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Yannick Noah

Country	France
Born	(1960-05-18) 18 May 1960 (age 52) Sedan, France
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	82 kg (180 lb)
Turned pro	1977
Retired	1996
Plays	Right-handed
Career prize money	US$ 3,440,660
Int. Tennis HOF	2005 (member page)
Singles
Career record	476–210 (at ATP Tour, Grand Prix tour, WCT tour, and Grand Slam level, and in the World Group of the Davis Cup)
Career titles	23
Highest ranking	3 (7 July 1986)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	SF (1990)
French Open	W (1983)
Wimbledon	3R (1979, 1985)
US Open	QF (1983, 1985, 1989)
Doubles
Career record	213–109 (at ATP Tour, Grand Prix tour, WCT tour, and Grand Slam level, and in the World Group of the Davis Cup)
Career titles	16
Highest ranking	1 (25 August 1986)

Yannick Noah (born 18 May 1960 in Sedan, Ardennes) is a former professional tennis player from France. He is best remembered for being the last French and first black man to win the French Open in 1983, and as a highly-successful captain of France's Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams. Since his retirement from the game, Noah has remained in the public eye as a very popular music performer and as the co-founder, with his mother, of a charity organization for underprivileged children. Noah is also the father of Joakim Noah of the NBA Chicago Bulls.

Tennis career[link]

Noah turned professional in 1977, and won his first top-level singles title in 1978 in Manila.

Noah became France's most prominent tennis hero in 1983, becoming the first Frenchman in 37 years to win the French Open. He dropped only one set during the two-week long tournament, and defeated the defending-champion Mats Wilander in straight sets in the final, 6–2, 7–5, 7–6. Noah also became only the second black male to win a Grand Slam singles event (after Arthur Ashe). He remains the last Frenchman to have won the French Open men's singles title.

During his career, which spanned almost two decades, Noah captured a total of 23 singles titles and 16 doubles titles. His highest singles ranking was third in the world, in 1986.

Noah won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984 (with compatriot and best friend Henri Leconte). He was also the men's doubles runner-up at the 1985 U.S. Open (with Leconte), and the 1987 French Open (with compatriot Guy Forget). In August 1986, Noah attained the world no. 1 doubles ranking, which he would hold for a total of 19 weeks.

Noah played on France's Davis Cup team for eleven years, with an overall win–loss record of 39–22 (26–15 in singles, and in 13–7 doubles). In 1982, he was part of the French team which reached the Davis Cup final, where they were defeated 4–1 by the United States.

Nine years later, in 1991, Noah captained the French team which won the Davis Cup for the first time in 59 years, defeating a heavily-favoured US team 3–1 in the final. This feat was repeated in 1996, when France defeated Sweden 3–2 in the final held in Malmö.

In 1997, Noah captained France's Fed Cup team to its first victory in that competition.

He notably admitted using marijuana prior to matches in 1981,^[1] saying that amphetamines were the real problem in tennis as they were performance enhancing drugs.

Noah was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. He remains France's highest ranked player since the introduction of rankings in 1973.

Major finals[link]

Grand Slam finals[link]

Singles: 1 (1–0)[link]

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score in the final
Winner	1983	French Open	Clay	Mats Wilander	6–2, 7–5, 7–6(7–3)

Doubles: 3 (1–2)[link]

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponent in the final	Score in the final
Winner	1984	French Open	Clay	Henri Leconte	Pavel Složil Tomáš Šmíd	6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up	1985	US Open	Hard	Henri Leconte	Ken Flach Robert Seguso	7–6(7–5), 6–7(1–7), 6–7(6–8), 0–6
Runner-up	1987	French Open	Clay	Guy Forget	Anders Järryd Robert Seguso	7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–2), 3–6, 4–6, 2–6

Singles finals (36)[link]

Wins (23)[link]

