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Atlanta
Atlanta (
/ətˈlæntə/, stressed /ætˈlæntə/, locally /ætˈlænə/) is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia with a 2010 population of 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest in the U.S. It is a major component of a growing southeastern megalopolis known as the Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion. Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County, and a small portion of the city extends eastward into DeKalb County.
Atlanta began as a settlement located at the terminus of a railroad line, and it was incorporated in 1845. Today, the city is a major business city and the primary transportation hub of the Southeastern United States (via highway, railroad, and air), with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world's busiest airport since 1998. The World Cities Study Group at Loughborough University rated Atlanta as an "alpha(-) world city." With a gross domestic product of US$270 billion, Atlanta's economy ranks 15th among world cities and sixth in the nation. The city is a center for services, finance, information technology, government, and higher education. Metro Atlanta contains the country's third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies, and is the world headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company, Turner Broadcasting, The Home Depot, AT&T Mobility, UPS, and Delta Air Lines. As of 2010, Atlanta is the seventh most visited city in the United States, with over 35 million visitors per year.
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Belgrade
Belgrade ( /ˈbɛlɡreɪd/; Serbian: Београд; [beǒɡrad] (
listen); names in other languages) is the capital and largest city of Serbia. The city is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. Its name in English translates to White city. The city proper has a population of over 1.1 million, while its metropolitan area has over 1.6 million people, making it one of the largest cities in Southeast Europe.
One of the largest prehistoric cultures of Europe, the Vinča culture, evolved around the area Belgrade in the 6th millennium BC. In antiquity, Thraco-Dacians inhabited the region, and after 279 BC Celts conquered the city, naming it Singidūn. It was conquered by the Romans during the reign of Augustus, and awarded city rights in the mid 2nd century. It was settled by the Slavs in the 520s, and changed hands several times before it became the capital of King Stephen Dragutin (1282–1316). In 1521 Belgrade was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and became the seat of a the Sanjak of Smederevo. It frequently passed from Ottoman to Habsburg rule, which saw the destruction of most of the city during the Austro-Ottoman wars. Belgrade was again named the capital of Serbia in 1841. The north of Belgrade remained a Habsburg outpost until 1918, when it was merged into the capital city. As a strategic location, the city was battled over in 115 wars and razed to the ground 44 times. Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslavia (in various forms of governments) from its creation in 1918, to its final dissolution in 2006.
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Cincinnati
Cincinnati (pronounced /sɪnsɨˈnæti/) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. Settled in 1788, the city is located north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits was 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's third-largest city. According to the 2011 Census Bureau estimate, the Cincinnati metropolitan area had a population of 2,138,038, the 27th most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the United States, and the most populous in Ohio. Residents of Cincinnati are called Cincinnatians.
In the early 19th century, Cincinnati was the first American boomtown in the heart of the country to rival the larger coastal cities in size and wealth. As the first major inland city in the country, it is sometimes thought of as the first purely American city. It developed initially without as much recent European immigration or influence as took place in eastern cities. However, by the end of the 19th century, with the shift from steamboats to railroads, Cincinnati's growth had slowed considerably and the city became surpassed in population and prominence by another inland city, Chicago.
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James Brown Arena
The James Brown Arena (formerly known as the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center) is part of the multi-purpose complex, The Augusta Entertainment Complex in Augusta, Georgia, and currently managed by Global Spectrum.
It features an 8,500 seat arena, renamed the James Brown Arena, in honor of musician James Brown on August 22, 2006. The complex also features a 2,690 seat theater, the William B. Bell Auditorium, and a 14,500-square-foot (1,350 m2) exhibit hall that opens into a 23,000-square-foot (2,100 m2) arena floor.
The James Brown Arena is home to the Augusta River Hawks of the Southern Professional Hockey League which started in 2010.
It is also the former home of the ECHL's Augusta Lynx from 1998–2008, the af2's Augusta Stallions from 2000–2002, and the American Indoor Football Association's Augusta Colts from 2006-2008.
The Arena, Hosted UFC 11.
The arena has also hosted many concerts and pro wrestling events, including ECW's December to Dismember in 2006.
Coordinates: 33°28′12″N 81°57′59″W / 33.47°N 81.96639°W / 33.47; -81.96639
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Las Vegas
Las Vegas (/lɑːs ˈveɪɡəs/) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its consolidated casino–hotels and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, Las Vegas is the 28th-most populous city in the United States, with a population at the 2010 census of 583,756. The 2010 population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area was 1,951,269.
Established in 1905, Las Vegas was incorporated as a city in 1911. At the close of the 20th century, Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in that century (a distinction held by Chicago in the 19th century). The city's tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City, and this image has made Las Vegas a popular setting for films and television programs. There are numerous outdoor lighting displays on Fremont Street, as well as elsewhere in the city.
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MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and the largest hotel resort complex in the United States, ahead of The Venetian. when it opened in 1993, the MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world.
Owned and operated by MGM Resorts International, the 30-floor main building is 293 ft (89 m) high. The property includes five outdoor pools, rivers, and waterfalls that cover 6.6 acres (2.7 ha), a 380,000 sq ft (35,000 m2) convention center, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, CBS Television City, and the Grand Spa. It also houses numerous shops and night clubs, 19 restaurants, and the largest casino in Clark County, which occupies 171,500 sq ft (15,930 m2).
Located on the Tropicana - Las Vegas Boulevard intersection, pedestrians are not allowed to cross at street level. Instead, the MGM Grand is linked by overhead pedestrian bridges to its neighboring casinos: to the south across Tropicana Avenue, the Tropicana, and to the west across the Strip, the New York-New York.
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South Carolina
South Carolina (
i/ˌsaʊθ kærəˈlaɪnə/) is a state in the Southeastern United States. It is bordered to the north by North Carolina; to the south and west by Georgia, located across the Savannah River; and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was originally named by King Charles II of England in honor of his father Charles I (Carolus being Latin for Charles). South Carolina was the 8th state to ratify the US Constitution and become a state which it did on May 23, 1788. South Carolina later became the first state to vote to secede from the Union which it did on December 20, 1860. It was readmitted to the United States on June 25, 1868.
South Carolina is the 40th most extensive and the 24th most populous of the 50 United States. South Carolina comprises 46 counties. The capital and largest city of the state is Columbia.
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Zaire
Zaire ( /zɑːˈɪər/), officially the Republic of Zaire (French: République du Zaïre; French pronunciation: [za.iʁ]), was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the Portuguese: Zaire, itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".
In 1965, as in 1960, the division of power between president and prime minister led to a stalemate and threatened the country's stability. Joseph-Désiré Mobutu again seized power. Unlike the first time, however, Mobutu assumed the presidency, rather than remaining behind the scenes.
From 1965, Mobutu dominated the political life of Congo (Léopoldville), restructuring the state on more than one occasion, and claiming the title of "Father of the Nation".
When, under the authenticity policy of the early 1970s, Zairians were obliged to adopt "authentic" names, Mobutu dropped Joseph-Désiré and officially changed his name to Mobutu Sésé Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga—or, more commonly, Mobutu Sésé Seko, roughly meaning "the all-conquering warrior, who goes from triumph to triumph".
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50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). His album Get Rich or Die Tryin' has been certified eight times platinum by the RIAA.
Born in the South Jamaica of Queens, New York City, Jackson began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s crack epidemic. After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot at and struck by nine bullets during an incident in 2000. After releasing his album Guess Who's Back? in 2002, Jackson was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre, who produced his first major commercial successes, Jackson became one of the world's highest selling rappers. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed several successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo.
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Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa (born April 19, 1957) is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal Hip Hop Culture as well as the Father of The Electro Funk Sound. Through his co-opting of the street gang the Black Spades into the music and culture-oriented Universal Zulu Nation, he is responsible for spreading hip hop culture throughout the world. On September 27, 2007, he was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Afrika Bambaataa grew up in The Bronx River Projects, with an activist mother and uncle. As a child, he was exposed to the black liberation movement, and witnessed debates between his mother and uncle regarding the conflicting ideologies in the movement. He was exposed to his mother's extensive and eclectic record collection. Gangs in the area became the law in the absence of law, clearing their turf of drug dealers, assisting with community health programs and both fighting and partying to keep members and turf. Bambaataa was a founding member of The Bronx River Projects-area street gang The Savage Seven. Due to the explosive growth of the gang, it later became known as the Black Spades, and Bambaataa quickly rose to the position of warlord. As warlord, it was his job to build ranks and expand the turf of the Black Spades. Bambaataa was not afraid to cross turfs to forge relationships with other gang members, and with other gangs. As a result, the Spades became the biggest gang in the city in terms of both membership and turf.
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Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election. He hosts his own radio talk show, Keepin' It Real, and he makes regular guest appearances on Fox News (such as The O'Reilly Factor)CNN, and MSNBC. In 2011, he was named the host of MSNBC's PoliticsNation, a nightly talk show.
Sharpton's supporters praise "his ability and willingness to defy the power structure that is seen as the cause of their suffering" and consider him "a man who is willing to tell it like it is". Former New York Mayor Ed Koch, a one-time foe, said that Sharpton deserves the respect he enjoys among African Americans: "He is willing to go to jail for them, and he is there when they need him."
His critics describe him as "a political radical who is to blame, in part, for the deterioration of race relations". Sociologist Orlando Patterson has referred to him as a racial arsonist, while liberal columnist Derrick Z. Jackson has called him the black equivalent of Richard Nixon and Pat Robertson. Sharpton sees much of the criticism as a sign of his effectiveness. "In many ways, what they consider criticism is complimenting my job," he said. "An activist's job is to make public civil rights issues until there can be a climate for change."
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Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint (IPA: /ˈtuːseɪnt/; born January 14, 1938) is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.
Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)", "Southern Nights," "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky", "I'll Take a Melody" and "Mother-in-Law".
Toussaint grew up in a shotgun house in the New Orleans neighborhood of Gert Town, where his mother welcomed and fed all manner of musicians as they practiced and recorded with her son. After a lucky break at age 17 in which he stood in for Huey Smith at a performance with Earl King's band in Prichard, Alabama, Toussaint was introduced to a group of local musicians who performed regularly at a night club on LaSalle street Uptown; they were known as the Dew Drop Set. Initially, he recorded for RCA Victor as Al Tousan and recorded an album of instrumentals, including the song "Java", which years later became a big hit for Al Hirt (also on RCA).
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American Masters
American Masters is a PBS television show which produces biographies on the artists, actors and writers of the United States who have left a profound impact on the nation's popular culture. It is produced by WNET in New York City. The show debuted on PBS in 1986.
Groups or organizations featured include: Actor's Studio, Algonquin Round Table, Group Theatre, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Women of Tin Pan Alley, Negro Ensemble Company, Juilliard School, the Beat Generation, The Singer-songwriters of the 1970s, Sun Records, Vaudeville, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
American Masters, a series "devoted to America's 'greatest native-born and adopted' artists," was originally scheduled to premier in September 1985; for "logistical scheduling reasons" the premiere was delayed until summer 1986, though on October 16, 1985, an American Masters "special" called Aaron Copland: A Self-Portrait was aired.
The first of the 15 first-season episodes was Private Conversations, a "cinema-verite documentary by Christian Blackwood done in that trickiest of cinematic forms: a film about a film, in this instance the television version of Death of a Salesman, directed by Volker Schlöndorff". It aired on June 23, 1986, as one of two episodes not specifically commissioned for the show's first season.
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Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967) is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories. As of September 2011, he also serves as host of his own eponymous syndicated daytime talk show, Anderson.
Anderson Hays Cooper was born on June 3, 1967, the younger son of the writer Wyatt Emory Cooper and the artist, designer, writer, and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, and is a great-great-great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt of the prominent Vanderbilt shipping and railroad fortune. Cooper's media experience began early. As a baby, he was photographed by Diane Arbus for Harper's Bazaar. He is also a descendant, through his mother, of Brevet Major General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick who was with Union General William T. Sherman in his March through Georgia.
At the age of 3 Cooper was a guest on The Tonight Show on September 17, 1970, appearing with his mother. At the age of 9, he appeared on To Tell the Truth as an impostor. From age 10 to 13 Cooper modeled with Ford Models for Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Macy's.
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Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber Kt. (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre.
Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of variations, two film scores, and a Latin Requiem Mass. He has also gained a number of honours, including a knighthood in 1992, followed by a peerage from the British Government for services to Music, seven Tony Awards, three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, fourteen Ivor Novello Awards, seven Olivier Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006.
Several of his songs have been widely recorded and were hits outside of their parent musicals, notably "The Music of the Night" from The Phantom of the Opera, "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "You Must Love Me" from Evita, "Any Dream Will Do" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and "Memory" from Cats.
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Angela Lansbury
Angela Brigid Lansbury, CBE (born 16 October 1925) is an English-born US-naturalized actress and singer in theatre, television, and motion pictures. Her career has spanned eight decades and earned an unsurpassed number of performance Tony Awards (tied with Julie Harris), with five wins. Her first film appearance was in the film Gaslight (1944) as a conniving maid, for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Among her other films are The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Anastasia (1997).
She expanded her repertoire to Broadway musicals and television in the 1950s and was particularly successful in Broadway productions of Gypsy, Mame and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Lansbury is perhaps best known to modern audiences for her twelve-year run starring as writer and sleuth Jessica Fletcher on the American television series Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996). Her recent roles include Lady Adelaide Stitch in the film Nanny McPhee (2005), Leona Mullen in the 2007 Broadway play Deuce, Madame Arcati in the 2009 Broadway revival of the play Blithe Spirit and Madame Armfeldt in the 2010 Broadway revival of the musical A Little Night Music.
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Annie Lennox
Ann "Annie" Lennox, OBE (born 25 December 1954), is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s as part of the New Wave band The Tourists, she and fellow musician David A. Stewart went on to achieve major international success in the 1980s as Eurythmics. Lennox is the most recognized female artist at the Brit Awards, winning a total of eight awards. She has also been named the "Brits Champion of Champions".
Lennox embarked on a solo career in the 1990s with her debut album, Diva (1992), which produced several hit singles including "Why" and "Walking on Broken Glass". To date, she has released five solo studio albums and a compilation album, The Annie Lennox Collection (2009). She is the recipient of eight Brit Awards, four Grammy Awards and an MTV Video Music Award. In 2002, Lennox received a Billboard Century Award; the highest accolade from Billboard Magazine. In 2004, she won both the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Into the West", written for the soundtrack to the feature film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
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Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand (/ˈstraɪsænd/; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, writer, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, five Emmy Awards including one Daytime Emmy, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award.
She is one of the most commercially and critically successful entertainers in modern entertainment history, with more than 71.5 million albums shipped in the United States and 140 million albums sold worldwide. She is the best-selling female artist on the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) Top Selling Artists list, the only female recording artist in the top ten, and the only artist outside of the rock and roll genre. Along with Frank Sinatra, Cher, and Shirley Jones, she shares the distinction of being awarded an acting Oscar and also recording a number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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Bernard Odum
Bernard Odum (1932 - August 17, 2004) was an US bass guitar player best known for performing in James Brown's band in the 1960s.
Odum started playing with Brown in 1956 and became a full-time member of Brown's band in 1958. He worked in the James Brown band until the end of the 1960s, and played on such hits as "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" (1965), "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965), "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (1966), and "Cold Sweat" (1967).
In 1969, Odum and most of the other musicians in Brown's band walked out on him over a pay dispute and other issues, prompting Brown to create a new backing band, The J.B.'s. In 1970, Odum briefly joined Maceo Parker's group, Maceo & All the King's Men, appearing on the album Doin' Their Own Thing.
Bernard Odum played a 1956 Fender Precision Bass, strung with flatwound strings, throughout most of his career. He also played a Vox "teardrop" bass as well as a 120 watt Westminster 1x18 bass combo amp when Brown and his band gained an endorsement from Vox towards the end of 1965.
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Bobby Byrd
Bobby Byrd born Robert Howard Byrd (August 15, 1934 – September 12, 2007) was an American funk/soul/R&B/gospel musician, songwriter and record producer. He was born in Toccoa, Georgia, and is a 1998 winner of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award,and a 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. He is also noted as the man who founded the famed Rhythm & Blues singing group The Famous Flames, the vocal group with whom James Brown first became famous.
On April 14, 2012, Bobby was inducted posthumously and retroactively with the rest of The Famous Flames into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bobby Byrd was raised in the relative security of a church-going family in Toccoa, Georgia. His family were respected members of their congregation and active in supporting their community. He was active in his local church's gospel choir, The Zioneers and then made a local name for himself in the Gospel Starlighters. It was a time when church elders disapproved of secular singing, so Byrd and the other members of the Gospel Starlighters would leave the state to perform secular material as The Avons. Byrd provided vocals, piano, and organ, and he led a group including: Sylvester Keels, Fred Pulliam, Doyle Oglesby, Nashpendle "Nash" Knox, and Nafloyd Scott on guitar.
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Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.
Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk. Collins is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.
With his elder brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins, and Kash Waddy and Philippé Wynne, Collins formed a funk band called The Pacemakers in 1968.
In March 1970, after most of the members of James Brown's band quit over a pay dispute, The Pacemakers were hired as Brown's backing band and they became known as The J.B.'s. (They are often referred to as the "original" J.B.'s to distinguish them from later line-ups that went by the same name.) Although they worked for Brown for only 11 months, the original J.B.'s played on some of Brown's most intense funk recordings, including "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine", "Super Bad", "Soul Power", and "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing".
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Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together, they have produced many films, including Apollo 13 (1995) and A Beautiful Mind (2001).
Grazer began his career as a producer developing television projects. While executive-producing TV pilots at Paramount Pictures in the early 1980s, Grazer met current long-time friend and business partner Ron Howard. He produced his first feature-film, Night Shift, in 1982, directed by Howard. Grazer and Howard teamed up again for Splash in 1984, which Grazer produced and co-wrote, the latter earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay of 1984. In 1986, Grazer and Howard co-founded Imagine Entertainment, which continues to be one of Hollywood's most prolific and successful production companies. Over the years, Grazer’s films and TV shows have been nominated for a total of 43 Academy Awards and 131 Emmys. At the same time, his movies have generated more than $13.5 billion in worldwide theatrical, music and video grosses.
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Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. On stage, Wilson provided many of the lead vocals, and often harmonized with the group in falsetto. Early during his on-stage career, Wilson primarily played bass on stage, but gradually transitioned to primarily playing piano/keyboards. Besides being the primary composer in The Beach Boys, he also functioned as the band's main producer and arranger. After signing with Capitol Records in mid-1962, Wilson wrote or co-wrote more than two dozen Top 40 hits including "Surfin' Safari", "Surfin' USA", "Shut Down", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Be True to Your School", "In My Room", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "I Get Around", "Dance Dance Dance", "Help Me Rhonda", "California Girls" and "Good Vibrations". These songs and their accompanying albums were internationally popular, making The Beach Boys one of the biggest acts of their time.
In the mid-60s Wilson used his increasingly creative ambitions to compose and produce Pet Sounds, considered one of the greatest albums of all time. At this point his music was considered to rival that of Lennon–McCartney. The intended follow up to Pet Sounds, Smile, was cancelled for various reasons, including Wilson's deteriorating mental health. Wilson's contributions to The Beach Boys diminished as the years went by, and his erratic behavior led to tensions with the band. After years of treatment and recuperation, he began a solo career in 1988 with Brian Wilson, the same year that he and The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since then he has toured for the first time in decades with a new band and released acclaimed albums such as a reworked version of Smile in 2004, for which Wilson won a Grammy Award for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire)" as Best Rock Instrumental, That Lucky Old Sun, and Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin.
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Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949), nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter-performer who records and tours with the E Street Band. Springsteen is widely known for his brand of heartland rock, poetic lyrics, and Americana sentiments centered on his native New Jersey.
Springsteen's recordings have included both commercially accessible rock albums and more somber folk-oriented works. His most successful studio albums, Born in the U.S.A. and Born to Run, showcase a talent for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily American life; he has sold more than 65 million albums in the United States and more than 120 million worldwide and he has earned numerous awards for his work, including 21 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award. He is widely regarded by many as one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century, and in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him as the 23rd Greatest Artist of all time.
Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and spent his childhood and high school years in Freehold Borough. He lived on South Street in Freehold Borough and attended Freehold Borough High School. His father, Douglas Frederick Springsteen, was of Dutch and Irish ancestry and worked, among other vocations, as a bus driver, although he was frequently unemployed; his surname is Dutch for jump stone. His mother, Adele Ann (née Zerilli), was a legal secretary and was of Italian ancestry. His maternal grandfather was born in Vico Equense, a city near Naples. He has two younger sisters, Virginia and Pamela. Pamela had a brief film career, but left acting to pursue still photography full time; she took photos for the Human Touch and Lucky Town albums.
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Buckethead
Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 36 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists. His music spans such diverse areas as progressive metal, funk, blues, jazz, bluegrass, ambient, and avant-garde music.
Buckethead is famously known for wearing a KFC bucket on his head, emblazoned with an orange bumper sticker that reads FUNERAL in capital black block letters, and an expressionless plain white costume mask. He also incorporates nunchucks and robot dancing into his stage performances.
An instrumentalist, Buckethead is best known for his electric guitar playing. He has been voted number 8 on a list in GuitarOne magazine of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time" as well as being included in Guitar World's lists of the "25 all-time weirdest guitarists" and is also known for being in the "50 fastest guitarists of all time list".
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Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. Critically acclaimed, he is a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation. "A key influence on Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy put the Louisiana hurricane in 1960s electric Chicago blues as a member of Muddy Waters' band and as a house guitarist at Chess Records. A native of the Baton Rouge area, he combined a blazing modernism with a fierce grip on his roots, playing frantic leads heavy with swampy funk on Howlin' Wolf's 'Killing Floor' and Koko Taylor's 'Wang Dang Doodle' as well as on his own Chess sides and the fine series of records he made with harp man Junior Wells. One of the last active connections to the golden age of Chess, Guy still plays with his original fire."
Ranked thirtieth in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time", Guy is known for his showmanship on stage: playing his guitar with drumsticks or strolling into the audience while playing solos. His song "Stone Crazy" was ranked seventy-eighth in list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time also of Rolling Stone.
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Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar (born on 7 May 1951 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician. He has also performed with Duran Duran and with Duran Duran's side project, Arcadia off the album, So Red the Rose.
The son of a Pentecostal minister, Alomar was raised in New York. From the age of ten he taught himself to play the guitar, and started playing professionally at age sixteen. In the 1960s he performed during "Amateur Hour" at the Apollo Theater, eventually joining the house band, backing Chuck Berry and many leading soul artists. Circa 1968-9 he toured for eight months in James Brown's live band, eventually quitting after being docked wages for missing a musical cue. In 1969 Alomar formed a group called Listen My Brother with vocalists Luther Vandross, Fonzi Thornton (later to work with Chic and Roxy Music), and Robin Clark. Alomar and Clark later wed and had a daughter named Lea.
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Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut. After successful appearances on The Garry Moore Show, Burnett moved to Los Angeles and began an eleven-year run on The Carol Burnett Show which was aired on CBS television from 1967 to 1978. With roots in vaudeville, The Carol Burnett Show was a variety show which combined comedy sketches, song, and dance. The comedy sketches included film parodies and character pieces. Burnett created many characters during the show's television run.
Burnett was born in San Antonio, Texas, the daughter of Ina Louise (née Creighton), a publicity writer for movie studios, and Joseph Thomas Burnett, a movie theater manager. Both of her parents suffered from alcoholism, and at a young age she was left with her grandmother, Mabel Eudora White. Her parents divorced in the late 1930s, and Burnett and her grandmother moved to an apartment near her mother’s in an impoverished area of Hollywood. There, they stayed in a boarding house with her younger half-sister Chrissy.
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Catfish Collins
Phelps "Catfish" Collins (1944 – August 6, 2010) was an American rhythm guitarist known mostly for his work in the P-Funk collective. Although frequently overshadowed by his younger brother, Bootsy Collins, Catfish played on many important and influential records by Parliament, Funkadelic, and Bootsy's Rubber Band.
In 1968, the Collins brothers, along with Kash Waddy and Philippe Wynne, formed a group called The Pacemakers. Later the Pacemakers were hired by James Brown to accompany his vocals, at this they became known as The J.B.'s. Some of Brown's previous band members had walked out because of money disputes. During their tenure in the J.B.'s, they recorded such classics as "Super Bad", "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose". By 1971, Collins and the rest of the J.B.'s had quit James Brown. The Collins brothers and Kash Waddy formed House Guests and shortly after joined Funkadelic and contributed to the Funkadelic album America Eats Its Young. Some of his most famous playing can be heard on the Parliament hit single "Flash Light". Four years later, Collins joined Bootsy's Rubber Band, which included Waddy, Joel "Razor Sharp" Johnson (keyboards), Gary "Muddbone" Cooper (drums), and Robert "P-Nut" Johnson (vocals), along with The Horny Horns. Collins also played on albums by Freekbass and H-Bomb.
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Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera (born January 23, 1933) is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theater. She is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award (December 2002). She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
Rivera (birth name: Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero) was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Katherine, a government clerk, and Pedro Julio Figueroa del Rivero, a clarinetist and saxophonist for the United States Navy Band. Her father was Puerto Rican and her mother was of Scottish and Italian descent. Rivera was seven years old when her mother was widowed and went to work for The Pentagon.
In 1944, Rivera's mother enrolled her in the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet (now the Jones Haywood School of Dance). Later, when she was 15, a teacher from George Balanchine's School of American Ballet visited their studio and Rivera was one of two students picked to audition in New York City; she was accompanied to the audition by Doris Jones, one of the people who ran the Jones-Haywood School. Rivera's audition was successful and she was accepted into the school and given a scholarship
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Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1994. Aguilera signed to RCA Records after recording "Reflection", the theme song for the animated film Mulan (1998).
In 1999, Aguilera came to prominence following her debut album Christina Aguilera, which was a commercial success spawning three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—"Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)." Her sophomore and her debut Latin-pop album, Mi Reflejo (2000), a Christmas third studio album, My Kind of Christmas (2000), and several collaborations followed which garnered Aguilera worldwide success, though she was displeased with her lack of input in her music and image. After parting from her management, Aguilera took creative control over her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). The album's second single, "Beautiful", was a commercial success and helped the album's commercial performance amidst controversy over Aguilera's image. Aguilera followed up Stripped with the soul, jazz and blues inspired, Back to Basics (2006), released to positive critical acclaim. The album produced three singles "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Candyman". Four years later Aguilera released her sixth studio album, Bionic (2010), which incorporated aspects of R&B, electropop, and synthpop and was met with mixed reviews and low sales. Aguilera's seventh studio album is set to be released in 2012.
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Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18, 1926) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Chuck Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive, with lyrics focusing on teen life and consumerism and utilizing guitar solos and showmanship that would be a major influence on subsequent rock music.
Born into a middle class family in St. Louis, Missouri, Berry had an interest in music from an early age and gave his first public performance at Sumner High School. While still a high school student he served a prison sentence for armed robbery between 1944 and 1947. On his release, Berry settled into married life and worked at an automobile assembly plant. By early 1953, influenced by the guitar riffs and showmanship techniques of blues player T-Bone Walker, he was performing in the evenings with the Johnnie Johnson Trio. His break came when he traveled to Chicago in May 1955, and met Muddy Waters, who suggested he contact Leonard Chess of Chess Records. With Chess he recorded "Maybellene"—Berry's adaptation of the country song "Ida Red"—which sold over a million copies, reaching No. 1 on Billboard's Rhythm and Blues chart. By the end of the 1950s, Berry was an established star with several hit records and film appearances to his name as well as a lucrative touring career. He had also established his own St. Louis-based nightclub, called Berry's Club Bandstand. But in January 1962, Berry was sentenced to three years in prison for offenses under the Mann Act—he had transported a 14-year-old girl across state lines.
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Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.
Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York. After graduating from Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School, he went to Adelphi University on Long Island to study graphic design. He is the son of Lorenzo Ridenhour.
Upon hearing Ridenhour's demo track "Public Enemy Number One", fledgling producer/upcoming music-mogul Rick Rubin insisted on signing him to his Def Jam label.
Their major label albums were: Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987), It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), Fear of a Black Planet (1990), Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991), Greatest Misses (1992), and Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (1994). They also released a full length album soundtrack for the film He Got Game in 1998. Ridenhour also contributed (as Chuck D) to several episodes of the PBS documentary series The Blues. He has appeared as a featured artist on many other songs and albums, having collaborated with artists such as Janet Jackson, Kool Moe Dee, The Dope Poet Society, Run-DMC, Ice Cube, Rage Against The Machine, Anthrax, John Mellencamp and many others. In 1990, he appeared on "Kool Thing", a song by the alternative rock band Sonic Youth. In 1993, he executive produced Got 'Em Running Scared, an album by Ichiban Records group Chief Groovy Loo and the Chosen Tribe.
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Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide (1959–1965). He rose to fame for playing the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy of spaghetti westerns (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) during the late 1960s, and as Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry films (Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact, and The Dead Pool) throughout the 1970s and 1980s. These roles, among others, have made him an enduring cultural icon of masculinity.
For his work in the films Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004), Eastwood won Academy Awards for Best Director and Producer of the Best Picture, as well as receiving nominations for Best Actor. These films in particular, as well as others including Play Misty for Me (1971), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Tightrope (1984), Pale Rider (1985), Heartbreak Ridge (1986), In the Line of Fire (1993), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), and Gran Torino (2008), have all received commercial success and critical acclaim. Eastwood's only comedies have been Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and its sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980), which are his two most commercially successful films after adjustment for inflation.
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Clive Owen
Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991. He then garnered critical acclaim for his work in the film Close My Eyes (1991) before getting international notice for his performance as a struggling writer in Croupier (1998). In 2005, Owen won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his appearance in the drama Closer (2004). He has since played leading roles in films such as Sin City (2005), Inside Man (2006), Children of Men (2006), and The International (2009).
The fourth of five brothers, Owen was born in Coventry, in the English Midlands, a son of Pamela (née Cotton) and Jess Owen, a country and western singer of Welsh descent. His father left the family when Owen was three years old, and despite a brief reconciliation when Owen was nineteen, the two have remained estranged. Raised by his mother and stepfather, a railway ticket clerk, he has described his childhood as "rough." While initially opposed to drama school, he changed his mind in 1984, after a long and fruitless period of searching for work. Owen graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1987 with a class that included Rebecca Pidgeon, Serena Harragin, Mark Womack, and Liza Tarbuck. After graduation, he won a position at the Young Vic, performing in several Shakespearean plays.
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Clyde McPhatter
Clyde McPhatter (November 15, 1932 – June 13, 1972) was an American R&B singer, perhaps the most widely imitated R&B singer of the 1950s and 1960s, making him a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. He had high-pitched tenor, that was steeped in the gospel music he sang in much of his younger life. He is best known for his solo hit "A Lover's Question". McPhatter was lead tenor for The Mount Lebanon Singers, a gospel group he formed as a teenager.; and later, lead tenor for Billy Ward and His Dominoes. McPhatter was largely responsible for the success the Dominoes initially enjoyed. After his tenure with the Dominoes, McPhatter formed his own group, The Drifters before going solo. Dying at the age of 39 in 1972, Clyde McPhatter left a legacy of over 22 years of recording history.
Clyde Lensley McPhatter was born in the tobacco town community of Hayti, Durham, North Carolina, on November 15, 1932, and raised in a religious Baptist family; the son of the Rev. George McPhatter and wife Beulah (though some accounts refer to her as Eva). Starting at age five, he sang in his father's church gospel choir along with his three brothers and three sisters. When he was ten, Clyde was the soprano-voiced soloist for the choir. In 1945, the Rev. McPhatter moved his family to Teaneck, New Jersey where Clyde attended Chelsior High School. He worked part-time as a grocery store clerk, and eventually was promoted to shift manager upon graduating high school. The family then relocated to New York City, where Clyde formed the gospel group The Mount Lebanon Singers.
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Clyde Stubblefield
Clyde Stubblefield (born April 18, 1943 in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is a drummer best known for his work with James Brown.
Stubblefield's recordings with James Brown are considered to be some of the standard-bearers for funk drumming, including the singles "Cold Sweat", "There Was A Time", "I Got The Feelin'", "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud", "Ain't It Funky Now", "Mother Popcorn", and the album Sex Machine.
