Overview

Arab and Muslim world

The scientific achievements of the Muslim Civilization also reaches its zenith during this time, with the emergence of the first experimental scientists and the scientific method, which would form the basis of modern science.

Most of the leading scientists around the year 1000 were Muslim scientists, including Ibn al-Haytham (Alhacen), Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, Avicenna, Abu al-Qasim (Abulcasis), Ibn Yunus, Abu Sahl al-Quhi (Kuhi), Abu-Mahmud al-Khujandi, Abu Nasr Mansur, Abu al-Wafa, Ahmad ibn Fadlan, Al-Muqaddasi, Ali Ibn Isa, and al-Karaji (al-Karkhi), among others.

In particular, Ibn al-Haytham, Avicenna, Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, and Abu al-Qasim, who all flourished around the year 1000, are considered to be among the greatest scientists of the Middle Ages.

China

Events

Births

Deaths

See also

References

Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

Zombie has also established a successful career as a film director, creating the movies ''House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects'', the 2007 remake of ''Halloween'', its sequel, and ''The Haunted World of El Superbeasto''. His next film will be the upcoming ''The Lords of Salem'' which is scheduled to premiere in theaters sometime in 2012.

Early life

Recording career

White Zombie (1985–1998)

Solo career (1998–present)

In 1997, Zombie contributed a song entitled "The Great American Nightmare" for the Howard Stern movie, ''Private Parts''. Since January 6, 1999, it has been the opening theme for Stern's radio show.

''Hellbilly Deluxe''

Zombie toured extensively to promote the album, then released ''American Made Music to Strip By'' in 1999, an album of remixes from ''Hellbilly Deluxe''.

''The Sinister Urge''

In 2003, Zombie released his first greatest hits album ''Past, Present & Future'', containing hit songs both from his solo band and White Zombie. It also featured covers (The Commodores' "Brick House" and The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop") and unreleased songs ("Two-Lane Blacktop" and "Girl on Fire").

After a 2002–2003 world tour, Mike Riggs and John Tempesta left Zombie to form a similar band, Scum of the Earth. This put plans for another tour or new album on hold. Instead, between 2003 and 2005, Zombie directed and released two horror films, ''House of 1000 Corpses'' and ''The Devil's Rejects''.

''Educated Horses''

''20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection: The Best of Rob Zombie'' was also released in 2006 by his label, Geffen Records. It contains songs similar to his first greatest hits album, but there are also songs on this release from ''Educated Horses''.

On May 31, 2006, Zombie was joined onstage by guitarist Slash (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Gilby Clarke (formerly of Guns N' Roses) on rhythm guitar, Scott Ian of Anthrax on bass, Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe on drums and special guest Ace Frehley of Kiss also on lead guitar. The occasion was a one-time supergroup tribute to Kiss for the first annual VH1 Rock Honors award show. They played one song, "God of Thunder," before handing it off to the honoree. Zombie then went on tour with Ozzy Osbourne.

Blasko, Zombie's bass player, left the band shortly before the American Witch Tour (the second leg of the tour to promote ''Educated Horses''), to play bass with Ozzy Osbourne. To fill in, Zombie hired Piggy D. of Amen and Wednesday 13 fame as a permanent replacement.

In 2007 Zombie released ''Zombie Live'', which was supposed to be accompanied by a live DVD and picture booklet. So far, only the CD has surfaced.

''Hellbilly Deluxe 2''

Rob Zombie appeared on ''The Howard Stern Show'' on August 18, 2009, saying the new album was complete, although he had not yet set a title, and was scheduled for release on November 10. That release date would later move to November 17, according to his MySpace blog. Eventually, the release date would be pushed back to February 2010.

On October 3, Zombie posted a link to preview the track "Sick Bubblegum" on his Twitter page. The first single "What?" was released on October 13. Zombie released the next new song, "Burn" for Rock Band, as well as two old tracks, "Dragula" and "Superbeast" on October 27. They are available via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network as well as the Rock Band online store.

On October 29, 2009, Zombie began the Hellbilly Deluxe 2 World Tour in support of his album ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool'', despite the fact it was not to be released until over three months later.

Zombie has commented that ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' may be his last physical record release due to the growing popularity of iTunes and other methods of music downloading, but stated he will continue to make music. ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' was set to be his last album released through Geffen Records, but in late October, Zombie announced that he had signed to Roadrunner Records and will instead be releasing ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' under that label in early 2010.

