Label	! Billboard
1958		Studio
	'' Nina Simone and Her Friends ''	Studio
'' The Amazing Nina Simone ''	Studio
'' Nina Simone at Town Hall ''	Live and studio
	'' Nina Simone at Newport ''	Live
	Studio
	'' Nina at the Village Gate ''	Live
'' Nina Simone Sings Ellington ''	Live
	'' Nina's Choice ''	Compilation
'' Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall ''	Live
	'' Folksy Nina ''	Live
'' Nina Simone in Concert ''	Live
'' Broadway-Blues-Ballads ''	Studio
		Studio
'' Pastel Blues ''	Studio
	'' Nina Simone with Strings ''	Studio (strings added)	Colpix
'' Let It All Out ''	Live and studio
	Studio
	'' High Priestess of Soul ''	Studio
'' Nina Simone Sings the Blues ''	Studio
'' Silk & Soul ''	Studio
1968	'' Nuff Said ''	Live and studio
	'' Nina Simone and Piano ''	Studio
	Studio
''A Very Rare Evening''	Live	PM Records
1970		Live	RCA Records
		Studio	RCA Records
''Gifted & Black''	Studio	Canyon Records
1972		Live and studio	RCA Records
	''Live at Berkeley''	Live	Stroud
''Gospel According to Nina Simone''	Live	Stroud
	'' It Is Finished ''	Live	RCA Records
''Sings Billie Holiday''	Live	Stroud
1978		Studio	CTI Records
1980	'' The Rising Sun Collection ''	Live	Enja
1982	'' Fodder on My Wings ''	Studio
1984	'' Backlash ''	Live	StarJazz
1985	'' Nina's Back ''	Studio
1985	'' Live & Kickin ''	Live
	'' Let It Be Me ''	Live
	Live	Hendring-Wadham
'' The Nina Simone Collection ''	Compilation	Deja Vu
1993	''A Single Woman''	Studio	Elektra Records
Additional releases
1975	''The Great Show Live in Paris''	Live	RCA?
1997	''Released''	Compilation	RCA Victor Europe
	''Gold''	Studio remastered	Universal/UCJ
''Anthology''	Compilation (from many labels)	RCA/BMG Heritage
2004	''Nina Simone's Finest Hour''	Compilation	Verve/Universal
	''The Soul of Nina Simone''	Compilation + DVD	RCA DualDisc
''Nina Simone Live at Montreux 1976''	DVD only	Eagle Eye Media
	''The Very Best of Nina Simone''	Compilation	Sony BMG
	Remix	Legacy/SBMG	5 (contemp.jazz)
''Songs to Sing: the Best of Nina Simone''	Compilation/Live Compilation	Deluxe
''Forever Young, Gifted, & Black: Songs of Freedom and Spirit''	Remix	RCA
2008	''To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story''	Compilation	Sony Legacy
2009	''The Definitive Rarities Collection - 50 Classic Cuts''	Compilation	Artwork Media
?	''Nina Simone Live''	DVD only: Studio 1961 & '62	Kultur/Creative Arts Television

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

External links[link]

Main sites[link]

Nina Simone discography at iMusic.am

Nina Simone in the Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians

Nina Simone at Legacy Recordings

The Nina Simone Database – comprehensive Nina Simone website

L'hommage: Nina Simone – tribute and archival site

Reviews and other sites[link]

Nina Simone at The Music Box – a collection of reviews

Eunice Waymon-Nina Simone Memorial Project North Carolina-based scholarship, statue & music festival

Nina Simone Biography at About.com

Obituary from ''The Daily Telegraph''

Nina Simone: The "Princess Noire" - audio report by ''NPR''

Category:1933 births Category:2003 deaths Category:American Methodists Category:African American female activists Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:African Americans' rights activists Category:American expatriates in France Category:American jazz pianists Category:American jazz singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul musicians Category:Cancer deaths in France Category:Charly Records artists Category:Deaths from breast cancer Category:Jazz songwriters Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Musicians from North Carolina Category:People from Polk County, North Carolina Category:People from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:Soul-jazz musicians Category:Torch singers Category:Female jazz musicians

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name	Elkie Brooks
background	solo_singer
birth name	Elaine Bookbinder
birth date	February 25, 1945
origin	Broughton, Lancashire, England
spouse	Trevor Jordan (Sound Engineer)
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop, rock, blues, jazz
occupation	Singer
years active	1960–present
associated acts	Vinegar Joe, Robert Palmer, Humphrey Lyttelton
website	http://www.elkiebrooks.net/
notable instruments	Piano/Fender Rhodes}}

Elkie Brooks (born 25 February 1945) is an English singer, a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Brooks has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice. Brooks is a patron of International Animal Rescue.

Life and career[link]

Brooks was born in Broughton, Salford as Elaine Bookbinder to a Jewish father and Catholic mother in Broughton, Salford and raised in Prestwich. She attended North Salford Secondary Modern School.

According to Brooks, her unofficial debut was a gig at a club called the "Laronde" on Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester when she was thirteen. A professional singer since she was fifteen, Brooks' debut, a cover of Etta James's "Something's Got A Hold On Me", was released on Decca in 1964. She spent most of the 1960s on Britain's cabaret scene, a period of her life that she did not particularly enjoy. In the early 1960s Brooks supported The Beatles in their Christmas show in London, then, as an established act, helped the Small Faces in their early career by introducing them at several venues. She went on to tour the United States with several bands including The Animals.

After she met Pete Gage, whom she would marry, she joined the short-lived fusioneers Dada before forming Vinegar Joe with Gage and Robert Palmer. Elkie gained the reputation as the wild woman of "Rock n Roll" due to her wild stage performances. After three albums, they split up in 1974, and Brooks and Palmer both went solo. After a time as backing singer with the American southern boogie band Wet Willie, she returned to England. Her first solo album on A&M; records was ''Rich Man's Woman'' (1975). Released to critical acclaim, Brooks was given a hard time due to the album's cover, which was considered outrageous for the time.