Outcome	No.	Date	Championship	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score in the final
Runner-up	1.	1978	Nice, France	Clay	José Higueras	3–6, 4–6, 4–6
Winner	1.	1978	Manila, Philippines	Clay	Peter Feigl	7–6, 6–0
Winner	2.	1978	Calcutta, India	Clay	Pascal Portes	6–3, 6–2
Winner	3.	1979	Nancy, France	Hard (i)	Jean-Louis Haillet	6–2, 5–7, 6–1, 7–5
Winner	4.	1979	Madrid, Spain	Clay	Manuel Orantes	6–3, 6–7, 6–3, 6–2
Winner	5.	1979	Bordeaux, France	Clay	Harold Solomon	6–0, 6–7, 6–1, 1–6, 6–4
Runner-up	2.	1980	Rome, Italy	Clay	Guillermo Vilas	0–6, 4–6, 4–6
Winner	6.	1981	Richmond WCT, U.S.	Carpet	Ivan Lendl	6–1, 3–1, ret.
Winner	7.	1981	Nice, France	Clay	Mario Martinez	6–4, 6–2
Runner-up	3.	1981	Gstaad, Switzerland	Clay	Wojtek Fibak	1–6, 6–7
Winner	8.	1982	La Quinta, U.S.	Hard	Ivan Lendl	6–3, 2–6, 7–5
Runner-up	4.	1982	Nice, France	Clay	Balázs Taróczy	2–6, 6–3, 11–13
Winner	9.	1982	South Orange, U.S.	Clay	Raúl Ramírez	6–3, 7–6
Winner	10.	1982	Basel, Switzerland	Hard (i)	Mats Wilander	6–4, 6–2, 6–3
Winner	11.	1982	Toulouse, France	Hard (i)	Tomáš Šmíd	6–3, 6–2
Runner-up	5.	1983	Lisbon, Portugal	Clay	Mats Wilander	6–2, 6–7(2–7), 4–6
Winner	12.	1983	Madrid, Spain	Clay	Henrik Sundström	3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–4
Winner	13.	1983	Hamburg, Germany	Clay	José Higueras	3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–0
Winner	14.	1983	French Open, Paris	Clay	Mats Wilander	6–2, 7–5, 7–6(7–3)
Runner-up	6.	1984	La Quinta, U.S.	Hard	Jimmy Connors	2–6, 7–6(9–7), 3–6
Runner-up	7.	1985	Memphis, U.S.	Carpet	Stefan Edberg	1–6, 0–6
Winner	15.	1985	Rome, Italy	Clay	Miloslav Mečíř	6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
Winner	16.	1985	Washington, D.C., U.S.	Clay	Martín Jaite	6–4, 6–3
Winner	17.	1985	Toulouse, France	Hard (i)	Tomáš Šmíd	6–4, 6–4
Runner-up	8.	1985	Basel, Switzerland	Hard (i)	Stefan Edberg	7–6, 4–6, 6–7, 1–6
Runner-up	9.	1986	La Quinta, U.S.	Hard	Joakim Nyström	1–6, 3–6, 2–6
Runner-up	10.	1986	Monte Carlo, Monaco	Clay	Joakim Nyström	3–6, 2–6
Winner	18.	1986	Forest Hills, U.S.	Clay	Guillermo Vilas	7–6(7–3), 6–0
Runner-up	11.	1986	Basel, Switzerland	Hard (i)	Stefan Edberg	6–7(5–7), 2–6, 7–6(9–7), 6–7(5–7)
Winner	19.	1986	Wembley, England	Carpet	Jonas Svensson	6–2, 6–3, 6–7(12–14), 4–6, 7–5
Winner	20.	1987	Lyon, France	Carpet	Joakim Nyström	6–4, 7–5
Runner-up	12.	1987	Forest Hills, U.S.	Clay	Andrés Gómez	4–6, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(1–7)
Winner	21.	1987	Basel, Switzerland	Hard (i)	Ronald Agénor	7–6(8–6), 6–4, 6–4
Winner	22.	1988	Milan, Italy	Carpet	Jimmy Connors	4–4, ret.
Runner-up	13.	1989	Indian Wells, U.S.	Hard	Miloslav Mečíř	6–3, 6–2, 1–6, 2–6, 3–6
Winner	23.	1990	Sydney Outdoor, Australia	Hard	Carl-Uwe Steeb	5–7, 6–3, 6–4