On January 22, he announced that he would be touring with Alice Cooper for the "Gruesome Twosome" tour.

Tommy Clufetos recently left the band to perform with Ozzy Osbourne on drums. He replaced drummer Mike Bordin who is on tour with his current band Faith No More. Joey Jordison has since replaced Clufetos and was announced to be drumming with Zombie for his upcoming summer tour dates. Rob Zombie was bothered that Clufetos was the second member to leave his solo band and join Osbourne after bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson left in 2006. Zombie commented, "If my guys that I have wanna go play with other people, that's fine; I don't own them. But I think there's ways to do things in a respectful way and there's ways to just be shitty, and I feel that the way things have gone down lately has been pretty shitty."

Rob Zombie performed at Edgefest in Little Rock, Arkansas as the co-headliner along with Godsmack on May 8, 2010. He also played on the main stage on the second day of the Rock on the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio on May 23. It was widely reported that much of the crowd left after his performance, despite the fact that Limp Bizkit was still scheduled to take the stage.

Rob Zombie finished recording four new songs in July 2010 with John 5, Piggy D, and Joey Jordison. The new music, expected to be released in September 2010, was described by Zombie as "some of the fastest and heaviest tracks we have recorded in a long, long time." Former White Zombie member, and drummer for Rob Zombie's first two studio albums, John Tempesta was rumored to have recorded at least one song titled "Loving the Freaks" for this release. While Rob Zombie did confirm that this collaboration was planned, his schedule was too busy and these recording sessions never took place. Working with Tempesta again in the future was not ruled out. These newly recorded tracks were incorporated into a special edition reissue of ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' which was released on September 28, 2010.

For the first time in 12 years, Zombie will return to the United Kingdom to play a string of six dates in support of ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2''.

On March 4, 2011, Rob Zombie said that he would record a CD after he completes his upcoming film ''The Lords of Salem''.

Rob Zombie will embark on a North American tour with Slayer and Exodus called "Hell on Earth" tour starting July 20 and ending on August 6.

On April 22, 2011 on Zombie's official Twitter account, it was announced that his new drummer is ex-Marilyn Manson drummer and former John 5 bandmate, Ginger Fish.

Other projects

Zombie supplied the vocals for Drowning Pool's song "Man Without Fear" for the soundtrack to the 2003 film ''Daredevil''.

Zombie is featured as a backing vocalist on "Floyd" from Lynyrd Skynyrd's 2009 album ''God & Guns''.

On May 23, 2010 Zombie's new comic book series about a fictitious horror host, ''Whatever Happened To Baron Von Shock?'', began. The first print sold out in less than a week.

On March 14, 2011, praising him for inventing the rock show, glam rock, and punk rock, Zombie inducted Alice Cooper into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Film and television

Film career

The ''House of 1000 Corpses''' sequel, ''The Devil's Rejects'', which Zombie also wrote and directed, showcased a much different style. Whereas ''House'' aimed at being more gory and bizarre, ''Rejects'' was darkly comedic and gritty. Released in 2005, ''Rejects'' had the Firefly Family on the run from the law and a particularly vengeful sheriff whose brother had been murdered by them in the first film. It had a better critical reception than ''Corpses''. Zombie contributed to the 2007 exploitation film ''Grindhouse'', by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino by directing a faux trailer, called ''Werewolf Women of the S.S.'', starring his wife, exploitation veterans Udo Kier and Sybil Danning, and Nicolas Cage, who appeared free for fun.

Zombie next wrote and directed ''Halloween'', a reimagining of the 1978 classic that was released August 31, 2007. Although it was a success and opened at number #1 at the box office with $26 million, it registered only 26% at Rotten Tomatoes. It would go on to gross over $78 million, his biggest hit yet and the highest grossing ''Halloween'' film of all time.

Zombie is the executive producer of the animated film ''The Haunted World of El Superbeasto'', based upon his comic book series, ''The Adventures of El Superbeasto'' (which appeared in his ''Spookshow International'' comic book). The film was released directly to DVD on September 22, 2009. It features the voices of Tom Papa, Paul Giamatti, Zombie's wife Sheri Moon, and Rosario Dawson.