It came before a run of sixteen albums in twenty-five years, starting with ''Two Days Away'', produced by the legendary duo Leiber & Stoller, who had also worked with Elvis Presley and many others (1977). Brooks wrote some tracks with Leiber and Stoller. The hits "Pearl's a Singer", "Sunshine After the Rain" came from this album. "Lilac Wine", Don't Cry Out Loud, came later. The albums ''Shooting Star'' (1978), ''Live and Learn'' (1979), ''Pearls'' (at the time, the largest selling album by a British female artist) (1981), "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was a hit for Brooks taken from this album, written by Chris Rea. ''Pearls II'' (1982), ''Minutes'' (1984) and ''Screen Gems'', the first album to be produced on CD in the UK (1984), were all UK chart successes.

In 1986 ''No More the Fool'' gave her biggest hit single to date while the parent album reached the top 5. The haunting video featured a young Leah Harounoff founder of the Inside of Out Theatre Group who in 2011 performed Titus Andronicus at the Barons Court Theatre to critical acclaim.

Following chart success ensued with the albums ''The Very Best of'' (1986), ''Bookbinders Kid'' On ''Bookbinders Kid'', she covered "What's The Matter Baby" previously recorded by Timi Yuro (1988), Yuro impressed with Elkie's version contacted Brooks to tell her so. The two remained friends. ''Inspiration'' (1981), ''Round Midnight'' (1993), ''Nothin' But the Blues'' (1994), ''Amazing'' (1996) and ''The Very Best of'' (1997). In 1980 Brooks performed at the Knebworth Festival with The Beach Boys, Santana and Mike Oldfield.

Brooks' success landed her in the ''Guinness Book of Records'' as the most charted British female album artist of the last 30 years.

In March 2003 she participated in the ITV music talent show ''Reborn in the USA'', alongside musicians such as Peter Cox (Go West Singer), Tony Hadley and Leee John. The ''Electric Lady'' album (2005) saw a return to her blues and rock roots, featuring self-penned tracks alongside re-workings of numbers by The Doors, Bob Dylan, Paul Rodgers and Tony Joe White. The following year saw the release of her first official DVD, titled ''Elkie Brooks & Friends: Pearls'' featuring an array of guest musicians.

Brooks has toured almost every year during her solo career. Her 1982 UK concert tour was seen by more than 140,000 people in just three months. She has performed at every major UK theatre, including sellout runs at the London Palladium, Dominion Theatre, Hammersmith Apollo, Ronnie Scott's, Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena. Brooks was offered "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" but turned it down. It was then recorded by Julie Covington, and by others. Brooks also turned down the song "The Flame"; it was then recorded by Cheap Trick and it reached no. 1 in the U.S. and Australia.

Brooks' twentieth studio album - ''Powerless'' was released in 2010, featuring songs such as Prince's "Purple Rain" and Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love".

Family[link]

In 1978 she married sound engineer Trevor Jordan; they have two sons. Trevor Jordan has been Brooks's sound engineer since 1977.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Year	Album	!width="40"	Label
	''Rich Man's Woman''	style="text-align:center;"
	''Two Days Away''
	''Pearls II''
	''Bookbinder's Kid''
	''Pearls III (Close to the Edge)''	style="text-align:center;"
	''Nothin' But the Blues''
		style="text-align:center;"
		style="text-align:center;"
		style="text-align:center;"
	''Electric Lady''	style="text-align:center;"
	''Powerless''	style="text-align:center;"

Live albums [link]

Year	Album	Label
	''The Pearls Concert''
	''Live 2000''
	''Live With Friends''

Compilations [link]

Year	Album	!width="40"	Label
	''The Very Best of Elkie Brooks (Telstar)''
	''The Last Teardrop''
	''The Very Best of Elkie Brooks (Polygram)''

Singles [link]

Year	Song	!width="40"	Album	Label
	"Something's Got a Hold on Me"	style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
	"Nothing Left to Do but Cry"	style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
	"The Way You Do the Things You Do"	style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
	"He's Gotta Love Me"	style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
	"All of My Life"	style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
	"Baby Let Me Love You"	style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
	"Come September"	style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
		style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
	"Where Do We Go From Here"	style="text-align:center;"
	"He's a Rebel"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Pearl's a Singer"
	"Saved"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Sunshine After the Rain"
	"Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Lilac Wine"
	"Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
	"Since You Went Away"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Stay with Me" (Netherlands only)	style="text-align:center;"
	"Don't Cry Out Loud"
	"The Runaway"		style="text-align:center;"
	"He Could Have Been an Army"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Falling Star"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Why Don't You Say It"	style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
	"Paint Your Pretty Picture"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Dance Away"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Warm and Tender Love"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Fool (If You Think It's Over)"(Chris Rea cover)
	"Our Love"
	"Nights in White Satin"
	"Will You Write Me a Song"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Gasoline Alley"
	"I Just Can't Go On"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Minutes"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Driftin'"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Once in a While"	style="text-align:center;"
	"No More the Fool"
	"Break the Chain"
	"We've Got Tonight"
	"Sail On"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Shame"	style="text-align:center;"
	"You're the Inspiration" (Belgium only)	style="text-align:center;"
	"I'll Never Love This Way Again"	style="text-align:center;"
	"For the World" (withdrawn before release)	style="text-align:center;"
style="text-align:center;"
	"The Last Teardrop"	style="text-align:center;"
	"One of a Kind (Belgium only)"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Too Much To Lose"
	"Out of the Rain"	style="text-align:center;"
	"Powerless"	style="text-align:center;"

References[link]

External links[link]

Official website of Elkie Brooks

"Elkie Brooks, Cabot Hall, London", ''The Guardian'', September 9, 2005, by Robin Denselow

Category:1945 births Category:English female singers Category:English soul singers Category:Living people Category:People from Broughton, Greater Manchester Category:People from Prestwich Category:Music in Salford Category:Musicians from Manchester Category:British rhythm and blues boom musicians

cs:Elkie Brooks de:Elkie Brooks fr:Elkie Brooks nl:Elkie Brooks pt:Elkie Brooks fi:Elkie Brooks uk:Елкі Брукс

birth date	January 17, 1927
birth place	North, South Carolina, U.S.
death date	December 25, 2008
death place	Weston, Connecticut, U.S.
birth name	Eartha May Keith
occupation	Singer/Actress
years active	1943–2008
spouse	John "Bill" McDonald (1960-1965) }}

Eartha Mae Kitt (January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby". Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the world." She took over the role of Catwoman for the third and final season of the 1960s ''Batman'' television series, replacing Julie Newmar, who was unavailable due to other commitments.