Doubles finals (25)[link]

Wins (16)[link]

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents in the final	Score in the final
Runner-up	1.	1978	Calcutta, India	Clay	Gilles Moretton	Sashi Menon Sherwood Stewart	6–7, 4–6
Winner	1.	1981	Nice, France	Clay	Pascal Portes	Chris Lewis Pavel Složil	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Winner	2.	1981	Paris, France	Hard (i)	Ilie Năstase	Andrew Jarrett Jonathan Smith	6–4, 6–4
Winner	3.	1982	Nice, France	Clay	Henri Leconte	Paul McNamee Balázs Taróczy	5–7, 6–4, 6–3
Winner	4.	1982	Basel, Switzerland	Hard (i)	Henri Leconte	Fritz Buehning Pavel Složil	6–2, 6–2
Runner-up	2.	1982	Toulouse, France	Hard (i)	Jean-Louis Haillet	Pavel Složil Tomáš Šmíd	4–6, 4–6
Runner-up	3.	1983	Monte Carlo, Monaco	Clay	Henri Leconte	Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy	2–6, 4–6
Runner-up	4.	1984	Philadelphia, U.S.	Carpet	Henri Leconte	Peter Fleming John McEnroe	2–6, 3–6
Winner	5.	1984	French Open, Paris	Clay	Henri Leconte	Pavel Složil Tomáš Šmíd	6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Winner	6.	1985	Chicago, U.S.	Carpet	Johan Kriek	Ken Flach Robert Seguso	3–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1, 6–4
Runner-up	5.	1985	U.S. Open, New York	Hard	Henri Leconte	Ken Flach Robert Seguso	7–6, 6–7, 6–7, 0–6
Runner-up	6.	1986	La Quinta, U.S.	Hard	Sherwood Stewart	Guy Forget Peter Fleming	4–6, 3–6
Winner	7.	1986	Monte Carlo, Monaco	Clay	Guy Forget	Joakim Nyström Mats Wilander	6–4, 3–6, 6–4
Winner	8.	1986	Rome, Italy	Clay	Guy Forget	Mark Edmondson Sherwood Stewart	7–6, 6–2
Winner	9.	1986	Basel, Switzerland	Hard (i)	Guy Forget	Jan Gunnarsson Tomáš Šmíd	7–6, 6–4
Runner-up	7.	1986	Masters Doubles, London	Carpet	Guy Forget	Stefan Edberg Anders Järryd	3–6, 6–7, 3–6
Winner	10.	1987	Lyon, France	Carpet	Guy Forget	Kelly Jones David Pate	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Winner	11.	1987	Indian Wells, U.S.	Hard	Guy Forget	Boris Becker Eric Jelen	6–4, 7–6
Winner	12.	1987	Forest Hills, U.S.	Clay	Guy Forget	Gary Donnelly Peter Fleming	4–6, 6–4, 6–1
Winner	13.	1987	Rome, Italy	Clay	Guy Forget	Miloslav Mečíř Tomáš Šmíd	6–2, 6–7, 6–3
Runner-up	8.	1987	French Open, Paris	Clay	Guy Forget	Anders Järryd Robert Seguso	7–6, 7–6, 3–6, 4–6, 2–6
Winner	14.	1987	London/Queen's Club, England	Grass	Guy Forget	Rick Leach Tim Pawsat	6–4, 6–4
Winner	15.	1988	Orlando, U.S.	Hard	Guy Forget	Sherwood Stewart Kim Warwick	6–4, 6–4
Winner	16.	1990	Nice, France	Clay	Alberto Mancini	Marcelo Filippini Horst Skoff	6–4, 7–6
Runner-up	9.	1990	Bordeaux, France	Clay	Mansour Bahrami	Tomás Carbonell Libor Pimek	3–6, 7–6, 2–6

Music career[link]

Yannick Noah
Noah performing at a concert in 2006
Background information
Born	(1960-05-18) 18 May 1960 (age 52) Sedan, France
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1991 – present
Website	www.yannicknoah.com

Since retiring from playing tennis, Noah has developed a career as a popular singer, performing throughout Europe. He began his music career in 1991 with the album Black or What, featuring the popular track "Saga Africa" which he made the stadium sing with his players after the famous Davis Cup final win. In 1993, he released the album Urban Tribu with the successful single "Get On Back" followed by the album Zam Zam in 1998.