Zombie directed a sequel to ''Halloween'' entitled ''Halloween II'', which was released on August 28, 2009. Filming began on February 23, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia with Tyler Mane returning as Michael Myers. Zombie will next be directing a new movie for Dimension Films known as ''Rob Zombie's Tyrannosaurus Rex''. In an interview at Comic Con 2009 with his younger brother Spider One of Powerman 5000, Zombie stated that his album would be released in October, followed by a tour.

''Variety'' Magazine announced the weekend before the release of ''Halloween II'' that Zombie will be directing a remake of the 1950s/1980s films ''The Blob''. Zombie will also create a new comic called "Whatever Happened to Baron Von Shock?", which will be released by Image Comics in late 2010.

On October 3, 2009 received the Filmmaker of the Year title of the Chiller-Eyegore Awards.

In December 2009 he announced an interest to direct an episode of ''CSI''. On January 13, 2010, Associated Press reported that Rob Zombie's ''CSI: Miami'' episode will air March 1. He shot the part of the series with the full cast of the series and casted for minor roles Michael Madsen, Malcolm McDowell, William Forsythe, ZZ Top's leader Billy Gibbons and his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie.

Rob Zombie and Universal Studios presents the Halloween Horror Nights – Rob Zombie Film Competition as part of the Halloween Horror Nights 2010.

Rob Zombie also was a guest host on WWE Raw.

On September 22, 2010, it was announced that Rob Zombie's next film project would be entitled ''The Lords of Salem''.

On February 21, 2011, he announced in an interview that he will start filming ''Tyrannosaurus Rex'' after he finishes ''Lords of Salem''. The remake of ''The Blob'' will no longer be directed by Zombie.

Rumors circulated that Zombie would direct ''The Dirt'', a movie about Mötley Crüe. However, on his Twitter page on March 4, 2011, Zombie explained that he will not be directing ''The Dirt''. Instead, he said, "I am not. I am directing ''The Lords of Salem''. Recording a CD after that."

''Tyrannosaurus Rex'' is not a dead project, he explained in an interview: "It’ll happen eventually. I don’t have a deal for it, but that was supposed to be my movie I did after ''Halloween'' and then it never happened. For some reason in the last six months or so, everybody seems incredibly interested in it again. So the goal is to make that the next movie after ''The Lords of Salem''. I don’t know if it will be, because it’s such a weird business. But ''Tyrannosaurus Rex'' has always been my pet project that I’ve always wanted to make. It’s the movie I’ve been dying to make forever."

Music video direction

As a guest

Zombie also made a few guest appearances in movies, including ''Airheads'' (with White Zombie on stage playing "Feed the Gods") and the voice of Dr. Karl (on the phone) in the movie ''Slither''. He did a few voiceovers for cartoons such as the voice of Ichthultu, a creature from an alternate universe in ''Justice League Unlimited'' and Dr. Curt Connors ("The Lizard") in ''Spider-Man: The New Animated Series''. Rob Zombie appeared as the guest host for the June 28th edition of ''WWE Monday Night RAW''.

Zombie supplied music for the ''Twisted Metal III'' and ''Twisted Metal 4'' soundtracks, and even appeared as a playable character in ''Twisted Metal 4''. Zombie's song "Dragula" was used in the ''Jet Grind Radio'' soundtrack.

Rob Zombie was the celebrity guest on the Oct 31, 2010 (Halloween Special) episode of ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''.

Personal life

They currently live in Woodbury, Connecticut and Los Angeles, California.

Zombie is also an avid ice hockey fan, specifically of the Los Angeles Kings.

Collaborations

Filmography

Discography

White Zombie

Solo

Composer

Solo band members

;Former

References

External links

Category:1965 births Category:American film directors Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American male singers Category:American music video directors Category:American vegetarians Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Massachusetts Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts Category:People from Haverhill, Massachusetts Category:Pratt Institute alumni Category:Rob Zombie members Category:White Zombie members Category:Horror film directors Category:American baritones

, born , is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji period (1868–1912). He is best known for his novels ''Kokoro'', ''Botchan'', ''I Am a Cat'' and his unfinished work ''Light and Darkness''. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, Chinese-style poetry, and fairy tales. From 1984 until 2004, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note.

Early years

Natsume attended the First Tokyo Middle School (now Hibiya High School), where he became enamored with Chinese literature, and fancied that he might someday become a writer. His desire to become an author arose when he was about fifteen when he told his older brother about his interest in literature. However, his family disapproved strongly of this course of action, and when Natsume entered the Tokyo Imperial University in September 1884, it was with the intention of becoming an architect. Although he preferred Chinese classics, he began studying English at that time, feeling that it might prove useful to him in his future career, as English was a necessity in Japanese college.