Life and career[link]

Early years[link]

Kitt was born Eartha Mae Keith on a cotton plantation in North, a small town in Orangeburg County near Columbia, South Carolina. Kitt's mother was of Cherokee and African-American descent and her father of German or Dutch descent. Kitt was conceived by rape.

Kitt was raised by Anna Mae Riley, an African-American woman whom she believed to be her mother. Anna Mae went to live with a black man when Eartha was aged 8. He refused to accept Kitt because of her relatively pale complexion. Kitt lived with another family until Riley's death. She was then sent to live in New York City with Mamie Kitt, who she learned was her biological mother. She had no knowledge of her father, except that his surname was Kitt and that he was supposedly a son of the owner of the farm where she had been born. Newspaper obituaries state that her white father was "a poor cotton farmer".

Career[link]

Kitt began her career as a member of the Katherine Dunham Company in 1943 and remained a member of the troupe until 1948. A talented singer with a distinctive voice, she recorded the hits "Let's Do It"; "Champagne Taste"; "C'est si bon" (which Stan Freberg famously burlesqued); "Just an Old Fashioned Girl"; "Monotonous"; "Je cherche un homme"; "Love for Sale"; "I'd Rather Be Burned as a Witch"; "Uskudar'a Gideriken (aka Katibim)"; "Mink, Schmink"; "Under the Bridges of Paris"; and her most recognizable hit, "Santa Baby", which was released in 1953. Kitt's unique style was enhanced as she became fluent in the French language during her years performing in Europe. Her English-speaking performances always seemed to be enriched by a soft French feel. She spoke four languages and sang in seven, which she effortlessly demonstrated in many of the live recordings of her cabaret performances

Career peaks[link]

In 1950, Orson Welles gave Kitt her first starring role, as Helen of Troy in his staging of ''Dr. Faustus''. A few years later, she was cast in the revue ''New Faces of 1952'', introducing "Monotonous" and "Bal, Petit Bal", two songs with which she is still identified. In 1954, 20th Century Fox filmed a version of the revue, titled ''New Faces'', in which she performed "Monotonous", "Uska Dara", and "C'est si bon". Though it is often alleged that Welles and Kitt had an affair during her 1957 run in ''Shinbone Alley'', Kitt categorically denied this in a June 2001 interview with George Wayne of ''Vanity Fair''. "I never had sex with Orson Welles", Kitt told ''Vanity Fair'': "It was a working situation and nothing else". Her other films in the 1950s included ''The Mark of the Hawk'' (1957), ''St. Louis Blues'' (1958) and ''Anna Lucasta'' (1959).

Throughout the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s, Kitt recorded; worked in film, television, and nightclubs; and returned to the Broadway stage, in ''Mrs. Patterson'' (during the 1954–1955 season), ''Shinbone Alley'' (in 1957), and the short-lived ''Jolly's Progress'' (in 1959). In 1964, Kitt helped open the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, California. In the late 1960s, the television series ''Batman'' featured her as Catwoman after Julie Newmar left the role.

Anti-war controversy[link]

In 1968, during the administration of US President Lyndon B. Johnson, Kitt encountered a substantial professional setback after she made anti-war statements during a White House luncheon. Kitt was invited to the White House luncheon and was asked by Lady Bird Johnson about the Vietnam War. She replied: "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel and take pot."

During a question and answer session, Kitt stated:

The children of America are not rebelling for no reason. They are not hippies for no reason at all. We don’t have what we have on Sunset Blvd. for no reason. They are rebelling against something. There are so many things burning the people of this country, particularly mothers. They feel they are going to raise sons — and I know what it’s like, and you have children of your own, Mrs. Johnson — we raise children and send them to war.

Her remarks reportedly caused Mrs. Johnson to burst into tears and led to a derailment in Kitt's career. The public reaction to Kitt's statements was extreme, both pro and con. Publicly ostracized in the US, she devoted her energies to performances in Europe and Asia.

Broadway[link]

She returned to New York in a triumphant turn in the Broadway spectacle ''Timbuktu!'' (a version of the perennial ''Kismet'' set in Africa) in 1978. In the musical, one song gives a "recipe" for ''mahoun'', a preparation of cannabis, in which her sultry purring rendition of the refrain "''constantly stirring with a long wooden spoon''" was distinctive.

Later years[link]

In 1978, Kitt did the voice-over in a TV commercial for the album ''Aja'' by the rock group Steely Dan. She wrote three autobiographies — ''Thursday's Child'' (1956), ''Alone with Me'' (1976) and ''I'm Still Here: Confessions of a Sex Kitten'' (1989).

In 1984, she returned to the music charts with a disco song, "Where Is My Man", the first certified gold record of her career. "Where Is My Man" reached the Top 40 on the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at #36; The song also made the Top 10 on the US ''Billboard'' dance chart, where it reached #7. The single was followed by the album ''I Love Men'' on the Record Shack label. Kitt found new audiences in nightclubs across the UK and the US, including a whole new generation of gay male fans, and she responded by frequently giving benefit performances in support of HIV/AIDS organizations. Kitt appeared with Jimmy James and George Burns at a fundraiser in 1990 produced by Scott Sherman, Agent from The Atlantic Entertainment Group. It was arranged that James would impersonate Kitt and then Kitt would walk out to take the microphone. This was met with a standing ovation. Her 1989 follow-up hit "Cha-Cha Heels" (featuring Bronski Beat), which was originally intended to be recorded by Divine, received a positive response from UK dance clubs and reached #32 in the charts in that country.