His groove on James Brown's "Funky Drummer" is believed to be the world's most sampled record. Stubblefield was featured in a PBS Independent Lens documentary, Copyright Criminals which aired January 19, 2010. In the mid- nineties Producer/Songwriter Richard Mazda wrote and produced a record, Revenge of The Funky Drummer, which was Clyde's first solo record.
Stubblefield currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Recently Clyde Retired from the Monday shows, leaving the band in the hands of his nephew Brett Stubblefield. His health prevented the funky drummer from continuing his over 20 years of playing music in downtown Madison near the capitol. He played every Monday night with his Madison band, The Clyde Stubblefield Band, featuring his long time friend and keyboard/organ player Steve "Doc" Scaggs, along with soulful vocalists Charlie Brooks, and Kari Daley, as well as a powerful five-piece horn section and supporting band. He also plays funk festivals with Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, or Jabo.
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Count Basie
William "Count" Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. His mother first taught him piano and he started performing in his teens. Dropping out of school, he learned to operate lights for vaudeville and improvised to accompany silent films at a local theater in his town of Red Bank, New Jersey. By 16, he increasingly played jazz piano at parties, resorts and other venues. In 1924, he went to Harlem, where his performing career expanded; he toured with groups to the major jazz cities of Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. In 1929 he joined Bennie Moten's band in Kansas City, and played with them for years, until Moten's death in 1935.
That year Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two "split" tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. Many notable musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison and singers Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams. Basie's theme songs were "One O'Clock Jump," developed in 1935 in the early days of his band, and "April In Paris".
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Dan Hartman
Daniel Earl "Dan" Hartman (December 8, 1950—March 22, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known for such songs as: "Free Ride", "I Can Dream About You", "Instant Replay", "Love Sensation", and "Relight My Fire", all of which had world-wide success.
Born in Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg, Dan Hartman was an American composer and singer. Hartman joined his first band at the age of thirteen, The Legends. His brother Dave was also a member of the band. He played keyboards and wrote much of the band's music, but despite the release of a number of recordings, none turned out to be hits. He subsequently spent a period of time backing the Johnny Winter Band and then joined the Edgar Winter Group where he played bass on three of their albums and wrote the band's second biggest pop hit "Free Ride" in 1972. Upon launching a solo career in 1976, he released a promotional album which had, as its full title, Who Is Dan Hartman and Why Is Everyone Saying Wonderful Things About Him?. It was a compilation disc including songs from Johnny Winter and the Edgar Winter Group. His second release, Images, was his first true album and featured ex-Edgar Winter Group members Edgar Winter, Ronnie Montrose and Rick Derringer and guests Clarence Clemons and Randy Brecker.
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Danny Trejo
Dan "Danny" Trejo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtɾexo]; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in "tough guy" roles as a villain or an anti-hero.
Born Dan Trejo in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, Trejo is the son of Alice Rivera and Dan Trejo, a construction worker. He is of Mexican descent. He is a second cousin of filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, though the two were unaware that they were related until the filming of Desperado. As a youth, he roamed the streets around his home area, committing various petty crimes with his uncle, and eventually became addicted to heroin. He was arrested numerous times as an adolescent.[citation needed]
While on the streets, Trejo developed talent as a boxer and considered taking it up as a profession. That ambition was dashed by a lengthy prison sentence. He served 11 years for drug and robbery charges in the Holmesburg Prison[citation needed]. While in Holmesburg, he became the Pennsylvania state prison champion in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions. During this time Trejo became a member of a twelve-step program which he credits with his success in overcoming drug addiction. He also served time in Folsom State Prison. Trejo was released in 1972.
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Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck (born December 6, 1920) is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills. His music is known for employing unusual time signatures, and superimposing contrasting rhythms, meters, and tonalities.
His long-time musical partner, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, wrote the Dave Brubeck Quartet's best remembered piece, "Take Five", which is in 5/4 time and has endured as a jazz classic on the top-selling jazz album, Time Out. Brubeck experimented with time signatures throughout his career, recording "Pick Up Sticks" in 6/4, "Unsquare Dance" in 7/4, and "Blue Rondo à la Turk" in 9/8. He is also a respected composer of orchestral and sacred music, and wrote soundtracks for television such as Mr. Broadway and the animated mini-series This Is America, Charlie Brown.
Brubeck was born in Concord, California and grew up in Ione. He is of English (maternal), Swiss and possibly Native American Modoc Tribe multi-ethnic (paternal) ancestry His father, Howard "Pete" Brubeck, was a cattle rancher, and his mother, Elizabeth (née Ivey), who had studied piano in England under Myra Hess and intended to become a concert pianist, taught piano for extra money. Brubeck originally did not intend to become a musician (his two older brothers, Henry and Howard, were already on that track), but took lessons from his mother. He could not read sheet music during these early lessons, attributing this difficulty to poor eyesight, but "faked" his way through, well enough that this deficiency went mostly unnoticed.
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David Bowie
David Bowie ( /ˈboʊ.i/ BOH-ee; born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. He is known for his distinctive voice and the intellectual depth and eclecticism of his work.
Bowie first caught the eye and ear of the public in July 1969, when his song "Space Oddity" reached the top five of the UK Singles Chart. After a three-year period of experimentation he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust, spearheaded by the hit single "Starman" and the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowie's impact at that time, as described by biographer David Buckley, "challenged the core belief of the rock music of its day" and "created perhaps the biggest cult in popular culture." The relatively short-lived Ziggy persona proved merely one facet of a career marked by continual reinvention, musical innovation and striking visual presentation.
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David Ruffin
Davis Eli "David" Ruffin (January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968 (or the group's "Classic Five" period as it was later known). He was the lead voice on such famous songs as "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." Known for his unique raspy and anguished tenor vocals, Ruffin was ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2008. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 for his work with the Temptations. Fellow Motown recording artist Marvin Gaye once said admiringly of Ruffin that, "I heard in [his voice] a strength my own voice lacked."
Ruffin was born Davis Eli Ruffin on January 18, 1941 in the rural unincorporated community of Whynot, Mississippi, the son of Eli, a Baptist minister, and Ophelia Ruffin (née Davis). His father was strict and at times violently abusive. Ruffin's mother died just months after his birth and his father married a schoolteacher, Earline, in 1942. As a young child, Ruffin, along with his other siblings (older brothers Quincy and Jimmy, and sister Rita Mae), traveled with their father and their stepmother as a family gospel group opening shows for Mahalia Jackson and The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi among others. He also had an older sister Rosetta who died as a child. Ruffin sang in the choir at Mount Salem Methodist Church, talent shows, and wherever else he could. In 1955, at the age of fourteen, he left home under the guardianship of a minister and went to Memphis, Tennessee with the purpose of pursuing the ministry.
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Debra Opri
Debra Ann Opri (born 10 June 1960) is an American attorney.
Debra Opri is a lawyer who gained a reputation as a celebrity attorney when she successfully represented James Brown against a sexual harassment lawsuit by a former employee. Other high-profile clients have included Michael Jackson's parents, Joseph Jackson and Katherine Jackson, who hired Opri to protect their interests after their son was charged with child molestation; as well as Pamela Bach Hasselhoff and Jermaine Jackson in their divorces.
A nationally known attorney, Debra Opri came to international attention as the lawyer who sued Anna Nicole Smith on a paternity action by her ex-boyfriend. Debra Opri was successful in securing the father's paternity rights and in his gaining custody of his daughter, Dannilynn, after Anna Nicole died in February, 2007.
Debra Opri continues to represent celebrity clients, including the entertainer, Kevin Hart, and clients from all walks of like, including those needing media abilities and experience in the legal forum.
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Dennis Edwards
Dennis Edwards (born February 3, 1943) is a soul and R&B singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations' lead singers replacing David Ruffin. He is the father of Issa Pointer, whose mother is Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama to Reverend and Mrs. Dennis Edwards Sr., he began singing as a toddler, just two years old, in his fathers' church. His family moved to Detroit when he was seven. As a high school student, Edwards sang with the Mighty Clouds of Joy gospel group, then in 1961 he organized his own soul/jazz group, Dennis Edwards and the Fireballs. Before joining The Contours in 1967, Edwards recorded a single for the obscure Detroit label, International Soulville Records. The single was a track called I Didn't Have to (But I Did) with Johnnie on the Spot. The record is very rare and sought after by Northern soul fans.[citation needed]
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Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer, record producer, and actress.
Diana Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that has included successful ventures into film and Broadway. She received a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her role as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972), for which she won a Golden Globe award. She has won seven American Music Awards, was honored with a 2012 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, and won a Tony Award for her one-woman show, An Evening with Diana Ross, in 1977.
In 1976, Billboard magazine named her the "Female Entertainer of the Century." In 1993, the Guinness Book of World Records declared Diana Ross the most successful female music artist in history due to her success in the United States and United Kingdom for having more hits than any female artist in the charts with a career total of 18 number one records in the United States. Diana Ross has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
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Dick Gregory
Richard Claxton "Dick" Gregory (born October 12, 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American comedian, social activist, social critic, writer, and entrepreneur.
Gregory is an influential American comic who has used his performance skills to convey to both white and black audiences his political message on civil rights. His social satire helped change the way white Americans perceived African American comedians since he first performed in public.
As a poor student who excelled at running, Gregory was aided by teachers at Sumner High School, among them Warren St. James. Gregory earned a track scholarship to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. There he set school records as a half-miler and miler. His college career was interrupted for two years in 1954 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. The army was where he got his start in comedy, entering and winning several Army talent shows at the urging of his commanding officer, who had taken notice of Gregory's penchant for joking. In 1956, Gregory briefly returned to SIU after his discharge, but dropped out because he felt that the university "didn't want me to study, they wanted me to run".
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Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. As a songwriter, she has composed over 3,000 songs, the best known of which include "I Will Always Love You" (a two-time U.S. country chart-topper for Parton, as well an international pop hit for Whitney Houston), "Jolene", "Coat of Many Colors", "9 to 5" and "My Tennessee Mountain Home". As an actress, she starred in the movies 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias, Straight Talk, Unlikely Angel and Joyful Noise. She is one of the most successful female country artists of all time; with an estimated 100 million in album sales, Dolly Parton is also one of the best selling artists of all time. She is known as "The Queen of Country Music".
She was born in Sevierville, Tennessee, the fourth of twelve children of Avie Lee Parton (née Owens; October 5, 1923 – December 5, 2003) and Robert Lee Parton (March 22, 1921 – November 12, 2000), a tobacco farmer. Her siblings are: Willadeene Parton (born March 24, 1940), David Wilburn Parton (born March 30, 1942), Coy Denver "Denver" Parton (born August 16, 1943), Bobby Lee Parton (born February 18, 1948), Stella Mae Parton (born May 4, 1949), Cassie Nan Parton (February 12, 1951), Randel Huston "Randy" Parton (born December 15, 1953), Larry Gerald Parton (born and died July 6, 1955), Floyd and Frieda Estelle Parton (born June 1, 1957), and Rachel Ann Parton (born August 31, 1959). Her family was, as she has described them, "dirt poor". She outlined her family's lack of money in a number of her early songs, notably "Coat of Many Colors" and "In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)". They lived in a rustic, dilapidated one-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, a hamlet just north of the Greenbrier Valley, in the Locust Ridge area of the Great Smoky Mountains in Sevier County, a predominantly Pentecostal area.
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Edwin Starr
Edwin Starr (January 21, 1942 – April 2, 2003) was an American soul music singer. Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield produced singles of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".
Starr was born Charles Edwin Hatcher in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1942. He and his cousins, soul singers Roger and Willie Hatcher, moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where they were raised.
In 1957, Starr formed a doo-wop group, The Future Tones, and began his singing career. Starr lived in Detroit, Michigan, in the 1960s and recorded at first for the small record label Ric-Tic, and later for Motown Records after the latter absorbed Ric-Tic in 1968.
The song which began his career was "Agent Double'O'Soul" (1965), a reference to the James Bond films popular at the time. Other early hits included "Headline News", "Back Street", a cover of The Miracles "Way Over There", and "S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight)". He recorded more soul music for the next three years before having an international hit in "25 Miles" (1968), which peaked at #6 in the United States the following year.
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Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age. As one of the world's most famous film stars, Taylor was recognized for her acting ability and for her glamorous lifestyle, beauty and distinctive violet eyes.
National Velvet (1944) was Taylor's first success, and she starred in Father of the Bride (1950), A Place in the Sun (1951), Giant (1956), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for BUtterfield 8 (1960), played the title role in Cleopatra (1963), and married her co-star Richard Burton. They appeared together in 11 films, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), for which Taylor won a second Academy Award. From the mid-1970s, she appeared less frequently in film, and made occasional appearances in television and theatre.
Her much publicized personal life included eight marriages and several life-threatening illnesses. From the mid-1980s, Taylor championed HIV and AIDS programs; she co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985, and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1993. She received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Legion of Honour, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, who named her seventh on their list of the "Greatest American Screen Legends". Taylor died of congestive heart failure in March 2011 at the age of 79, having suffered many years of ill health.
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Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriter partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date.
In his four-decade career John has sold more than 250 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single "Candle in the Wind 1997" has sold over 33 million copies worldwide, and is the best selling single in Billboard history. He has more than 50 Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums, 56 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, four No. 2 hits, and nine No. 1 hits. He has won six Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him Number 49 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Having been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996, John received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for "services to music and charitable services" in 1998.
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Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley moved to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family at the age of 13. He began his career there in 1954, working with Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was the most important popularizer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country and rhythm and blues. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for over two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", released in January 1956, was a number one hit. He became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll with a series of network television appearances and chart-topping records. His energized interpretations of songs, many from African American sources, and his uninhibited performance style made him enormously popular—and controversial. In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender.
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Ernest Miller
Ernest Clifford Miller (born January 14, 1964) is an American actor and former professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller.
Miller graduated from Gordon High School in Decatur, Georgia, playing on the football team as a linebacker. He then went to Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia studying electrical engineering and playing football as an All-American linebacker.
After a career as a karate tournament competitor, Miller was brought into WCW by Eric Bischoff. Miller was a karate instructor and was teaching Bischoff's son Garrett, when Bischoff asked him to become a wrestler.
Miller made his WCW debut when he saved Glacier from a two-on-one attack by Wrath and Mortis at the WCW Slamboree 1997 PPV. Initially thought as just a fan who had jumped the railing, the WCW commentators then realized that this was no ordinary man and he was in fact the three-time karate champion Ernest Miller. Glacier and Ernest Miller quickly became tag team partners in their feud with Mortis and Wrath. He soon left Glacier and became a villain with Sonny Onoo as his manager (although Glacier actually turned on Miller first). It was during this time that Miller's popularity heightened.
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Etta James
Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins; January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012) was an American singer. Her style spanned a variety of music genres including blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, gospel and jazz. Starting her career in the mid-1950s, she gained fame with hits such as "Dance With Me, Henry", "At Last", "Tell Mama", and "I'd Rather Go Blind" for which she wrote the lyrics. She faced a number of personal problems, including drug addiction, before making a musical resurgence in the late 1980s with the album The Seven Year Itch.
James is regarded as having bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and is the winner of six Grammys and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in both 1999 and 2008.Rolling Stone ranked James number 22 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and number 62 on the list of the 100 Greatest Artists.
Jamesetta Hawkins was born on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, California, to Dorothy Hawkins, who was only 14 at the time. Her father has never been identified. James speculated that her father was the pool player, Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, and met him briefly in 1987. Due to her mother being often absent from their Watts apartment, conducting relationships with various men, James lived with a series of foster parents, most notably "Sarge" and "Mama" Lu. James referred to her mother as "the Mystery Lady".
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Fred Wesley
Fred Wesley (born July 4, 1943) is an American jazz and funk trombonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s.
Wesley was born in Columbus, Georgia, and raised in Mobile, Alabama, the son of a high school teacher and big band leader. As a child he took piano and later trumpet lessons, and at around the age of 12 his father brought a trombone home, whereupon he switched to trombone.
During the 1960s and 1970s he was a pivotal member of James Brown's bands, playing on many hit recordings including "Say it Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud", "Mother Popcorn" and co-writing tunes such as "Hot Pants". His slippery riffs and pungent, precise solos, complementing those of saxophonist Maceo Parker, gave Brown's R&B, soul, and funk tunes their instrumental punch. In the 1970s he also served as band leader and musical director of Brown's band the J.B.'s and did much of the composing and arranging for the group. His name was credited on 'Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s' recording of "Doing It to Death", which sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in July 1973. He left Brown's band in 1975 and spent several years playing with George Clinton's various Parliament-Funkadelic projects, even recording a couple of albums as the leader of a spin-off group, The Horny Horns.
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Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English screen and stage actor, filmmaker and musician, who is the highest-grossing actor in the history of film. A successful theatre actor and former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Oldman gained mainstream recognition from the early 1980s to early 1990s for his portrayals of morally ambiguous characters in films including Meantime, Sid and Nancy, Prick Up Your Ears, The Firm, State of Grace, JFK and Dracula. He became a popular portrayer of villains by the mid 1990s, playing the antagonist of True Romance, Léon, The Fifth Element, Air Force One and The Contender. Since the millenium Oldman has starred in such films as the Harry Potter series, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, Kung Fu Panda 2 and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Aside from film acting, he has starred in television shows like Knots Landing and Friends, voiced various characters in the Call of Duty video game series, and wrote and directed Nil By Mouth, a film partially based on his own childhood.
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Gene Chandler
Gene Chandler (born Eugene Dixon, July 6, 1937) also known as "The Duke of Earl" or simply "The Duke", is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, producer and record executive. He is one of the leading exponents of the 1960s Chicago soul scene. He is best known for his million-selling hits, "Duke Of Earl," and "Groovy Situation," and his associations with the Dukays, the Impressions and Curtis Mayfield. A Grammy Hall Of Fame inductee, and winner of the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers Producer of the Year Award, and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award, and one of the few artists to chart hit records during the doo-wop, rhythm and blues, soul, and disco eras. Between 1961 and 1986 Chandler has had forty Pop and R&B chart hits.
Chandler attended Englewood High School on Chicago's south side. He began performing in the early 1950s with the Gaytones. In 1957, he joined a doo-wop group, The Dukays, with James Lowe, Shirley Jones, Earl Edwards and Ben Broyles, soon becoming their lead singer. After his draft into the US Army he returned to Chicago in 1960 and rejoined the Dukays.
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George Foreman
George Edward Foreman (nicknamed "Big George") (born January 10, 1949) is a retired American professional boxer, former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur.
A gold medalist at the 1968 Olympics, Foreman won the World Heavyweight title with a second round knockout of then-undefeated Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica in 1973. He made two successful title defenses before losing to Muhammad Ali in "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974. He fought on but was unable to secure another title shot and retired following a loss to Jimmy Young in 1977 and became an ordained Christian minister. Ten years later Foreman announced a comeback, and in November 1994, at age 45, he regained the Heavyweight Championship by knocking out Michael Moorer. He remains the oldest Heavyweight Champion in history. He retired in 1997 at the age of 48, with a final record of 76–5, including 68 knockouts.
Foreman has been inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) currently rates Foreman as the eighth greatest heavyweight of all-time. In 2002, he was named one of the 25 greatest fighters of the past eighty years by The Ring magazine.The Ring also ranked him as the 9th greatest puncher of all-time. He was a ringside analyst for HBO's boxing coverage for twelve years, leaving in 2004. Outside of boxing, he is a successful entrepreneur and is known for his promotion of the George Foreman Grill, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide. In 1999 he sold the naming rights to the grill for $138 million.
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George Jones
George Glenn Jones (born September 12, 1931) is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette.
Over the past 20 years, Jones has frequently been referred to as the greatest living country singer. Country music scholar Bill C. Malone writes, "For the two or three minutes consumed by a song, Jones immerses himself so completely in its lyrics, and in the mood it conveys, that the listener can scarcely avoid becoming similarly involved."
Throughout his long career, Jones made headlines often as much for tales of his drinking, stormy relationships with women, and violent rages as for his prolific career of making records and touring. His wild lifestyle led to Jones missing many performances, earning him the nickname "No Show Jones." With the help of his fourth wife, Nancy, he has been sober for over 10 years. Jones has had more than 150 hits during his career, both as a solo artist and in duets with other artists. The shape of his nose and facial features have given Jones the nickname "The Possum." Jones said in an interview that he has chosen to tour only about 60 dates a year.
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George Wagner
George Raymond Wagner (March 24, 1915 – December 26, 1963) was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Gorgeous George. In the United States, during the First Golden Age of Professional Wrestling in the 1940s-1950s, Gorgeous George gained mainstream popularity and became one of the biggest stars of this period, gaining media attention for his outrageous character, which was described as flamboyant and charismatic. He was inducted into Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002 and the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2010.
George Raymond Wagner was born March 24, 1915 in Butte, Nebraska. For a time, he and his parents lived on a farm near the village of Phoenix in Holt County and probably in Seward County before they moved to Waterloo, Iowa and later Sioux City. When George was age seven, his family moved to Houston, Texas, where he associated with kids from a tough neighborhood. As a child, he trained at the local YMCA and often staged matches against his friends. In 1929, Wagner dropped out of Milby High School at age 14, and worked odd jobs to help support his family. At this time, he competed at carnivals, where he could earn 35 cents for a win. By age 17, he was getting booked by the region’s top promoter, Morris Siegel, and in 1938, he won his first title by defeating Buck Lipscomb for Northwest Middleweight crown. Moreover, on May 19, 1939, he captured the Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight Championship.
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Grace Bumbry
Grace Bumbry (born January 4, 1937), an American opera singer, is considered one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, as well as a major soprano for many years. She was a member of a pioneering generation of singers who followed Marian Anderson (including Leontyne Price, Martina Arroyo, Shirley Verrett and Reri Grist) in the world of classical music and paved the way for future African American opera and classical singers. Bumbry's voice was rich and sizable, possessing a wide range, and was capable of producing a very distinctive plangent tone. In her prime, she also possessed good agility and bel canto technique (see for example her renditions of the 'Veil Song' from Verdi's Don Carlo in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as her Ernani from the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1984). She was particularly noted for her fiery temperament and dramatic intensity on stage. More recently, she has also become known as a recitalist and interpreter of lieder, and as a teacher. From the late 1980s on, she seemed to concentrate her career in Europe, rather than in the US. A long time resident of Switzerland, she now makes her home in Salzburg, Austria.
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Hank Ballard
Note: for the separate listing on the vocal group, see The Midnighters
Hank Ballard (November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003), born John Henry Kendricks, was a rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and one of the first proto-rock 'n' roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an integral part in the development of rock music, releasing the hit singles "Work With Me, Annie" and answer songs "Annie Had a Baby" and "Annie's Aunt Fannie" with his Midnighters. He later wrote and recorded "The Twist" and invented the dance, which was notably covered by Chubby Checker. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Born John Henry Kendricks in Detroit, Michigan, Ballard along with his brother, Dove Ballard, grew up and attended school in Bessemer, Alabama after the death of their father.[citation needed] He lived with his paternal aunt and her husband, and began singing in church. His major vocal inspiration during his formative years was the "Singing Cowboy", Gene Autry, and in particular, his signature song, "Back in the Saddle Again". Ballard returned to Detroit in his teens and later worked on the assembly line for Ford.
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Henry Stone
Henry Stone (born 3 June 1921) is an American record company executive and producer whose career spans the era from R&B in the early 1950s through the disco boom of the 1970s to the present day. He is best known as co-owner and president of TK Records.
Born in the Bronx, Henry Stone began playing the trumpet in his teens while at an orphanage in Pleasantville, New York. In 1943 he joined the US Army, playing in a racially integrated band and developing an appreciation of what were then called "race records". After being discharged in 1947, he moved to Los Angeles, working on sales and promotion for Jewel Records and then Modern Records, and traveling around the country.
In 1948, Stone settled in Miami, Florida, setting up his own distribution company, Seminole, and shortly afterwards the Crystal recording studio. In 1951 he recorded Ray Charles’ "St. Pete Florida Blues", among others. In 1952 he started two record labels with Andy Razaf, Rockin' (for blues) with artists including Earl Hooker, and Glory (for gospel), and soon had success in both styles. In association with King Records, Stone released The Charms’ "Hearts of Stone" on King's De Luxe Records subsidiary, and it became an R&B chart #1 hit in 1954. He was also instrumental in signing James Brown to King, and in recording Brown’s first hit "Please, Please, Please".
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Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson (born June 15, 1969), better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, screenwriter, film producer, and director. He began his career as a member of the C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer, director, actor and producer in cinema. Additionally, he has served as one of the producers of the Showtime television series Barbershop and the TBS series Are We There Yet?, both of which are based upon films in which he portrayed the lead character.
He was ranked #8 on MTV's list of the 10 Greatest MCs of All Time, while Snoop Dogg himself ranked Ice Cube as the greatest MC of all time.About.com ranked him #11 on its list of the "Top 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time."Allmusic has called him one of hip-hop's best and most controversial artists, as well as "one of rap's greatest storytellers."
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Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman (Hebrew: יצחק פרלמן; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-born violinist, conductor, and instructor of master classes. He is regarded as one of the preeminent violinists of the 20th and early-21st centuries.
Perlman was born in Tel Aviv, British Mandate for Palestine. His parents, Chaim and Shoshana Perlman, were natives of Poland and had independently immigrated to Palestine in the mid-1930s before they met and got married. Perlman first became interested in the violin after hearing a classical music performance on the radio. At the age of three, he was denied entrance to the Shulamit Conservatory for being too small to hold a violin. He instead taught himself how to play the instrument using a toy fiddle until he was old enough to study with Rivka Goldgart at the Shulamit Conservatory and at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, where he gave his first recital at age 10, before moving to the United States to study at the Juilliard School with the violin pedagogue, Ivan Galamian, and his assistant Dorothy Delay.
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Jack Nicholson
Not to be confused with Nicholas Jackson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. His twelve Oscar nominations make him the second most nominated actor of all time, behind only Meryl Streep, and tied with Katharine Hepburn.
Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and for As Good as It Gets. He also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 1983 film Terms of Endearment. He is tied with Walter Brennan for most acting wins by a male actor (three). Nicholson is well known for playing villainous roles such as Jack Torrance in The Shining, Frank Costello in The Departed, and the Joker in 1989's Batman, among many other roles.
Nicholson is one of only two actors who have been nominated for an Academy Award for acting in every decade from the 1960s to 2000s; the other is Michael Caine. He has won seven Golden Globe Awards, and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2001. In 1994, he became one of the youngest actors to be awarded the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award. Notable films in which he has starred include Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Passenger, The Shining, Reds, Terms of Endearment, Batman, A Few Good Men, As Good as It Gets, About Schmidt, The Departed and Anger Management .
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Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE (born Chan Kong-sang, 陳港生; 7 April 1954) is a Hong Kong-born Chinesestuntman, actor, and director whose perilous acrobatic stunts and engaging physical humour made him an action-film star in Asia and helped to bring kung fu movies into the mainstream of American cinema. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts. Jackie Chan has been acting since the 1960s and has appeared in over 100 films.
Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a cultural icon, Chan has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons, and video games. An operatically trained vocalist, Chan is also a Cantopop and Mandopop star, having released a number of albums and sung many of the theme songs for the films in which he has starred. In addition to acting, Chan pursued a career in the Hong Kong music industry, releasing a number of original albums beginning in 1984. He founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Organization in 1998, which, among other projects, offers scholarships to Hong Kong youths, and he worked as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.
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James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of funk music and is a major figure of 20th century popular music and dance.
In a career that spanned decades, Brown profoundly influenced the development of many different musical genres. Brown moved on a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music making. Brown performed in concerts, first making his rounds across the Chitlin' Circuit, and then across the country and later around the world, along with appearing in shows on television and in movies. Although he contributed much to the music world through his hitmaking, Brown holds the record as the artist who charted the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without ever hitting number one on that chart.
For many years, Brown's touring show was one of the most extravagant productions in American popular music. At the time of Brown's death, his band included three guitarists, two bass guitar players, two drummers, three horns and a percussionist. The bands that he maintained during the late 1960s and 1970s were of comparable size, and the bands also included a three-piece amplified string section that played during ballads. Brown employed between 40 and 50 people for the James Brown Revue, and members of the revue traveled with him in a bus to cities and towns all over the country, performing upwards of 330 shows a year with almost all of the shows as one-nighters. In 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1990 into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. Since his Broadway debut in 1957, Jones has spent more than five decades as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile actors" and has been termed "one of the greatest actors in American history." On November 12, 2011, Jones received an Honorary Academy Award.
He is well known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership.
James Earl Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, son of Robert Earl Jones (1910–2006), an actor, boxer, butler, and chauffeur who left the family shortly after James Earl's birth, and his wife Ruth (Connolly) Jones, a teacher and maid. Jones and his father reconciled many years later. Jones was raised by his maternal grandparents, farmers John Henry and Maggie Connolly. He is multiracial, with African, Irish, and Native American ancestry.
Jones describes his grandmother, Maggie, as "the most racist person I have ever known", thus forcing him to develop his own independent thinking. His grandmother was of Cherokee, Choctaw, and black ancestry.
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James Levine
James Lawrence Levine ( /lɨˈvaɪn/; born June 23, 1943) is an American conductor and pianist. He is currently on hiatus from his work as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, a situation necessitated by health problems and not due to end before the fall of 2013; the hiatus began in May 2011.
Levine's first performance conducting the Metropolitan Opera was on June 5, 1971, and, as of June 2011, he had conducted 2,442 Met performances, a record. The conductor has held music director positions with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Munich Philharmonic. In 1997, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
Levine was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to a musical family: his maternal grandfather was a cantor in a synagogue, his father was a violinist who led a dance band, and his mother was an actress. He began to play the piano as a small child. At the age of 10, he made his concert debut as soloist in Felix Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 2 at a youth concert of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
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Jeremy Marre
Jeremy Marre is a television director, writer and producer who founded Harcourt Films and has worked extensively around the world. Many of his films are on musical subjects. His reputation was made with the Beats of the Heart series, which introduced elements of what is now called world music, and its performers, to the Western world.The New York Times said of the series: "It can make your jaw drop regularly with astonishment." He has run director courses for the National Film School, sat on the advisory boards for the British Library Sound Archive and the Arts Council of England, has broadcast widely on BBC radio, has written for The Times, The Sunday Telegraph, New York Post and The Independent. In 2000, The Times said of him: "Marre has an extraordinary track record over the years", and in 2011, previewing his latest music films, the Daily Telegraph wrote: "Marre's credentials are impeccable."
There have been retrospectives of his music films at the Florence Film Festival and on Channel 4.
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Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935) is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. He is known by the nickname "The Killer". An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis had hits in the late 1950s with songs such as "Great Balls of Fire", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "Breathless" and "High School Confidential". However, Lewis' rock 'n' roll career faltered in the wake of his marriage to his young cousin. He had little success in the charts following the scandal until his popularity recovered in the late 1960s after he extended his career to country and western music with songs such as "Another Place, Another Time". More country hits soon followed over the late 1960s and through the 1970s. Lewis's successes continued throughout the decade and he embraced his rock 'n' roll past with songs such as a cover of the Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace" and "Rockin' My Life Away". In the 21st century Lewis continues to tour to audiences around the world and still releases new albums. One such new album, titled Last Man Standing, is his best selling to date at over a million copies sold worldwide.
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Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. (born October 8, 1941) is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to form Rainbow/PUSH. Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. is his eldest son. In an AP-AOL "Black Voices" poll in February 2006, Jackson was voted "the most important black leader".
Jackson was born Jesse Louis Burns in Greenville, South Carolina, to Helen Burns, a 16-year-old single mother. His biological father, Noah Louis Robinson, a former professional boxer and a prominent figure in the community, was married to another woman when Jesse was born. He was not involved in his son's life, and died January 28, 1997 in Greenville, S.C. In 1943, two years after Jesse's birth, his mother married Charles Henry Jackson, who would adopt Jesse 14 years later. Jesse went on to take the surname of his stepfather.
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Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM (born James Chambers on 1 April 1948) is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences.
Cliff is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "Sitting in Limbo", "You Can Get It If You Really Want" and "Many Rivers to Cross" from the soundtrack to The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae across the world; and his covers of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film Cool Runnings. Outside of the reggae world, he is probably best known for his film appearance in The Harder They Come. Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
Jimmy Cliff was born in Somerton District, St. James, Jamaica. He began writing songs while still at primary school in St. James, listening to a neighbour's sound system. In 1962 his father took him to Kingston to go to Kingston Technical school, where he ended up sharing his cousin's one rented room in East Kingston.