In 1887, Natsume met Masaoka Shiki, a friend who would give him encouragement on the path to becoming a writer, which would ultimately be his career. Shiki tutored him in the art of composing haiku. From this point on, he began signing his poems with the name Sōseki, which is a Chinese idiom meaning "stubborn". In 1890, he entered the English Literature department, and quickly mastered the English language. Natsume graduated in 1893, and enrolled for some time as a graduate student and part-time teacher at the Tokyo Normal School.

In 1895, Natsume began teaching at Matsuyama Middle School in Shikoku, which became the setting of his novel ''Botchan''. Along with fulfilling his teaching duties, Natsume published haiku and Chinese poetry in a number of newspapers and periodicals. He resigned his post in 1896, and began teaching at the Fifth High School in Kumamoto. On June 10 of that year, he married Nakane Kyoko.

In the United Kingdom, 1901–1903

He lived in four different lodgings, only the last of which, lodging with Priscilla and her sister Elizabeth Leale in Clapham (see the photograph), proved satisfactory. Five years later, in his preface to ''Bungakuron'' (''The Criticism of Literature''), he wrote about the period: :The two years I spent in London were the most unpleasant years in my life. Among English gentlemen I lived in misery, like a poor dog that had strayed among a pack of wolves.

He got along well with the Leale sisters, who shared his love of literature (notably Shakespeare—his tutor at UCL was the Shakespeare scholar W. J. Craig—and Milton) and spoke fluent French, much to his admiration. The Leales were a Channel Island family, and Priscilla had been born in France. The sisters worried about Natsume's incipient paranoia and successfully urged him to get out more and take up cycling.

Despite his poverty, loneliness, and mental problems, he solidified his knowledge of English literature during this period and returned to Japan in 1903.

After his return to the Empire of Japan, he replaced Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn) at the First Higher School, and subsequently became a professor of English literature at Tokyo Imperial University, where he taught literary theory and literary criticism.

Literary career

He followed on this success with short stories, such as ''Rondon tō'' ("Tower of London") in 1905 and the novels ''Botchan'' ("Little Master"), and ''Kusamakura'' ("Grass Pillow") in 1906, which established his reputation, and which enabled him to leave his post at the university for a position with ''Asahi Shimbun'' in 1907, and to begin writing full-time. Much of his work deals with the relation between Japanese culture and Western culture. Especially his early works are influenced by his studies in London; his novel ''Kairo-kō'' was the earliest and only major prose treatment of the Arthurian legend in Japanese. He began writing one novel a year until his death from a stomach ulcer in 1916.

Major themes in Natsume's works include ordinary people fighting against economic hardship, the conflict between duty and desire (a traditional Japanese theme; see giri), loyalty and group mentality versus freedom and individuality, personal isolation and estrangement, the rapid industrialization of Japan and its social consequences, contempt of Japan's aping of Western culture, and a pessimistic view of human nature. Natsume took a strong interest in the writers of the ''Shirakaba'' (White Birch) literary group. In his final years, authors such as Akutagawa Ryūnosuke and Kume Masao became close followers of his literary style.

Major works

See also

Sources

References

External links

Category:1867 births Category:1916 deaths Category:Writers from Tokyo Category:People in Meiji period Japan Category:Japanese novelists Category:Japanese poets Category:Japanese short story writers Category:Japanese expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:University of Tokyo alumni Category:Pseudonymous writers

In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''. The show ran for nearly six years (1990–1996) on NBC and has been syndicated consistently on various networks since then. In the mid-1990s, Smith moved from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office and the only one to have eight consecutive films in which he starred open at #1 spot in the domestic box office tally.

Fourteen of the 19 fiction films he has acted in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million, and four took in over $500 million in global box office receipts. As of 2011, his films have grossed $5.7 billion in global box office. His most financially successful films have been ''Bad Boys'', ''Bad Boys II'', ''Independence Day'', ''Men in Black'', ''Men in Black II'', ''I, Robot'', ''The Pursuit of Happyness'', ''I Am Legend'', ''Hancock'', ''Wild Wild West'', ''Enemy of the State'', ''Shark Tale'', ''Hitch'' and ''Seven Pounds''. He also earned critical praise for his performances in ''Six Degrees of Separation'', ''Ali'' and ''The Pursuit of Happyness'', receiving Best Actor Oscar nominations for the latter two.