In 1991, Eartha returned to the screen in the Jim Varney children's Halloween movie ''Ernest Scared Stupid'' as Old Lady Hackmore. In 1992, Kitt had a supporting role as Lady Eloise in the film ''Boomerang'' starring Eddie Murphy. In the late 1990s, she appeared as the Wicked Witch of the West in the North American national touring company of ''The Wizard of Oz''. 1995 saw Eartha Kitt appear as herself in an episode of 'The Nanny', where she performed a song in French and flirted with Mr Shefield. In November 1996, she appeared on an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy. In 2000, Kitt again returned to Broadway in the short-lived run of Michael John LaChiusa's ''The Wild Party'' opposite Mandy Patinkin and Toni Collette. Beginning in late 2000, she starred as the Fairy Godmother in the US national tour of ''Cinderella'' alongside Deborah Gibson and then Jamie-Lynn Sigler. In 2003, she replaced Chita Rivera in ''Nine''. She reprised her role as the Fairy Godmother at a special engagement of ''Cinderella'', which took place at Lincoln Center during the holiday season of 2004.

One of her more unusual roles was as Kaa the python in a 1994 BBC Radio adaptation of ''The Jungle Book''. Kitt lent her distinctive voice to the role of Yzma in Disney's ''The Emperor's New Groove'', for which she won her first Annie Award, and returned to the role in the straight-to-video sequel ''Kronk's New Groove'' and the spin-off TV series ''The Emperor's New School'', for which she won two Emmy Awards and two more Annie Awards (both in 2007–08) for Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production. She had a voiceover as the voice of Queen Vexus on the animated TV series ''My Life as a Teenage Robot''.

In her later years Kitt made annual appearances in the New York Manhattan cabaret scene at venues such as the Ballroom and the Café Carlyle.

She was also a guest star in ''The Simpsons'' episode "Once Upon a Time in Springfield", where she was depicted as one of Krusty's past marriages.

From October to early December, 2006, Kitt co-starred in the Off-Broadway musical ''Mimi le Duck''. She also appeared in the 2007 independent film ''And Then Came Love'' opposite Vanessa Williams.

Kitt was the spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics' Smoke Signals collection in August 2007. She re-recorded "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" for the occasion, was showcased on the MAC website, and the song was played at all MAC locations carrying the collection for the month.

Personal life[link]

After romances with the cosmetics magnate Charles Revson and banking heir John Barry Ryan III, she married John William McDonald, an associate of a real estate investment company, on June 6, 1960. They had one child, a daughter named Kitt McDonald, born on November 26, 1961. After divorcing in 1965, Kitt went on to have other lovers.

A long-time Connecticut resident, Eartha Kitt lived in a converted barn on a sprawling farm in the Merryall section of New Milford for many years and was active in local charities and causes throughout Litchfield County. Subsequently moving to Pound Ridge, New York, then in 2002, Kitt moved to the southern Fairfield County, Connecticut town of Weston to be near her daughter Kitt and family. (Kitt McDonald married Charles Lawrence Shapiro in 1987 and had two children, Jason and Rachel Shapiro.)

Activism [link]

Kitt became a vocal advocate for homosexual rights and publicly supported same-sex marriage, which she believed to be a civil right. She had been quoted as saying, "I support it [gay marriage] because we're asking for the same thing. If I have a partner and something happens to me, I want that partner to enjoy the benefits of what we have reaped together. It's a civil-rights thing, isn't it?" Kitt famously appeared at many GLBT fundraisers, including a mega event in Baltimore, Maryland, with George Burns and Jimmy James. Scott Sherman, an agent at Atlantic Entertainment Group, stated "Eartha Kitt is fantastic... appears at so many GLBT events in support of civil rights."

Death [link]

Kitt died from colon cancer on Christmas Day 2008 at her Weston, Connecticut, home.

Awards and nominations[link]

;Awards 1960 Hollywood Walk of Fame — 6656 Hollywood Boulevard.

2001 Annie Award for Best Voice Acting by a Female Performer in a Featured Film — ''The Emperor's New Groove''

2007 Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production — ''The Emperor's New School''

2007 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program — ''The Emperor's New School''

2008 Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production — ''The Emperor's New School''

2008 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program — ''The Emperor's New School''

2010 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program — ''The Wonder Pets''

;Nominations

1966 Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Drama — ''I Spy''

1978 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical — ''Timbuktu!''

1996 Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series — ''Living Single''

2000 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical — ''The Wild Party''

2000 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical — ''The Wild Party''

Filmography[link]

;Features

''Casbah'' (1948)

''New Faces'' (1954)

''St. Louis Blues'' (1958)

''Anna Lucasta'' (1959)

''Saint of Devil's Island'' (1961)

''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1965)

''Synanon'' (1965)

''Up the Chastity Belt'' (1971)

''Friday Foster'' (1975)

''All by Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story'' (1982) (documentary)

''The Serpent Warriors'' (1985)

''The Pink Chiquitas'' (1987)

''Dragonard'' (1987)

''Master of Dragonard Hill'' (1989)

''Erik the Viking'' (1989)

''Living Doll'' (1990)

''Ernest Scared Stupid'' (1991)

''Boomerang'' (1992)

''Fatal Instinct'' (1993)

''Unzipped'' (1995) (documentary)

''Harriet the Spy'' (1996)

''Ill Gotten Gains'' (1997)

''I Woke Up Early the Day I Died'' (1998)

''Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story'' (1998) (direct-to-video)

''The Emperor's New Groove'' (2000) (voice) (Yzma)

''The Making and Meaning of We Are Family'' (2002) (documentary)

''The Sweatbox'' (2002) (documentary)

''Anything But Love'' (2002)

''Holes'' (2003)

''Preaching to the Choir'' (2005)

''Kronk's New Groove'' (2005) (voice) (direct-to-video) (Yzma)

''And Then Came Love'' (2007)

;Short subjects

''All About People'' (1967) (narrator)

Television Work[link]

''I Spy'' - "Angel" (1965)

''Mission: Impossible'' (1967) (Tina Mara, Season 1, Episode 27)

''Batman'' (recurring cast member from 1967 - 1968)

''The Eartha Kitt Show'' (1969)

''Lieutenant Schuster's Wife'' (1972)

''The Protectors - Episode - A Pocketful of Posies'' (1973)

''To Kill a Cop'' (1978)

''A Night on the Town'' (1983)

Living Single (1995)(As herself)

''New York Undercover (1996)''