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Jimmy Nolen
Jimmy Nolen (April 3, 1934 – December 18, 1983) was an American guitarist, known for his distinctive "chicken scratch" lead guitar playing in James Brown's bands.
Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, Nolen took up the guitar at the age of 14, teaching himself on a Harmony Acoustic guitar. Having played the violin since the age of 9, Nolen already had a sound musical foundation upon which to base his T-Bone Walker-inspired guitar playing. Nolen was "discovered" in a club in Tulsa, Oklahoma by Jimmy Wilson, a blues singer famous for his 1953 hit "Tin Pan Alley." Soon afterward, Wilson offered Nolen a job in his band. He took Nolen back to Los Angeles, California to play in a studio band with popular southern California players Monte Easter (trumpet) and Chuck Higgins (tenor saxophone). During this period Nolen recorded his own commercially unsuccessful singles, mostly for King Records' Federal subsidiary, on which he both sang and played period-inspired blues songs.
In 1957 Nolen began to play for Johnny Otis, replacing the ailing Pete "Guitar" Lewis. He was the principal behind Otis' hit "Willie and the Hand Jive." He remained in Otis’ band until 1959 when he formed his own group, The Jimmy Nolen Band. They performed in small clubs and ballrooms in California and Arizona's "chitlin' circuit", backing many of the blues greats that passed through California. The principal influences that inspired his guitar technique were, T-Bone Walker, B.B. King and Lowell Fulson. The Jimmy Nolen band was popular but never released any records since their primary purpose was to work as live backup for more famous acts. In the early 1960s Nolen began playing with the backing band for harmonica legend George "Harmonica" Smith.
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Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944) is an English guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.
Jimmy Page is viewed by critics, fans and fellow musicians alike as one of the most influential and important guitarists and songwriters in rock music.Rolling Stone magazine has described him as "the pontiff of power riffing & probably the most digitally sampled artist in pop today after James Brown." In 2010, Jimmy Page was ranked No.2 in Gibson's list of "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time" and, in 2007, No.4 on Classic Rock Magazine's "100 Wildest Guitar Heroes". Page was ranked third in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in 2011. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; once as a member of The Yardbirds (1992), and once as a member of Led Zeppelin (1995).
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Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s.
One of the most remarkable female opera singers of the 20th century, she was dubbed La Stupenda by a La Fenice audience in 1960 after a performance of the title role in Handel's Alcina. She possessed a voice of beauty and power, combining extraordinary agility, accurate intonation, "supremely" pinpoint staccatos, a splendid trill and a tremendous upper register, although music critics often complained about the imprecision of her diction. Her friend Luciano Pavarotti once called Sutherland the "Voice of the Century"; Montserrat Caballé described the Australian's voice as being like "heaven".
Joan Sutherland was born to Scottish parents in Sydney, and attended St Catherine's School in the suburb of Waverley, New South Wales. As a child, she listened to and imitated her mother's singing exercises. Her mother, a mezzo-soprano, had taken voice lessons but never considered making a career as a professional singer. Sutherland was 18 years old when she began seriously studying voice with John and Aida Dickens. She made her concert debut in Sydney, as Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, in 1947. In 1951, she made her stage debut in Eugene Goossens's Judith. In 1951, after winning Australia's most important competition, the Sun Aria, now known as the Sydney Eisteddfod McDonald's Operatic Aria in 1949. She then went to London to further her studies at the Opera School of the Royal College of Music with Clive Carey. She was engaged by the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, as a utility soprano, and made her debut there on 28 October 1952, as the First Lady in The Magic Flute, followed in November by a few performances as Clotilde in Vincenzo Bellini's Norma, with Maria Callas as Norma.
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Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier (January 12, 1944 – November 7, 2011), also known as Smokin' Joe, was an American professional boxer and Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981.
Frazier emerged as the top contender in the late 1960s, defeating opponents that included Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena, Buster Mathis, Eddie Machen, Doug Jones, George Chuvalo and Jimmy Ellis en route to becoming Undisputed Heavyweight Champion in 1970, and followed up by defeating Muhammad Ali on points in the highly-anticipated "Fight of the Century" in 1971. Two years later Frazier lost his title when he was knocked out by George Foreman. He fought on, beating Joe Bugner, losing a rematch to Ali and beating Quarry and Ellis again.
Frazier's last world title challenge came in 1975, but he was beaten by Ali in their brutal rubbermatch. He retired in 1976 following a second loss to Foreman. He made a comeback in 1981, fighting just once, before retiring for good. The International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) rates Frazier among the ten greatest heavyweights of all time. He was an inductee of both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
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John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founder members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Together with Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.
Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved as a teenager in the skiffle craze; his first band, The Quarrymen, evolved into The Beatles in 1960. As the group disintegrated towards the end of the decade, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". After his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969, he changed his name to John Ono Lennon. Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to raising his infant son Sean, but re-emerged with Ono in 1980 with the new album Double Fantasy. He was murdered three weeks after its release.
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John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, War Horse, Home Alone and the first three Harry Potter films. He has had a long association with director Steven Spielberg, composing the music for all but two (Duel and The Color Purple) of Spielberg's major feature films.
Other notable works by Williams include theme music for four Olympic Games, NBC Sunday Night Football, the NBC Nightly News, the rededication of the Statue of Liberty, and the television series Lost in Space. Williams has also composed numerous classical concerti, and he served as the principal conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980 to 1993; he is now the orchestra's conductor laureate.
Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, and 21 Grammy Awards. With 47 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the second most nominated person, after Walt Disney. John Williams was honored with the prestigious Richard Kirk award at the 1999 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music. Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2000, and was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004.
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Jon Alpert
Jon Alpert (born c. 1948) is an American journalist and documentary filmmaker, known for his use of a cinéma vérité approach in his films. A native of Port Chester, New York, Alpert is a 1970 graduate of Colgate University, and has a black belt in karate.[citation needed]
Alpert has traveled widely as an investigative journalist, and has made films for NBC, PBS, and HBO. Over the course of his career, he has won 15 Emmy Awards and three DuPont-Columbia Awards. He has been nominated for a 2010 Academy Award in the category of Best Documentary, Short Subject for China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province. He has reported from Vietnam, Cambodia, Iran, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Cuba, China, and Afghanistan.
In 1972, Alpert and his wife, Keiko Tsuno, founded the Downtown Community Television Center, one of the country's first community media centers. He has interviewed Fidel Castro several times, and was one of the few Western journalists to have conducted a videotaped interview with Saddam Hussein since the Persian Gulf War.
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Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker (born 11 April 1987), better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist. Her second album, the equally multiplatinum Mind Body & Soul, topped the UK Albums Chart for one week and spawned the top ten hit "You Had Me", Stone's most successful single on the UK Singles Chart to date. Both album and single each received one nomination at the 2005 Grammy Awards, while Stone herself was nominated for Best New Artist, and in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2004 was ranked fifth as a predicted breakthrough act of 2004. She became the youngest British female singer to top the UK Albums Chart in history to have her first album at number one. In early 2009, she joined the eclectic supergroup SuperHeavy.
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Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE (née Wells; born 1 October 1935) is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honours.
Andrews is a former child actress and singer who made her Broadway debut in a 1954 production of The Boy Friend, and rose to prominence starring in musicals such as My Fair Lady and Camelot, both of which earned her Tony Award nominations. In 1957, she made her television debut with the title role in Cinderella, which was seen by over 100 million viewers.
Andrews made her feature film debut in Mary Poppins (1964), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She received her second Academy Award nomination for The Sound of Music (1965). Adjusted for inflation, these two films are the 25th and 3rd highest grossing films of all time, respectively. From 1964 to 1967, Andrews was the biggest film star in the world, with the additional box office successes of her films The Americanization of Emily, Hawaii, Torn Curtain, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
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Julie Harris
Julia Ann "Julie" Harris (born December 2, 1925) is an American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1994, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. She is a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame. She also received the 2002 Special Lifetime Achievement Tony Award.
Harris's screen debut was in 1952, repeating her Broadway success as the monumentally lonely teenage girl Frankie in Carson McCullers' The Member of the Wedding, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. That film also preserves the original Broadway cast performances of Ethel Waters and Brandon DeWilde. That same year, she won her first Best Actress Tony for originating the role of insouciant Sally Bowles in I Am a Camera, the stage version of Christopher Isherwood's Goodbye to Berlin (later musicalized as Cabaret on Broadway in 1966 and, in the 1972 film, with Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles.) Harris repeated her stage role in the 1955 film version of I Am a Camera. She also appeared in such films as East of Eden (1955), with James Dean (with whom she became close friends), Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), with Paul Newman in the private-detective film Harper in 1966, and Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967).
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King Curtis
Curtis Ousley (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. He was adopted, alongside with his adopted sister, Josephine Ousley Allen. They both grew up in Texas, together. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer. Adept at tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, he was best known for his distinctive riffs and solos such as on "Yakety Yak", which later became the inspiration for Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax" and his own "Memphis Soul Stew".
King Curtis started playing saxophone at the age of twelve in the Fort Worth area. Josephine, took interest in him, knowing that she was also into music and singing as well. He took interest in many musical genres including jazz, rhythm and blues, and popular music. As a student pursuing music he turned down college scholarships in order to join the Lionel Hampton Band. During his time with Lionel Hampton he was able to write and arrange music and learn guitar. In 1952 Curtis decided to move to New York and became a session musician, recording for such labels as Prestige, Enjoy, Capitol, and Atco. He recorded with Nat Adderley and Wynton Kelly,Buddy Holly and Andy Williams.
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Kurtis Blow
Kurt Walker (born August 9, 1959), professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label. "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song.
In 1979, aged twenty, Kurtis Blow became the first rapper to be signed by a major label, Mercury, which released "Christmas Rappin'". It sold over 400,000 copies. Its follow-up, "The Breaks", sold over half a million copies. He was also the first rapper to perform overseas. He released ten albums over the next eleven years. His first album was Kurtis Blow, while his second was the Top 50 pop album Deuce. Party Time featured a fusion of rap and go-go. Ego Trip included the hits: "8 Million Stories," "AJ Scratch," and "Basketball". His 1985 album, America, garnered praise for its title track's music video. From this album, the song "If I Ruled the World" became a Top 5 hit on Billboard's R&B chart. In 1996, fellow rapper Nas debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a cover version of the song.
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Larry King
Larry King (born November 19, 1933) is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards. He began as a local Florida journalist and radio interviewer in the 1950s and 1960s and became prominent as an all-night national radio broadcaster starting in 1978. From 1985-2010, he hosted the nightly interview TV program Larry King Live on CNN.
King was born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger in Brooklyn, New York City, to an Austrian immigrant Edward Zeiger, a restaurant owner and defense plant worker, and his wife Jennie Gitlitz, a garment worker, who emigrated from Belarus. King grew up in a religiously observant Jewish home, but in adulthood became an agnostic.
King's father died at 44 of heart disease, and his mother had to go on welfare to support her two sons. His father's death greatly affected King, and he lost interest in school. After graduating from high school, he worked to help support his mother. From an early age, however, he had wanted to go into radio. King is a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actor and arranger, whose “retro” style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads. In addition to singing lead and backing vocals, Kravitz often plays all the guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and percussion himself when recording. He is known for his elaborate stage performances and music videos.
He won the Grammy Award for "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance" four years in a row from 1999 to 2002, breaking the record for most wins in that category and most consecutive wins in one category for a male. He has been nominated for and won other awards, including American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Radio Music Awards, BRIT Awards and Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. On December 1, 2011, Kravitz was made an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He played the role of Cinna in the film The Hunger Games.
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Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher (born July 23, 1928) is an American pianist and conductor.
Fleisher was born in San Francisco, where he started studying the piano at age four. He made his public debut at age eight and played with the New York Philharmonic under Pierre Monteux at 16; Monteux famously called him "the pianistic find of the century." He became one of the few child prodigies to be accepted for study with Artur Schnabel and also studied with Maria Curcio. Fleisher was linked via Schnabel to a tradition that descended directly from Beethoven himself, handed down through Carl Czerny and Theodor Leschetizky.
In the 1950s, Fleisher signed an exclusive recording contract with Columbia Masterworks. He is particularly well known for his interpretations of the piano concerti of Brahms and Beethoven, which he recorded with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. They also recorded Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25, the Grieg and Schumann piano concertos, Franck's Symphonic Variations, and Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
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Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the mid-1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and contributed significantly to the early development of soul music. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website entry on Penniman states that:
He claims to be "the architect of rock and roll", and history would seem to bear out Little Richard’s boast. More than any other performer – save, perhaps, Elvis Presley, Little Richard blew the lid off the Fifties, laying the foundation for rock and roll with his explosive music and charismatic persona. On record, he made spine-tingling rock and roll. His frantically charged piano playing and raspy, shouted vocals on such classics as "Tutti Frutti", "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly, Miss Molly" defined the dynamic sound of rock and roll.
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Little Willie John
William Edward John (November 15, 1937 - May 26, 1968), better known by his stage name Little Willie John, was an American R&B singer who performed in the 1950s and early 1960s. Many sources erroneously give his middle name as Edgar. He is best known for his popular music chart successes with songs such as, "All Around the World" (1955), "Need Your Love So Bad" (1956) and "Fever" the same year, the latter covered in 1958 by Peggy Lee.
He was born in Cullendale, Arkansas, one of ten children, his family moving to Detroit, Michigan when he was four so that his father could pursue factory work. In the late 1940s, the eldest children, including Willie, formed a gospel singing group, and Willie also performed in talent shows, which brought him to the notice of Johnny Otis and, later, musician and producer Henry Glover. After seeing him sing with the Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams orchestra, Glover signed him to a recording contract with King Records in 1955. He was nicknamed "Little Willie" John for his short stature.
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LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (an abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor from Bay Shore, New York. He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", and "Mama Said Knock You Out". He has released thirteen studio albums and two greatest hits compilations, including 2008's Exit 13, the last for his record deal with Def Jam Recordings. He has also appeared in numerous films, and currently stars as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles.
As he grew older, Smith found a way to escape the effects of his abuse, and his bullying attitude: hip-hop music. He fell in love with it at the age of nine, and by 11 he was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ equipment his grandmother gave him to stop him riding motorcycles or doing karate. Before too long, LL was an established member of the Hip-Hop community in his area. He gained notoriety through his many rap battles against well-established MCs, including the battle against Chicken and Porn that rocketed him to fame.
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Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn (born Loretta Webb April 14, 1932), is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, near Paintsville, Kentucky in Johnson County to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 15 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Vanetta Lynn, Jr. (1926–1996), nicknamed "Doo". Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he had affairs and she was headstrong. Their experiences together became inspiration for her music.
On her 21st birthday, Lynn's husband bought her a $17.00 Harmony guitar. She taught herself to play and when she was 24, on her wedding anniversary, Doo encouraged her to become a singer. She learned the guitar better, started singing at the Delta Grange Hall in Washington State with the Pen Brothers' band, The Westerners, then eventually cut her first record in February, 1960. She became a part of the country music scene in Nashville in the 1960s, and in 1967 charted her first of 16 number-one hits (out of 70 charted songs as a solo artist and a duet partner) that include "Don't Come Home A' Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)", "You Ain't Woman Enough", "Fist City", and "Coal Miner's Daughter". She focused on blue collar women's issues with themes of philandering husbands and persistent mistresses, and pushed boundaries in the conservative genre of country music by singing about birth control ("The Pill"), repeated childbirth ("One's on the Way"), double standards for men and women ("Rated "X""), and being widowed by the draft during the Vietnam War ("Dear Uncle Sam"). Country music radio stations often refused to play her songs. Nonetheless, she became known as "The First Lady of Country Music" and continues to be one of the most successful vocalists of all time.
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Louie Bellson
Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni (July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), known by the stage name Louie Bellson (his own preferred spelling, although he is often seen in sources as Louis Bellson), was an Italian-American jazz drummer. He was a composer, arranger, bandleader, and jazz educator, and is credited with pioneering the use of two bass drums.
Bellson was an internationally acclaimed artist who performed in most of the major capitals around the world. Bellson and his first wife, the actress and singer Pearl Bailey (married 1952–1990), had the second highest number of appearances at the White House (only Bob Hope had more). He was a vice president at Remo, a drum company. Louie was also very great friends with the cymbal manufacturer Armand Zildjian.
Louie Bellson was born in Rock Falls, Illinois, in 1924 and started playing drums at three years of age. At age 15, he pioneered the double-bass drum set-up. His detailed sketch earned him an 'A' in his high school art class. At age 17, he triumphed over 40,000 drummers to win the Slingerland National Gene Krupa contest. Louie graduated from Moline High School, Moline, IL, in 1939.
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Louis Jordan
Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the later years of the swing era. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #59 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Jordan was one of the most successful African-American musicians of the 20th century, ranking fifth in the list of the all-time most successful black recording artists according to Billboard magazine's chart methodology. Though comprehensive sales figures are not available, he scored at least four million-selling hits during his career. Jordan regularly topped the R&B "race" charts, and was one of the first black recording artists to achieve a significant "crossover" in popularity into the mainstream (predominantly white) American audience, scoring simultaneous Top Ten hits on the white pop charts on several occasions. After Duke Ellington and Count Basie, Louis Jordan was probably the most popular and successful African-American bandleader of his day.
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Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (12 October 1935 – 6 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor, who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, and established himself as one of the finest tenors of the 20th century. He was one of The Three Tenors and became well known for his televised concerts and media appearances. Pavarotti was also noted for his charity work on behalf of refugees and the Red Cross, amongst others.
Pavarotti began his professional career as a tenor in 1961 in Italy. That same year, he made his first international appearance in La traviata in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He sang in opera houses in addition to Italy, in the Netherlands, Vienna, London, Ankara, Budapest and Barcelona. The young tenor earned valuable experience and recognition while touring Australia at the invitation of soprano Joan Sutherland in 1965. He made his United States debut in Miami soon afterwards, also on Sutherland's recommendation. His position as a leading lyric tenor was consolidated in the years between 1966 and 1972, during which time he first appeared at Milan's La Scala and other major European houses. In 1968, he debuted at New York City's Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème. At the Met in 1972, in the role of Tonio in Donizetti's La fille du régiment he earned the title "King of the high Cs" when he sang the aria "Ah mes amis ... pour mon âme". He gained worldwide fame for the brilliance and beauty of his tone, especially into the upper register. He was at his best in bel canto operas, pre-Aida Verdi roles and Puccini works such as La bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. The late 1970s and 1980s saw Pavarotti continue to make significant appearances in the world's foremost opera houses.
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Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Ludacris has won a Screen Actors Guild, Critic's Choice, MTV, and three Grammy Awards during his career. Along with fellow Atlantans Big Boi and Andre 3000 of OutKast, Ludacris was one of the first and most influential Dirty South artists to achieve mainstream success.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia at age nine, where he began rapping. After a brief stint as a disc jockey, he released his debut album Back for the First Time in 2000, which contained the singles "Southern Hospitality" and "What's Your Fantasy". In 2001, he released Word of Mouf, followed by Chicken-n-Beer in 2003. He took a more serious approach with his next three albums, The Red Light District (2004), Release Therapy (2006), and Theater of the Mind (2008). His latest record, Battle of the Sexes, was released in 2010.
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Lyn Collins
Gloria Lavern Collins, better known as Lyn Collins (12 June 1948 – 13 March 2005), was an African American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s and for the influential 1972 funk single, "Think (About It)". Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy and Catfish Collins.
Born in Abilene, Texas, U.S.A., she began her recording career aged 14. Her biggest solo hit was the James Brown-produced gospel-style song "Think (About It)", from her 1972 album of the same name on People Records. The song contains 5 breaks which have been widely sampled in hip-hop and drum and bass, most famously, the "Woo! Yeah!" and "It takes two to make a thing go right" loops in Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's It Takes Two which is composed almost completely from samples of Think including a few lines of Collins' vocals. Furthermore, it was used in the early sociocritical eurodance classic I Can't Stand It by Twenty 4 Seven. Another album followed in 1975 Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me by Now. After the release of this album, she returned to performing mainly as a back-up vocalist.
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Maceo Parker
Maceo Parker ( /ˈmeɪsiːoʊ/; born February 14, 1943) is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. He is now just as well known for his own shows, as he has toured continuously under his own name since the early 1990s and has built up a strong fan base.
Parker was born in Kinston, North Carolina. His father played piano and drums; his mother and father both sang in church. His brother Melvin played drums and his brother Kellis trombone. He and his brother, Melvin, joined James Brown in 1964; in his auto-biography, Brown says that he originally wanted Melvin as his drummer, but agreed to take Maceo under his wing as part of the deal. In 1970 Parker, his brother Melvin, and a few of Brown's band members left to found Maceo & All the King's Men which toured for two years.
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Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (born Brian Hugh Warner; January 5, 1969) is an American musician, artist and former music journalist known for his controversial stage persona and image as the lead singer of the eponymous band Marilyn Manson. His stage name was formed from juxtaposing the names of two 1960s American cultural icons, namely actress Marilyn Monroe and convicted multiple murder convictCharles Manson as a critical and, simultaneously, laudatory appraisal of America and its peculiar culture. The seemingly outrageous styles for which he models and the controversy surrounding his lyrics have led to his public appeal.
Marilyn Manson was born in Canton, Ohio. He is the only child of Barbra Warner (maiden name Wyer) and Hugh Warner. Manson is of Polish and German descent on his father's side, and is a fourth cousin twice removed of Conservative commentator Pat Buchanan. In his autobiography The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, he detailed his grandfather's sexual fetishes (including bestiality and sadomasochism) which led to the forming of Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids.
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Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( /skɔrˈsɛsɛ/; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation. He is a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema, and has won Academy Award, Palme d'Or, Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and DGA Awards.
Scorsese's body of work addresses such themes as Italian American identity, Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption,machismo, modern crime, and violence. Scorsese is hailed as one of the most significant and influential filmmakers of all time, directing landmark films such as Mean Streets (1973), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), and Goodfellas (1990) – all of which he collaborated on with actor and close friend Robert De Niro. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for The Departed (2006), having been nominated a previous five times.
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Marva Whitney
Marva Whitney (born Marva Ann Manning on May 1, 1944 in Kansas City, Kansas) is an African American funk singer. She is considered by many funk enthusiasts to be one of the "rawest" and "brassiest" music divas.[1]
Whitney's performing career started as early as three years old while touring with her family's gospel group, the Manning Gospel Singers. Singing with James Brown in the late 1960s, she was able to make a name for herself with powerful songs like "I'm Tired, I'm Tired, I'm Tired (Things Better Change Before Its Too Late)" and "If You Don't Work (You Can't Eat)." Her recording of "It's My Thing (You Can't Tell Me Who to Sock It To)" reached the R&B Top 20. Her song "Unwind Yourself" has been sampled numerous times, most recognisably by DJ Mark the 45 King on his 1987 track "The 900 Number", which was then sampled by DJ Chad Jackson on his 1990 hit single "Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked)" (UK #3 in July 1990), and by DJ Kool on his 1996 hit "Let Me Clear My Throat" (UK #6 in March 1997).
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MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s. Remembered for a rapid rise to fame before filing bankruptcy, Hammer is also known for his hit records (such as "U Can't Touch This"), flamboyant dance movements and trademark Hammer pants. Hammer's superstar-status made him a household name and pop icon. He has sold more than 50 million records worldwide.
Burrell also became a preacher during the late 1990s, was a television show host and dance judge, is a record label CEO, and as of 2008 works as a co-creator of a dance website called DanceJam, while still performing concerts at music venues and assisting with other social media, ministry and outreach functions. In addition, he was executive producer of his own reality show called Hammertime which aired on the A&E Network during the summer of 2009. Prior to becoming ordained, Hammer signed with Suge Knight's Death Row Records by 1995.
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Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows. He became well known as part of the comedy duo with Carl Reiner, The 2000 Year Old Man. In middle age he became one of the most successful film directors of the 1970s, with many of his films being among the top ten money makers of the year that they were released. His most well known films include The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, History of the World, Part I and Spaceballs. More recently he has had a smash hit on Broadway with the musical adaptation of his first film, The Producers. He was married to the actress Anne Bancroft from 1964 until her death in 2005.
Brooks is a member of the short list of entertainers with the distinction of having won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award. Three of his films ranked in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 comedy films of all-time: Blazing Saddles at number 6, The Producers at number 11, and Young Frankenstein at number 13.
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Melvin Parker
Melvin Parker (born June 7, 1944, Kinston, North Carolina) is a drummer, brother of saxophonist Maceo Parker and was an important member of James Brown's band. Parker's drumming style was a major ingredient in James Brown's funk music innovations in the late 1960s. In 1964 and 1965 Parker was the drummer on three of Brown's recordings: "Out of Sight," "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," and "I Got You (I Feel Good)."[citation needed]
Parker's first association with Brown ended when he was drafted in the mid-1960s. He was replaced in the band by Clyde Stubblefield and Jabo Starks. Parker rejoined the band in 1969, and appeared on the album Sex Machine. In 1970 Parker was part of the famous mutiny by the James Brown band. After leaving Brown, Parker went on to join his brother Maceo's band, Maceo & All the King's Men. He rejoined James Brown briefly in 1976, and played on Brown's hit single "Get Up Offa That Thing".[citation needed]
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Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.
In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop and rock artists.
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Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931) is a German-born American television, stage and film director, writer, producer and comedian. He began his career in the 1950s as one half of the comedy duo Nichols and May, along with Elaine May. In 1968 he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film The Graduate. His other noteworthy films include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Carnal Knowledge, Working Girl, Closer and the TV mini-series Angels in America. He also staged the original theatrical productions of Barefoot in the Park, Luv, The Odd Couple and Spamalot.
Nichols is one of a small group of people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. His other honors include the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010.
Mike Nichols was born Michael Igor Peschkowsky in Berlin, Germany, the son of Brigitte (née Landauer) and Paul Peschkowsky, a physician. His father was born in Vienna, Austria, to a Russian Jewish immigrant family that had been wealthy and lived in Siberia, leaving after the Russian Revolution and settling in Germany around 1920. His mother's family were German Jews. His maternal grandparents were anarchist Gustav Landauer and author Hedwig Lachmann. Nichols is a third cousin twice removed of scientist Albert Einstein, through Nichols' mother. He moved to the United States to flee the Nazis on April 28, 1939. His father, who had changed his name to Paul Nichols, had successfully set up a medical practice in Manhattan and the family lived near Central Park. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1944 and attended public elementary school in Manhattan (PS 87). After graduating from Walden High School, Nichols briefly attended New York University before dropping out. In 1950, he enrolled in the pre-med program at the University of Chicago.
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Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov (Russian: Михаи́л Никола́евич Бары́шников, Latvian: Mihails Barišņikovs) (born January 27, 1948), nicknamed "Misha", is a Russian American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers in history. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974 for more opportunities in western dance. After freelancing with many companies, he joined the New York City Ballet as a principal dancer to learn George Balanchine's style of movement. He then danced with the American Ballet Theatre, where he later became artistic director.
Baryshnikov has spearheaded many of his own artistic projects and has been associated in particular with promoting modern dance, premiering dozens of new works, including many of his own. His success as a dramatic actor on stage, cinema and television has helped him become probably the most widely recognized contemporary ballet dancer. In 1977, he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe nomination for his work as "Yuri Kopeikine" in the film The Turning Point.
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Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, and jazz fusion.
Miles Dewey Davis was born on May 26, 1926, to an affluent African American family in Alton, Illinois. His father, Dr. Miles Henry Davis, was a dentist. In 1927 the family moved to East St. Louis, Illinois. They also owned a substantial ranch in northern Arkansas, where Davis learned to ride horses as a boy.
Davis' mother, Cleota Mae (Henry) Davis, wanted her son to learn the piano; she was a capable blues pianist but kept this fact hidden from her son. His musical studies began at 13, when his father gave him a trumpet and arranged lessons with local musician Elwood Buchanan. Davis later suggested that his father's instrument choice was made largely to irk his wife, who disliked the trumpet's sound. Against the fashion of the time, Buchanan stressed the importance of playing without vibrato; he was reported to have slapped Davis' knuckles every time he started using heavy vibrato. Davis would carry his clear signature tone throughout his career. He once remarked on its importance to him, saying, "I prefer a round sound with no attitude in it, like a round voice with not too much tremolo and not too much bass. Just right in the middle. If I can’t get that sound I can’t play anything."Clark Terry was another important early influence.[citation needed]
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Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby. He has also won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Freeman has appeared in many other box office hits, including Unforgiven, Glory, Seven, Deep Impact, The Sum of All Fears, Bruce Almighty, Batman Begins, March of the Penguins, The Bucket List, Wanted, The Dark Knight, and RED.
Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Mayme Edna (née Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber who died April 27, 1961, from cirrhosis. He has three older siblings. Freeman was sent as an infant to his paternal grandmother in Charleston, Mississippi. His family moved frequently during his childhood, living in Greenwood, Mississippi; Gary, Indiana; and finally Chicago, Illinois. Freeman made his acting debut at age 9, playing the lead role in a school play. He then attended Broad Street High School, later named Threadgill Elementary School, in Mississippi. At age 12, he won a statewide drama competition, and while still at Broad Street High School, he performed in a radio show based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1955, he graduated from Broad Street, but turned down a partial drama scholarship from Jackson State University, opting instead to work as a mechanic in the United States Air Force.
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Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; January 17, 1942) is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist. Considered a cultural icon, Ali was both idolized and vilified.
Originally known as Cassius Clay, Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to Sunni Islam in 1975, and more recently practicing Sufism.[clarification needed] In 1967, three years after Ali had won the World Heavyweight Championship, he was publicly vilified for his refusal to be conscripted into the U.S. military, based on his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. Ali stated, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong... No Viet Cong ever called me nigger" – one of the more telling remarks of the era.
Widespread protests against the Vietnam War had not yet begun, but with that one phrase, Ali articulated the reason to oppose the war for a generation of young Americans, and his words served as a touchstone for the racial and antiwar upheavals that would rock the 1960s. Ali's example inspired Martin Luther King Jr. – who had been reluctant to alienate the Johnson Administration and its support of the civil rights agenda – to voice his own opposition to the war for the first time.
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Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis (born Raiford Chatman Davis, December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, African- American film, television and Broadway actor, director, poet, playwright, author, and social activist.
Davis was born Raiford Chatman Davis in Cogdell, Clinch County, Georgia, a son of Kince Charles Davis, a railway construction engineer, and his wife Laura (née Cooper). The name Ossie came from a county clerk who misheard his mother's pronunciation of his initials "R.C." when he was born. So he inadvertently became "Ossie" when his mother told the courthouse clerk in Clinch River, Ga., who was filing his birth certificate that his name was R.C. Davis. Davis experienced racism from an early age as the KKK threatened to shoot his father, whose job they felt was too advanced for a black man to have. Following the wishes of his parents, he attended Howard University but dropped out in 1939 to fulfill his acting career in New York; he later attended Columbia University School of General Studies. His acting career, which spanned seven decades, began in 1939 with the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem. He made his film debut in 1950 in the Sidney Poitier film No Way Out. He voiced Anansi the spider on the PBS children's television series Sesame Street in its animation segments.
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Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is a grammy award winning American singer-songwriter, poet and guitarist.
Simon's international fame and success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, launched in 1964 with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles charts: "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". The duo split up in 1970 at the height of their popularity, and Simon began a successful solo career, recording three highly acclaimed albums over the next five years. In 1986, he released Graceland, an album inspired by South African township music. Simon also wrote and starred in the film One-Trick Pony in 1980 and co-wrote the Broadway musical The Capeman in 1998.
Simon has earned 12 Grammys for his solo and collaborative work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2006 was selected as one of the "100 People Who Shaped the World" by Time magazine. Among many other honors, Simon was the first recipient of the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007. In 1986 Simon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees.
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Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career. His career with The Who spans more than 40 years, during which time the band grew to be considered one of the most influential bands of the 1960s and 1970s, and, according to Eddie Vedder, "possibly the greatest live band ever."