Family and early life

It is untrue, though widely reported, that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); he never applied to the school, although he was admitted to a "pre-engineering program" there. According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."

Recording and acting career

Early work (1985–1995)

Breakthrough (1996–2000)

International success (2001–present)

He has planned to star in a feature film remake of the television series ''It Takes a Thief''.

On December 10, 2007, Smith was recognized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world renowned theater in front of many fans. Later that month, Smith starred in the film ''I Am Legend'', released December 14, 2007. Despite marginally positive reviews, its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique". A reviewer said that the film's commercial success "cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood." On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith has been selected as one of America’s top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.

Smith is currently developing a film entitled ''The Last Pharaoh'', in which he will star as Taharqa.

President Barack Obama has stated that if a film were to ever be made about his life, he would have Smith play his part, because "he has the ears". Obama stated that the two have discussed a possibility of a film based on the 2008 election, but this may not happen until the end of the Obama presidency.

He is currently filming ''Men in Black III'' for a 2012 release playing Agent J one of his more popular earlier roles, making this his first major starring role in four years.

On August 19, 2011, it was announced that Smith had returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to make a new album. Edwards has worked with artists such as T.I., Chris Brown, and Game.

Personal life

Smith was consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40. He donated $4,600 to the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama. December 11, 2009, Smith and his wife hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, when Obama had won the prize.

Smith has said he has studied multiple religions, including Scientology, and he has said many complimentary things about Scientology and other faiths. Despite his praise of Scientology, Smith said "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious" and "Ninety-eight percent of the principles in Scientology are identical to the principles of the Bible.... I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is 'thetan' that the definition becomes any different." He has denied having joined the Church of Scientology, saying "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths." Smith gave $1.3 million to charities in 2007, of which $450,000 went to two Christian ministries, and $122,500 went to three Scientology organizations; the remaining beneficiaries included "a Los Angeles mosque, other Christian-based schools and churches, and [...] the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Center in Israel". Smith and his wife have also founded a private elementary school in Calabasas, California, the New Village Leadership Academy, which has attracted controversy and speculation over its use of Study Technology, a teaching methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

Discography

With DJ Jazzy Jeff

Solo

Filmography

Box office grosses

References

Further reading

External links

Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (born September 18, 1971) is an American actress, producer, director, author, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom ''True Colors''. She starred in ''A Different World'', produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured opposite Eddie Murphy in ''The Nutty Professor'' (1996). She starred in dramatic films such as ''Menace II Society'' (1993) and ''Set It Off'' (1996). She has appeared in more than 20 films in a variety of genres, including ''Scream 2'', ''Ali'', ''The Matrix Reloaded'', ''The Matrix Revolutions'', ''Madagascar'' and ''Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa''.

Pinkett Smith launched her music career in 2005, when she helped create the Heavy metal/rock band Wicked Wisdom, for which she is a singer and songwriter. Smith also created a production company and a makeover line, as well as authoring a book, published in 2000.

In 1997, she married rapper and actor Will Smith; they have two children, Jaden and Willow. Pinkett Smith is the stepmother to Smith's son from a previous marriage, Willard "Trey" Smith III. Together, the couple have founded the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation, a charity organization which focuses on urban inner city youth and family support. The foundation has worked with non-profit organizations, such as YouthBuild and the Lupus Foundation of America.

Family and early life

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Pinkett Smith has remained close to her mother and said, "A mother and daughter's relationship is usually the most honest, and we are so close." She participated as the maid of honor in Banfield-Jones' 1998 wedding to telecommunications executive Paul Jones. Pinkett-Smith has shown great admiration for her grandmother, saying, "My grandmother was a doer who wanted to create a better community and add beauty to the world."

Pinkett Smith majored in dance and theatre at the Baltimore School for the Arts, graduating in 1989. She continued her education at the North Carolina School of the Arts, but dropped out after a year. She moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue an acting career.

Acting career

Early work (1990–1995)

In 1994, Pinkett Smith acted with Wayans in the action and comedy film ''A Low Down Dirty Shame''. She described her character, Peaches, as "raw" with "major attitude", and her acting garnered positive reviews. ''The New York Times'' noted, "Ms. Pinkett, whose performance is as sassy and sizzling as a Salt-n-Pepa recording, walks away with the movie."