With the encouragement of his manager Jean-Pierre Weiller, his musical career got a great boost in 2000 with his self-titled 4th album Yannick Noah, written by Erick Benzi et Robert Goldman. The single "Simon Papa Tara" written by Robert Goldman. The album also contained songs from Bob Marley and the group Téléphone.

In October 2006, the album Charango was a major hit selling more than 1,150,00 copies culminating in a one year tour for promoting the album. French radio played the singles "Donne-moi une vie" and "Aux arbres citoyens" extensively taken from the album.

In 2005, Noah performed at Bob Geldof's Live 8 concert, a fundraiser aimed at alleviating poverty in Africa.

On 21 July 2009, Noah made his U.S. live debut, headlining a concert in front of a packed house at the popular free outdoor performing arts festival in New York City, Central Park SummerStage. The performance was part of France's global music celebration Fête de la Musique.

In 2010, Yannick made a comeback with the release Frontières his 8th album, conatining the single "Angela", a tribute to Angela Davis. It also contained a duet with Asa in "Hello". On 25 September 2010, he was able to fill in Stade de France for an exceptional concert that was attended by close to 80,000 spectators.

Charity[link]

Noah is very active in charity work. He supports Enfants de la Terre, a charity created and run by his mother, Marie-Claire, in 1988.

Noah also founded Fête le Mur in 1996, a tennis charity and adaptation for underprivileged children, specially in the poor areas and the banlieues. It is presided by Noah himself.

He is also a spokesman for Appel des Enfants pour l'Environnement that was started by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Finally he has taken part in singing with Les Enfoirés to help Les Restos du Cœur. He also takes part in telethons and sponsored the "Téléthon 2005".

He also sponsors the Association Terre-des-Hommes in Massongex (Suisse) and donated proceeds of his concert of Grands Gamins, in 2008, to Sol En Si, an AIDS charity.

Partly because of his huge involvement in a number of charities, he topped the list of the most favourite French personalities according to a joint survey of Ifop and Le Journal du Dimanche in 2007.

Politics[link]

Cameroon

Yannick Noah is known to have accepted posts offered by the regime of Paul Biya. In 2005, he accepted being a consultant for Cameroon's national football. Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (In French Rassemblement démocratique du peuple camerounais (RDPC)), the ruling party since independence portrays him as a supporter of its rule. He also reportedly donates to Fondation Chantal Biya (wife of president Paul Biya) specially through Unis pour vaincre.

France

Noah has also taken many political positions including a marked animosity with to the Union for a Popular Movement (in French Union pour un mouvement populaire (UMP)), a right-wing party in France. He also made controversial comments against President Sarkozy about the riots in the suburbs. He also actively supported the candidacy of Ségolène Royal taking part in a pro-Royal rally. Yannick Noah in la Fête de l'Humanité sang many politically engaged songs including "Aux Arbres Citoyens".

Doping

In an article dated 19 November 2011 in Le Monde, he created further controversy as an anti-doping activist, by alleging widespread use of doping in Spain to secure success. Many sports associations and even politicians deplored his declarations in absence of any solid proof about Spanish doping.

Personal life[link]

Noah's father, Zacharie Noah, is a former professional Cameroonian football star who won the French Cup with Sedan in 1961. His mother, Marie-Claire, is a former captain of France's basketball team and teacher. Noah has five children, of whom two were from his first marriage to Cecilia Rodhe (Miss Sweden 1978 and now a sculptor): Joakim (born in 1985) and Yelena (born in 1986). Joakim plays basketball for the Chicago Bulls and for the French team. Yelena is a model, already famous in the world of fashion. They don't live in France but in the U.S. With his second wife, the British model Heather Stewart-Whyte, Noah has two daughters: Elijah (1996) and Jénayé (1997). Now he is married to French TV producer Isabelle Camus, with whom he has a son named Joalukas (born in 2004).