Townshend is the primary songwriter for The Who, having written well over 100 songs for the band's 11 studio albums, including concept albums and the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, plus popular rock and roll radio staples like Who's Next, and dozens more that appeared as non-album singles, bonus tracks on reissues, and tracks on rarities compilations like Odds & Sods. He has also written over 100 songs that have appeared on his solo albums, as well as radio jingles and television theme songs. Although known primarily as a guitarist, he also plays other instruments such as keyboards, banjo, accordion, synthesiser, bass guitar and drums, on his own solo albums, several Who albums, and as a guest contributor to a wide array of other artists' recordings. Townshend has never had formal lessons in any of the instruments he plays.
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Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈplaθiðo ðoˈmiŋɡo]; born 21 January 1941), born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range. In March 2008, he debuted in his 128th opera role, and as of July 2011, his 136 roles give Domingo more roles than any other tenor.
One of The Three Tenors, he has also taken on conducting opera and concert performances, and he is the General Director of the Los Angeles Opera in California.
Plácido Domingo was born on January 21, 1941, in the distrito de Retiro section of Madrid, Spain, and in 1949 moved to Mexico with his family, who ran a zarzuela company. He studied piano at first privately and later at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City.
In 1957, Domingo made his first professional appearance, performing with his mother in a concert at Mérida, Yucatán. He made his opera debut performing in Manuel Fernández Caballero's zarzuela, Gigantes y cabezudos, singing a baritone role. At that time, he was working with his parents' zarzuela company, taking baritone roles and as an accompanist for other singers. Among his first performances was a minor role in the first Mexican production of My Fair Lady where he was also the assistant conductor and assistant coach. The company gave 185 performances, which included a production of Lehár's The Merry Widow in which he performed alternately as either Camille or Danilo.
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Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones, Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, conductor, arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991. He is particularly recognized as the producer of the album Thriller, by pop icon Michael Jackson, which has sold more than 110 million copies worldwide, and as the producer and conductor of the charity song “We Are the World”.
In 1968, Jones and his songwriting partner Bob Russell became the first African Americans to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song "The Eyes of Love" from the Universal Pictures film Banning. That same year, he became the first African American to be nominated twice within the same year when he was nominated for Best Original Score for his work on the music of the 1967 film In Cold Blood. In 1971, Jones would receive the honor of becoming the first African American to be named musical director/conductor of the Academy Awards ceremony. He was the first African American to win the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, in 1995. He is tied with sound designer Willie D. Burton as the most Oscar-nominated African American, each of them having seven nominations. At the 2008 BET Awards, Quincy Jones was presented with the Humanitarian Award. He was played by Larenz Tate in the 2004 biopic about Ray Charles, Ray.
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Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company.Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.”
The influences upon his music were mainly jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and country artists of the day such as Art Tatum, Nat King Cole, Louis Jordan, Charles Brown, Louis Armstrong. His playing reflected influences from country blues and barrelhouse, and stride piano styles.
Rolling Stone ranked Charles number ten on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004, and number two on their November 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In honoring Charles, Billy Joel noted: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley. I don't know if Ray was the architect of rock & roll, but he was certainly the first guy to do a lot of things . . . Who the hell ever put so many styles together and made it work?"
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Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942) is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".
One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns. He also spent 37 years as music editor for The Village Voice, during which time he created the annual Pazz & Jop poll.
Christgau grew up in New York City, where he says he became a rock and roll fan when disc jockey Alan Freed moved to the city in 1954. He left New York for four years to attend Dartmouth College, graduating in 1962 with a B.A. in English. While at college Christgau's musical interests turned to jazz, but he quickly returned to rock after moving back to New York.
He initially wrote short stories, before giving up fiction in 1964 to become a sportswriter, and later, a police reporter for the Newark Star-Ledger. Christgau became a freelance writer after a story he wrote about the death of a woman in New Jersey was published by New York magazine. He was asked to take over the dormant music column at Esquire, which he began writing in early 1967. After Esquire discontinued the column, Christgau moved to The Village Voice in 1969, and he also worked as a college professor.
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Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro (pronounced /dəˈnɪəroʊ/; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973. In 1974, he played the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, a role that won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
His critically acclaimed, longtime collaborations with Martin Scorsese began with 1973's Mean Streets, and earned De Niro an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Jake LaMotta in the 1980 film Raging Bull. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his roles in Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976) and Cape Fear (1991). In addition, he received nominations for his acting in Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter (1978) and Penny Marshall's Awakenings (1990). Also in 1990, his portrayal as Jimmy Conway in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas earned him a BAFTA nomination.
He has earned four nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: New York, New York (1977), Midnight Run (1988), Analyze This (1999) and Meet the Parents (2000). De Niro directed A Bronx Tale (1993) and The Good Shepherd (2006). He has received accolades for his esteemed career, including the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award.
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Robert Kellum
Robert Kellum (born January 26, 1973) is a professional wrestler and actor, best known as The Maestro in World Championship Wrestling. He has also had success in the United States Wrestling Association and Smokey Mountain Wrestling, as well as the World Wrestling Council. One of his previous ring names, Gorgeous George III, is an homage to his great uncle, the original "Gorgeous" George Wagner. Kellum currently competes as The Stro across the U.S and overseas on occasion along with acting part time for television and film. He has also guest starred on several episodes of the television series One Tree Hill and is set to star in the upcoming horror films 12-24 and Deader Country.
Having a theatrical and musical background in addition to having experience as a collegiate wrestler (which included freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling), Kellum began training under veterans Nelson Royal, Gene Anderson and Ivan Koloff before making his professional debut on January 1, 1990 against ACW champion L.A. Stevens in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He wrestled Ivan Koloff and Chief Wahoo McDaniel early in his career and competed in many independent promotions in the southeast. Shortly after his debut on the independent circuit, he eventually appeared on WCW Saturday Night making his debut under the name Robbie Eagle against Sting in 1991.
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Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. (born August 18, 1936), better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime Achievement in 2002. In 2010 he was awarded French Knighthood in the Legion d'Honneur. At the height of his fame in the 1970s and 1980s, he was often described as one of the world's most attractive men and remains one of the most popular movie stars. His popular films include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Downhill Racer (1969), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Candidate (1972), The Sting (1973), The Way We Were (1973), The Great Gatsby (1974), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), All the President's Men (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), The Natural (1984), Out of Africa (1985), Sneakers (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993),The Last Castle and Spy Game (2001). As a filmmaker, his notable films include Ordinary People (1980), The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), A River Runs Through It (1992), Quiz Show (1994), The Horse Whisperer (1998) and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000).
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Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944), is an English singer, musician, songwriter and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also producing films. In 2008 he was ranked number 61 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest singers of all time.
Roger Harry Daltrey was born in the Hammersmith area of London, but was brought up in Acton, the same working class suburban district that produced fellow Who members Pete Townshend and John Entwistle. He was one of three children born to parents Irene and Harry Daltrey, and grew up with two sisters, Gillian and Carol. Harry Daltrey worked for a water closet manufacturer, and Irene Daltrey was told she would be unable to have children because of losing a kidney in 1937. Nevertheless, she went into labour during a World War II air raid and gave birth to her son at the nearby Hammersmith Hospital, West London. At the age of three, the young Roger swallowed a rusty nail which had to be surgically removed, leaving a visible scar. At the age of five, the rust from the nail caused an ulcer in his stomach which required him to be hospitalised.
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Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee (born October 27, 1924) is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist. She is perhaps best known for co-starring in the film A Raisin in the Sun (1961) and the film American Gangster (2007) for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has won a Grammy, Emmy, Obie, Drama Desk, Screen Actors Guild Award, Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors, among scores of others awards.
Dee was born Ruby Ann Wallace in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Gladys Hightower and Marshall Edward Nathaniel Wallace, a cook, waiter, and porter. After her mother left the family, Dee's father married Emma Amelia Benson, a schoolteacher. Dee grew up in Harlem, New York. She attended Hunter College High School and went on to graduate from Hunter College with degrees in French and Spanish in 1944. Dee is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Dee made several appearances on Broadway before receiving national recognition for her role in the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story. Her career in acting has crossed all major forms of media over a span of eight decades, including the films A Raisin in the Sun, in which she recreated her stage role as a suffering housewife in the projects, and Edge of the City. She played both roles opposite Sidney Poitier. During the 1960s, Dee appeared in such politically charged films as Gone Are the Days and The Incident, which is recognized as helping pave the way for young African-American actors and filmmakers.
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Sly Stone
Sly Stone (born Sylvester Stewart, March 15, 1943, Denton, Texas) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Stewart family was a deeply religious middle-class household from Denton, Texas. The parents, K.C. and Alpha Stewart, held the family together as Christians, part of the doctrines of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) and encouraged musical expression in the household. Born 15 March 1943, Sylvester Stewart was the second of five children raised in Vallejo, in the northern San Francisco Bay Area. After the family moved from Denton, Texas to Vallejo, Sylvester and his brother Freddie and their sisters Rose and Vaetta formed "The Stewart Four" as children, performing gospel music in the Church of God in Christ and even recording a single local release 78 rpm single, "On the Battlefield" b/w "Walking in Jesus' Name", in 1952. The eldest sister, Loretta, was the only Stewart child not to pursue a musical career. All of the other Stewart children would later adopt the surname "Stone" and become members of Sly & the Family Stone.
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Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is most notable for being the founder and front man of the popular Motown vocal group, The Miracles, for which he also served as the group's chief songwriter and producer. Robinson led the group from its 1955 origins as The Five Chimes until 1972 when he announced a retirement from the stage to focus on his role as Motown's vice president.
However, Robinson returned to the music industry as a solo artist the following year, later having solo hits such as "Baby That's Backatcha", "Quiet Storm", "The Agony and the Ecstasy", "Cruisin'", "Being With You" and "Just to See Her". Following the sale of Motown Records in 1988, Robinson left Motown in 1990. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Robinson was born in Detroit and raised in the city's North End section. At one point, he and Diana Ross were next-door neighbors; he said he has known Ross since she was eight. Robinson later told reporters when he was a child, his uncle christened him "Smokey Joe", which Robinson assumed was a "cowboy name for me" until he was later told that smokey was a pejorative term for dark-skinned Blacks. Robinson, who is mainly of African American descent and is light-skinned, remembers his uncle saying to him, "I'm doing this so you won't ever forget that you're black." Robinson grew up as a fan of Western films.
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Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983.
Lee's movies have examined race relations, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. Lee has won numerous awards, including an Emmy Award. He has also received two Academy Award nominations.
Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Jacqueline Carroll (née Shelton), a teacher of arts and black literature, and William James Edward Lee III, a jazz musician and composer. Lee moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York when he was a small child. (The Fort Greene neighborhood is home to Lee's production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, and other Lee-owned or related businesses.) As a child, his mother nicknamed him "Spike." In Brooklyn, he attended John Dewey High School. Lee enrolled in Morehouse College where he made his first student film, Last Hustle in Brooklyn. He took film courses at Clark Atlanta University and graduated with a B.A. in Mass Communication from Morehouse College. He then enrolled in New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television.
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Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, author, playwright, producer, musician and composer. Martin came to public notice as a writer for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and later became a frequent guest on The Tonight Show. In the 1970s, Martin performed his offbeat, absurdist comedy routines before packed houses on national tours. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Martin at sixth place in a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics.
Since the 1980s, having branched away from stand-up comedy, Martin has become a successful actor in both comedic and dramatic roles, as well as an author, playwright, pianist, and banjo player, eventually earning Emmy, Grammy, and American Comedy awards, among other honors.
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Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg (born December 18, 1946) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as archetypes of modern Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking. In later years, his films began addressing such issues as the Holocaust, slavery, war and terrorism. He is considered one of the most popular and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. He is also one of the co-founders of DreamWorks movie studio.
Spielberg won the Academy Award for Best Director for Schindler's List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). Three of Spielberg's films—Jaws (1975), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Jurassic Park (1993)—achieved box office records, each becoming the highest-grossing film made at the time. To date, the unadjusted gross of all Spielberg-directed films exceeds $8.5 billion worldwide. Forbes puts Spielberg's wealth at $3.0 billion.
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Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950 as Stevland Hardaway Judkins), known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, a child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century. Blind since shortly after birth, Wonder signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of eleven, and continues to perform and record for Motown to this day.
Among Wonder's best known works are singles such as "Superstition", "Sir Duke", "I Wish" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You". Well known albums also include Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. He has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and received twenty-two Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist. Wonder is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a holiday in the United States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, with Wonder at number five.
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Suzanne Farrell
Suzanne Farrell (born August 16, 1945) is an eminent 20th century ballerina (often referred to as the greatest American lyric ballerina) and the founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
She was born as Roberta Sue Ficker in Cincinnati, and received her early training at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. In 1960 she was selected to study at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet with a Ford Foundation scholarship; she started there in 1960, and joined the New York City Ballet (NYCB) in 1961.
Initially part of the corps de ballet at NYCB, Farrell soon moved on to dancing featured roles. The first ballet choreographed for her was Passage, now Arcade, by John Taras in 1963. Balanchine first paired her with Jacques d' Amboise to choreograph his Meditation, which debuted in Winter 1963. One of her most notable roles was Dulcinea in Balanchine's Don Quixote, which premiered in May 1965. Balanchine performed in the of Don Quixote on opening night. She re-scaled many ballets and expanded them to a new level of technique. In 1965 she was promoted to principal dancer. Her first role in her new title was Agon with Arthur Mitchell at the Paris Opera. George Balanchine quickly fell in love with his "alabaster princess", and created many roles for her. Farrell described learning choreography from Balanchine as a collaborative process, saying, "When Mr. B was working on a ballet, something would just spill out of his body; he could rarely duplicate it, so I tried to see precisely what he wanted the first time." In 1965 he created Don Quixote, thought to be a valentine to his newest "muse." In 1968 he cast her as the lead in the "Diamonds" section of his three-act plotless ballet "Jewels".
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Syd Nathan
Syd Nathan (27 April 1904 – 5 March 1968) was an American hillbilly, country & western and rhythm and blues record producer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He started King Records. in 1943. James Brown's first single "Please, Please, Please" was released on their subsidiary label Federal in 1956. Nathan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in the "non-performer" category, in 1997.
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Tammi Terrell
Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, known as Tammi Terrell (April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was an American recording artist and songwriter most notable for her association with Motown Records and her duets with Marvin Gaye. As a teenager she recorded for the Scepter–Wand, Try Me and Checker record labels. She signed with Motown in April 1965 and enjoyed modest success as a solo singer. Once she was paired with Gaye in 1967, her stardom grew, but on October 14 of that year she collapsed on stage into Gaye's arms during a performance. She was soon thereafter diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor which eventually led to her death at age 24.
Tammi Terrell was born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery in Philadelphia. Members of her family have said her parents figured their eldest child would be a son and had settled on "Thomas". After Terrell's birth, they added in "-ina". Terrell was called "Tommie" by family. Terrell has a younger sister, Ludie (born 1949). Terrell began singing in church at an early age. Terrell developed a rebellious, free-spirited streak and changed her name to "Tammy" after seeing the film Tammy and the Bachelor in the summer of 1957 and hearing its theme song "Tammy". Around this time, Terrell began complaining of migraines and headaches. Terrell's family said that this foreshadowed her later struggle with brain cancer but that at the time they did not regard it as a major issue.
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Tampa Red
Tampa Red (January 8, 1904 – March 19, 1981), born Hudson Woodbridge but known from childhood as Hudson Whittaker, was an American Chicago blues musician.
Tampa Red is best known as an accomplished and influential blues guitarist who had a unique single-string slide style. His songwriting and his silky, polished "bottleneck" technique influenced other leading Chicago blues guitarists, such as Big Bill Broonzy and Robert Nighthawk, as well as Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Mose Allison and many others. In a career spanning over 30 years he also recorded pop, R&B and hokum records. His best known recordings include the "classic compositions 'Anna Lou Blues', 'Black Angel Blues', 'Crying Won't Help You', 'It Hurts Me Too', and 'Love Her with a Feeling'".
He was born Hudson Woodbridge in Smithville, Georgia, United States. His parents died when he was a child, and he moved to Tampa, Florida, where he was raised by his aunt and grandmother and adopted their surname, Whittaker. He emulated his older brother, Eddie, who played guitar, and he was especially inspired by an old street musician called Piccolo Pete, who first taught him to play blues licks on a guitar.
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The Famous Flames
The Famous Flames were an R&B vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd in 1953. Internationally renowned singer James Brown began his career as a member of The Famous Flames before becoming a solo artist. [1] On hit recordings such as "Please, Please, Please", "Try Me", "Think"," I Don't Mind ","Shout and Shimmy", "Bewildered", "Oh Baby, Don't You Weep", and "I'll Go Crazy" the group's smooth backing harmonies contrasted strikingly with Brown's own rough, impassioned delivery, and their synchronized dance steps were a prominent visual feature of his live shows. The Famous Flames performed with Brown on many of his live and studio albums, including his breakthrough Live at the Apollo, and appeared with him in the films The T.A.M.I. Show and Ski Party. They also made appearances on television programs including American Bandstand and Where the Action Is (both hosted by Dick Clark) and two episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show.
According to The Famous Flames' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bio:
"The Famous Flames served as James Brown’s backup singers from their formation in 1953 until they disbanded in 1968. One of the Famous Flames, Bobby Byrd, remained with Brown through 1973, essentially serving as Brown’s right-hand man for 20 years. Brown’s years with the Famous Flames represent his greatest period of impact as a driving force in soul music and as a live performer. The Famous Flames not only sang but also were part of the stage choreography that made Brown’s shows so spectacular. Although James Brown was the undisputed leader, the Famous Flames ... played a significant role in his success. In fact, Brown himself was initially just one of the Flames before he busted out to become the Godfather of Soul." The Famous Flames were a singing group, not a backing band.
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Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards. Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Success followed with a string of hits including "River Deep, Mountain High" and the 1971 hit "Proud Mary". With the publication of her autobiography I, Tina (1986), Turner revealed severe instances of spousal abuse against her by Ike Turner prior to their 1976 split and subsequent 1978 divorce. After virtually disappearing from the music scene for several years following her divorce from Ike Turner, she rebuilt her career, launching a string of hits beginning in 1983 with the single "Let's Stay Together" and the 1984 release of her fifth solo album Private Dancer.
Her musical career led to film roles, beginning with a prominent role as The Acid Queen in the 1975 film Tommy, and an appearance in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. She starred opposite Mel Gibson as Aunty Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome for which she received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, and her version of the film's theme, "We Don't Need Another Hero", was a hit single. She appeared in the 1993 film Last Action Hero.
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Tomi Rae Hynie
Tomi Rae Hynie (born May 21, 1969) is an American singer who was a companion of James Brown. Hynie is the mother of James Joseph Brown II, born June 11, 2001.
Hynie worked as a sound alike Janis Joplin impersonator in Las Vegas, Nevada and as a backup singer in the James Brown Revue.
Much controversy surrounds Hynie's December 2001 "marriage" to James Brown. According to Brown's longtime attorney, Albert "Buddy" Dallas, the marriage between Brown and Hynie was invalid because Hynie was married at that time to Javed Ahmed, a Pakistani whom Hynie claimed married her for a "green card" in an immigration fraud. Although Hynie stated that her marriage to Javed Ahmed was later annulled, the annulment for Hynie's 1997 marriage to Ahmed did not occur until April 2004. In an interview on CNN with Larry King, Hynie produced a 2001 marriage certificate as proof of her marriage to James Brown, but she did not provide King with court records pointing to an annulment of her marriage to him or to Ahmed.
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Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto, better known as Tony Bennett (born August 3, 1926), is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a serious and accomplished painter, having created works — under the name Benedetto — that are on permanent public display in several institutions. He is the founder of Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York City.
Raised in New York City, Bennett began singing at an early age. He fought in the final stages of World War II as an infantryman with the U.S. Army in the European Theatre. Afterwards, he developed his singing technique, signed with Columbia Records, and had his first number one popular song with "Because of You" in 1951. Several top hits such as "Rags to Riches" followed in the early 1950s. Bennett then further refined his approach to encompass jazz singing. He reached an artistic peak in the late 1950s with albums such as The Beat of My Heart and Basie Swings, Bennett Sings. In 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". His career and his personal life then suffered an extended downturn during the height of the rock music era.
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Tony Scott
Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott (born 21 June 1944) is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Unstoppable. He is the younger brother of fellow film director Ridley Scott.
Scott was born in North Shields, the son of Elizabeth and Colonel Francis Percy Scott. His first foray into filmmaking was not from behind the camera, but in front of it. At the age of 16, Tony appeared in Boy and Bicycle, a short film marking the directorial debut of his then 23 year-old brother Ridley. He followed in his elder brother's footsteps, studying at Grangefield School, West Hartlepool College of Art and Sunderland Art School, the last for a fine arts degree. He subsequently graduated from the Royal College of Art, fully intending to become a painter. It was only the success of his elder brother's fledging television commercial production outfit, Ridley Scott Associates (RSA), that turned his attentions towards film.
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Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp (born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer and choreographer, who lives and works in New York City.
Tharp was born in 1941 on a farm in Portland, Indiana, and was named after Twila Thornburg, the "Pig Princess" of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair in Indiana.
When Tharp was a young child she spent a few months each year living with her Quaker grandparents on their farm in Indiana. In 1950 Tharp's family—younger sister Twanette, twin brothers Stanley and Stanford, mother Lecile and father William—moved to Rialto, California. Her parents opened a drive-in movie theater, where Tharp worked from the time she was 8 years old. The drive-in was on the corner of Acacia and Foothill, the major east–west artery in Rialto and the path of Route 66. She attended Pacific High School in San Bernardino and studied at the Vera Lynn School of Dance. Tharp, a "devoted bookworm," admits that this schedule left little time for a social life. Tharp attended Pomona College in California but later transferred to Barnard College in New York City, where she graduated with a degree in Art History in 1963. It was in New York that she studied with Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. In 1963 Tharp joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company.
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Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn, Jr. (born July 12, 1934), is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at the age of twenty-three, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War.
Van Cliburn was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and began taking piano lessons at the age of three from his mother, the former Rildia Bee O'Bryan, who herself had been instructed by Arthur Friedheim, a pupil of Franz Liszt. At six years old, Cliburn moved with his family to Kilgore, Texas, and at twelve he won a statewide piano competition which enabled him to debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He entered the Juilliard School at the age of seventeen, and studied under Rosina Lhévinne, who trained him in the tradition of the great Russian romantics. At twenty, Cliburn won the Leventritt Award, and made his Carnegie Hall debut.
It was his recognition in Moscow that propelled Cliburn to international fame. The first International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958 was an event designed to demonstrate Soviet cultural superiority during the Cold War, on the heels of their technological victory with the Sputnik launch in October 1957. Cliburn's performance at the competition finale of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 earned him a standing ovation lasting eight minutes. When it was time to announce a winner, the judges were obliged to ask permission of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to give first prize to an American. "Is he the best?" Khrushchev asked. "Then give him the prize!" Cliburn returned home to a ticker-tape parade in New York City, the only time the honor has been accorded a classical musician. His cover story in Time proclaimed him "The Texan Who Conquered Russia."
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Vicki Anderson
Vicki Anderson (born Myra Barnes) is a soul singer best known for her performances with the James Brown Revue. She recorded a number of singles under both her birth and stage names. She is acknowledged by James Brown in his autobiography as the best singer he ever had in his revue, and probably the best singer he had ever witnessed.
She is the widow of Bobby Byrd (the original founder of The Famous Flames) and the mother of Carleen Anderson.
Vicki joined James in 1965 replacing Anna King, and stayed for three years as his main female singer, until replaced by Marva Whitney in 1968. She rejoined in 1969 after Marva departed, staying for a further three years until 1972, after which Lyn Collins took over from her.
In 1970 she released her most famous song, the feminist anthem "Message from the Soul Sisters'".
A single on James' I-Dentify label by Mommie -O appeared in 1975 featuring a cover of Rufus' hit "Once You Get Started" and Bobby Womack's "Stop On By" (which had recently been covered by Rufus).
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Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty ( /ˈbeɪti/ BAY-tee; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has been nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including winning the Best Director Award and its highest honor, the Irving G. Thalberg Award. He has been nominated for 16 Golden Globe Awards and won six, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award, which he received in 2007. Only Beatty and Orson Welles have been nominated for producer, director, writer and actor in the same film. Welles did it once (for Citizen Kane), Beatty did it twice (for Heaven Can Wait and Reds).
Beatty was born Henry Warren Beaty in Richmond, Virginia. His mother, Kathlyn Corinne (née MacLean), was a Nova Scotia-born teacher, and his father, Ira Owens Beaty, was a Ph.D. of educational psychology, a public school administrator, and dealt in real estate. Beatty's grandparents were also educators. The family was Baptist. In 1945, the family moved from Richmond to Arlington, Virginia. Beatty's sister is the multi-award winning actress and writer Shirley MacLaine.
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Wikipedia Persondata
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Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise. His debut single, "Anything is Possible", was released two weeks after the show's finale and became the fastest-selling debut single in the United Kingdom.
As a teenager, Young studied politics at the University of Exeter before moving to London, where he pursued a musical theatre degree at the Arts Educational School. Although enrolled in a three-year programme, Young put his studies on hold in late 2001 to become a contestant on Pop Idol. After winning the competition the following year, he released his debut album From Now On (2002) which went to straight to number one. Friday's Child (2003) followed one year later and enjoyed greater popularity, eventually going platinum five times in the UK and spawning three top five singles. Achieving similar success, the album's successors include the multi-platinum Keep On (2005) and platinum Let It Go (2008) with his most recent release Echoes (2011) becoming his third UK number-one album.
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Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta (ज़ुबिन मेहता); pronounced [ˈzuːbɪn ˈmeːɦt̪aː] (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Zubin Mehta was born into a Parsi family in Bombay, British India, the son of Mehli and Tehmina Mehta. His father Mehli Mehta was a violinist and founding conductor of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra. Mehta is an alumnus of St. Mary's School, Mumbai, and St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Mehta initially intended to study medicine, but eventually became a music student in Vienna at the age of 18, under Hans Swarowsky. Also at the same academy along with Mehta were conductor Claudio Abbado and conductor–pianist Daniel Barenboim.
Mehta's first marriage was to Canadian soprano Carmen Lasky in 1958. They have a son, Mervon and a daughter, Zarina. In 1964, they divorced. Two years after the divorce, Carmen married Zubin's brother, Zarin Mehta, now the Executive Director of the New York Philharmonic. In July 1969, Mehta married Nancy Kovack, a former American film and television actress. Mehta is a permanent resident of the United States, but retains his Indian citizenship.
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Brown, James Filmography
- Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl (2012)
- The Real Rocky (2011)
- My Music: Aretha Franklin Presents Soul Rewind (2010)
- Sid Bernstein Presents... (2010)
- Life on the Road with Mr. and Mrs. Brown (2009)
- Sex in '69: The Sexual Revolution in America (2009)
- Mr. Brown (2008)
- James Brown: The Man, the Music, & the Message (2008)
- The Night James Brown Saved Boston (2008)
- Soul Power (2008)
- Glastonbury 2007 (2007)
- This Is the N (2007)
- Glastonbury (2006)
- TV Junkie (2006)
- Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer (2006)
- (Inside) Out: James Brown's Last Chance (2005)
- Hollywood's Master Storytellers: The Blues Brothers (2005)
- Usher's Project Restart (2005)
- The 47th Annual Grammy Awards (2005)
- Out of Africa: Heroes and Icons (2005)
- The Olympic Torch Concert Live (2004)
- And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop (2004)
- TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004)
- Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics, Vol. 4: Elvis & Other Rock Greats (2003)
- 3rd Annual BET Awards (2003)
- Paper Chasers (2003)
- Soul Man: Isaac Hayes (2003)
- The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (2003)
- Undercover Brother (2002)
- MC Hammer: 2 Legit - The Videos (2002)
- The New Guy (2002)
- Pavarotti & Friends 2002 for Angola (2002)
- The Tuxedo (2002)
- Beat the Devil (2002)
- It's Black Entertainment (2002)
- American Bandstand's 50th Anniversary Celebration (2002)
- MTV Video Music Awards 2002 (2002)
- Playboy: The Party Continues (2000)
- Isn't She Great (2000)
- James Brown: Live from the House of Blues (2000)
- WCW SuperBrawl 2000 (2000)
- It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (2000)
- The Artist's Journey (2000)
- 30th NAACP Image Awards (1999)
- Holy Man (1998)
- Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
- Soulmates (1997)
- Super Bowl XXXI (1997)
- The Caleb Crump Show (1996)
- When We Were Kings (1996)
- The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1995)
- The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 5 (1995)
- Rock & Roll (1995)
- The 35th Annual Grammy Awards (1993)
- The 34th Annual Grammy Awards (1992)
- The 19th Annual American Music Awards (1992)
- A Party for Richard Pryor (1991)
- Influences: James Brown and M.C. Hammer (1991)
- Shindig! Presents Soul (1991)
- Golden Age of Rock'n'Roll (1991)
- Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues (1988)
- James Brown & Friends: Set Fire to the Soul (1988)
- The 8th Annual Black Achievement Awards (1987)
- Rolling Stone Presents Twenty Years of Rock & Roll (1987)
- The 28th Annual Grammy Awards (1986)
- Rocky IV (1985)
- Motown Returns to the Apollo (1985)
- American Bandstand's 33 1/3 Celebration (1985)
- Super Night of Rock 'n' Roll (1984)
- Doctor Detroit (1983)
- When the Music's Over (1982)
- The 24th Annual Grammy Awards (1982)
- The Blues Brothers (1980)
- James Brown: Body Heat (1979)
- Future Shock (1976)
- Future Shock (1976)
- Future Shock (1976)
- World Heavyweight Championship: Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner (1975)
- Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973)
- Black Caesar (1973)
- The Phynx (1970)
- James Brown: Live at the Boston Garden, 1968 (1968)
- Ski Party (1965)
- The T.A.M.I. Show (1964)
Brown, James Filmography
- Dallas Reunion: Return to Southfork (2004)
- Rin-Tin-Tin: Hero of the West (1991)
- Miracle on Ice (1981)
- The Swap (1979)
- Sparrow (1978)
- Dallas (1978)
- I Will... I Will... For Now (1976)
- Adiós Amigo (1976)
- Gus (1976)
- Mean Johnny Barrows (1976)
- Whiffs (1975)
- Targets (1968)
- The Rounders (1966)
- Black Spurs (1965)
- Space Probe Taurus (1965)
- Town Tamer (1965)
- The Ceremony (1963)
- Irma la Douce (1963)
- 20,000 Eyes (1961)
- The Police Dog Story (1961)
- Wings of Chance (1961)
- When the Clock Strikes (1961)
- Gun Fight (1961)
- Gun Street (1961)
- Five Guns to Tombstone (1960)
- Inside the Mafia (1959)
- The Challenge of Rin Tin Tin (1958)
- Jet Pilot (1957)
- Hazard House (1954)
- A Star Is Born (1954)
- The Runaway Bus (1954)
- Woman They Almost Lynched (1953)
- The Man Behind the Gun (1953)
- The Charge at Feather River (1953)
- Thunder Over the Plains (1953)
- Flight Nurse (1953)
- Sea of Lost Ships (1953)
- Crazylegs (1953)
- Springfield Rifle (1952)
- The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
- Missing Women (1951)
- Father Takes the Air (1951)
- Starlift (1951)
- The Groom Wore Spurs (1951)
- The Sea Hornet (1951)
- The Wild Blue Yonder (1951)
- Montana (1950)
- Between Midnight and Dawn (1950)
- The Fireball (1950)
- Chain Lightning (1950)
- The Younger Brothers (1949)
- Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
- Brimstone (1949)
- Anna Lucasta (1949)
- Yes Sir, That's My Baby (1949)
- The Gallant Legion (1948)
- The Big Fix (1947)
- The Fabulous Texan (1947)
- Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946)
- Duffy's Tavern (1945)
- Objective, Burma! (1945)
- Reward Unlimited (1944)
- Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (1944)
- Going My Way (1944)
- Air Force (1943)
- The Good Fellows (1943)
- Young and Willing (1943)
- Corvette K-225 (1943)
- Wake Island (1942)
- The Forest Rangers (1942)
- Ride, Kelly, Ride (1941)
Brown, James Filmography
- For Aaron: The Documentary (2010)
- Len Bias (2009)
- Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene (2008)
- The World Awaits: De La Hoya vs. Mayweather (2007)
- Super Bowl XXXIX (2005)
- Animals of the NFL (2003)
- Freedom Never Dies: The Legacy of Harry T. Moore (2001)
- The Sports Pages (2001)
- CBS Cares (2000)
- World's Most Amazing Animal Rescues: Part 3 (1998)
- TV's Funniest News Outtakes (1997)
- World's Most Amazing Animal Rescues: Part 2 (1997)
- The 1996 Fox Rock 'N Roll Skating Championships (1996)
- World's Funniest Animal Outtakes: Part 2 (1996)
- World's Funniest Kids: Part 1 (1996)
- World's Funniest Party Disasters: Part 1 (1996)
- World's Funniest Party Disasters: Part 2 (1996)
- World's Funniest Animal Outtakes: Part 1 (1996)
- The World's Most Incredible Animal Rescues (1996)
- Hoop Dreams Reunion (1995)
- Albertville 1992: XVI Olympic Winter Games (1992)
- 1990 NBA All-Star Game (1990)
- America's Black Forum (1977)
karaoke
Have you seen the man with the golden crotch?