''The Nanny'' (1996)

''The Feast of All Saints'' (2001) (miniseries)

''Santa Baby!'' (2001) (voice)

''My Life as a Teenage Robot'': Vexus (recurring from 2003 - 2007)

''The Emperor's New School'': Yzma (2006 - 2008)

''Wonder Pets'': Cool Cat (1 episode, 2009)

''The Simpsons'' (season 21, Once Upon a Time in Springfield) (2010)

''Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child'': The Snow Queen (voice)

Miami Vice "Whatever Works" 1985

Discography[link]

Stage work[link]

''Blue Holiday'' (May 21–26, 1945) (Broadway)

''Carib Song'' (September 27 - October 27, 1945) (Broadway)

''Bal Negre'' (November 7 - December 22, 1946) (Broadway and European tour)

''Time Runs'' (1950)

''Dr. Faustus'' (1951) (Paris and European tour)

''New Faces of 1952'' (May 16, 1952 - March 28, 1953) (Broadway)

''Mrs. Patterson'' (December 1, 1954 - February 26, 1955) (Broadway)

''Shinbone Alley'' (April 13 - May 25, 1957) (Broadway)

''Jolly's Progress'' (December 5–12, 1959) (Broadway)

''The Owl and the Pussycat'' (1965 - 1966) (national tour)

''The High Bid'' (1970) (London)

''Bunny'' (1972) (London)

''A Musical Jubilee'' (1976) (national tour)

''Timbuktu!'' (March 1 - September 10, 1978) (Broadway and national tour from 1979 - 1980)

''New Faces of 1952'' (Revival) (1982) (Off-Off-Broadway)

''Blues in the Night'' (1985) (national tour)

''Follies'' (1987) (London) (replacement for Dolores Gray)

''Eartha Kitt in Concert'' (1989) (London)

''Yes'' (1994) (One Woman Show) (Edinburgh)

''Sam's Song'' (1995) (Benefit Concert) (Unitarian Church of All Souls)

''Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill'' (1996) (Chicago)

''The Wizard of Oz'' (1998) (national tour)

''The Wild Party'' (April 13 - June 11, 2000) (Broadway)

''Cinderella'' (2001) (Madison Square Garden)

''Nine'' (replacement for Chita Rivera from October 5 - December 14, 2003) (Broadway)

''Mimi le Duck'' (2006) (Off Broadway)

''All About Us'' (April 10-28, 2007) (Westport Country Playhouse)

References[link]

External links[link]

Eartha Kitt official website

Eartha Kitt at TV Guide

Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards - 37th Annual Nominations Announcement

"Eartha Kitt Talks About Her Early Childhood" on the WGBH-TV series ''Basic Black (formerly "Say Brother")''

EARTHA KITT AS CATWOMAN TRIBUTE

Eartha Kitt: "The Real Catwoman" R&B; Showcase News, April 2004

Remembrance by NPR, with streaming audio of interview (Dec. 31, 2007)

Harold Pinter and Eartha Kitt, artists and opponents of imperialist war

Obituary in the New York Times

Remembering Eartha Kitt on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz

The History Makers

Eartha Kitt's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project

Eartha Kitt: The Feline Femme Fatale life story from ''Marie Claire Magazine Australia''

Category:1927 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Actors from South Carolina Category:African-American actors Category:African American singers Category:African American female singers Category:American anti–Vietnam War activists Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American people of Cherokee descent Category:American people of European descent Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Annie Award winners Category:Cabaret singers Category:Cancer deaths in Connecticut Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Musicians from South Carolina Category:People from North, South Carolina Category:RCA Victor artists Category:Vocal jazz musicians

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name	Jeff Beck
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Geoffrey Arnold Beck
alias	A.N. Other
birth date	June 24, 1944
Birth place	Wallington, Surrey England, United Kingdom
instrument	Guitar, bass, backing vocals, contrabass
genre	Blues rock, jazz fusion, instrumental rock, hard rock, electronica, progressive rock
occupation	Musician, songwriter, actor
years active	1964-present
label	EMI, Epic
associated acts	The Yardbirds, The Jeff Beck Group, The Honeydrippers, Beck, Bogert & Appice, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Big Town Playboys, Upp, Eric Clapton, Suzi Quatro, Duff McKagan, Tal Wilkenfeld
website
notable instruments	Fender Jeff Beck Signature Model StratocasterJeff Beck 1954 Les Paul Oxblood }}

Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds (Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page are the other two). Beck also formed The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice.

Much of Beck's recorded output has been instrumental, with a focus on innovative sound and his releases have spanned genres ranging from blues-rock, heavy metal, jazz fusion and an additional blend of guitar-rock and electronica. Although he recorded two hit albums (in 1975 and 1976) as a solo act, Beck has not established or maintained the sustained commercial success of many of his contemporaries and bandmates. Beck appears on albums by Mick Jagger, Kate Bush, Roger Waters, Donovan, Stevie Wonder, Les Paul, Zucchero, Cyndi Lauper, Brian May and ZZ Top. In 1988, he made a cameo appearance in the movie ''Twins''.

He was ranked 5th in ''Rolling Stone's'' list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and the magazine has described him as "one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock". MSNBC has called him a "guitarist's guitarist". Beck has earned wide critical praise and received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance six times and Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance once. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: as a member of The Yardbirds (1992) and as a solo artist (2009).

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

}} Beck was born in 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck at 206 Demesne Road, Wallington, England. As a ten year old Beck sang in a church choir. As a teenager he learned to play a borrowed guitar and made several attempts to build his own instrument, first by gluing and bolting together cigar boxes for the body and an unsanded fence-post for the neck with model aircraft control-lines and frets simply painted on. When fabricating a neck for his next try he attempted to use measurements for a bass guitar.

Beck has cited Les Paul as the first electric guitar player who impressed him. Beck has said that he first heard an electric guitar when he was six years old and heard Paul playing "How High the Moon" on the radio. He asked his mother what it was and after she replied it was an electric guitar and was all tricks, he said, "That's for me". Cliff Gallup, lead guitarist with Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps was also an early musical influence, followed by B.B. King and Steve Cropper.