Noah is also the owner of a restaurant in Saint Barthelemy in the French West Indies called Do Brazil.

Problems with the French fiscal authorities

On 15 July 1996, the fiscal authorities demanded payment of 6,807,701 francs in back taxes for 1993-1994. The Paris administrative tribunal court confirmed the decision alleging that Noah kept three non-declared bank accounts in Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States. Noah disputed the court decision as unconstitutional.

Discography[link]

Yannick Noah, Rennes, 22 January 2011

Albums[link]

Rereleases

• 2004: Yannick Noah / Live (2 CDs - FR #134)
• 2010: Charango / Pokhara (2 Cds - FR #103)

Singles[link]

References[link]

1. ^ Revelations uncover a father's anguish

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yannick Noah

• Yannick Noah at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Official Site
• International Tennis Hall of Fame
• tenniscorner.net profile
• Biography as pop musician, from Radio France Internationale

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

Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar performing at the 2008 Durham Fair in Durham, Connecticut
Background information
Born	(1964-05-28) May 28, 1964 (age 48)
Origin	Lynchburg, Virginia, USA[1]
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Arista Nashville, Show Dog-Universal, Rodeowave Entertainment
Associated acts	Engelbert Humperdinck, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, Tim McGraw, Craig Wiseman
Website	http://www.philvassar.com/

Phil Vassar (born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw ("For a Little While", "My Next Thirty Years"), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye, Bye", "I'm Alright"), Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo"), and Alan Jackson ("Right on the Money"). In 1999, he was named by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) as Country Songwriter of the Year.

Later that same year, Vassar was signed to Arista Nashville as a recording artist. His debut album, Phil Vassar, was released in early 2000; it produced five hit singles on the U.S. Billboard country singles charts and was certified gold in the United States. He followed it in 2002 with American Child, Shaken Not Stirred in 2004, and finally Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 in 2006 before Vassar left the label for Universal South Records. His first album for that label, Prayer of a Common Man, was released in early 2008. He has charted nineteen singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including two Number Ones: 2000's "Just Another Day in Paradise" and 2004's "In a Real Love".

Biography[link]

Phil Vassar was born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia.^[1]

While in college at James Madison University in nearby Harrisonburg, VA, Vassar had taken up playing the piano, and eventually found work as a singer in clubs.^[1] He was also a member of the Eta Kappa Chapter of [Theta Chi] fraternity. He had decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee in order to pursue a career in music. Eventually, he was signed to a small publishing contract, but was unable to land any hits on this contract.

Musical career[link]

As a songwriter[link]

Starting in the late 1990s, Vassar began writing songs that were recorded by several country music artists. Among the artists who recorded his material were Blackhawk ("Postmarked Birmingham"), Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo"), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye, Bye", "I'm Alright"), Tim McGraw ("For a Little While"), Alan Jackson ("Right on the Money"), and Neal McCoy ("I Was").^[1] Of these, "Bye, Bye", "I'm Alright", and "Right on the Money" all reached Number One on the country charts. "Bye, Bye" earned Vassar his first American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) award for Song of the Year, and in 1999 he was named ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year.^[1]

As a singer[link]

In late 1999, Vassar was signed to his first recording contract, with the Arista Nashville label. His debut single, "Carlene", was issued that year, and by mid-2000 the song had gone on to peak at #5 on the Billboard country charts.

The lead-off single to Vassar's self-titled debut album, "Carlene" was followed by "Just Another Day in Paradise", which became his first Number One hit as a singer. Shortly after that song peaked, another song written by Vassar reached the top of the country charts — Tim McGraw's "My Next Thirty Years". This, along with Marshall Dyllon's "Live It Up", would be among Vassar's last contributions for another artist. Overall, Phil Vassar produced three more singles: the #16 "Rose Bouquet", "Six-Pack Summer" at #9, and finally "That's When I Love You" at #3. In addition, the album itself earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping 500,000 copies.^[1] Its success led to tours with Kenny Chesney.