Who oiled the souls of this town of teenage girls.
Have you seen the man with the flaxen wig?
Who brought this city to its knees, who left it lusting.
Have you seen the man who lathers his face featureless?
Because incognito blood won't need to clot,
and if your wearing a bullseye then your gonna get shot.
Hey Yeah!
Hey Yeah!
I got soul
Dress got holes
Got a brand new van
Gun and Cherokee
Driving fast like flashes past
Cops are chasing me
Hotpants she looked fine
She said that she was mine
She was cute torched my suit
And that`s the bottom line
It`s a mans mans world
In America
Jump back in my cell
Please please please
In America
Slipping into hell
On my trail
Car chase boogaloo
FBI `n CIA
And the Russians too
Kicking down the door
Couldn`t take no more
When I`m about there is no doubt
That papas` word is law
It`s a mans mans world
In America
Jump back in my cell
Please please please
In America
Slipping into hell
High speed chase
On my case
Radio ahead
A.P.B. after me
They said I shot the bed
It`s a mans mans world
In America
Jump back in my cell
Please please please
In America
Slipping into hell
Shooting up her mink
Gunshots in the air
Jumpback my car
Goodfoot out of there
Roadblock ahead
Try to flag me down
Soul power and miles per hour
Feet don`t touch the ground
`Cause I got soul
Dress got holes
Intent to kill
But she loves me still
It`s a mans mans world
In America
Jump back in my cell
Please please please
In America
Slipping into hell
It`s a mans mans world
In America
Jump back in my cell
Please please please
In America
Slipping into hell
I got soul
I`m superbad
Living in America
Sure does drive you mad
It`s a mans mans world
In America
Jump back in my cell
Please please please
In America
Slipping into hell
Bullets hit the wheel
Riccochet could sweat
Talking loud black`n proud
Said papa don`t mess
Can you walk the line
Rookie read my rights
Million hits
Did the splits
This is Dynamite
Funky time behind
Road block up ahead
Driving fast flashes past
Superbad I said
Papas` on the run
With a cherokee and gun
People and need a hit
When you`re chasing number 1
It`s a mans mans world
In America
Jump back in my cell
Please please please
In America
(M. Detroit)
Tonight it feels like
The start of World War III
Looks are like arrows
And words are enemies
You with your silly games
And me trying to work it out
Take my hand and lead me down
Cause tonight I feel like James Brown
Now I know how it feels
To be lonely on a stage
Won't your conscience or your humor
Keep you from walking away
It's so hard not to fight
But I think I'll let you
Wear the crown
Take my hand and lead me down
Cause tonight I feel like James Brown
Human nature is blind and thick
It's chewing on this anger
That makes you sick
If we threw away our stones and sticks
What other games we could play
Please leave me some dignity
How low can I bow
Somebody take my hand and lead me down
Cause tonight I feel like James Brown
Somebody help me now
Please............
C'mon
So take my hand
I'm gonna leave you now
Cause tonight I feel like
Run around the corner
Fell asleep in the sun
You had to move into the shade
Before you fire the gun
We got a hunger for destruction
Need someone to bleed
You sealed the deal before the dawn
You let your actions proceed
Some sunny day they’re gonna come for you
Some sunny day they’re gonna come for you
Sooner or later said you know that it’s true
Some sunny day they’re gonna come for you
You think you’re so sly
You tried to roll by
You played the safe side
You said will somebody take me
Down town
Another James Brown
You made the same sound
You said will somebody write this down …. down
Fightin’ back revenge
You’ve got you’re face to the ground
You make excuses for the madness
You’ve been hanging around
You built a house up in the trees
So you could see everyone
You set the clock and had a run
You set the clock and had a run
Some sunny day they’re gonna come for you
Some sunny day they’re gonna come for you
Sooner or later said you know that it’s true
Some sunny day they’re gonna come for you
You think you’re so sly
You tried to roll by
You played the safe side
You said will somebody take me
Down town
Another James Brown
You made the same sound
You said will somebody write this down…..down
Some sunny day they’re gonna come for you
Some sunny day they’re gonna come for you
Sooner or later said you know that it’s true
Some sunny day they’re gonna come for you
You tried to roll by
You played the safe side
You said will somebody take me
Down town
Another James Brown
You made the same sound
Famous quotes by James Brown:
"We need to protect the kids by giving them something to do, ... (It's about) making them interested, making them love mom and dad more, love the family more, love themselves more and love their school. So there won't have to be killing in school."
"[Life philosophy:] I don't really care what people think, ... I just do my own thing. ... I like being loud and letting people know I'm there."
"I've outdone anyone you can name - Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Strauss. Irving Berlin, he wrote 1,001 tunes. I wrote 5,500."
"Hair is the first thing. And teeth the second. Hair and teeth. A man got those two things he's got it all."
"… I'm not going to be joining ZZ Top. You know they can't play my stuff. It's too complicated."
"It doesn't matter how you travel it, it's the same road. It doesn't get any easier when you get bigger, it gets harder. And it will kill you if you let it."
"Sometimes you struggle so hard to feed your family one way, you forget to feed them the other way, with spiritual nourishment. Everybody needs that."
"I taught them everything they know, but not everything I know."
"When I'm on stage, I'm trying to do one thing: bring people joy. Just like church does. People don't go to church to find trouble, they go there to lose it."
"The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing"
RELEASE
ALBUMS
- Star Generation
- Women Are Something Else
- The Original Disco Man (short version)
- The Original Disco Man
- Let the Boogie Do the Rest
- Regrets
- Stone Cold Drag
- Let the Funk Flow
- Sometimes That's All There Is
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- It's Too Funky in Here (live)
- Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses) (single version)
- Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses), Part II
- Stay With Me
- Smokin' & Drinkin'
- Give That Bass Player Some, Part I
- Give That Bass Player Some, Part II
- I Go Crazy
- World Cycle Inc.
- Superbad, Superslick (Part 1)
- Superbad, Superslick (Part 2)
- Dooley's Junkyard Dogs
- Dooley's Junkyard Dogs [Short Version]
- Hot (I Need to be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)
- (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
- Goodnight My Love
- Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time, Pt. 1
- Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time, Pt. 2
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- Release The Pressure
- I Refuse To Lose
- Home Again
- Body Heat (Part 1)
- Body Heat (Part 2)
- Kiss in 77
- Woman
- Let It Be Me
- It's All Right
- You Can't Beat Two People In Love (Part 1)
- You Can't Beat Two People In Love (Part 2)
- I Got A Good Thing (And I Ain't Gonna Let It Go) (Part 1)
- I Got A Good Thing (And I Ain't Gonna Let It Go) (Part 2)
- Stoned To The Bone
- Stoned To The Bone (Some More)
- Same Beat (Part 1)
- Same Beat (Parts 2 & 3)
- The Payback (Part 1)
- The Payback (Part 2)
- The Payback (Part 1) (DJ Promo Version)
- The Payback (Part 2) (DJ Promo Version)
- Damn Right, I Am Somebody (Part 1)
- Damn Right, I Am Somebody (Last Part That Went Over The Fence)
- My Thang
- People Get Up And Drive Your Funky Soul
- Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again (6 Times) (Short Version)
- Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again (6 Times)
- Please, Please, Please
- Chonnie-Oh-Chon
- Hold My Baby's Hand
- I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On
- Just Won't Do Right
- Baby Cries Over the Ocean
- I Don't Know
- Tell Me What I Did Wrong
- Try Me
- That Dood It
- Begging, Begging
- I Walked Alone
- No, No, No, No
- That's When I Lost My Heart
- Let's Make It
- Love or a Game
- There Was a Time
- I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me), Part 1
- I Got the Feelin'
- Licking Stick-Licking Stick
- Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)
- Give It Up or Turnit a Loose
- I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door I'll Get It Myself), Part 1
- Mother Popcorn
- Ain't It Funky Now
- It's a New Day
- Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
- Super Bad, Parts 1 & 2
- Nothing Beats a Try but a Fail
- Hot Pants Road (vocal)
- King Heroin
- Theme From King Heroin
- Pass the Peas
- There It Is, Part 1
- There It Is, Part 2
- Honky Tonk, Part 1
- Honky Tonk, Part 2
- Giving Up Food for Junk, Part 1
- Giving Up Food for Junk, Part 2
- Get on the Good Foot, Part 1
- Get on the Good Foot, Part 2
- I Got a Bag of My Own
- Public Enemy No.1
- I Know It's True
- I Got Ants in My Pants, Part 1 (mono version)
- I Got Ants in My Pants, Parts 15 & 16 (mono version)
- I Got Ants in My Pants, Part 1 (reverb version)
- I Got Ants in My Pants, Parts 15 & 16 (reverb version)
- Out of Sight
- Bring It Up
- Try Me
- Let Yourself Go
- Hip Bag '67
- Prisoner of Love
- It May Be the Last Time
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Ain't That a Groove, Part 1
- Ain't That a Groove, Part 2
- Please, Please, Please
- Bring It Up (Finale)
- Introduction - Vonsheliah
- The King
- Wade in the Water
- Devil's Den
- Medley: Headache / Get Loose / Jabo
- Night Train
- Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine, Parts 1 & 2 (promo version)
- Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine, Part 1
- Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine, Part 2
- Super Bad, Parts 1 & 2 (promo version)
- Super Bad, Parts 1 & 2
- Super Bad, Part 3
- Fight Against Drug Abuse
- Hey America (vocal)
- Hey America (sing along)
- Santa Claus Is Definitely Here to Stay (vocal)
- Santa Claus Is Definitely Here to Stay (sing along)
- Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved, Part 1
- Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved, Part 2
- Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved, Part 1 (reverb version)
- Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved, Part 2 (reverb version)
- I Cried
- Soul Power, Part 1 (promo version)
- Soul Power, Parts 2 & 3 (promo version)
- You Got to Have a Mother for Me, Part 1
- The Little Groove Maker Me
- You Got to Have a Mother for Me (long version)
- I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get It Myself), Part 1
- I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get It Myself), Part 2
- I Love You
- Maybe I'll Understand
- Any Day Now
- I'm Shook
- The Popcorn
- The Chicken
- Mother Popcorn (You Got to Have a Mother for Me), Part 1
- Mother Popcorn (You Got to Have a Mother for Me), Part 2
- Lowdown Popcorn
- Top of the Stack
- World, Part 1
- World, Part 2
- Let a Man Come in and Do the Popcorn, Part One
- Sometime
- I'm Not Demanding, Part 1
- Please, Please, Please
- It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Papa's a Brand New Bag
- Soul Power
- It's a New Day
- Funky Drummer
- Talking Lound and Saying Nothing
- People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul
- The Payback
- Sunny
- (Get Up I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
- Introduction / Give It Up or Turn It Loose
- It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- Hot Pants
- I Can't Stand Myself
- It's Too Funky in Here
- Get on the Good Foot
- Jam (1980)
- Body Heat
- Doing It to Death
- Medley: The Payback / It's Too Funky in Here
- I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)
- There Was a Time
- The Soul of J.B.
- Funky Soul #1
- You've Got to Change Your Mind
- Bringing Up the Guitar
- Gittin' a Little Hipper
- I Got the Feelin'
- If I Ruled the World
- You've Got the Power
- Shhhhhhhh (For a Little While)
- Here I Go
- America Is My Home, Part 1
- America Is My Home, Part 2
- Licking Stick - Licking Stick, Part 1
- Licking Stick - Licking Stick, Part 2
- Licking Stick - Licking Stick, Part 1 (stereo)
- Licking Stick - Licking Stick, Part 2 (stereo)
- There Was a Time
- I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry
- Just Plain Funk
- I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry (alternate take)
- Try Me
- Night Train
- I'll Go Crazy
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- Please, Please, Please
- Think
- Prisoner of Love
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Give It Up or Turnit a Loose
- I've Got to Change
- The Popcorn
- Lost Someone
- Out of Sight
- Let Yourself Go
- I Got to Move
- Please, Please, Please
- In the Wee Wee Hours (Of the Nite)
- Again
- How Long Darling
- Caldonia
- Evil
- The Things That I Used to Do
- Out of the Blue
- So Long
- Dancin' Little Thing
- Soul Food, Part 1
- Soul Food, Part 2
- Out of Sight
- Maybe the Last Time
- Tell Me What You're Gonna Do
- I Don't Care
- Think
- Try Me
- The Bells
- And I Do Just What I Want
- Hold It
- The Scratch
- Bewildered
- If You Want Me
- Suds
- Sticky
- I Don't Mind
- Love Don't Love Nobody
- Cross Firing
- Night Flying
- Baby, You're Right
- I'll Never, Never Let You Go
- I Love You, Yes I Do
- Just You and Me, Darling
- Lost Someone
- Night Train
- Why Does Everything Happen to Me
- Bewildered (demo)
- Ain't That a Groove, Part 1
- Ain't That a Groove, Part 2
- New Breed (The Boo-Ga-Loo), Part 1
- New Breed (The Boo-Ga-Loo), Part 2
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Is It Yes or Is It No?
- James Brown's Boo-Ga-Loo
- Lost in a Mood of Changes
- Money Won't Change You, Part 1
- Money Won't Change You, Part 2
- This Old Heart
- Don't Be a Dropout
- Tell Me That You Love Me
- Let's Go Get Stoned
- Our Day Will Come
- The Christmas Song (version 1)
- The Christmas Song (version 2)
- Sweet Little Baby Boy, Part 1
- Sweet Little Baby Boy, Part 2
- Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year, Part 1
- Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year, Part 2
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- Cold Sweat
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Please, Please, Please
- Prisoner of Love
- It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World
- Try Me
- Georgia on My Mind
- I Got the Feeling
- I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)
- (Call Me) Super Bad
- Cold Sweat
- I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)
- Papa's Got a Brandnew Bag
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Sex Machine
- Hot Pants
- Please, Please, Please Jam, Part 1
- Please, Please, Please Jam, Part 2
- Body Heat
- Georgia on My Mind
- I Got the Feeling
- It's a Man's World
- Please Please Please
- Try Me
- Think
- Good Good Lovin'
- Night Train
- Out of Sight
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Cold Sweat
- I Got the Feelin
- Say it Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud), Part 1
- Mother Popcorn, Part 1
- Give it Up or Turn it Loose
- Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
- Make it Funky, Part 1
- Hot Pants, Part 1
- Get On the Good Foot, Part 1
- The Payback
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- Unity, Part 1: The Third Coming
- Living in America
- Sex Machine
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- Give It Up or Turn It a Loose
- It's Too Funky in Here
- Gonna Have a Funky Good Time
- Try Me
- Get on the Good Foot
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- Georgia on My Mind
- I Got the Feeling
- Super Bad
- Cold Sweat
- I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)
- (Give It Up) Turn It Loose
- It's Too Funky In Here
- Try Me
- Get On The Good Foot
- Prisoner Of Love
- Get Up Offa That Thang
- Georgia
- It's A Man's Man's World
- Cold Sweat/I Can't Stand It (Medley)
- Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
- I Feel Good (I Got You)
- Please, Please, Please
- Jam
- I Got You (I Feel Good) (Digital Johnson mix)
- Super Bad (Fredco mix)
- Get Up Offa That Thang (Splats & Star mix)
- Get Up (I Feel Like a Sex Maschine, Part1) (Get Funky mix)
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (Feel It mix)
- Get on the Good Foot (DJ Rib mix)
- I Got the Feelin' (Hyper mix)
- Cold Sweat (Rosetta mix)
- Hot Pants (Da' Funked mix)
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (Fresh mix)
- I Got You (I Feel Good) (Jazzy G mix)
- It's Too Funky in Here (Funk Me mix)
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- I Can't Stand Myself
- Give It Up or Turn It Loose
- It's Too Funky in There
- Get on the Good Foot
- We're Gonna Have a Funky Good Time
- Prisoner of Love
- Georgia on My Mind
- It's a Man's Man's World
- Disco Rap
- Cold Sweat
- I Got the Feelin'
- Try Me
- Super Bad
- Gonna Have a Funky Good Time (Doing It to Death)
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- Body Heat
- Sex Machine
- Try Me
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- Get on the Good Foot
- Medley: Lost Someone
- I Got the Feeling
- Cold Sweat
- Please, Please, Please
- Jam
- Medley: The Payback
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Get Up (I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine), Part 1
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Super Bad, Part 1
- Cold Sweat, Part 1
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- Hot Pants, Part 1
- I Got the Feeling
- Out of Sight
- Please Please Please
- Give It Up Turn It Loose
- Too Funky in Here
- Gonna Have a Funky Good Time
- Try Me
- Get on the Good Foot
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- Georgia on My Mind
- Hot Pants
- I Got That Feeling
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Cold Sweat
- I Can't Stand It
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- I Feel Good
- Please, Please, Please
- Jam
- Please, Please, Please
- Try Me
- I Want You So Bad
- Think
- You've Got the Power
- This Old Heart
- Bewildered
- I Don't Mind
- Baby, You're Right
- Lost Someone
- I'll Go Crazy
- Shout & Shimmy
- Mashed Potatoes U.S.A.
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Prisoner of Love
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- I Got You
- Do the Mashed Potato
- Give It Up, Turn It Loose
- Too Funky in Here
- Gonna Have a Funky Good Time
- Try Me
- Get on the Good Foot
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- Hot Pants
- I Got the Feeling
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Cold Sweat
- I Can't Stand It
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- I Feel Good
- Please Please Please
- Jam
- Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
- Brother Rapp, Parts 1 & 2
- Bewildered
- I Got the Feelin'
- Give It Up or Turnit a Loose
- I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door I'll Get It Myself)
- Licking Stick - Licking Stick
- Lowdown Popcorn
- Spinning Wheel
- If I Ruled the World
- There Was a Time
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Please, Please, Please
- I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)
- Mother Popcorn
- Night Train
- Shout and Shimmy (live)
- Like a Baby
- I've Got Money
- Prisoner of Love
- These Foolish Things (live)
- (Can You) Feel It, Part I
- Lost Someone
- Signed, Sealed, and Delivered
- Waiting in Vain
- In the Wee Wee Hours (of the Nite)
- Oh Baby Don't You Weep (live)
- Again
- How Long Darling
- So Long
- The Things That I Used to Do
- Out of Sight
- Maybe the Last Time
- Have Mercy Baby
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, Part I
- Ain't That a Groove, Part I
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Money Won't Change You
- Give It Up Or Turn It Loose
- It's Too Funky In Here
- Gonna Have A Funky Good Time
- Try Me
- Get On The Good Foot
- Prisoner Of Love
- Get Up Off That Thing
- Georgia On My Mind
- I Got The Feelin'
- Intro - Payback
- Soulpower
- The Boss
- Make It Funky
- Doing It to Death
- Bewildered
- (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
- Cold Sweat - I Cant Stand It
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- Gimme Some More - Get on the Good Foot
- Good Foot
- Zaire Soul
- Sax Solo Maceo - Man's World
- Try Me
- For the Love of Money
- The Payback (reprise)
- My Thang
- Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud
- Please, Please, Please
- The Popcorn
- Why Am I Treated So Bad
- In the Middle, Part 1
- In the Middle, Part 2
- Soul Pride, Part 1
- Soul Pride, Part 2
- A New Shift
- Sudsy
- The Chicken
- The Chase
- That's Life
- Tears of Joy
- I'll Work It Out
- If You Love Me
- Funky Soul #1, Part 1
- Which Way Should I Turn
- Please, Please, Please,
- What Kind of Man
- Funky Soul #1, Part 2
- Stone Fox
- If You Don't Give Me What I Want
- Funky Soul Train
- Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto
- Santa Claus, Santa Claus
- Believers Shall Enjoy (Nonbelievers Shall Suffer) (instrumental)
- Soulful Christmas
- Tit for Tat Ain't No Taking Back
- Christmas Is Coming
- Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud, Part 1
- Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud, Part 2
- In the Middle
- Let's Unite the Whole World at Christmas
- You Know It
- Santa Claus Gave Me a Brand New Start
- Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year
- Sweet Little Baby Boy, Part 1
- Sweet Little Baby Boy, Part 2
- Merry Christmas, I Love You
- Signs of Christmas
- The Christmas Song (version 2)
- Merry Christmas Baby
- The Christmas Song (version 1)
- Please Come Home for Christmas
- This Is My Lonely Christmas, Part 1
- This Is My Lonely Christmas, Part 2
- Christmas in Heaven
- The Scratch (instrumental)
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Bewildered
- Is It Yes or Is It No?
- Ain't That a Groove, Part 1
- The Bells
- Ain't That a Groove, Part 2
- Come Over Here
- In the Wee Wee Hours (of the Night)
- I Don't Mind
- Just You and Me, Darling
- I Love You, Yes I Do
- I'll Go Crazy
- Try Me
- Think
- I Don't Mind
- Lost Someone
- Please Please Please
- You've Got the Power
- I Found Someone
- Why You Do Me
- I Want You So Bad
- I Love You Yes I Do
- Why Does Everything Happend to Me
- Bewildered
- Please Please Please #2
- Night Train, Closing
- Hold It
- The Scratch
- Night Train
- The Wobble
- Night Flying
- Just a Little Bit of Everything
- Doin` Everything
- Suds
- Tonk Game
- Switch-A-Roo
- Bushy Tail
- Cross Firing
- It's Time to Love
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- You Are My Everything
- It's Too Funky in Here
- Later for Dancing
- Georgia on My Mind
- You Can't Keep a Good Man Down
- Prisoner of Love
- Show Me
- I Got You
- Teardrops on Your Letter
- Try Me
- Dance, Dance, Dance to the Funk
- Bring It On
- Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year
- Sweet Littke Baby Boy (Parts 1 & 2)
- Merry Christmas, I Love You
- Signs Of Christmas
- The Christmas Song (Version 2)
- Merry Christmas Baby
- The Christmas Song (Version 1)
- Please Come Home For Christmas
- This Is My Lonely Christmas (Part 1)
- This Is My Lonely Christmas (Part 2)
- Christmas In Heaven
- Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto
- Santa Claus, Santa Claus
- Believers Shall Enjoy (Non Believers Shall Suffer)
- Soulful Christmas
- Tit For Tat (Ain't No Coming Back)
- Christmas Is Coming
- Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud (Parts 1 & 2)
- In The Middle
- Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas
- You Know It
- Santa Claus Gave Me A Brand New Start
- Give It Up or Turnit Loose / It's Too Funky in Here / Doing It to Death (Gonna Have a Funky Good Time) / Try Me
- Get on the Good Foot / Prisoner of Love / Get Up Offa That Thing
- Georgia on My Mind
- I Got the Feelin'
- It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World / Super Bad / Disco Rap
- Cold Sweat / I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me) / Papa's Got a Brand New Bag / I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Please, Please, Please
- Good Good Lovin'
- I'll Go Crazy
- Think
- Lost Someone
- Out of Sight
- The Popcorn
- It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World
- Money Won't Change You
- There Was a Time
- I Got the Feelin'
- Licking Stick-Licking Stick, Part 1
- Say It Loud, I'm Black I'm Proud
- Give It Up or Turn It a Loose
- I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing
- Mother Popcorn
- Hey America
- Bewlidered
- Bring It Up
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World
- Let Yourself Go
- Gold Sweat, Part 1
- Get It Together, Part 1
- Hot Pants
- I Got The Feeling
- It's A Man's Man's World
- Cold Sweat
- I Can't Stand It
- Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
- I Feel Good
- Please, Please, Please
- Turn It Loose
- It's Too Funky In Here
- Gonna Have A Funky Good Time
- Try Me
- Get On The Good Foot
- Get Up Off That Thing
- Georgia
- Jam (1980)
- Think
- Bewildered
- Night Train
- Prisoner Of Love
- Out Of Sight
- Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- It's A Man's Man's World
- Bring It Up
- Cold Sweat
- Get It Together
- I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)
- I Got The Feeling
- I Feel Alright (1967 Live at the Apollo)
- Licking Stick Licking Stick
- Say It Loud: I'm Black And I'm Proud
- Goodbye My Love
- It's a Man's, Man's World
- Super Bad/Disco Rap
- Cold Sweat
- I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- I Feel Good (I Got You)
- Sex Machine
- Hot Pants
- Please, Please, Please
- Jam (1980)
- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
- Sex Machine
- Super Bad
- Hot Pants
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Cold Sweat
- I Got the Feelin'
- Get on the Good Foot
- (Give It Up) Turn It Loose
- Gonna Have a Funky Good Time
- Get Up Offa That Thing
- Georgia on My Mind
- Please, Please, Please
- Try Me
- I Can't Stand It
- It's Too Funky in Here
- Jam (1980)
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James Brown - I Feel Good (Legends of Rock 'n' Roll)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:07
- Updated: 27 Dec 2012
This amazing concert brings together some of the true pioneers of rock 'n' roll music including Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, James Brown, Fats Domino and BBKing. smarturl.it Recorded in Italy in 1989 it features these legendary artists in performance of their best loved tracks such as Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Bo Diddley, Great Balls Of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Blueberry Hill. At the end of the concert all the performers come together for all-star jam that leaves the audience hollering for more. It's a rare event indeed that brings so many great live performers together on one bill and this film captures the real excitement of the evening. To order this DVD from Amazon if you are in the UK, please click here: www.amazon.co.uk To order this DVD from amazon if you are in the US, please click here: www.amazon.com
http://wn.com/James_Brown_I_Feel_Good_Legends_of_Rock_'n'_Roll
This amazing concert brings together some of the true pioneers of rock 'n' roll music including Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, James Brown, Fats Domino and BBKing. smarturl.it Recorded in Italy in 1989 it features these legendary artists in performance of their best loved tracks such as Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Bo Diddley, Great Balls Of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Blueberry Hill. At the end of the concert all the performers come together for all-star jam that leaves the audience hollering for more. It's a rare event indeed that brings so many great live performers together on one bill and this film captures the real excitement of the evening. To order this DVD from Amazon if you are in the UK, please click here: www.amazon.co.uk To order this DVD from amazon if you are in the US, please click here: www.amazon.com
James Brown gives you dancing lessons
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:39
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
James Brown Teaches you to Dance - Some description of dance steps To know the song go to www.seeonlyme.com
http://wn.com/James_Brown_gives_you_dancing_lessons
James Brown Teaches you to Dance - Some description of dance steps To know the song go to www.seeonlyme.com
- published: 31 Dec 2006
- views: 6063218
- author: fredpixlab
James Brown & Luciano Pavarotti - It's a Man's World
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:29
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
James Brown & Luciano Pavarotti - It's a Man's World Great performance of two Legends
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Luciano_Pavarotti_It's_a_Man's_World
James Brown & Luciano Pavarotti - It's a Man's World Great performance of two Legends
- published: 15 Sep 2007
- views: 5691367
- author: 0NeSsE0
James Brown - Papa's got a brand new bag
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:02
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
James Brown singing "Papa's got a brand new bag" at tv program "Shindig!".
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Papa's_got_a_brand_new_bag
James Brown singing "Papa's got a brand new bag" at tv program "Shindig!".
- published: 18 Aug 2007
- views: 2125638
- author: LauraAmiga
James Brown - Get On Up
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:28
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
the best music James Brown - Get On Up!!!!!!!!!!
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Get_On_Up
the best music James Brown - Get On Up!!!!!!!!!!
- published: 09 Oct 2008
- views: 2665749
- author: Victinhu700
James Brown - I Feel Good
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:22
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
El video que hizo saltar a la fama a James Brown The video was shot to fame with James Brown
http://wn.com/James_Brown_I_Feel_Good
El video que hizo saltar a la fama a James Brown The video was shot to fame with James Brown
- published: 18 Feb 2007
- views: 6512548
- author: mercedes gomez
James Brown - Best Dance Moves Ever
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:22
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
A compilation with the best of James Brown's Dance . The other video was removes by YouTube, this is the extended version of the video and appropriate.
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Best_Dance_Moves_Ever
A compilation with the best of James Brown's Dance . The other video was removes by YouTube, this is the extended version of the video and appropriate.
- published: 28 Mar 2009
- views: 484841
- author: soulbrotherjb
James Brown Drunk (Full Version)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:34
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
James Brown drunk out of his mind on a TV show...
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Drunk_Full_Version
James Brown drunk out of his mind on a TV show...
- published: 02 Apr 2006
- views: 6038025
- author: jokergd
James Brown - The Boss
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:14
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
James Brown - The Boss From Album - Black Caeser
http://wn.com/James_Brown_The_Boss
James Brown - The Boss From Album - Black Caeser
- published: 05 Jun 2011
- views: 653204
- author: ALfaDuB101
James Brown - Soul Train
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 44:44
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Hot Pants Get Up (I Feel Like A) Sex Machine 2:36 Get On The Good Foot 4:06 Soul Power 6:51 Make It Funky 9:53 Cold Sweat 11:07 Try Me 14:22 Please Please, Please 17:21 Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud 17:57 Super Bad 23:53 Papa Don't Take No Mess 26:18 My Thang 29:57 Hell 33:33 The Payback 35:57 Fred Wesley & the JB's Damn Right, I Am Somebody 40:25
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Soul_Train
Hot Pants Get Up (I Feel Like A) Sex Machine 2:36 Get On The Good Foot 4:06 Soul Power 6:51 Make It Funky 9:53 Cold Sweat 11:07 Try Me 14:22 Please Please, Please 17:21 Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud 17:57 Super Bad 23:53 Papa Don't Take No Mess 26:18 My Thang 29:57 Hell 33:33 The Payback 35:57 Fred Wesley & the JB's Damn Right, I Am Somebody 40:25
- published: 24 Jan 2011
- views: 345228
- author: FunkensteinJr
James Brown - Living In America
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:54
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Tribute to the Godfather of soul
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Living_In_America
It's a mans world - James Brown 1991
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:06
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Live june 1991 in Doby Digital, 1st concert after James brown was released from prison. It is not complete, look at the several video-responses i posted (right below the vid) Quote from www.cosmopolis.ch "In the summer of 1991, James Brown made his comeback on the scene of the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. Together with a twelve-man band and a dynamic show, he enchanted a public which included Mick Jagger, Quincy Jones and MC Hammer." Fore more background-info of James Brown and (several links to) his discography, look here: en.wikipedia.org and for a quick discopgraphy overview look here: musicbrainz.org
http://wn.com/It's_a_mans_world_James_Brown_1991
Live june 1991 in Doby Digital, 1st concert after James brown was released from prison. It is not complete, look at the several video-responses i posted (right below the vid) Quote from www.cosmopolis.ch "In the summer of 1991, James Brown made his comeback on the scene of the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. Together with a twelve-man band and a dynamic show, he enchanted a public which included Mick Jagger, Quincy Jones and MC Hammer." Fore more background-info of James Brown and (several links to) his discography, look here: en.wikipedia.org and for a quick discopgraphy overview look here: musicbrainz.org
- published: 26 Dec 2006
- views: 8510621
- author: Gman4MF
JAMES BROWN Soul Train 1974 - Cold Sweat, Papa's Bag, Payback, Damn Right I Am Somebody
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:44
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
THE ENTIRE JAMES BROWN COLLECTION: 39dolrs.com
http://wn.com/JAMES_BROWN_Soul_Train_1974_Cold_Sweat,_Papa's_Bag,_Payback,_Damn_Right_I_Am_Somebody
THE ENTIRE JAMES BROWN COLLECTION: 39dolrs.com
- published: 17 Aug 2011
- views: 546343
- author: IkeDyson71
James Brown "Soul Power" live in Kinshasa Zaire, 1974.9
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:02
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
JB is really HOT!