Mid-Career(1996–2000)

Next Pinkett Smith had a role in ''Set It Off'' (1996), a crime drama about four women who rob banks to escape from poverty. With Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise, her acting in the film was noted in the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' where they named her as "the one to watch".

In 1997 Pinkett Smith featured in ''Scream 2'' as Maureen Evans, a college student who is brutally murdered in front of hundreds of cinemagoers. The film made over $100mil at the US box office. In 2000, Pinkett Smith was cast in Spike Lee's film ''Bamboozled'' (2000), as Sloan Hopkins, a personal assistant to the main character portrayed by Damon Wayans. Although the film met with mediocre reviews, it won the Freedom of Expression Award by the National Board of Review.

More Established Roles (2001–present)

In 2008, Pinkett Smith portrayed Alex Fisher, a lesbian author, in ''The Women''. Pinkett Smith's directorial debut was ''The Human Contract''; she also wrote and acted in the movie. Starring Paz Vega and Idris Elba, it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2008. As of January 2009, she has been working on the TNT medical drama ''Hawthorne'', in which she is executive producer and a starring cast member. The show has been greenlit for 10 episodes.

Musical career

Under the stage name Jada Koren, Pinkett Smith formed the metal band Wicked Wisdom in 2002. The band consists of Pinkett Smith performing lead vocals, Pocket Honore (guitar, vocals), Cameron "Wirm" Graves (guitar, keyboard, vocals), and Rio (bass, vocals). The band is managed by James Lassiter and Miguel Melendez of Overbrook Entertainment, a company co-founded by Pinkett Smith's husband Will Smith.

The band's self-titled debut album was released on February 21, 2006, by Pinkett Smith's production company 100% Women. Will Smith served as the project's executive producer. The album made it to ''Billboard'''s Top Heatseekers chart, and peaked at number 44 during the week of March 11, 2006. Allmusic reviewer Alex Henderson said of the album, "[Pinkett Smith] shows herself to be an expressive, commanding singer" and that "[Wicked Wisdom] shows considerable promise". The band promoted the album in 2006, touring with heavy metal band Sevendust.

The Onyx Hotel Tour

Ozzfest 2005

Personal life

Pinkett Smith and Smith have two children, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 8, 1998 in Malibu, California), Willow Camille Reign Smith (born October 31, 2000 in Los Angeles, California),.

Smith commented in 2008 on their parenting skills: "We're not strict but we definitely believe it's a very important component for rearing children. It creates safety for them. They understand that they need guidance." Trey attends Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California, while Jaden and Willow are attending public school once again. The family resides in a home, on , in Malibu.

Pinkett was a close friend to the late West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur, until his death in 1996.

Business ventures

In 2003, Pinkett Smith and Smith helped to create the television series ''All of Us'', which originally aired on UPN. Pinkett Smith published her first children's book, ''Girls Hold Up This World'', in 2004. "I wrote the book for Willow and for her friends and for all the little girls in the world who need affirmation about being female in this pretty much masculine world. I really tried to capture different sides of femininity. I want girls in the world to feel powerful, to know they have the power to change the world in any way they wish."

In 2005, Pinkett Smith became one of many celebrities to invest a combined total of $10 million in Carol's Daughter, a line of beauty products created by Lisa Price. She became a spokesperson for the beauty line, and said, "To be a part of another African American woman's dream was just priceless to me."

Charity work and politics

While attending the Baltimore School for the Arts, Pinkett Smith met and became friends with classmate Tupac Shakur. They maintained a close friendship until his death in September 1996. In December 2006, she donated $1 million to the Baltimore School for the Arts in his memory.

When Pinkett Smith's aunt, Karen Banfield Evans, was diagnosed with lupus, the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation, in association with the Lupus Foundation of America and Maybelline, held the first annual "Butterflies Over Hollywood" event on September 29, 2007 at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. The event raised funds for LFA public and professional educational programs. The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation was presented with an award in 2007 at the 4th Annual Lupus Foundation of America Awards.

Scientology

Filmography

Television

See also

References

External links

Category:1971 births Category:Actors from Maryland Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African American film actors Category:African American rock singers Category:African American rock musicians Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:African American television actors Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American musicians Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:American people of Portuguese-Jewish descent Category:Female heavy metal singers Category:Interactive Achievement Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Baltimore, Maryland