[edit] American Child

American Child was the title of Vassar's second album, co-produced by Byron Gallimore. It was released in 2002, the same year in which he married Julie Wood, with whom he co-wrote "That's When I Love You". The album's autobiographical title track served as its lead-off single, reaching a peak of #5 on the country charts, and the album itself peaked at #4 on the Top Country Albums charts. In mid-2002, he also co-wrote and performed a charity single called "Words Are Your Wheels" to promote literacy. Released exclusively through Wal-Mart stores, this song featured guest vocals from Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride and Sara Evans.^[2]

While "American Child" was climbing the charts, Arista tested another song written by Vassar, "This Is God". This song was so well-received by test audiences that American Child was recalled and re-released in early 2003. (The re-issue featured "This Is God" along with a cover of Huey Lewis and the News's "Workin' for a Livin'".) "This Is God" was subsequently issued as the album's second single, becoming a Top 20 country hit. After it came "Ultimate Love," which peaked at #41.

[edit] Shaken Not Stirred and Greatest Hits

In 2004, Vassar released his third studio album, Shaken Not Stirred. The album produced Vassar's second number one hit in the song "In a Real Love". Also released from this album were the #17 "I'll Take That as a Yes (The Hot Tub Song)" and the #22 "Good Ole Days". Unlike with his first two albums, Vassar recorded Shaken Not Stirred with his road band. Vassar produced the album with Nick Brophy and Frank Rogers.

Vassar's first greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1, was issued in 2006. This album comprised the biggest hits from his studio albums to that point, as well as his renditions of "Bye, Bye", "I'm Alright", "My Next Thirty Years" and "Little Red Rodeo". The album's also included three new songs. Two of these were released as singles, starting with the #2 "Last Day of My Life", which Vassar was inspired to write after attending the funeral of his friend Robert Byrne, with whom he co-wrote his 2001 single "Rose Bouquet".^[3] The second and final single from Greatest Hits, "The Woman in My Life" (another song co-written by Vassar and his wife), reached #20 on the country charts, shortly before Vassar parted ways with Arista Nashville.

[edit] Prayer of a Common Man

In March 2007, Vassar signed to the independent Universal South Records,^[4] which became part of Show Dog-Universal Music in December 2009. His first single for the label, "This Is My Life", was released in mid-2007, peaking at #35 on the country music charts. Succeeding it was "Love Is a Beautiful Thing" This song was co-written by Jeffrey Steele and Craig Wiseman, and was previously recorded in 1999 by Canadian singer Paul Brandt under the title "It's a Beautiful Thing". By April 2008, "Love Is a Beautiful Thing" had reached #2 on the country charts, and Vassar's first album for Universal South (Prayer of a Common Man) was released. A third single from this album, "I Would", was issued in July 2008 and peaked at #26. It was followed in early 2009 by the album's title track, which became the lowest-peaking single of his career at #53.

[edit] Traveling Circus

One week after "Prayer of a Common Man" fell from the charts, Vassar charted his eighteenth single, "Bobbi with an I". Released in April 2009, this was the first single for Vassar's fifth studio album, Traveling Circus, released in December 2009. It peaked at #46 after eight weeks on the charts, and was followed by "Everywhere I Go".

Sixth album[link]

Vassar signed with Rodeowave Entertainment in 2011,^[5] releasing the single "Let's Get Together". This song made the top 40 late in the year, followed by "Don't Miss Your Life" in early 2012.