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Soul_Power_live_in_Kinshasa_Zaire,_19749
James Brown Olympia 1966
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:48
- Updated: 25 Dec 2012
Olympia 1966
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Olympia_1966
james brown,say it loud i'm black and i'm proud
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:57
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
james brown doin what he does best.
http://wn.com/james_brown,say_it_loud_i'm_black_and_i'm_proud
James Brown - Mind Power
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:33
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Godfather of Soul.strictly classic.Taken from the LP "The Payback" Polydor/1973
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Mind_Power
Godfather of Soul.strictly classic.Taken from the LP "The Payback" Polydor/1973
- published: 26 Aug 2009
- views: 183645
- author: ht6001
Michael Jackson, Prince & James Brown
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:03
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Michael, Prince & James on stage together in 1983.. (Michael is so cute!)
http://wn.com/Michael_Jackson,_Prince_James_Brown
Michael, Prince & James on stage together in 1983.. (Michael is so cute!)
- published: 06 Dec 2008
- views: 1233173
- author: Emma Keis Byrialsen
James Brown Get On The Good Foot, Soul Power,Make It Funky Soul Train 1973
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:33
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Get On The Good Foot, Soul Power,Make It Funky Soul Train 1973 From The Soul Train DVD
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Get_On_The_Good_Foot,_Soul_Power,Make_It_Funky_Soul_Train_1973
Get On The Good Foot, Soul Power,Make It Funky Soul Train 1973 From The Soul Train DVD
- published: 09 Aug 2011
- views: 1081635
- author: MrThefunkmusicgame
James Brown
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:45
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
Olympia 1967
http://wn.com/James_Brown
James Brown -The Payback
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:31
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
James Brown -The Payback Year: 1973 Keep The Funk Alive !!
http://wn.com/James_Brown_-The_Payback
James Brown -The Payback Year: 1973 Keep The Funk Alive !!
- published: 21 Sep 2010
- views: 651844
- author: OldSchoolChibani
James Brown at the TAMI Show
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 11:15
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Please, Please, Please and Night Train
http://wn.com/James_Brown_at_the_TAMI_Show
James Brown - Good Foot (Rare)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:33
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Something I've had kicking around on VHS for years. Enjoy.
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Good_Foot_Rare
Something I've had kicking around on VHS for years. Enjoy.
- published: 28 Oct 2006
- views: 2152949
- author: Sphinxpdq
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James Brown - Its A Mans World (Live In Montreux 1981)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:13
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
For more info - www.eagle-rock.com One of the defining elements of James Browns career has always been his electrifying live show and his performances at Montreux give ample evidence of this. This DVD focuses on his choice as the best of them all from 1981.
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Its_A_Mans_World_Live_In_Montreux_1981
For more info - www.eagle-rock.com One of the defining elements of James Browns career has always been his electrifying live show and his performances at Montreux give ample evidence of this. This DVD focuses on his choice as the best of them all from 1981.
- published: 27 Aug 2008
- views: 1137328
- author: eaglerocktv
Part1 - BBC Four Sessions - James Brown Live 2003
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:00
- Updated: 22 Dec 2012
BBC Four Sessions - James Brown Live. Exclusive concert recorded for BBC Four in November 2003 featuring James Brown, full backing band, his wife and some very enthusiastic dancing girls. Set List Intro/Make It Funky Get Up Offa That Thang Papa's Got a Brand New Bag Every Beat of My Heart It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World Get On The Good Foot Please Please Please Give It Up or Turnit a Loose I Got You (I Feel Good) Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine
http://wn.com/Part1_BBC_Four_Sessions_James_Brown_Live_2003
BBC Four Sessions - James Brown Live. Exclusive concert recorded for BBC Four in November 2003 featuring James Brown, full backing band, his wife and some very enthusiastic dancing girls. Set List Intro/Make It Funky Get Up Offa That Thang Papa's Got a Brand New Bag Every Beat of My Heart It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World Get On The Good Foot Please Please Please Give It Up or Turnit a Loose I Got You (I Feel Good) Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine
- published: 06 Dec 2009
- views: 17629
- author: LiveSessions
The Payback - James Brown - Live - Zaire 1974
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:44
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Taken from the film "Soul Power" This is the opening tune from James Browns set at the pre fight concert for the Rumble In The Jungle. Filmed live in Zaire in 1974.
http://wn.com/The_Payback_James_Brown_Live_Zaire_1974
Taken from the film "Soul Power" This is the opening tune from James Browns set at the pre fight concert for the Rumble In The Jungle. Filmed live in Zaire in 1974.
- published: 20 Apr 2010
- views: 123107
- author: jkramer5
James Brown - Live at Boston Garden (1968)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 96:03
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
James Brown - Live at Boston Garden (1968)
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Live_at_Boston_Garden_1968
James Brown Olympia 1966
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:48
- Updated: 25 Dec 2012
Olympia 1966
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Olympia_1966
James Brown Live - Get up offa that thing
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:13
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Live !!! A big must...
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Live_Get_up_offa_that_thing
James Brown - Sex Machine (From "Live At Montreux" DVD)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:30
- Updated: 25 Dec 2012
For more info - www.eagle-rock.com James Brown was a hugely influential figure in black American music. He was a driving force in the development of soul music in the early sixties, and funk in the early seventies. He has had more R 'n' B hits in the US than any other artist and has charted singles in countries around the world. Here he is captured at his very best, taken from the Eagle Vision DVD "Live at Montreux".
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Sex_Machine_From_Live_At_Montreux_DVD
For more info - www.eagle-rock.com James Brown was a hugely influential figure in black American music. He was a driving force in the development of soul music in the early sixties, and funk in the early seventies. He has had more R 'n' B hits in the US than any other artist and has charted singles in countries around the world. Here he is captured at his very best, taken from the Eagle Vision DVD "Live at Montreux".
- published: 11 Jun 2008
- views: 1651672
- author: eaglerocktv
James Brown- Live Monterey California 1979
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 59:55
- Updated: 25 Dec 2012
James Brown- Live Monterey California 1979
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Live_Monterey_California_1979
James Brown - Live At Chastain Park - Legends in Concert
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 58:17
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
One of the greatest soul performers and influential black artists of the twentieth century, James Brown performs some of his most well known tracks on this epic show. The concert was recorded at the height of Brown's career, in the Chastain Park Ampitheatre, Atlanta in 1985. Tracks that he performed include "It's A Man's Man's World," "Please, Please, Please," "Get Up Offa That Thing" and many more of his greatest hits.
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Live_At_Chastain_Park_Legends_in_Concert
One of the greatest soul performers and influential black artists of the twentieth century, James Brown performs some of his most well known tracks on this epic show. The concert was recorded at the height of Brown's career, in the Chastain Park Ampitheatre, Atlanta in 1985. Tracks that he performed include "It's A Man's Man's World," "Please, Please, Please," "Get Up Offa That Thing" and many more of his greatest hits.
- published: 29 May 2012
- views: 5187
- author: onemediamusic
James Brown Live at St. Lukes, London 2004
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 57:28
- Updated: 21 Dec 2012
James Brown Live at St. Lukes, London 2004
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Live_at_St_Lukes,_London_2004
James Brown - I Feel Good (Legends of Rock 'n' Roll)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:07
- Updated: 27 Dec 2012
This amazing concert brings together some of the true pioneers of rock 'n' roll music including Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, James Brown, Fats Domino and BBKing. smarturl.it Recorded in Italy in 1989 it features these legendary artists in performance of their best loved tracks such as Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Bo Diddley, Great Balls Of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Blueberry Hill. At the end of the concert all the performers come together for all-star jam that leaves the audience hollering for more. It's a rare event indeed that brings so many great live performers together on one bill and this film captures the real excitement of the evening. To order this DVD from Amazon if you are in the UK, please click here: www.amazon.co.uk To order this DVD from amazon if you are in the US, please click here: www.amazon.com
http://wn.com/James_Brown_I_Feel_Good_Legends_of_Rock_'n'_Roll
This amazing concert brings together some of the true pioneers of rock 'n' roll music including Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, James Brown, Fats Domino and BBKing. smarturl.it Recorded in Italy in 1989 it features these legendary artists in performance of their best loved tracks such as Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Bo Diddley, Great Balls Of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Blueberry Hill. At the end of the concert all the performers come together for all-star jam that leaves the audience hollering for more. It's a rare event indeed that brings so many great live performers together on one bill and this film captures the real excitement of the evening. To order this DVD from Amazon if you are in the UK, please click here: www.amazon.co.uk To order this DVD from amazon if you are in the US, please click here: www.amazon.com
- published: 29 Aug 2008
- views: 17403463
- author: eaglerocktv
JAMES BROWN - Give it up or turn it loose (3/3) - Live Palasport, Bologna Italy April 1971
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:52
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
JAMES BROWN Live Palasport, Bologna Italy April 1971 pro shot RAI italian television
http://wn.com/JAMES_BROWN_Give_it_up_or_turn_it_loose_3_3_Live_Palasport,_Bologna_Italy_April_1971
JAMES BROWN Live Palasport, Bologna Italy April 1971 pro shot RAI italian television
- published: 28 Mar 2009
- views: 242907
- author: boulderdamn
Bootsy Collins with James Brown Live (1971).flv
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:58
- Updated: 25 Dec 2012
Bootsy Collins with James Brown Live (1971)
http://wn.com/Bootsy_Collins_with_James_Brown_Live_1971flv
James Brown - Soul Train
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 44:44
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Hot Pants Get Up (I Feel Like A) Sex Machine 2:36 Get On The Good Foot 4:06 Soul Power 6:51 Make It Funky 9:53 Cold Sweat 11:07 Try Me 14:22 Please Please, Please 17:21 Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud 17:57 Super Bad 23:53 Papa Don't Take No Mess 26:18 My Thang 29:57 Hell 33:33 The Payback 35:57 Fred Wesley & the JB's Damn Right, I Am Somebody 40:25
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Soul_Train
Hot Pants Get Up (I Feel Like A) Sex Machine 2:36 Get On The Good Foot 4:06 Soul Power 6:51 Make It Funky 9:53 Cold Sweat 11:07 Try Me 14:22 Please Please, Please 17:21 Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud 17:57 Super Bad 23:53 Papa Don't Take No Mess 26:18 My Thang 29:57 Hell 33:33 The Payback 35:57 Fred Wesley & the JB's Damn Right, I Am Somebody 40:25
- published: 24 Jan 2011
- views: 344852
- author: FunkensteinJr
James Brown "Soul Power" live in Kinshasa Zaire, 1974.9
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:02
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
JB is really HOT!
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Soul_Power_live_in_Kinshasa_Zaire,_19749
james Brown Michael Jackson PRINCE-Beverly Theatre august 20 1983
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:41
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
I culled the best source of this I could find and added a weird interview with Prince about Michael Jackson and who would win a fist fight and then the extended (with time code) footage of Prince on stage after Michael. Prince still has his Controversy look here. He rips on guitar no doubt. Michael looks the coolest here too..with the sgt..peppers look.. In August 1983 James Brown and band were playing the Beverly Theatre in Los Angeles with legendary blues man BB King for what was already a formidable pairing of music royalty. Then halfway through the set that evening James Brown introduced a very special guest to join him onstage - a 25 year old Michael Jackson, hot on the heels of his Thriller album at the time, inconspicuously watching the show from the audience. Michael wowed the crowd with a spontaneous song and dance performance that was spectacular and all too brief. *NOTE: Straight after Michael's mini performance James Brown asked Prince onstage. Sadly this footage doesn't include Prince but it can be found elsewhere on YouTube. Wow... what a night! A bona fide star collision on one stage that was never to be repeated.
http://wn.com/james_Brown_Michael_Jackson_PRINCE-Beverly_Theatre_august_20_1983
I culled the best source of this I could find and added a weird interview with Prince about Michael Jackson and who would win a fist fight and then the extended (with time code) footage of Prince on stage after Michael. Prince still has his Controversy look here. He rips on guitar no doubt. Michael looks the coolest here too..with the sgt..peppers look.. In August 1983 James Brown and band were playing the Beverly Theatre in Los Angeles with legendary blues man BB King for what was already a formidable pairing of music royalty. Then halfway through the set that evening James Brown introduced a very special guest to join him onstage - a 25 year old Michael Jackson, hot on the heels of his Thriller album at the time, inconspicuously watching the show from the audience. Michael wowed the crowd with a spontaneous song and dance performance that was spectacular and all too brief. *NOTE: Straight after Michael's mini performance James Brown asked Prince onstage. Sadly this footage doesn't include Prince but it can be found elsewhere on YouTube. Wow... what a night! A bona fide star collision on one stage that was never to be repeated.
- published: 30 Nov 2010
- views: 372825
- author: freqazoidiak
JAMES BROWN GREATEST DANCE MOVES EVER-THERE WAS A TIME LIVE
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:52
- Updated: 25 Dec 2012
Great dance moves from the King of Soul
http://wn.com/JAMES_BROWN_GREATEST_DANCE_MOVES_EVER-THERE_WAS_A_TIME_LIVE
James Brown Live Montreux 1981 Concert Tracks Complete
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 70:24
- Updated: 25 Dec 2012
A James Brown Performace Live Montreux 1981 Concert Tracks Complete
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Live_Montreux_1981_Concert_Tracks_Complete
A James Brown Performace Live Montreux 1981 Concert Tracks Complete
- published: 03 Feb 2012
- views: 9360
- author: MrThefunkmusicgame2
James Brown Live @ Woodstock 99
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:51
- Updated: 19 Dec 2012
Just what it says
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Live_@_Woodstock_99
James Brown Live Cannes 1987
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 19:54
- Updated: 22 Dec 2012
Contact me fore more footage from this artist.
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Live_Cannes_1987
Contact me fore more footage from this artist.
- published: 15 Jul 2011
- views: 28161
- author: Michael Jakson
Luciano Pavarotti & James Brown - "It's A Man's World" (Live) [HD]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:15
- Updated: 25 Dec 2012
Live In Concert at Pavarotti and Friends
http://wn.com/Luciano_Pavarotti_James_Brown_It's_A_Man's_World_Live_HD_
Hey Jude - Pavarotti, James Brown, Elisa, Sting, Andrea Bocelli - (Pavarotti & Friends - Live)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:49
- Updated: 26 Dec 2012
Hey Jude Compositor(es): John Lennon / Paul McCartney Hey, Jude, don't make it bad, Take a sad song and make it better Remember to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better. Hey, Jude, don't be afraid, You were made to go out and get her, The minute you let her under your skin, Then you begin to make it better. And anytime you feel the pain, Hey, Jude, refrain, Don't carry the world Upon your shoulders. Well you know that it's a fool, Who plays it cool, By making his world a little colder. Na na na na na na na na na. Hey, Jude, don't let me down, You have found her now go and get her, Remember (Hey Jude) to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better. So let it out and let it in, Hey, Jude, begin, You're waiting for someone to perform with. And don't you know that is just you? Hey, Jude, you'll do, The movement you need Is on your shoulder. Na na na na na na na na na. Hey, Jude, don't make it bad, Take a sad song and make it better, Remember to let her under your skin, Then you'll begin to make it better. Better, Better, Better, Better, Better.
http://wn.com/Hey_Jude_Pavarotti,_James_Brown,_Elisa,_Sting,_Andrea_Bocelli_Pavarotti_Friends_Live
Hey Jude Compositor(es): John Lennon / Paul McCartney Hey, Jude, don't make it bad, Take a sad song and make it better Remember to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better. Hey, Jude, don't be afraid, You were made to go out and get her, The minute you let her under your skin, Then you begin to make it better. And anytime you feel the pain, Hey, Jude, refrain, Don't carry the world Upon your shoulders. Well you know that it's a fool, Who plays it cool, By making his world a little colder. Na na na na na na na na na. Hey, Jude, don't let me down, You have found her now go and get her, Remember (Hey Jude) to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better. So let it out and let it in, Hey, Jude, begin, You're waiting for someone to perform with. And don't you know that is just you? Hey, Jude, you'll do, The movement you need Is on your shoulder. Na na na na na na na na na. Hey, Jude, don't make it bad, Take a sad song and make it better, Remember to let her under your skin, Then you'll begin to make it better. Better, Better, Better, Better, Better.
- published: 04 Dec 2009
- views: 563350
- author: Rose1963ful
9:13
James Brown - Its A Mans World (Live In Montreux 1981)
For more info - www.eagle-rock.com One of the defining elements of James Browns career has...
published: 27 Aug 2008
author: eaglerocktv
James Brown - Its A Mans World (Live In Montreux 1981)
For more info - www.eagle-rock.com One of the defining elements of James Browns career has always been his electrifying live show and his performances at Montreux give ample evidence of this. This DVD focuses on his choice as the best of them all from 1981.
- published: 27 Aug 2008
- views: 1137328
- author: eaglerocktv
10:00
Part1 - BBC Four Sessions - James Brown Live 2003
BBC Four Sessions - James Brown Live. Exclusive concert recorded for BBC Four in November ...
published: 06 Dec 2009
author: LiveSessions
Part1 - BBC Four Sessions - James Brown Live 2003
BBC Four Sessions - James Brown Live. Exclusive concert recorded for BBC Four in November 2003 featuring James Brown, full backing band, his wife and some very enthusiastic dancing girls. Set List Intro/Make It Funky Get Up Offa That Thang Papa's Got a Brand New Bag Every Beat of My Heart It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World Get On The Good Foot Please Please Please Give It Up or Turnit a Loose I Got You (I Feel Good) Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine
- published: 06 Dec 2009
- views: 17629
- author: LiveSessions
2:44
The Payback - James Brown - Live - Zaire 1974
Taken from the film "Soul Power" This is the opening tune from James Browns set at the pre...
published: 20 Apr 2010
author: jkramer5
The Payback - James Brown - Live - Zaire 1974
Taken from the film "Soul Power" This is the opening tune from James Browns set at the pre fight concert for the Rumble In The Jungle. Filmed live in Zaire in 1974.
- published: 20 Apr 2010
- views: 123107
- author: jkramer5
96:03
James Brown - Live at Boston Garden (1968)
James Brown - Live at Boston Garden (1968)...
published: 10 Oct 2011
author: SoulShizzle
James Brown - Live at Boston Garden (1968)
James Brown - Live at Boston Garden (1968)
- published: 10 Oct 2011
- views: 161132
- author: SoulShizzle
8:48
James Brown Olympia 1966
Olympia 1966...
published: 14 Aug 2006
author: Dieter Wiesflecker
James Brown Olympia 1966
Olympia 1966
- published: 14 Aug 2006
- views: 1521791
- author: Dieter Wiesflecker
3:13
James Brown Live - Get up offa that thing
Live !!! A big must......
published: 27 Oct 2007
author: LANDSOFFREE
James Brown Live - Get up offa that thing
Live !!! A big must...
- published: 27 Oct 2007
- views: 964164
- author: LANDSOFFREE
6:30
James Brown - Sex Machine (From "Live At Montreux" DVD)
For more info - www.eagle-rock.com James Brown was a hugely influential figure in black Am...
published: 11 Jun 2008
author: eaglerocktv
James Brown - Sex Machine (From "Live At Montreux" DVD)
For more info - www.eagle-rock.com James Brown was a hugely influential figure in black American music. He was a driving force in the development of soul music in the early sixties, and funk in the early seventies. He has had more R 'n' B hits in the US than any other artist and has charted singles in countries around the world. Here he is captured at his very best, taken from the Eagle Vision DVD "Live at Montreux".
- published: 11 Jun 2008
- views: 1651672
- author: eaglerocktv
59:55
James Brown- Live Monterey California 1979
James Brown- Live Monterey California 1979...
published: 18 Oct 2011
author: SoulShizzle
James Brown- Live Monterey California 1979
James Brown- Live Monterey California 1979
- published: 18 Oct 2011
- views: 11254
- author: SoulShizzle
58:17
James Brown - Live At Chastain Park - Legends in Concert
One of the greatest soul performers and influential black artists of the twentieth century...
published: 29 May 2012
author: onemediamusic
James Brown - Live At Chastain Park - Legends in Concert
One of the greatest soul performers and influential black artists of the twentieth century, James Brown performs some of his most well known tracks on this epic show. The concert was recorded at the height of Brown's career, in the Chastain Park Ampitheatre, Atlanta in 1985. Tracks that he performed include "It's A Man's Man's World," "Please, Please, Please," "Get Up Offa That Thing" and many more of his greatest hits.
- published: 29 May 2012
- views: 5187
- author: onemediamusic
3:07
James Brown - I Feel Good (Legends of Rock 'n' Roll)
This amazing concert brings together some of the true pioneers of rock 'n' roll music incl...
published: 29 Aug 2008
author: eaglerocktv
James Brown - I Feel Good (Legends of Rock 'n' Roll)
This amazing concert brings together some of the true pioneers of rock 'n' roll music including Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, James Brown, Fats Domino and BBKing. smarturl.it Recorded in Italy in 1989 it features these legendary artists in performance of their best loved tracks such as Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Bo Diddley, Great Balls Of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Blueberry Hill. At the end of the concert all the performers come together for all-star jam that leaves the audience hollering for more. It's a rare event indeed that brings so many great live performers together on one bill and this film captures the real excitement of the evening. To order this DVD from Amazon if you are in the UK, please click here: www.amazon.co.uk To order this DVD from amazon if you are in the US, please click here: www.amazon.com
- published: 29 Aug 2008
- views: 17403463
- author: eaglerocktv
3:52
JAMES BROWN - Give it up or turn it loose (3/3) - Live Palasport, Bologna Italy April 1971
JAMES BROWN Live Palasport, Bologna Italy April 1971 pro shot RAI italian television...
published: 28 Mar 2009
author: boulderdamn
JAMES BROWN - Give it up or turn it loose (3/3) - Live Palasport, Bologna Italy April 1971
JAMES BROWN Live Palasport, Bologna Italy April 1971 pro shot RAI italian television
- published: 28 Mar 2009
- views: 242907
- author: boulderdamn
44:44
James Brown - Soul Train
Hot Pants Get Up (I Feel Like A) Sex Machine 2:36 Get On The Good Foot 4:06 Soul Power 6:5...
published: 24 Jan 2011
author: FunkensteinJr
James Brown - Soul Train
Hot Pants Get Up (I Feel Like A) Sex Machine 2:36 Get On The Good Foot 4:06 Soul Power 6:51 Make It Funky 9:53 Cold Sweat 11:07 Try Me 14:22 Please Please, Please 17:21 Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud 17:57 Super Bad 23:53 Papa Don't Take No Mess 26:18 My Thang 29:57 Hell 33:33 The Payback 35:57 Fred Wesley & the JB's Damn Right, I Am Somebody 40:25
- published: 24 Jan 2011
- views: 344852
- author: FunkensteinJr
Vimeo results:
1:56
Hello Little Printer, available 2012
Little Printer lives in your home, bringing you news, puzzles and gossip from your friends...
published: 28 Nov 2011
author: BERG
Hello Little Printer, available 2012
Little Printer lives in your home, bringing you news, puzzles and gossip from your friends. Use your smartphone to set up subscriptions and Little Printer will gather them together to create a timely, beautiful mini-newspaper.
For more see:
http://www.bergcloud.com/littleprinter/
The announcement:
http://bergcloud.com/2011/11/29/announcing-little-printer-and-berg-cloud/
2:36
One Day on Earth - Motion Picture Trailer
To See to latest screening locationsplease visit: www.onedayonearth.org/movietickets
ONE ...
published: 13 Jul 2011
author: One Day on Earth
One Day on Earth - Motion Picture Trailer
To See to latest screening locationsplease visit: www.onedayonearth.org/movietickets
ONE DAY ON EARTH creates a picture of humanity by recording a 24-hour period throughout every country in the world. We explore a greater diversity of perspectives than ever seen before on screen. We follow characters and events that evolve throughout the day, interspersed with expansive global montages that explore the progression of life from birth, to death, to birth again. In the end, despite unprecedented challenges and tragedies throughout the world, we are reminded that every day we are alive there is hope and a choice to see a better future together.
Founded in 2008, ONE DAY ON EARTH set out to explore our planet’s identity and challenges in an attempt to answer the question: Who are we?
Please help us tell this story: 101010donate.org
Many thanks to the contributors of One Day on Earth, Vimeo, Ning, United Nations, and the 60+ non-profits for making this happen.
Director: Kyle Ruddick
Producer: Brandon Litman
Co-producer: Daniel Lichtblau
Production Supervisor: Gina Nemirofsky
Editors: Michael Martinez & Javier Alvarez
Trailer Editor: Michael Martinez
MUSIC BY:
Joseph Minadeo
and Beirut
Images and Stories in this trailer by:
350.org
Abdessamad Idrissi
Ada & Kris Chmielewski
Aditya Kolli
Adonis Pulatus
Alex M
Alexander
Alexandros Hadjicostas
Ali Azhari
Ben Klein
Black Pencil Project
Brandon Litman
Bronek Kaminski
Bryon Evans
Capi Baigorria
Chi Kong Lui
Chris Todd
Christian Ducken
Clifford W Klima
Daniel Chung
Daniel Lichtblau
David Ahrendts
David Aufdembrinke
Demeocq
Dimitri Ellerington
Dimitris Christopoulos
Enrico Trippa
Even Q
Fendi Shareef
Franz Walter
Gema Interiano
Gregory Hall
Hae Jung Hofman
Husam Al-Sayed
Itcho
James Travis III
Jay Galvan
John Miller
John Rinker
Jon Carr
Jonathan Sterkenburg
Juan Garcia
Juhani Väihkönen
Karl Hillcoat-Williams
Kieran Ball
Kreshnik Berisha
Kyle Ruddick
Luke Younge
Marcel van der Steen
Mark Eby
Michael Diiorio
Michael Martinez
Miklos Volner
Moaez Saeed
Mohammadreza Shams
Napali
NASA
Nita Deda
Olakunle Idowu
Ombajo Misava Edward
Paul Johannessen
Peter Beier
Philippe Kiener
Phil Klein
Ramda Yanurzha
Ray Paunovich
Renee van der Sluis
Richard Liston VIII
Rick Rashid
Ryan Green
Siraj Shahjahan
Steve Romano
Suporn Shoosongdej
Tamir Naber
Tato Carrillo
TEDxRainier
Tej Gyan Foundation
Tim Courson
Todd Brown
Torsten Lohrmann
UNDP Bahrain
UNDP Congo
UNDP Kenya
UNDP Kuwait
UNDP Nepal
United Nations Development Programme
Video Volunteers
Wes Davis
Yll Citaku
Zeenat Munir
3:39
Keaton Henson - Small Hands
From the album Dear... http://itunes.apple.com/gb/preorder/dear/id501705635
Director: Jos...
published: 16 Mar 2012
author: Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson - Small Hands
From the album Dear... http://itunes.apple.com/gb/preorder/dear/id501705635
Director: Joseph Mann
Executive Producer: Bart Yates
Produced by: Joseph Mann, Tamsin Glasson, James Bretton
Written by: Joseph Mann
Director of Photography: Matthew Day
Puppets by: Jonny Sabbagh
Character Design: Jonny Sabbagh & Keaton Henson
Puppeteers: Jonny Sabbagh & Will Harper
Camera Assistant: Toby Goodyear & Max Halstead
Gaffer: Max Halstead
Script Supervisor: Elizabeth Day
Studio: Clapham Road Studios
Set Design: Joseph Mann
Art Department: Joely Brammer, Rose Popham, Emma Denby, Daisy Roth, Emily Barret, Morgan Faverty, Lauren Brown, Aodhagan O'Riordan, Lydia CS, Frank Burgess
Editor: Simone Ghilardotti
Post Production: Simone Ghilardotti & Josh Hine
Grade: Steve Gatti at Moving Picture Company
2:49
Director's Cut - James Brown music video - It's Man's Man's Man's World
James Brown is a force of nature, a gift from heaven.He invented funk, but it was a symbol...
published: 02 Jul 2012
author: SHOOT THE BOSS
Director's Cut - James Brown music video - It's Man's Man's Man's World
James Brown is a force of nature, a gift from heaven.He invented funk, but it was a symbol of freedom and success for millions of black American in combat for their civic rights, who saw him as a source of hope and pride. I tried to describe the richness of his life.
For this year’s Music Video Challenge, Saatchi & Saatchi in association with Universal Music Enterprises, the James Brown Estate, BUG and Genero.tv bringing together fresh filmmaking talent and iconic music with songs by the legendary James Brown.
The 2012 Challenge was in celebration of the James Brown catalogue being re-released on iTunes in May, and the re-issuing of the classic James Brown Live at the Apollo album later this year.
This is the director's cut version of the video music of James Brown - It's Man's Man's Man's World.
Produced and Directed by Xavier Fauthoux
Editing by Adrien Deleule
Character Design : Thomas Buron & Liza Lussiez
Backgrounds : Marion Brunetto & Tristan Mercier
Concept Art : Alexandre Tissot
3D Cam Mapping : Charles Blanchard
Animation : Milan Starcevic, Matthieu Fouchier, Marion Brunetto
Compositing : SKULL & Martial Coulon
Stagiaire : Benjamin Le roux, Clement Domergue
More interview and infos about the contest here :
http://genero.tv/jamesbrown/
http://bugvideos.co.uk/home/james-brown-video-challenge-winners-announced.go
http://www.thereel.net/news/2012-08/645
http://www.awn.com/news/awards/xavier-fauthoux-wins-james-brown-music-video-challenge
http://sojamesbrown.com/celebritynews/xavier-fauthouxs-animated-film-wins-saatchi-saatchi-james-brown-music-broadcast-newsr-0
http://kabbage.co.uk/2012/08/30/its-a-mans-mans-world-directors-cut-xavier-fauthoux/
http://www.moreaboutadvertising.com/2012/07/french-director-xavier-fauthoux-wins-saatchi-saatchi-james-brown-music-video-challenge/
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/xavier-fauthouxs-animated-film-wins-saatchi-saatchi-james-brown-music-video-challenge-1686797.htm
Youtube results:
8:02
James Brown "Soul Power" live in Kinshasa Zaire, 1974.9
JB is really HOT!...
published: 22 May 2011
author: Casa de Borinquen
James Brown "Soul Power" live in Kinshasa Zaire, 1974.9
JB is really HOT!
- published: 22 May 2011
- views: 215767
- author: Casa de Borinquen
9:41
james Brown Michael Jackson PRINCE-Beverly Theatre august 20 1983
I culled the best source of this I could find and added a weird interview with Prince abou...
published: 30 Nov 2010
author: freqazoidiak
james Brown Michael Jackson PRINCE-Beverly Theatre august 20 1983
I culled the best source of this I could find and added a weird interview with Prince about Michael Jackson and who would win a fist fight and then the extended (with time code) footage of Prince on stage after Michael. Prince still has his Controversy look here. He rips on guitar no doubt. Michael looks the coolest here too..with the sgt..peppers look.. In August 1983 James Brown and band were playing the Beverly Theatre in Los Angeles with legendary blues man BB King for what was already a formidable pairing of music royalty. Then halfway through the set that evening James Brown introduced a very special guest to join him onstage - a 25 year old Michael Jackson, hot on the heels of his Thriller album at the time, inconspicuously watching the show from the audience. Michael wowed the crowd with a spontaneous song and dance performance that was spectacular and all too brief. *NOTE: Straight after Michael's mini performance James Brown asked Prince onstage. Sadly this footage doesn't include Prince but it can be found elsewhere on YouTube. Wow... what a night! A bona fide star collision on one stage that was never to be repeated.