Upon leaving school he attended Wimbledon College of Art, after which he was briefly employed as a painter and decorator, a groundsman on a golf course and a car paint-sprayer. Beck's sister Annetta introduced him to Jimmy Page when both were teenagers.

Early career[link]

Beck began his career in the 1960s. He joined The Rumbles, a Croydon band, in 1963 for a short period as lead guitarist, playing Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly songs, displaying a talent for mimicking guitar styles. His first appearance on vinyl was as a session guitarist on a 1964 Parlophone single by The Fitz and Startz entitled "I'm Not Running Away", with B-side "So Sweet".

In March 1965, Beck was recruited by The Yardbirds to replace Eric Clapton on the recommendation of fellow session man Jimmy Page, who had been their initial choice. The Yardbirds recorded most of their Top 40 hit songs during Beck's short but significant 20-month tenure with the band allowing him only one full album which became known as ''Roger the Engineer'' (titled ''Over Under Sideways Down'' in the U.S.), released in 1966. Beck was actually pictured on the cover of ''For Your Love'' which was released by the Yardbirds' American label in June 1965, however Clapton played guitar on most of the songs. From September to November 1966, Beck shared lead guitar duties with Page in the Yardbirds, who initially joined as bass player in June of that year. A clip of this iteration of the band can be seen in the 1966 British film ''Blow Up''.

Beck was fired in the middle of a US tour for being a consistent no-show -- as well as difficulties caused by his perfectionism and explosive temper. After leaving the Yardbirds, Beck recorded the one-off "Beck's Bolero" (with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Nicky Hopkins and Keith Moon) and two solo hit singles in the UK, "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and "Tallyman". He then formed The Jeff Beck Group, which featured Rod Stewart on vocals, Ronnie Wood on bass, Nicky Hopkins on piano and, after a series of drummers, eventually Micky Waller in early 1967.

The group produced two albums for Columbia Records (Epic in the US): ''Truth'' (August 1968) and ''Beck-Ola'' (July 1969). ''Truth'', released five months before the first Led Zeppelin album, features "You Shook Me", a song written and first recorded by Willie Dixon that was also covered on the Led Zeppelin debut. It sold well (reaching number 15 on the ''Billboard'' charts). ''Beck-Ola'' saw drummer Micky Waller replaced by Tony Newman, and, while well-received, was less successful both commercially and critically. Resentment, coupled with touring incidents, led the group to dissolve in July 1969.

Nick Mason recalls in his autobiography that during 1967 Pink Floyd had wanted to recruit Beck to be their guitarist after the departure of Syd Barrett but "None of us had the nerve to ask him". In 1969, following the death of Brian Jones, Beck was approached about joining the Rolling Stones.

After the break-up of his group, Beck took part in the ''Music from Free Creek'' "super session" project, billed as "A.N. Other" and contributed lead guitar on four songs, including one co-written by him. Next he teamed with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, the rhythm section of Vanilla Fudge, in September 1969, when Bogert and Appice came to England to resolve contractual issues, but when Beck fractured his skull in a car accident near Maidstone in December the plan was postponed for two-and-a-half years, during which time Bogert and Appice formed Cactus. Beck later remarked on the 1960s period of his life: "Everyone thinks of the 1960s as something they really weren't. It was the frustration period of my life. The electronic equipment just wasn't up to the sounds I had in my head."

In 1970, when Beck had regained his health, he set about forming a band with drummer Cozy Powell. Beck, Powell and producer Mickie Most flew to the US and recorded several tracks at Motown's famed Studio A in Hitsville U.S.A. with The Funk Brothers, Motown's in-house band, but the results remained unreleased. By April 1971 Beck had completed the line-up of this new group with guitarist/vocalist Bobby Tench, keyboard player Max Middleton and bassist Clive Chaman. The new band performed as the "Jeff Beck Group" but had a substantially different sound from the first line-up. ''Rough and Ready'' (October 1971), the first album they recorded, on which Beck wrote or co-wrote six of the album's seven tracks (the exception being written by Middleton), included elements of soul, rhythm-and-blues and jazz, foreshadowing the direction Beck's music would take later in the decade.

A second album ''Jeff Beck Group'' (July 1972) was recorded at TMI studios in Memphis, Tennessee with the same personnel. Beck employed Steve Cropper as producer and the album displayed a strong soul influence, five of the nine tracks being covers of songs by American artists. One, "I Got To Have A Song", was the first of four Stevie Wonder compositions covered by Beck. Shortly after the release of the ''Jeff Beck Group'' album the band was dissolved and Beck's management put out the statement that: "The fusion of the musical styles of the various members has been successful within the terms of individual musicians, but they didn't feel it had led to the creation of a new musical style with the strength they had originally sought."

Beck then started collaborating with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, who became available following the demise of Cactus but continued touring as Jeff Beck Group in August 1972, to fulfil contractual obligations with his promoter, with a line-up including Bogert, Appice, Max Middleton and vocalist Kim Milford. After six appearances Milford was replaced by Bobby Tench, who was flown in from the UK for the ''Arie Crown Theatre'' Chicago performance and the rest of the tour, which concluded at the Paramount North West Theatre, Seattle. After the tour Tench and Middleton left the band and the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice appeared: Appice took on the role of vocalist with Bogert and Beck contributing occasionally. They were included on the bill for ''Rock at The Oval'' in September 1972, still as the "Jeff Beck Group", which marked the start of a tour schedule of UK, the Netherlands and Germany. Another US tour began in October 1972, starting at the Hollywood Sportatorium Florida and concluding on 11 November 1972 at The Warehouse, New Orleans. In April 1973 the album ''Beck, Bogert & Appice'' was released (on Epic Records). While critics acknowledged the band's instrumental prowess the album was not commercially well received except for its cover of Stevie Wonder's hit "Superstition".

On 3 July 1973 Beck joined David Bowie on-stage to perform "The Jean Genie"/"Love Me Do" and "Around and Around". The show was recorded and filmed but none of the released editions included Beck. During October 1973 Beck recorded tracks for Michael Fennelly's album ''Lane Changer'' and attended sessions with Hummingbird, a band derived from The Jeff Beck Group, but did not to contribute to their eponymous first album.