Personal life[link]

On March 26, 2002, Vassar married Julie Wood, with whom he co-wrote his singles "That's When I Love You" and "The Woman in My Life".^[6] Wood's brother, Jeff Wood, is also a country music artist, who recorded one studio album on Imprint Records in 1997 and charted three singles, in addition to co-writing album tracks for Vassar and other artists. Vassar has two daughters: Presley Jade (born December 4, 2003 with Wood-Vassar) and Haley (born August 27, 1998), from a previous marriage.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 2000 Phil Vassar
• 2002 American Child
• 2004 Shaken Not Stirred
• 2006 Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
• 2008 Prayer of a Common Man
• 2009 Traveling Circus
• 2011 Noel

Songs written by Phil Vassar[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Phil Vassar on Myspace

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

El Chojin
El Chojín rapping at Azuqueca de Henares.
Background information
Birth name	Domingo Edjang Moreno
Born	(1977-04-28) 28 April 1977 (age 35) Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
Genres	Rap
Occupations	Rapper, writer
Years active	1992–present
Labels	BoaCor/Boa Music, Revelde, PIAS Spain
Associated acts	995, Frank T, Duo Kie, Nach
Website	www.elchojin.net

Domingo Edjang Moreno (born on 28 April 1977^[1]), better known by his stage name El Chojin (prounouced as in Japanese Chōjin, not with a Spanish J), is a Spanish rapper. He is the current Guinness World Record holder for most syllables rapped in one minute.^[2]

Early life[link]

Chojin was born in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, to a father from Equatorial Guinea and an Extremaduran (Spanish) mother.

Career[link]

El Chojin takes his name from the Overfiend in the anime Urotsukidōji. During the first part of his rap career, he was a member of the WFN crew ("Wild for da Night"), so called after a Rampage/Busta Rhymes song of the same name.^[3] He was later part of the group 995 and with them released four albums.

As a solo artist he has put out eight LPs as of 2009, including Cuando Hay Obstáculos... and ...Jamás Intentes Negarlo (the initials of those two titles spelling out C.H.O.J.I.N.). After his first five full-length solo records, in 2004 Chojin returned with a demo, Rap por placer, available as a free download.

In early 2005, his eighth LP 8jin was released. The disc tackles such issues as professionalism in rap and violence against women. The album cover was chosen from among almost 400 submissions, from a contest organized by the rapper through his webpage.

In 2007 he released Striptease, an album in which he "bares" his soul. It is a collaboration with various producers, both veteran and new, and includes instrumentation such as guitars, harmonicas, pianos, and a gospel chorus. The following year he released Aún rap por placer, a follow-up to his previous demo, consisting of six solo tracks and one featuring Duo Kie. Like its predecessor, it could also be legally downloaded for free.

In March 2009, he released Cosas que pasan, que no pasan y que deberían pasar (Things that Happen, Don't Happen, and Should Happen), a 30-track album with a diverse array of contributors, including Locus from Duo Kie, Maika Sitté from blues band Red House, comedian El Gran Wyoming, and singer-songwriter Luis Eduardo Aute, as well as others.

Chojin is known for the social commentary of his lyrics, his solo disc Mi turno being perhaps his most "radical" work. He avoids coarse language in his music, and his raps also frequently espouse non-violence, anti-racism, and warn of the dangers of drugs and alcohol. One of the main themes covered on most albums is the discrimination against and general mistreatment of immigrants. Although, being born and raised in Spain, he is not an immigrant himself, he is well aware of the problems they face. As is reflected in his songs "Yo no soy de esos", "Mami, el negro está rabioso", and "Cara sucia", he has suffered such discrimination due to the colour of his skin. He also is known for his track "Lola", promoting condom use, which came to be used in a Barcelona contraceptive awareness campaign. Amnesty International used one of his songs (featuring Meko and Kraze Negroze) for their "Ponte en mi piel" ("Put Yourself in My Skin") campaign, another attempt to raise awareness, this time regarding immigration, and, with the release of 8jin, Amnesty selected "El final del cuento de hadas" ("The End of the Fairy Tale") for a campaign against gender-based violence.