- published: 30 Nov 2010
- views: 372825
- author: freqazoidiak
4:52
JAMES BROWN GREATEST DANCE MOVES EVER-THERE WAS A TIME LIVE
Great dance moves from the King of Soul...
published: 18 Apr 2010
author: mehomey1
JAMES BROWN GREATEST DANCE MOVES EVER-THERE WAS A TIME LIVE
Great dance moves from the King of Soul
- published: 18 Apr 2010
- views: 616425
- author: mehomey1
photo: Creative Commons / Axou
24 Dec 2012
Steve Jobs was controversial in life, and now his high-tech mega-yacht is associated with a controversy long after his death. The former Apple CEO's ship was impounded in Amsterdam in the middle of a financial battle over a disputed bill. Phillippe Starck, a French product designer and architect, has alleged that Jobs' heirs owe him 3 million euros for his work on Venus, the 256-foot yacht Jobs commissioned before his death ... ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)
photo: Creative Commons / Giorgione
24 Dec 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. A deadly silence immediately followed after a bullet penetrated the calf's skull. Against my wishes, Vic had decided against either amputating its leg or contacting a veterinarian-something he reasoned would have been too expensive. The unfortunate calf had slid down into a ravine where its hind leg, which was mangled and torn, became wrapped in barbed wire ... But it was more than a bellow ... 9....(size: 6.3Kb)
photo: AP / Musadeq Sadeq
24 Dec 2012
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan policewoman shot and killed an American adviser outside the police headquarters in Kabul on Monday, the latest in a rising tide of insider attacks by Afghans against their foreign allies, senior Afghan officials said. The woman, identified as Afghan police Sgt ... The woman was taken into Afghan custody shortly after the attack ... As many Afghans, the policewoman uses only one name ... Air Force Lt. Col ... Gen ... ....(size: 4.6Kb)
photo: AP / Hasan Jamali
26 Dec 2012
The six Gulf states have sharpened their tone against their neighbour Iran, demanding an immediate halt to its "interference" in their internal affairs while urging action to halt mass killings and violations of international law in Syria ... The council said they "reject and denounce" Iran's "continued interference" in their internal affairs that increase regional tension and threaten security and stability ... 419 Source.. Agencies. Share ... ....(size: 18.7Kb)
The Examiner
27 Dec 2012
Bay Area jazz lovers have a wealth of high-octane gigs to chose from for ringing in 2013 ... Sax giant Maceo Parker established his reputation backing James Brown during his heyday and went on to build a solo career that combines the hip-shakingest aspects of funk, soul and jazz ... The Medicine Ball Band, featuring Mads Tolling on violin and Pee Wee Ellis (James Brown's other saxophone powerhouse) kick up a good time starting at 9 p.m ... ....(size: 3.0Kb)
Chicago Sun-Times
27 Dec 2012
Martin Luther King Jr ... Horns wail. Snare drum, sticks and bass guitar snap, pop, groove ... So Adam works ... By 2 a.m., another batch of golden brown O’s floats like miniature life preservers in a deep dark sea ... Bruce is thin, coffee-bean-brown, and sure-handed as I watch him dart about his florescent-lighted kitchen doing what seems to come naturally. Rolling dough ... Shaping ... “Aye,” he says with the same self-satisfaction of a James Brown, “Uh!”....(size: 3.5Kb)
The Examiner
27 Dec 2012
Don Cornelius and Soul Train are inseparable aspects of America’s musical culture ... Next star who died in 2012. Phyllis Diller. Previous star who died in 2012. Adam Yauch ... James Brown and Michael Jackson both appeared on the program and performed music for a wide viewing audience ... "... Phyllis Diller ... ....(size: 1.5Kb)
The Examiner
27 Dec 2012
Maddox Cemetery is a small graveyard located on the Tennessee River at the entrance to Bear Trace Golf Course. The cemetery was established in 1837 and contains over 200 marked graves and many more unmarked ones ... These graves belonged to a Mr ... Unfortunately, neither of these graves are visible today ... Location ... Small but not forgottenThe Treaty of New EchotaThe James Brown HouseThe Hiram Douglass HouseChattanooga's Historical Haunts ... ....(size: 2.8Kb)
The Examiner
27 Dec 2012
Down a small access road at the entrance to Jack Nicklaus designed Bear Trace at Harrison Bay golf course, stands a small, but not forgotten cemetery. The graves are well-maintained and decorated. The area, overlooking the Tennessee River, is fenced in ... At this time, the land was settled by the Cherokee Nation and was home to many prominent Cherokees including James Brown and John Ross ... View slideshow. Maddux Cemetery ... Photo credit. ....(size: 3.0Kb)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
27 Dec 2012
It goes from light, airy and a little pungent when young, to downright funky after it's been sitting on a store shelf for a couple weeks, like that box of dusty James Brown LPs in Uncle Larry's basement ... Check out Crisped Rice Treats (marshmallows, brown butter and lemon rind) with Grayson or another favorite stinky cheese....(size: 11.8Kb)
Sporting News
27 Dec 2012
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons disagree with the idea they have little to play for in Sunday’s final regular-season game against Tampa Bay. The Falcons (13-2) have home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs, and a big goal this week is for Ryan to carry his hot streak into the postseason ... Ryan has completed 69 percent of his passes this season ... Wycliffe Gordon (A Funky Tribute to James Brown) ... James UMC ... ....(size: 10.2Kb)
Chicago Sun-Times
27 Dec 2012
There aren’t a lot of bands doing what Lotus does ... Lotus isn’t just any jam band though ... “I think it’s going to be a celebration, a celebration of the new year,” said Jesse ... The funk/soul singer got his break in music late, at age 49, performing as a James Brown impersonator under the name “Black Velvet.” Noticed by Daptone Records, the Otis Redding-like vocalist has since recorded several albums with another one on the way in 2013 ... ....(size: 4.2Kb)
B&S; Online
26 Dec 2012
James Brown’s “Soul Sister Number One,” Marva Whitney died suddenly two days before Christmas Eve at her US home at the age of 68. Marva Whitney, collaborated with James Brown who gave her the nickname “Soul Sister # 1,”to his “Soul Brother Number One,” title ... She started out singing gospel in Kansas City in her family's group, then was snapped up by James Brown for his touring revue show in 1967....(size: 3.2Kb)
The Australian
26 Dec 2012
It's called Osaka Monaurail, and is being promoted as a vibrant James Brown experience - that is, if the Godfather of Soul had formed his band in western Japan in the early 90s ... "What made James Brown special was the fact he had everything," Nakata says ... For the first decade or so, the band played nothing but James Brown music ... "I'm not trying to get away from the James Brown tribute band publicity....(size: 6.0Kb)
noodls
26 Dec 2012
(Source. Newcastle Jets FC) ... Midfielder James Brown also returns from injury (ankle) this week, while Tiago Calvano, Bernardo Ribeiro, Taylor Regan and Michael Bridges have been included in the extended squad ... Newcastle Jets 21-man squad.. 1. Ben Kennedy (gk), 2 ... James Brown, 8 ... James Virgili, 18 ... Kennedy, Tiago, Brown, Bernardo, Regan, Bridges ... -....(size: 2.2Kb)
noodls
26 Dec 2012
(Source. FFA - Football Federation Australia Limited). Summer Football continues over the festive season with the Reds and Roar kicking off the round on Boxing Day, followed by a triple-header on December 27. Wednesday, 26 December 2012 ... Venue ... Kick-off ... Referee ... In ... Out ... James Donachie, 17 ... James Oates (Ankle - 2 months) ... James Brown, 8 ... James Virgili, 18 ... Ben Kennedy, Tiago Calvano, James Brown, Bernardo Ribeiro, Taylor Regan, Michael Bridges....(size: 11.2Kb)
Palm Beach Post
26 Dec 2012
WEST PALM BEACH. Meeting of art and fun. Art After Dark continues from 5-9 p.m. today at the Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave. Tours will be offered of the “Say it Loud ... Landscape and Trees.” Music for the occasion is by Greg Jackson and the Mojo Band who will perform James Brown, Otis Redding and Motown favorites. Dave Harris also performs. Info ... ....(size: 1.8Kb)
This article is about the singer. For other people named James Brown, see James Brown (disambiguation).
| James Brown | |
|---|---|
 James Brown performing on June 27, 2005 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Joseph Brown, Jr.[1] |
| Also known as | "The Godfather of Soul"[2][3][4] |
| Born | (1933-05-03)May 3, 1933 Barnwell, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Origin | Augusta, Georgia, United States |
| Died | December 25, 2006(2006-12-25) (aged 73) Atlanta, Georgia[5][6] |
| Genres | R&B, funk, soul, rock and roll |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, dancer, bandleader, record producer, actor |
| Instruments | Vocal, guitar, harmonica, bass guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion |
| Years active | 1956–2006 |
| Labels | Federal, King, Try Me, Smash, People, Polydor, Scotti Bros., Dade |
| Associated acts | The Famous Flames, The J.B.'s, Bobby Byrd, The Soul Generals, Lyn Collins |
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of funk music and is a major figure of 20th century popular music and dance.
In a career that spanned decades, Brown profoundly influenced the development of many different musical genres.[7] Brown moved on a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music making.[8] Brown performed in concerts, first making his rounds across the Chitlin' Circuit, and then across the country and later around the world, along with appearing in shows on television and in movies. Although he contributed much to the music world through his hitmaking, Brown holds the record as the artist who charted the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without ever hitting number one on that chart.[9][10]
For many years, Brown's touring show was one of the most extravagant productions in American popular music. At the time of Brown's death, his band included three guitarists, two bass guitar players, two drummers, three horns and a percussionist.[11] The bands that he maintained during the late 1960s and 1970s were of comparable size, and the bands also included a three-piece amplified string section that played during ballads.[12] Brown employed between 40 and 50 people for the James Brown Revue, and members of the revue traveled with him in a bus to cities and towns all over the country, performing upwards of 330 shows a year with almost all of the shows as one-nighters.[13][14] In 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1990 into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Brown died on Christmas Day 2006 from heart failure after becoming ill on December 23 and being hospitalized for hours. James Brown is buried in Beech Island, South Carolina.
Contents |
Early life[link]
James Brown was born in Barnwell, South Carolina on May 3, 1933 to Susie Brown and Joseph ("Joe") Gardner (who changed his surname to Brown after Mattie Brown who raised him). Although Brown was to be named after his father Joseph, his first and middle names were mistakenly reversed on his birth certificate. He therefore became James Joseph Brown, Jr.[1] As a young child, Brown was called Junior. When he later lived with his aunt and cousin, he was called Little Junior since his cousin's nickname was also Junior.[1] He was of African American and Native American (Apache) descent through his father, and had Asian ancestry.[15][16]
As a young child, Brown and his family lived in extreme poverty[9] in nearby Elko, South Carolina, which at the time was an impoverished town in Barnwell County. When Brown was two years old, his parents separated after his mother left his father for another man.[17] After his mother abandoned the family, Brown continued to live with his father and his father's live-in girlfriends until he was six years old.
His father sent him to live with an aunt, who ran a house of prostitution.[18] Even though Brown lived with relatives, he spent long stretches of time on his own, hanging out on the streets and hustling to get by.[9] Brown managed to stay in school until he dropped out in the seventh grade.[19]
During his childhood, Brown earned money shining shoes, sweeping out stores, selling and trading in old stamps, washing cars and dishes and singing in talent contests.[9] Brown also performed buck dances for change to entertain troops from Camp Gordon at the start of World War II as their convoys traveled over a canal bridge near his aunt's home.[17][18] Between earning money from these adventures, Brown taught himself to play a harmonica given to him by his father.[17] He learned to play some guitar from Tampa Red, in addition to learning to play piano and drums from others he met during this time.[17] Brown was inspired to become an entertainer after watching Louis Jordan, a popular jazz and R&B performer during the 1940s, and Jordan's Tympany Five performing "Caldonia" in a short film.[20]
As an adult, Brown legally changed his name to remove the "Jr." designation.[21] In his spare time, Brown spent time practicing his various skills in Augusta-area stalls and committing petty crimes. At the age of sixteen, he was convicted of armed robbery and sent to a juvenile detention center upstate in Toccoa in 1949.[8]
In 1952, while Brown was still in reform school, he met future R&B legend Bobby Byrd, who was there playing baseball against the reform school team. Byrd saw Brown perform there and admired his singing and performing talent.[17] As a result of this friendship, Byrd's family helped Brown secure an early release after serving three years of his sentence. The authorities agreed to release Brown on the condition that he would get a job and not return to Augusta or Richmond County. After stints as a boxer[22] and baseball pitcher in semi-professional baseball (a career move ended by a leg injury), Brown turned his energy toward music.[23]
Career[link]
1955: The Formation of The Famous Flames[link]
In 1955, Brown and Bobby Byrd's sister Sarah performed in a group called The Gospel Starlighters. Eventually, Brown joined Bobby Byrd's vocal group, the Avons, and Byrd turned the group's sound towards secular rhythm and blues. After the group's name was changed to The Flames, Brown and Byrd's group toured the Southern chitlin' circuit. The group eventually signed a deal with the Cincinnati, Ohio-based label Federal Records, a sister label of King Records. Brown's early recordings were fairly straightforward gospel-inspired R&B compositions, heavily influenced by the work of contemporary musicians such as Ray Charles, Little Willie John, Clyde McPhatter and Little Richard.
Little Richard's relations with Brown were particularly significant in Brown's development as a musician and showman. Brown once called Richard his idol,[24] and credited Richard's saxophone-studded mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, with being the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat.[25] Etta James recalled her first meeting with James Brown, in Macon, Georgia, where Brown had befriended Little Richard. She said Brown "used to carry around an old tattered napkin with him, because Little Richard had written the words, 'please, please, please' on it and James was determined to make a song out of it...".[26] The resulting track "Please, Please, Please" ended up becoming The Flames first R&B hit in 1956,[27] selling over a million copies. However, nine subsequent singles released by The Flames failed to live up to the success of their debut, and the group was in danger of being dropped by Federal Records. When Little Richard left pop music in October 1957 to become a preacher, Brown filled out Little Richard's remaining tour dates in his place. Further, several former members of Little Richard's backup band joined Brown's group after Richard's exit from the pop music scene. Brown's group returned to the charts, hitting #1 R&B in February 1959 with "Try Me".[28] This hit record was the best-selling R&B single of the year, becoming the first of 17 chart-topping R&B singles by Brown over the next two decades.[29] By the time "Try Me" was released on record, the group's billing was changed to James Brown and The Famous Flames. "The Famous Flames" was a vocal group, not a backing band.In the original group, the members were Brown, Byrd, Brown's old cellmate Johnny Terry, Sylvester Keels, Nash Knox, and NaFloyd Scott.
In 1959, Brown and The Famous Flames moved from the Federal Records subsidiary to King Records, the parent label. Brown began to have recurring conflicts with King Records president Syd Nathan over repertoire and other matters. In one notable instance, Brown recorded the 1960 Top Ten R&B hit "(Do the) Mashed Potatoes" on Dade Records, owned by Henry Stone, under the pseudonym "Nat Kendrick & The Swans" because Nathan refused to allow him to record it for King.[30]
Early and mid-1960s[link]
Brown scored on the charts in the early 1960s with recordings such as his 1962 cover of "Night Train". While Brown's early singles were major hits across the southern United States and then regular R&B Top Ten hits, he and the Famous Flames were not successful nationally until his self-financed live show was captured on the 1963 LP Live at the Apollo. Brown financed the recording of the album himself, and it was released on King Records over the objections of label owner Syd Nathan, who saw no commercial potential in a live album containing no new songs. Defying Nathan's expectations, the album stayed on the pop charts for fourteen months, peaking at #2.[31] In addition, Brown recorded a hit version of the ballad "Prisoner of Love", (his first Top 20 pop hit), in 1963 and founded (under King auspices) the fledgling Try Me Records, Brown's first attempt at running a record label.
In 1962, singer Tammi Terrell came to Brown's attention, and the seventeen-year-old found herself in Brown's popular Revue, becoming one of his first female headliners. In 1963 Terrell recorded for Try Me Records, releasing the ballad, "I Cried", which gave her some chart success. Terrell and Brown also had a personal relationship, which was hampered by Brown's physical abuse towards her. After a horrific incident backstage after a show, Terrell asked singer Gene Chandler (the "Duke of Earl"), who witnessed the incident first hand, to take her to the bus station so she could go home. He later called her mother to come pick her up. This ended Terrell's two-year relationship with Brown.[citation needed]
File:James Brown and Flames.jpg
Brown (middle) & The Famous Flames (far left to right, Bobby Bennett, Lloyd Stallworth, and Bobby Byrd), performing live at the Apollo Theater in New York City, 1964.
Brown followed the success of Live at the Apollo with a string of singles that, along with the work of Allen Toussaint in New Orleans, essentially defined the foundation of Funk music. Driven by the success of Live at the Apollo and the failure of King Records to expand record promotion beyond the "black" market, James Brown and fellow Famous Flame Bobby Byrd formed a production company, Fair Deal, to promote sales of Brown's record releases to white audiences. In this arrangement, Smash Records, a subsidiary of Mercury Records, was used as a vehicle to distribute Brown's music. Smash released his 1964 hit "Out of Sight", which reached #24 on the pop charts and pointed the way to his later funk hits.[32] Its release also triggered a legal battle between Smash and King that resulted in a one year ban on the release of Brown's vocal recordings.[33]
Two of Brown's signature tunes, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"[34] (which won the 1966 Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording (an award last given in 1968)) and "I Got You (I Feel Good)", both from 1965, were his first Top 10 pop hits as well as major #1 R&B hits, with each remaining the top-selling singles in black venues for over a month. Brown's national profile was boosted further that year by appearances in the movie Ski Party and the concert film The T.A.M.I. Show, in which he and The Famous Flames (Bobby Byrd, Bobby Bennett and "Baby Lloyd" Stallworth) upstaged The Rolling Stones. In his concert repertoire and on record, Brown mingled his innovative rhythmic essays with Broadway show tunes and ballads, such as his hit "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (1966).[34]
Late 1960s[link]
In November 1967, James Brown purchased radio station WGYW in Knoxville, Tennessee for a reported $75,000, according to the January 20, 1968 Record World magazine. The call letters were changed to WJBE reflecting his initials. WJBE began on January 15, 1968 and broadcast a Rhythm & Blues format. The station slogan was "WJBE 1430 Raw Soul". At the time it was mentioned "Brown has also branched out into real estate and music publishing in recent months".
Brown continued to refine the new funk idiom. His 1967 #1 R&B hit, "Cold Sweat", sometimes cited as the first true funk song, was the first of his recordings to contain a drum break and the first that featured a harmony that was reduced to a single chord.[35][36] The instrumental arrangements on tracks such as "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" and "Licking Stick-Licking Stick" (both recorded in 1968) and "Funky Drummer" (recorded in 1969) featured a more developed version of Brown's mid-1960s style, with the horn section, guitars, bass and drums meshed together in intricate rhythmic patterns based on multiple interlocking riffs.
Changes in Brown's style that started with "Cold Sweat" also established the musical foundation for Brown's later hits, such as "I Got the Feelin'" (1968) and "Mother Popcorn" (1969). By this time Brown's vocals frequently took the form of a kind of rhythmic declamation, not quite sung but not quite spoken, that only intermittently featured traces of pitch or melody. This would become a major influence on the techniques of rapping, which would come to maturity along with hip hop music in the coming decades.
Brown's style of funk was based on interlocking syncopated parts: funky bass lines, drum patterns, and iconic guitar riffs.[37] The main guitar ostinatos for "Aint" it Funky" (c. late 1960s), and "Give it Up or Turn it Lose" (1969), are examples of Brown's refinement of New Orleans funk— irresistibly danceable riffs, stripped down to their rhythmic essence. On "Aint" it Funky" (c. late 1960s), and "Give it Up or Turn it Lose" (1969), the tonal structure is bare bones. The pattern of attack-points is the emphasis, not the pattern of pitches. It's as if the guitar is an African drum, or idiophone. Alexander Stewart states that this popular feel was passed along from "New Orleans—through James Brown's music, to the popular music of the 1970s."[38]
"Bring it Up" has an Afro-Cuban guajeo-like structure. If fact, on a 1976 version, Cuban bongos are used. All three of these guitar riff are based on an onbeat/offbeat structure. Stewart states: "This model, it should be noted, is different from a time line (such as clave and tresillo) in that it is not an exact pattern, but more of a loose organizing principle."[39]
Brown's recordings influenced musicians across the industry, most notably Sly and his Family Stone, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s and soul shouters like King Curtis, Edwin Starr, Temptations David Ruffin, and Dennis Edwards. A then-prepubescent Michael Jackson took Brown's shouts and dancing into the pop mainstream as the lead singer of Motown's The Jackson 5. Those same tracks were later resurrected by countless hip-hop musicians from the 1970s onward. As a result, James Brown remains to this day the world's most sampled recording artist,[40] with "Funky Drummer" itself becoming the most sampled individual piece of music.[41]
Brown's band during this period employed musicians and arrangers who had come up through the jazz tradition. He was noted for his ability as a bandleader and songwriter to blend the simplicity and drive of R&B with the rhythmic complexity and precision of jazz. Trumpeter Lewis Hamlin and saxophonist/keyboardist Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis (the successor to previous bandleader Nat Jones) led the band. Guitarist Jimmy Nolen provided percussive, deceptively simple riffs for each song, and Maceo Parker's prominent saxophone solos provided a focal point for many performances. Other members of Brown's band included stalwart singer and sideman Bobby Byrd, drummers John "Jabo" Starks, Clyde Stubblefield and Melvin Parker (Maceo's brother), saxophonist St. Clair Pinckney, trombonist Fred Wesley, guitarist Alphonso "Country" Kellum and bassist Bernard Odum.
During this period, Brown's music empire also expanded along with his influence on the music scene. As Brown's music empire grew, his desire for financial and artistic independence grew as well. Brown bought radio stations during the late 1960s, including radio station WRDW in Augusta, Georgia where he shined shoes as a boy.[34] Brown also branched out to make several recordings with musicians outside his own band. He recorded Gettin' Down To It (1969) and Soul on Top (1970), two albums consisting mostly of romantic ballads and jazz standards, with the Dee Felice Trio and the Louie Bellson Orchestra respectively. He recorded a number of tracks with the Dapps, a white Cincinnati bar band, including the hit "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)". He also released three albums of Christmas music with his own band.
1970s and the J.B.'s[link]
By 1970, most members of James Brown's classic 1960s band had quit his act for other opportunities, and The Famous Flames singing group had disbanded, with original member Bobby Byrd the only one remaining with Brown. Brown and Byrd employed a new band that included future funk greats, such as bassist Bootsy Collins, Collins' guitarist brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins and trombonist and musical director Fred Wesley. This new backing band was dubbed "The J.B.'s", and the band made its debut on Brown's 1970 single "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine". Although The J.B.'s went through several lineup changes, with the first change occurring in 1971, the band remained Brown's most familiar backing band.
In 1971, Brown began recording for Polydor Records which also took over distribution of Brown's King Records catalog. Many of his sidemen and supporting players, such as Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s, Bobby Byrd, Lyn Collins, Vicki Anderson and Hank Ballard, released records on the People label, an imprint founded by Brown that was purchased by Polydor as part of Brown's new contract. The recordings on the People label, almost all of which were produced by Brown himself, exemplified his "house style". Songs such as "I Know You Got Soul" by Bobby Byrd, "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins and "Doing It to Death" by Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s are considered as much a part of Brown's recorded legacy as the recordings released under his own name.
In 1972, James Brown, when asked, openly proclaimed his support of Richard Nixon against the Democrat, George McGovern,[42] and a nationwide boycott called by Black Democratic leaders damaged his status as the most successful Black entrepreneur in the country. Still, his popularity buoyed up his financial fortunes after a brief downturn, and he went on with his career, undaunted.
In 1973, Brown provided the score for the blaxploitation film Black Caesar. In 1974, he toured Africa and performed in Zaire as part of the buildup to The Rumble in the Jungle fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Admirers of Brown's music, including Miles Davis and other jazz musicians, began to cite Brown as a major influence on their own styles. However, Brown, like others who were influenced by his music, also "borrowed" from other musicians. His 1976 single "Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)" (R&B #31) used the main riff from "Fame" by David Bowie, not the other way around as was often believed. The riff was provided to "Fame" co-writers John Lennon and Bowie by guitarist Carlos Alomar, who had briefly been a member of Brown's band in the late 1960s.[43]
Brown's Polydor recordings during the 1970s exemplified his innovations from the previous 20 years. Compositions such as "The Payback" (1973), "Papa Don't Take No Mess", "Stoned to the Bone", and "Funky President (People It's Bad)" (1974), and "Get Up Offa That Thing" (1976) were among his most noted recordings during this time.
Late 1970s and 1980s[link]
By the mid-1970s, Brown's star-status was on the wane, and key musicians in his band such as Fred Wesley and Bootsy left to join Parliament-Funkadelic, the collective conducted by George Clinton. The onslaught of the slickly commercial style of disco caught Brown off guard, as it superseded his raw style of funk music on the dance floor. His 1976 albums Get Up Offa That Thing and Bodyheat were Brown's first flirtations with disco rhythms and its slicker production techniques. While the albums Mutha's Nature (1977) and Jam 1980s (1978) did not generate chart hits, Brown's 1979 LP The Original Disco Man was a notable late addition to his oeuvre. This album featured the song "It's Too Funky in Here", which was his last top R&B hit of the decade. Like the rest of the songs on The Original Disco Man, "It's Too Funky in Here" was not produced by Brown himself, but produced instead by Brad Shapiro.
Brown's contract with Polydor expired in 1981, and his recording and touring schedule was somewhat reduced. Despite these events, Brown experienced something of a resurgence during the 1980s, effectively crossing over to a broader, more mainstream audience. He appeared in the feature films The Blues Brothers, Doctor Detroit and Rocky IV, as well as guest starring in the Miami Vice episode "Missing Hours" (1988). He also recorded Gravity, a modestly popular crossover album released on his new host label Scotti Bros., and the 1986 top 10 hit single "Living in America" (written by Dan Hartman), which was featured prominently in the Rocky IV film and soundtrack. Brown performed the song in the film at Apollo Creed's final fight, shot in the Ziegfeld Room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and was credited as "The Godfather of Soul." In 1987, Brown won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Living in America." Acknowledging his influence on modern hip-hop and R&B music, Brown collaborated with hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa on the single "Unity."
In 1988, Brown worked with the production team Full Force on the hip-hop influenced album I'm Real, which spawned a #5 R&B hit single, "Static". Meanwhile, the drum break from the second version of the original 1969 hit "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" (the recording included on the compilation album In the Jungle Groove) became so popular at hip hop dance parties (especially for breakdance) during the late 1970s and early 1980s that hip hop founding father Kurtis Blow called the song "the national anthem of hip hop".[44]
1990s to the 2000s[link]
After a stint in prison during the late 1980s, Brown released the album Love Overdue, with the new single "Move On". Brown also released the 1991 four-CD box set Star Time, which included music spanning his four-decade career at that time. Nearly all of his earlier LPs were re-released on CD, often with additional tracks and commentary by experts on Brown's music. In 1991, Brown appeared in MC Hammer's video "Too Legit to Quit" (or "2 Legit 2 Quit"), someone Hammer idolized. In 1993, James Brown released the album Universal James, which spawned the singles "Can't Get Any Harder", "How Long" and "Georgia-Lina". In 1995, the live album Live at the Apollo 1995 was released, featuring the new studio track "Respect Me", which was released as a single that same year. Brown followed up this single with the megamix "Hooked on Brown" that was released as a single in 1996. Brown's later LP releases during this time included the 1998 studio album I'm Back that featured the single "Funk on ah Roll", and the 2002 album The Next Step that featured the single "Killing is Out, School is In", both produced and co-written by Derrick Monk. Brown participated in the PBS American Masters television documentary James Brown: Soul Survivor, which was directed by Jeremy Marre.
Although Brown had various run-ins with the law, he continued to perform and record regularly, and he also made appearances in television shows and films, such as Blues Brothers 2000, and sporting events, such as his 2000 appearance at the World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event SuperBrawl X. In Brown's appearance at the SuperBrawl X event, he danced alongside wrestler Ernest "The Cat" Miller, whose character was based on Brown, during his in ring skit with The Maestro. Brown was featured in Tony Scott's 2001 short film, Beat the Devil, alongside Clive Owen, Gary Oldman, Danny Trejo and Marilyn Manson.[45] Brown also made a cameo appearance in the 2002 Jackie Chan film The Tuxedo, in which Chan was required to finish Brown's act after Brown was accidentally knocked out by Chan.[46] In 2002, Brown appeared in Undercover Brother, playing the role as himself.
Brown appeared at Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push, the final Live 8 concert on July 6, 2005, where he performed a duet with British pop star Will Young on "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". He also performed a duet with another British pop star, Joss Stone, a week earlier on the United Kingdom chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. Before his death, Brown was scheduled to perform a duet with singer Annie Lennox on the song "Vengeance" for her new album Venus, scheduled for release in early 2007. In 2006, Brown continued his "Seven Decades Of Funk World Tour", his last concert tour where he performed all over the world. His final U.S. performance was in San Francisco on August 20, 2006, as headliner at the Festival of the Golden Gate (Foggfest) on the Great Meadow at Fort Mason. His last shows were greeted with positive reviews, and one of his final concert appearances at the Irish Oxegen festival in Punchestown in 2006 was performed for a record crowd of 80,000 people. Brown's last televised appearance was at his induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2006, before his death the following month.
James Brown Revue[link]
Concert introduction[link]
Before James Brown appeared on stage, his personal MC gave him an elaborate introduction accompanied by drumrolls, as the MC worked in Brown's various sobriquets along with the names of many of his hit songs. The introduction by Fats Gonder, captured on Brown's 1962 album Live at the Apollo album, is a representative example:
| So now ladies and gentlemen it is star time, are you ready for star time? Thank you and thank you very kindly. It is indeed a great pleasure to present to you at this particular time, national and international[ly] known as the hardest working man in show business, the man that sings "I'll Go Crazy" ... "Try Me" ... "You've Got the Power" ... "Think" ... "If You Want Me" ... "I Don't Mind" ... "Bewildered" ...the million dollar seller, "Lost Someone" ... the very latest release, "Night Train" ... let's everybody "Shout and Shimmy" ... Mr. Dynamite, the amazing Mr. Please Please himself, the star of the show, James Brown and The Famous Flames!![47] |
Among the MCs who worked with Brown and his revue through the years, Brown's most famous MC was Danny Ray, who appeared on stage with him for over 30 years.
Concert repertoire and format[link]
File:281271011 c6024a64c1 m.jpg
Brown and MC Danny Ray during cape routine, BBC Electric Proms '06 concert
James Brown's performances were famous for their intensity and length. His own stated goal was to "give people more than what they came for — make them tired, 'cause that's what they came for.'"[48] Brown's concert repertoire consisted mostly of his own hits and recent songs, with a few R&B covers mixed in. Brown danced vigorously as he sang, working popular dance steps such as the Mashed Potato into his routine along with dramatic leaps, splits and slides. In addition, his horn players and backup singers (The Famous Flames) typically performed choreographed dance routines, and later incarnations of the Revue included backup dancers. Male performers in the Revue were required to wear tuxedoes and cummerbunds long after more casual concert wear became the norm among the younger musical acts. Brown's own extravagant outfits and his elaborate processed hairdo completed the visual impression.
A James Brown concert typically included a performance by a featured vocalist, such as Vicki Anderson or Marva Whitney, and an instrumental feature for the band, which sometimes served as the opening act for the show. Although Brown released many live albums, Say It Live & Loud: Live in Dallas August 26, 1968, released by Polydor in 1998, was one of only a few audio recordings that captured a performance of the James Brown Revue from beginning to end.
Cape routine[link]
A trademark feature of Brown's stage shows, usually during the song "Please, Please, Please", involved Brown dropping to his knees while clutching the microphone stand in his hands, prompting the show's longtime MC, Danny Ray, to come out, drape a cape over Brown's shoulders and escort him off the stage after he had worked himself to exhaustion during his performance. As Brown was escorted off the stage by the MC, Brown's vocal group, The Famous Flames, continued singing the background vocals "Please, please don't go-oh-oh".[49] Brown would then shake off the cape and stagger back to the microphone to perform an encore. Brown's routine was inspired by a similar one used by the professional wrestler Gorgeous George.[47][50]
Brown performs a version of the cape routine over the closing credits of the film Blues Brothers 2000.
The best place to view the "cape routine" is in Brown's performance during the "T.A.M.I. Show" available on DVD.