Early in January 1974 the band played at the Rainbow Theatre, as part of a European tour. The concert was broadcast in full on the US show ''Rock Around the World'' in September of the same year. This last recorded work by the band previewed material intended for a second studio album, included on the bootleg ''At Last Rainbow''. The tracks ''Blues Deluxe'' and ''BBA Boogie'' from this concert were later included on the Jeff Beck compilation ''Beckology'' (1991). Beck, Bogert & Appice dissolved in April 1974 before their second studio album (produced by Jimmy Miller) was finished. Their live album ''Beck, Bogert & Appice Live in Japan'', recorded during their 1973 tour of Japan, was not released until February 1975 by Epic/Sony.

After a few months Beck entered Underhill Studio and met with the group Upp, whom he recruited as backing band for his appearance on the BBC TV programme ''Guitar Workshop'' in August 1974. Beck produced and played on their self-titled debut album and their second album ''This Way Upp'', though his contributions to the second album went uncredited. In October Beck began to record instrumentals at AIR Studios with Max Middleton, bassist Phil Chen and drummer Richard Bailey, using George Martin as producer and arranger. ''Blow by Blow'' (March 1975) evolved from these sessions and showcased Beck's technical prowess in jazz-rock. The album reached number four in the charts and is Beck's most commercially-successful release. Beck, fastidious about overdubs and often dissatisfied with his solos, often returned to AIR Studios until he was satisfied. A couple of months after the sessions had finished Martin received a telephone call from Beck, who wanted to record a solo section again. Bemused, Martin replied: "I'm sorry, Jeff, but the record is in the shops!"

Beck put together a live band for a US tour, preceded by a small and unannounced gig at The Newlands Tavern in Peckham, London. He toured through April and May 1975, mostly supporting the Mahavishnu Orchestra, retaining Max Middleton on keyboards but with a new rhythm section of bassist Wilbur Bascomb and noted session drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. In a May 1975 show in Cleveland, Ohio (Music Hall), he became frustrated with an early version of a talk box he used on his arrangement of The Beatles' "She's a Woman," and after breaking a string, tossed his legendary Yardbirds-era Stratocaster off the stage. He did the same with the talk box and finished the show playing a Les Paul and without the box. During this tour he performed at Yuya Uchida's "World Rock Festival," playing a total of eight songs with Purdie. In addition he performed a guitar and drum instrumental with Johnny Yoshinaga and, at the end of the festival, joined in a live jam with bassist Felix Pappalardi of Mountain and vocalist Akira "Joe" Yamanaka from the Flower Travellin' Band. Only his set with Purdie was recorded and released.

He returned to the studio and recorded ''Wired'' (1976), which paired drummer and composer Narada Michael Walden and keyboardist Jan Hammer. The album used a jazz-rock fusion style which sounded similar to the work of his two collaborators. To promote the album, Beck joined forces with the Jan Hammer Group, playing a show supporting Alvin Lee at The Roundhouse in May 1976, before embarking on a seven-month long world tour. This resulted in the live album ''Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live'' (1977).

At this point, Beck was a tax exile and took up residency in the US, remaining there until his return to the UK in the autumn of 1977. In the spring of 1978, he began rehearsing with bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Gerry Brown towards a projected appearance at the Knebworth Festival, but this was cancelled after Brown dropped out. Beck toured Japan for three weeks in November 1978 with an ad-hoc group consisting of Clarke and newcomers Tony Hymas (keyboards) and Simon Phillips (drums) from Jack Bruce's band. Work then began on a new studio album at The Who's Ramport Studios in London and continued sporadically throughout 1979, resulting in ''There and Back'' in June 1980. It featured three tracks composed and recorded with Jan Hammer, while five were written with Hymas. Stanley Clarke was replaced by Mo Foster on bass, both on the album and the subsequent tours. Its release was followed by extensive touring in the USA, Japan and the UK.

1980s[link]

In 1981 Beck made a series of historic live appearances with his Yardbirds predecessor Eric Clapton at the Amnesty International-sponsored benefit concerts dubbed ''The Secret Policeman's Other Ball'' shows. He appeared with Clapton on "Crossroads", "Further On Up The Road", and his own arrangement of Stevie Wonder's "Cause We've Ended As Lovers". Beck also featured prominently in an all-star band finale performance of "I Shall Be Released" with Clapton, Sting, Phil Collins, Donovan and Bob Geldof. Beck's contributions were seen and heard in the resulting album and film, both of which achieved worldwide success in 1982. Another benefit show, the ARMS Concert for Multiple Sclerosis featured a jam with Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. They performed "Tulsa Time" and "Layla". This is the only time all of the Yardbirds lead guitarists appeared on stage together.

In 1985 Beck released ''Flash'', featurng a variety of vocalists, but most notably former bandmate Rod Stewart on a rendition of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready".

After a four year break, Jeff made a return to instrumental music with the album ''Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop'' (1989), the first album to feature Beck as a fingerstyle guitarist, leaving the plectrum playing style. It was only his 3rd album to be released in the 1980s. Much of Beck's sparse and sporadic recording schedule was due in part to a long battle with noise-induced tinnitus.

1990s[link]

In the 1990s, Beck had a higher musical output. He is featured on lead guitar on Roger Waters' 1992 concept album ''Amused to Death'', and on Kate Bush's 1993 album ''The Red Shoes''.

He recorded the instrumental soundtrack album Frankie's House (1992), as well as Crazy Legs (1993), a tribute album to 50's rockabilly group Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps and their influential guitarist Cliff Gallup.

Beck rehearsed with Guns N' Roses for their concert in Paris in 1992, but did not play in the actual concert due to ear damage caused by a Matt Sorum cymbal crash, causing Beck to become temporarily deaf. The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. In Beck's acceptance speech he humorously noted that:

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He accompanied Paul Rodgers of Bad Company on the album ''Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters'' in 1993. Jeff's next release would not be until 1999, his first foray into guitar based electronica, ''Who Else!'' The album also marked Beck's first collaboration with a female musician, Jennifer Batten, in touring, writing, and recording as well as the first time he had worked with another guitarist on his own material since playing in The Yardbirds. Beck continued to work with Batten through the post-release tour of ''You Had It Coming'' in 2001.