In addition to lyrics, Chojin has also written poetry and various articles. In 2007, he wrote and starred in El alma de Alexander Oboe (The Soul of Alexander Oboe), a play produced by Casa de los Pueblos, which debuted at the Festival Madrid Sur and went on to tour various theatres in Spain. While finishing and preparing for the launch of his first book, 98 rimas y 7 leyendas (98 Rhymes and 7 Legends), he has collaborated on movie soundtracks such as Tánger and created what he calls "the first rap opera in Spanish", entitled Rimas para todos los públicos (Rhymes for All Audiences).

Since 28 January 2010, El Chojin has appeared every Wednesday on Noticias 2, performing a rap summarizing the week's news.

World record[link]

On 23 December 2008, Chojin appeared on Telecinco in an attempt to break Rebel XD's record of 852 syllables rapped in a minute. He succeeded on his second try, performing the 921 syllables of his song "Vo-ca-li-za" in under 60 seconds.

Discography[link]

With 995[link]

• 995 (2001)
• Ⅱ (2002)
• Ⅲ: Kompetición (2003)
• K2 - Kompetición Ⅱ (2004)

Solo releases[link]

• 100% = 10.000 (Mi estilo) (maxi) (Revelde Discos, 1997) - 100% =10.000 (My style)
• Mi turno (LP) (Revelde Discos, 1999) - My turn
• El nivel sube (LP) (Revelde Discos, 2000) - The level gets up
• Lola (maxi) (Boa Music, 2001)
• Sólo para adultos (LP) (Boa Music, 2001) - Only for adults
• Cuando Hay Obstáculos... (LP) (Boa Music, 2002) - When there are obstacles...
• ...Jamás Intentes Negarlo (LP) (Boa Music, 2003) - ...Never try to deny it
• Rap por placer (demo) (independent, 2004)
• 8jin (LP) (Bombo Records, 2005)
• Rap positivo (maxi) (PIAS Spain, 2007) - Positive rap
• Striptease (LP) (PIAS Spain, 2007)
• Aún rap por placer (demo) (2008) - For pleasure, yet
• Cosas que pasan, que no pasan y que deberían pasar (LP) (Boa Music, 2009) - Things that happen, things that don't happen and things that should happen
• El ataque de los que observaban (LP) (Sony Music Entertainment España, S.L., 2011) - The attack of those who were observing

Collaborations[link]

• El Meswy "Tesis doctoral" (1997)
• Frank T "Los pájaros no pueden vivir en el agua porque no son peces" (1998)
• Frank T "La gran obra maestra" (1998)
• Black Bee "La Homilía" (1998)
• Zeta "Hacia el infinito" (1999)
• Zeta "Guateque" (1999)
• Zenit "Sólo para adultos" (2001)
• DJ Paco aka DJ Jam "69 Studio el plan perfecto" (2001)
• Makamersim "Original Dancehall" (2002)
• La Konexión "Destilando stylo" (2003)
• Meko y Kraze "AK-47" (2003)
• Jefe de la M "Entra el dragón" (2003)
• Bombo Records "Kompetición" (2003)
• Duo Kie "El rap es esto" (2004)
• Meko "Zona de guerra" (2004)
• Bombo Records "K2: Kompetición II" (2004)
• Destroyer "Amor por esto" (2005)
• Lydia "El final del cuento de hadas" (2005)
• Panzers "Resurrección" (2005)
• Sindicato Argentino del Hip Hop "Sangre, sudor y furia" (2005)
• Various artists "Tiempo de kambio" (2006)
• Black Bee "Génesis" (2006)
• Dlux "Encadenadas"(2007)
• Estado Mental "Ahórrate el psicologo"(2007)
• Duo Kie "21 centímetros"(2008)
• Nach "Hemos creado un monstruo"
• Morodo, Meko, Ose & Black Bee "Estoy cansao"
• Frost and MC Say "2 legendarios" (2009)

Videography[link]

• "Si mi chica se llamara Shakira"
• "Superhéroe"
• "Quisiera ser"
• "No más"
• "Lola"
• "Rap contra el racismo"

See also[link]

• Spanish hip hop
• NoClue
• Outsider
• Rebel XD

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official webpage
• Online store
• El Chojin on Myspace