2000s[link]

Jeff Beck won his third Grammy Award, this one for 'Best Rock Instrumental Performance' for the track "Dirty Mind" from ''You Had It Coming'' (2001).

The song "Plan B," from the 2003 release ''Jeff,'' earned Beck his fourth Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, and was proof that the new electro-guitar style he used for the two earlier albums would continue to dominate. Jeff Beck was the opening act for B.B. King in the summer of 2003 and appeared at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2004.

In 2007, he accompanied Kelly Clarkson for her cover of Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)", during the Idol Gives Back episode of ''American Idol''. The performance was recorded live and afterwards was immediately released for sale. In the same year, he appeared once again at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, performing with Vinnie Colaiuta, Jason Rebello, and the then 21-year-old bassist Tal Wilkenfeld.

Beck announced a world tour in early 2009 and remained faithful to the same lineup of musicians as in his tour two years before, playing and recording at Ronnie Scott's in London to a sold out audience. Beck played on the song "Black Cloud" on the 2009 Morrissey album ''Years of Refusal'' and later that year, Harvey Goldsmith became Beck's Manager.

Beck was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 4 April 2009, as a solo artist. The award was presented by Jimmy Page. On 4 July 2009, David Gilmour joined Beck onstage at the Albert Hall. Beck and Gilmour traded solos on "Jerusalem" and closed the show with "Hi Ho Silver Lining".

2010s[link]

Beck's latest album, ''Emotion & Commotion'', was released in April 2010. It features a mixture of original songs and covers such as "Over the Rainbow" and "Nessun Dorma". Joss Stone provides some of the guest vocals. Two tracks from ''Emotion & Commotion'' won Grammys in 2011: "Nessun Dorma" won the Best Pop Instrumental Performance and "Hammerhead" won the Best Rock Instrumental Performance". Beck collaborated on "Imagine" for the 2010 Herbie Hancock album, ''The Imagine Project'' along with Seal, P!nk, India.Arie, Konono N°1, Oumou Sangare and others and received a third Grammy in 2011 for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for this track.

Beck's 2010 World Tour band features Grammy winning musician Narada Michael Walden on drums, Rhonda Smith on bass and Jason Rebello on keyboards. He has also released a live album titled Live and Exclusive from the Grammy Museum on October 25, 2010.

In 2011, Beck received two honorary degrees from British universities. On 18 July 2011, he was honoured with a fellowship from University of the Arts London in recognition of his "outstanding contribution to the field of Music". He was also presented with an honorary doctorate from University of Sussex by Sanjeev Bhaskar, the university's chancellor for “an outstanding musical career and celebrated the relationship between the university and the Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM)" on 21 July 2011.

Influences[link]

One of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock music, Jeff Beck has cited his major influences as Les Paul, The Shadows, Cliff Gallup, Ravi Shankar, Roy Buchanan, Chet Atkins, Django Reinhardt, Steve Cropper and Lonnie Mack. Of John McLaughlin, he said: "he has given us so many different facets of the guitar and introduced thousands of us to world music, by blending Indian music with jazz and classical. I'd say he was the best guitarist alive."

While Beck was not the first rock guitarist to experiment with electronic distortion, he nonetheless helped to redefine the sound and role of the electric guitar in rock music. Beck's work with The Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group's 1968 album ''Truth'' were seminal influences on heavy metal music, which emerged in full force in the early 1970s.

Technique and equipment [link]

Beck stopped regular use of a pick (plectrum) in the 1980s. He produces a wide variety of sounds by using his fingers and the vibrato bar on his signature Fender Stratocaster, although he frequently uses a wah-wah pedal both live and in the studio. As Eric Clapton once said, "With Jeff, it’s all in his hands". Along with Fender Stratocasters, Beck occasionally plays Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul models as well. His amplifiers are primarily Fender and Marshall. In his earlier days with the Yardbirds, Beck also used a 1954 Fender Esquire guitar (now owned by Seymour W. Duncan, and housed in the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) through Vox AC30s. He has also played through a variety of fuzz pedals and echo-units along with this set-up and has used the Pro Co RAT distortion pedal. The Seymour Duncan JB model's name is an acronym for both Jazz & Blues and Jeff Beck, as it was designed in conjunction with the guitarist.

During the ARMS Charity Concerts in 1983 Beck used his battered Fender Esquire along with a 1954 Fender Stratocaster and a Jackson Soloist. On the Crazy Legs (1993) he played a Gretsch Duo Jet, his signature Fender Stratocaster and various other guitars. Recently Fender created a Custom Shop Tribute series version of his beat-up Fender Esquire as well as his Artist Signature series Stratocaster.

Personal life[link]

Beck has been married to Sandra Cash since 2005. Beck describes himself as a vegetarian. He has an interest in classic Ford hot rods, performing much of the work on the exteriors and engines of the cars by himself.

Discography[link]

See also[link]

List of rock instrumentals

Bibliography[link]

Carson, Annette. ''Jeff Beck: Crazy Fingers''. Backbeat books (2002). ISBN 0-87930-632-7

Horjt, Chris and Hinman, Doug. ''Jeff's book : A chronology of Jeff Beck's career 1965-1980 : from the Yardbirds to Jazz-Rock''. Rock 'n' Roll Research Press, (2000). ISBN 0-9641005-3-3

Foster, Mo.''17 watts?: The Birth of British Rock Guitar''. Sanctuary (1997 and 2000). ISBN 978-1-86074-267-5

References[link]

External links[link]

Press conference and master class by Jeff Beck in Moscow 2010

''Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame: Jeff Beck'' FuseTV

Jeff Beck at Epic Records

Jeff Beck 1954 Les Paul Oxblood

Jeff Beck unofficial website

Category:English blues guitarists Category:English songwriters Category:English rock guitarists Category:Lead guitarists Category:English vegetarians Category:Musicians from London Category:People from Wallington, London Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:The Yardbirds members Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Fingerstyle guitarists Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:Blues rock musicians Category:Musicians from Tunbridge Wells Category:British rhythm and blues boom musicians

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