As band leader[link]
Brown demanded extreme discipline, perfection and precision from his musicians and dancers — right down to when performers in his Revue showed up for rehearsals all the way to whether members wore the right "uniform" or "costume" for concert performances.[51] During an interview conducted by Terri Gross during the NPR segment "Fresh Air" with Maceo Parker, a former saxophonist in Brown's band for most of the 1960s and part of the 1970s and 1980s, Parker offered his experience with the discipline that Brown demanded of the band:
You gotta be on time. You gotta have your uniform. Your stuff's got to be intact. You gotta have the bow tie. You got to have it. You can't come up without the bow tie. You cannot come up without a cummerbund ... [The] patent leather shoes we were wearing at the time gotta be greased. You just gotta have this stuff. This is what [Brown expected] ... [Brown] bought the costumes. He bought the shoes. And if for some reason [the band member decided] to leave the group, [Brown told the person to] please leave my uniforms ....—Maceo Parker[52]
Brown also had a practice of directing, correcting and assessing fines on members of his band who broke his rules, such as wearing unshined shoes, dancing out of sync or showing up late on stage.[23] During some of his concert performances, Brown danced in front of his band with his back to the audience as he slid across the floor, flashing hand signals and splaying his pulsating fingers to the beat of the music. Although audiences thought Brown's dance routine was part of his act, this practice was actually his way of pointing to the offending member of his troupe who played or sang the wrong note or committed some other infraction. Brown used his splayed fingers and hand signals to alert the offending person of the fine that person must pay to him for breaking his rules.[53]
Social activism[link]
Civil unrest and self-empowerment[link]
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, James Brown was renowned for his social activism. In 1966, he released the single "Don't Be a Drop-Out" as a lesson to young students who had thoughts of dropping out. He later made public speeches in front of dozens of children and advocated the importance of education in school. In 1967, he issued a patriotic single, "America is My Home", which was a "rap" about how he felt people, particularly in the African-American community, were neglecting the country that he said "could give (them) opportunities" explaining how at one time he was shining shoes and the next, he was greeting the President of the United States as he did when President Lyndon B. Johnson thanked him for donating money to school drop-out prevention programs.
In 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Brown released "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud"[34] following pressure from fans to take a stance on the civil rights movement, an issue he had avoided up until this point. It became an anthem of the civil rights movement. Brown later said of it in his 1986 autobiography “The song is obsolete now... But it was necessary to teach pride then, and I think the song did a lot of good for a lot of people... People called "Black and Proud" militant and angry – maybe because of the line about dying on your feet instead of living on your knees. But really, if you listen to it, it sounds like a children's song. That's why I had children in it, so children who heard it could grow up feeling pride... The song cost me a lot of my crossover audience. The racial makeup at my concerts was mostly black after that. I don't regret it, though, even if it was misunderstood.”
He performed in front of a televised audience in Boston the day after Dr. King's death.[34] Brown is often given credit for preventing rioting with the performance.[54] Mayor Kevin White strongly restrained the Boston Police from cracking down on minor violence and protests after the assassination,[54] and Boston religious and community leaders worked to keep tempers from flaring.[54] Also, White arranged to have the Brown performance broadcast multiple times on Boston's public television station, WGBH, thus keeping many potential rioters off the streets, watching the concert for free. Brown demanded $60,000 for "gate" fees (money he thought would be lost from ticket sales on account of the concert being broadcast for free), and then threatened to go public about the secret arrangement when the city balked at paying up after the concert, news of which would have been a political death-blow to White, and possibly sparked riots on its own.[54] White successfully lobbied the behind-the-scenes power-brokering group known as "The Vault" to come up with money for Brown's gate fee and other social programs; The Vault contributed $100,000 to such programs, and Brown received $15,000 from them via the city. White persuaded management at the Boston Garden to give up their share of receipts to make up the difference.[54] The story is documented in the PBS film "The Night James Brown Saved Boston".
Afterwards, President Johnson urged Brown to visit Washington, D.C. to greet inner-city residents there performing at a benefit concert there and expressed the notion that violence "wasn't the way to go". Many in the black community felt that Brown was speaking out to them more than some major leaders in the country, a sentiment that was strengthened with the release of his groundbreaking landmark single, "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud".
Brown continued performing benefit concerts for various civil rights organizations including Jesse Jackson's PUSH and The Black Panther Party's Breakfast program throughout the early-1970s. Brown also continued to release socially conscious singles such as "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get It Myself)" (1969), "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" (1971), "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing" (1972), "King Heroin" (1972), "Funky President (People It's Bad)" (1974) and "Reality" (1975). The week before his death, Brown took time to give Christmas presents to an orphanage in Atlanta.
Personal life[link]
At the end of his life, James Brown lived in a riverfront home in Beech Island, South Carolina, directly across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia. James Brown was diagnosed with diabetes at a very early stage of his life.[citation needed] In 2004 Brown was successufully treated for prostate cancer.[55] Regardless of his health, Brown maintained his reputation as the "hardest working man in show business" by keeping up with his grueling performance schedule.
Marriages and children[link]
Brown was married three times — Velma Warren (1953–1969, divorced), Deidre "Deedee" Jenkins (October 22, 1970 – January 10, 1981, divorced) and Adrienne Lois Rodriguez (born March 9, 1950) (1984–1996, wife's death). He also had a relationship with Tomi Rae Hynie (2001–2004). From these and other relationships, James Brown had five sons — Teddy Brown (1954–1973), Terry Brown, and Larry Brown, Daryl Brown (a member of Brown's backing band) and James Joseph Brown II, in addition to four daughters — Lisa Brown, Dr. Yamma Noyola Brown Lumar, Deanna Brown Thomas and Venisha Brown.[5][56][57] Brown also had eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.[5][56] Brown's eldest son, Teddy, died in a car crash on June 14, 1973.[58] According to a August 22, 2007 article published in the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, DNA tests indicate that Brown also fathered at least three illegitimate children. The only one of them who has been identified is LaRhonda Pettit (born 1962), a retired air stewardess and teacher who lives in Houston.[59]
Brown-Hynie marriage controversy[link]
Much controversy surrounds Tomi Rae Hynie's marriage to James Brown on December 23, 2002, officiated by Rev. Larry Fryer.[60] Brown's longtime attorney, Albert "Buddy" Dallas, reported that the marriage between Brown and Hynie was not valid because Hynie was married at that time to Javed Ahmed, a Bangladeshi whom Hynie claimed married her for a Green Card in an immigration fraud. Although Hynie stated that her marriage to Javed Ahmed was later annulled, this annulment did not occur until April 2004.[60][61] In an interview on CNN with Larry King, Hynie produced a 2001 marriage certificate as proof of her marriage to James Brown, but she did not provide King with court records pointing to an annulment of her marriage to him or to Ahmed.[62]
According to Dallas, Brown was angry and hurt that Hynie concealed her prior marriage from him, and that Brown moved to file for annulment from Hynie.[63] Dallas added that, although Hynie's marriage to Javed Ahmed was annulled after she married James Brown, the Brown-Hynie marriage was not valid under South Carolina law because Brown and Hynie did not remarry after the annulment.[62][64] In August 2003, Brown took out a full-page public notice in Variety Magazine featuring Hynie, James II and himself on vacation at Disney World to announce that he and Hynie were going their separate ways.[65][66]
Paternity of James Brown II[link]
In a separate CNN interview, Debra Opri, another Brown family attorney, revealed to Larry King that Brown wanted a DNA test performed after his death to confirm the paternity of James Brown II — not for Brown's sake, but for the sake of the other family members.[67] In April 2007, Hynie selected a guardian ad litem whom she wants appointed by the court to represent her son, James Brown II, in the paternity proceedings.[68]
Legal issues[link]
Brown's personal life was marred by several brushes with the law. At the age of 16, he was arrested for theft and served 3 years in prison. In 1988, Brown was arrested following an alleged high-speed car chase on Interstate 20 near the Georgia-South Carolina state border. He was convicted of carrying an unlicensed pistol and assaulting a police officer, along with various drug-related and driving offenses. Although he was sentenced to six years in prison, he was eventually released in 1991 after serving only three years of his sentence. Brown's FBI file, released to The Washington Post in 2007 under the Freedom of Information Act,[69] related Brown's claim that the high-speed chase did not occur as claimed by the police, and that local police shot at his car several times during an incident of police harassment and assaulted him after his arrest.[70] Local authorities found no merit to Brown's accusations.
In another incident, the police were summoned to Brown's residence on July 3, 2000 after he was accused of charging at an electric company repairman with a steak knife when the repairman visited Brown's house to investigate a complaint about having no lights at the residence.[71] In 2003, Brown was pardoned by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services for past crimes that he was convicted of committing in South Carolina.[72]
During the 1990s and 2000s (decade), Brown was repeatedly arrested for domestic violence. Adrienne Rodriguez, his third wife, had him arrested four times between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s on charges of assault. In January 2004, Brown was arrested in South Carolina on a domestic violence charge after Tomi Rae Hynie accused him of pushing her to the floor during an argument at their home, where she suffered scratches and bruises to her right arm and hip. Later that year in June 2004, Brown pleaded no contest to the domestic violence incident, but served no jail time. Instead, Brown was required to forfeit a US$1,087 bond as punishment.[73]
In January 2005, a woman named Jacque Hollander filed a lawsuit against James Brown, which stemmed from an alleged 1988 forcible rape. When the case was initially heard before a judge in 2002, Hollander's claims against Brown were dismissed by the court as the limitations period for filing the suit had expired. Hollander claimed that stress from the alleged assault later caused her to contract Graves' Disease, a thyroid condition. Hollander claimed that the incident took place in South Carolina while she was employed by Brown as a publicist. Hollander alleged that, during her ride in a van with Brown, Brown pulled over to the side of the road and sexually assaulted her while he threatened her with a shotgun. In her case against Brown, Hollander entered as evidence a DNA sample and a polygraph result, but the evidence was not considered due to the limitations defense. Hollander later attempted to bring her case before the Supreme Court but nothing became of her complaint.[74]
Death and aftermath[link]
Death[link]
On December 23, 2006, James Brown became ill and showed up at his dentist's office in Atlanta, Georgia several hours later than his appointment for dental implant work. During that visit, Brown's dentist observed that Brown looked "very bad ... weak and dazed." Instead of performing the dental work, the dentist advised Brown to see a doctor right away about his medical condition.[18]
Brown checked in at the Emory Crawford Long Memorial Hospital the next day for a medical evaluation of his condition, and he was admitted to the hospital for observation and treatment.[75] According to Charles Bobbit, Brown's longtime personal manager and friend, Brown had been sick and suffering with a noisy cough since he returned from a November trip to Europe.[18] Bobbit also added that it was characteristic of Brown to never complain about being sick, and that he frequently performed during illness.[18] Although Brown had to cancel upcoming shows in Waterbury, Connecticut and Englewood, New Jersey, Brown was confident that the doctor would discharge him from the hospital in time to perform the New Year's Eve shows. For the New Year's celebrations, Brown was scheduled to perform at the Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey and at the B. B. King Blues Club in New York, in addition to performing a song live on CNN for the Anderson Cooper New Year's Eve special.[75] However, Brown remained hospitalized, and his medical condition worsened throughout that day.
On Christmas Day, Brown died at approximately 1:45 AM EST (06:45 UTC) from congestive heart failure resulting from complications of pneumonia, with his agent Frank Copsidas and his friend Paul Sargent at his bedside.[76] According to Sargent, Brown stuttered "I'm going away tonight", and then Brown took three long, quiet breaths and fell asleep before dying.[6]
Memorial services[link]
After Brown's death on Christmas Day, Brown's relatives and friends, a host of celebrities and thousands of fans attended public memorial services at the Apollo Theater in New York on December 28, 2006 and at the James Brown Arena on December 30, 2006 in Augusta, Georgia.[56] A separate, private memorial service was also held in North Augusta, South Carolina on December 29, 2006,[5] which was attended by Brown's family and close friends. Celebrities who attended Brown's public and/or private memorial services included Michael Jackson, Jimmy Cliff, Joe Frazier, Buddy Guy, Ice Cube, Ludacris, Dr. Dre, Little Richard, Dick Gregory, MC Hammer, Prince, Jesse Jackson, Ice-T, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bootsy Collins, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, Lenny Kravitz, 50 Cent, Stevie Wonder, and Don King, among others.[77][78][79][80] All of the public and private memorial services were officiated by Rev. Al Sharpton.[81][82]
Brown's public and private memorial ceremonies were elaborate, complete with costume changes for Brown and videos featuring him in concert performances. Brown's body, which was placed in a Promethean casket, which is bronze polished to a golden shine, was driven through the streets of New York to the Apollo Theater in a white, glass-encased horse-drawn carriage.[83][84] In Augusta, Georgia, the procession for Brown's public memorial visited Brown's statue as the procession made its way to the James Brown Arena. During the public memorial at the James Brown Arena, nachos and pretzels were served to mourners, as a video showed Brown's last performance in Augusta, Georgia and the Ray Charles version of "Georgia On My Mind" played soulfully in the background.[85][86][87] Brown's last backup band, The Soul Generals, also played the music of Brown's hits during the memorial service at the James Brown Arena. The group was joined by Bootsy Collins on bass, with MC Hammer performing a dance in James Brown style.[88] Former Temptations lead singer Ali-Ollie Woodson performed "Walk Around Heaven All Day" at the memorial services.[89]
Last will and testament[link]
James Brown signed his last will and testament on August 1, 2000, before Strom Thurmond, Jr., an attorney for Brown's estate.[90] The irrevocable trust, separate and apart from Brown's will, was created on Brown's behalf in 2000 by his attorney, Albert "Buddy" Dallas, who was named as one of three personal representatives of Brown's estate. Brown's will covered the disposition of his personal assets, such as clothing, cars and jewelry, while Brown's irrevocable trust covered the disposition of music rights, business assets of James Brown Enterprises and Brown's Beech Island estate in South Carolina.[91]
During the reading of Brown's will on January 11, 2007, Thurmond revealed that Brown's six adult living children (Terry Brown, Larry Brown, Daryl Brown, Yamma Brown Lumar, Deanna Brown Thomas and Venisha Brown) were named in the will. Hynie and James II were not mentioned in the will as parties who could inherit Brown's property.[90][92] Brown's will was signed ten months before James II was born and more than a year before Brown's marriage to Tomi Rae Hynie. Like Brown's will, his irrevocable trust also did not mention Hynie and James II as recipients of Brown's property. The irrevocable trust was established before, and had not been amended since, the birth of James II.[93]
On January 24, 2007, Brown's children filed a lawsuit against the personal representatives of Brown's estate. In their petition, Brown's children asked the court to remove the personal representatives of Brown's estate (including Brown's attorney and estate's trustee, Albert "Buddy" Dallas) and appoint a special administrator because of perceived impropriety and alleged mismanagement of Brown's assets.[94][95] To challenge the validity of the will and irrevocable trust, Hynie also filed a lawsuit against Brown's estate on January 31, 2007. In her lawsuit against Brown's estate, Hynie asked the court to recognize her as Brown's widow, and she also asked the court to appoint a special administrator for the estate.[96]
Burial at temporary site[link]
After the public and private memorial services in late December 2006, James Brown's body remained in his casket for a time in a temperature-controlled room at his estate. Brown's casket was later moved to an undisclosed location, while his children and Tomi Rae Hynie became embroiled in disputes about Brown's final resting place and matters related to probating his will.[97] More than ten weeks after Brown's death and the public and private memorial services, Brown's children and Hynie decided on a temporary burial site for James Brown. Brown was buried on March 10, 2007 in a crypt at the home of Deanna Brown Thomas, one of Brown's daughters who also held a private ceremony for the temporary burial.[98] The private ceremony for the temporary burial, officiated by Al Sharpton, was attended by Brown's family and a host of friends.
According to Brown's family, Brown's body will remain buried at the temporary site while a public mausoleum is built for him and a decision has been made for Brown's final resting place.[98][99] To turn Brown's estate into a visitor attraction, Brown's family plans to consult with the family of Elvis Presley for guidance about converting the estate into an attraction similar to Graceland.[98][100]
Dallas, Brown's long time attorney and one of the trustees for Brown's estate, did not attend the private service for the temporary burial. He expressed his disapproval and disappointment with the temporary burial arrangement with the comment "Mr. Brown's not deserving of anyone's backyard." According to Dallas, the trustees for Brown's estate "had made arrangements for Brown to be laid to rest at no cost at a 'very prominent memorial garden in Augusta.'"[101]
Honors, awards and dedications[link]
James Brown received a variety of awards and honors throughout his lifetime and after his death. At one city, fans voted to honor Brown by naming a bridge after the entertainer. In 1993, the City Council of Steamboat Springs, Colorado conducted a poll of its residents to choose a new name for the bridge that crossed the Yampa River on Shield Drive. The winning name with 7,717 votes was "James Brown SoulCenter of the Universe Bridge". The bridge was officially dedicated in September 1993, and James Brown appeared at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the event.[102] Although a petition was started by a local group of ranchers to return the name of the bridge to "Stockbridge" for historical reasons, the ranchers backed off after citizens defeated their efforts because of the popularity of Brown's name. Brown returned to Steamboat Springs, Colorado on July 4, 2002 for an outdoor music festival, performing with other bands such as The String Cheese Incident.[103]
During his long career, James Brown received several prestigious music industry awards and honors. In 1983, Brown was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In addition, Brown was named as one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction dinner in New York on January 23, 1986. However, the members of his original vocal group, The Famous Flames, Bobby Byrd, Johnny Terry, Bobby Bennett, and Lloyd Stallworth, were not inducted.[104] However, on April 14th, 2012 The Famous Flames were automatically and retroactively inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame alongside James Brown,without the need for nomination and voting, under the premise that they should have been inducted with him back in 1986.[105][106] On February 25, 1992, Brown was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th annual Grammy Awards. Exactly a year later, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 4th annual Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Awards.[107] A ceremony was held for Brown on January 10, 1997 to honor him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[107]
On June 15, 2000, Brown was honored as an inductee for the New York Songwriters Hall of Fame. On August 6, 2002, James Brown was honored as the first BMI Urban Icon at the BMI Urban Awards. His BMI accolades include an impressive ten R&B Awards and six Pop Awards.[108] On November 14, 2006, Brown was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, and he was one of several inductees who performed at the ceremony.[109] In recognition of his accomplishments as an entertainer, Brown was a recipient of Kennedy Center Honors on December 7, 2003.[107] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked James Brown as #7 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[110] In an article for Rolling Stone, critic Robert Christgau cited Brown as "the greatest musician of the rock era".[111]
Brown was also honored in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia for his philanthropy and civic activities. On November 20, 1993, Mayor Charles DeVaney of Augusta held a ceremony to dedicate a section of 9th Street between Broad and Twiggs Streets, renamed "James Brown Boulevard", in the entertainer's honor.[107] On May 6, 2005, as a 72nd birthday present for Brown, the city of Augusta unveiled a life-sized bronze James Brown statue on Broad Street.[107] The statue was to have been dedicated a year earlier, but the ceremony was put on hold because of a domestic abuse charge that Brown faced at the time.[112] In 2005, Charles "Champ" Walker and the We Feel Good Committee went before the County commission and received approval to change Augusta's slogan to "We Feel Good". Afterwards, Official renamed the city's civic center the James Brown Arena, and James Brown attended a ceremony for the unveiling of the namesake center on October 15, 2006.[107]
On December 30, 2006, during the public memorial service at the James Brown Arena, Dr. Shirley A.R. Lewis, president of Paine College, a historically black college in Augusta, Georgia, bestowed posthumously upon Brown an honorary doctorate in recognition and honor of his many contributions to the school in its times of need. Brown was scheduled originally to receive the honorary doctorate from Paine College during its May 2007 commencement.[113][114]
During the 49th Annual Grammy Awards presentation held on February 11, 2007, James Brown's famous cape was draped over a microphone at the end of a montage by Danny Ray (his M.C. for over 30 years), in honor of notable persons in the music industry, including Brown, who died during the previous year. Earlier that evening, Christina Aguilera delivered an impassioned performance of one of Brown's hits, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" followed by a standing ovation, while Chris Brown performed a dance routine in honor of James Brown.[115]
Tributes[link]
As a tribute to James Brown, the Rolling Stones covered the song, "I'll Go Crazy" from Brown's Live at the Apollo album, during its 2007 European tour. On September 12, 2007, barely nine months after James Brown's death, Bobby Byrd, the original leader and founder of The Famous Flames vocal group along with Brown, died of cancer at 73 years old.[116] Jimmy Page has remarked, "He [James Brown] was almost a musical genre in his own right and he changed and moved forward the whole time so people were able to learn from him."[117]
On December 22, 2007, the first annual "Tribute Fit For the King of King Records" in honor of James Brown was held at the Madison Theater in Covington, Kentucky. The tribute, organized by Bootsy Collins, featured appearances by Afrika Bambaataa, Chuck D of Public Enemy, The Soul Generals, Buckethead, Freekbass, Triage and many of Brown's surviving family members. Comedian Michael Coyer was the MC for the event. During the show, the mayor of Cincinnati proclaimed December 22 as James Brown Day.[118] It has been said[by whom?] that a biographical film is in the works about Brown; Spike Lee has signed on to direct, with Brian Grazer producing and Jez and John-Henry Butterworth writing the script. Usher and Fergie are interested in being in the project.[citation needed]
Discography[link]
For an extended list of albums, compilations and charting singles, see James Brown discography.
Notable albums[link]
Four of James Brown's albums appeared on the Rolling Stone Magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time:[119]
- Live at the Apollo (1963) (#24)
- In the Jungle Groove (1986) (#330)
- Star Time (1991) (#79)
- 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! (1991) (#414)
In addition, Brown's 1970 double album Sex Machine was ranked 96th in a 2005 survey held by British television station Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.[120] Other notable albums, originally released as double LP records, feature extensive playing by The J.B.'s and served as prolific sources of samples for later musical artists, including:
- Get On the Good Foot (1972)
- The Payback (1974)
- Hell (1974)
The 1968 Live at the Apollo, Vol. II double LP album was notably influential on musicians at the time of its release. This classic album remains an example of Brown's energetic live performances and audience interaction, as well as providing a means of documenting the metamorphosis of his music from the R&B and soul styles into hard funk.
Notable singles[link]
Until the early 1970s, Brown was famous mostly for his road show and singles, rather than his albums (with his live LPs as a major exception). Six of his hit singles appeared on the Rolling Stone Magazine's 2004 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time:[121]
- "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (1965) (#72)
- "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965) (#78)
- "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (1966) (#123)
- "Please, Please, Please" (1956) (#142)
- "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" (1968) (#305)
- "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" (1970) (#326)
Complete singles reissue[link]
In 2006, Hip-O Select Records began a multi-volume reissue of James Brown's complete singles (both A-sides and B-sides) on CD. Eleven volumes have been released, covering the periods 1956–1960, 1960–1963, 1964–1965, 1966–1967, 1967–1969, 1969–1970, 1970–1972, 1972–1973, 1973–1975, 1975–1979, and 1979–1981.
Filmography[link]
- The T.A.M.I. Show (1964) (documentary)
- Ski Party (1965)
- The Phynx (1970)
- Black Caesar (1973) (soundtrack only)
- Slaughter's Big Ripoff (1974) (soundtrack only)
- The Blues Brothers (1980)
- Doctor Detroit (1983)
- Rocky IV (1985)
- When We Were Kings (1996) (documentary)
- Soulmates (1997)
- Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
- portrayed by Carlton Smith in Liberty Heights (1999)
- Holy Man (1998)
- Undercover Brother (2002)
- The Tuxedo (2002)
- The Hire: Beat The Devil (2002) (short film)
- Paper Chasers (2003) (documentary)
- Sid Bernstein Presents... (2005) (documentary)
- Glastonbury (2006) (documentary)
- Life on the Road with Mr. and Mrs. Brown (2007) (documentary; release pending)
- I Got The Feelin': James Brown in the '60s (three-DVD set featuring the film The Night James Brown Saved Boston, Live at the Boston Garden 1968 and Live at the Apollo '68
- Soul Power (2009) (documentary)
In other media[link]
Games[link]
- In the video game World of Warcraft, the first boss character of the Forge of Souls level is Brohnjahm, "the Godfather of Souls". His quotes during the fight are musical references, and he has a chance of dropping an item called "Papa's Brand New Bag".[122]
- In The Godfather 2 video game, Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" plays behind the end credits.
- A different version of "I Got You (I Feel Good)", recorded in 1974, is playable in the rhythm video game Rock Band 3. In addition, "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine (Pt. 1)" is available for download across the series, while "Super Bad (Pts. 1 & 2)" was released later, only for the third game.
- In the Worms Armaggedon and Worms World Party video games, many of James Brown's song titles are used in the "Soul Man" custom voice setting like "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" or "Like a Sex Machine", clear references to James Brown.
References[link]
- Footnotes
- ^ a b c James Brown. (1998). Notable Black American Men. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale (Document no. K1622000047). Retrieved January 12, 2007 from the Biography Resource Center database.
- ^ Popkin, Helen A.S. (December 30, 2006). "Remembering the Godfather of Soul". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16353627/. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
- ^ Lynn, Loretta. "James Brown: The Godfather of Soul (9781560253884): James Brown, Al Sharpton, Bruce Tucker: Books". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1560253886. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
- ^ "Hardworking Godfather of Soul". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/25/AR2006122500049.html.
- ^ a b c d May the works I have done speak for me ... James Brown.[dead link] (December 29, 2006). Carpentersville Baptist Church, North Augusta, SC (obituary program for the Brown family's private memorial service). Retrieved January 10, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing).
- ^ a b James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," dies at 73. (2006, December 25). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved January 5, 2007.
- ^ Wiegand, D. (December 26, 2006). James Brown: 1928–2006 – Godfather of soul changed music at frenetic pace. The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
- ^ a b Collins, W. (January 29, 2002). James Brown. St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Hirshey, G. Funk's founding father. (2007, January 10). Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
- ^ Whitburn, J. (2000). Top Pop Singles: 1955–1999, 900. Menonite Falls, WI: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-140-3.
- ^ James Brown band to resume touring soon. (2006, December 29). MSNBC. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
- ^ White, C. & Weinger, H. Are You Ready for Star Time? Star Time, J. Brown. (1991) Liner notes, 31. Polydor.
- ^ George, N. (1988). The Death of Rhythm and Blues, 101. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-452-26697-1.
- ^ Guralnick, P. (1986). Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom, 240. New York: Back Bay Books. ISBN 0-452-26697-1.
- ^ Jonathan Lethem (December 24, 2010). "Being James Brown: Rolling Stone's 2006 Story". Rolling Stone Magazine. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/being-james-brown-rolling-stones-2006-cover-story-20101224. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Contact Music (2004). "James Brown — James Brown's Indian Heritage". Contact Music. http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/james%20brown.s%20indian%20heritage. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Gourevitch, Philip (July 29, 2002). "Mr. Brown: On the road with his bad self". The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2002/07/29/020729fa_fact_gourevitch. Retrieved January 12, 2007. "He met his biological father once, who gave Brown a harmonica. His biological father worked on the railroad in Ridgeland, Kansas." (Subscription required)
- ^ a b c d e Smith, W. (December 26, 2006). James Brown, the undeniable Godfather of Soul" dead at 73. The New York Beacon. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
- ^ Page, C. (December 27, 2006). His adopted son, Jon White, of Memphis, Tennessee, says his Dad has come a long way since those dark days of his youth. "I asked my Dad how he felt after his 11th rehab visit, and J.B. stated.... "Whoa, I feel good, I knew that I would now...I feel nice, like sugar and spice.... so good, so good, I got you!"... I suggested he make it a song." Godfather of soul, and of our goal. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 28, 2007.
- ^ Kowalski, E. (2006, December 25). "Godfather of soul, James Brown, dead at 73", Voice of America. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
- ^ Brown, J. & Eliot, M. (introduction). (2005). I Feel Good: A Memoir of a Life Soul. New York: New American Library. ISBN 0-451-21393-9.
- ^ Obituary: James Brown. (2006, December 25). BBC News. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ a b Burnett, B. (2006, December 21). James Brown: Audience with the Godfather (interview). The Hour. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ White, Charles. (2003). The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography. Omnibus Press. P. 231.
- ^ 1986 Inductees: Little Richard, performer. (2005). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. Retrieved October 28, 2006.
- ^ Merlis, Bob; Seay, Davin; James, Etta (1997), p. foreword. Heart and Soul – A Celebration of Black Music Style inAmerica 1930–1975. Stewart Tabori & Chang.
- ^ White, Cliff (1991). Discography. In Star Time (p. 55) [CD liner notes]. London: Polydor Records.
- ^ List of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States)#1948
- ^ 1986 Inductees: James Brown, performer. (2005). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ Nat Kendrick & The Swans. Henry Stone Music, Inc. Retrieved January 28, 2007.
- ^ Guralnick, P. (1986). Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom, 235. New York: Back Bay Books. ISBN 0-452-26697-1.
- ^ James Brown. The History of Rock 'n' Roll: The Golden Decade 1954–1963. Retrieved February 25, 2007.
- ^ James Brown: Biography. (2006). All Media Guide. Retrieved November 22, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e James Brown interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969).
- ^ George, N. (1988). The Death of Rhythm & Blues, 101. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-394-55238-5.
- ^ Vincent, R. & Clinton, G. (1996). Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One, 123. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-13499-1.
- ^ Slutsky, Allan, Chuck Silverman (1997). The Funkmasters-the Great James Brown Rhythm Sections. ISBN-10: 1576234436
- ^ Stewart, Alexander (2000: 306). "Funky Drummer: New Orleans, James Brown and the Rhythmic Transformation of American Popular Music." Popular Music, v. 19, n. 3. Oct., 2000), p. 293-318.
- ^ Stewart (2000: 306).
- ^ "James Brown's Sample-Based Music and Cover Songs". WhoSampled. http://www.whosampled.com/artist/James%20Brown/. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ Most sampled songs and Most sampled artists. The-Breaks.com. Retrieved December 30, 2006.
- ^ "James Brown – Soul Survivor | American Masters". PBS. October 29, 2003. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/james-brown/soul-survivor/532/. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ The Whole Note: Under the Radar in '06. (2006). All Media Guide. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ Liner notes – Kurtis Blow presents: The History of Rap, Vol. 1. Rhino Records. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ Beat the Devil. (2002). Internet Movie Database Inc. (IMDb). Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ Full cast and crew for The Tuxedo. (2002). Internet Movie Database Inc. (IMDb). Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ a b Gross, T. (2005, February 22). James Brown (Fresh Air WHYY-FM audio interview). National Public Radio. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
- ^ Guralnick, 231.
- ^ Page, C. (January 2, 2007). Godfather's soul transcended racial, musical barriers. The Record. Retrieved June 17, 2007.
- ^ Loverro, T. (December 28, 2006). Soul Brother had sports roots. The Washington Times. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
- ^ Tangari, J. (2007, January 3). James Brown, 1928–2006. Pitchforkmedia, Inc. Retrieved January 21, 2007.
- ^ Gross, T. (1989). Musician Maceo Parker (Fresh Air WHYY-FM audio interview). National Public Radio. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
- ^ Gottschild, B.D. (2000, August). James Brown: Godfather of dance. Dance Magazine, 74(8), p. 54 (Document no. A63735725). Retrieved January 11, 2007 from the Biography Resource Center database.
- ^ a b c d e The Night James Brown Saved Boston. VH1 rockDocs.
- ^ "Singer James Brown prostate cancer surgery successful". (December 16, 2004). Medical News Today. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
- ^ a b c A Home coming celebration for Augusta's own native son: James Brown. (2006, December 30). The James Arena, Augusta, Georgia (obituary program for the public memorial service of James Brown). Retrieved January 12, 2007 (Microsoft PowerPoint viewer/program required for viewing)
- ^ Goodman, Brenda (November 8, 2007). ""Keeping Track of James Brown and The Big Payback" Brenda Goodman, Nov. 8, 2007". Thelede.blogs.nytimes.com. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/keeping-track-of-james-brown-and-the-big-payback/. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
- ^ Stritof, S. & Stritof, B. (2006). The marriages of James Brown. About.com: Marriage. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ Elsworth, C. (August 22, 2007) James Brown's secret children emerge. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
- ^ a b Martin, J. (January 4, 2007). Tomi Rae defends her relationship with James Brown. WRDW-TV (Augusta, Georgia). Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ Gardner,L. (December 26, 2006). Tomi Rae Hynie: "It's a blatant lie". WRDW-TV (Augusta, Georgia). Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ a b Anderson, V. (January 5, 2007). Probate hearing may determine whether Hynie is James Brown's widow. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ Singer James Brown files for annulment. Jet Magazine, 105(8), p. 18. Retrieved January 11, 2007 from the Biography Resource Center database.
- ^ Brown widow: I've been locked out. (2006). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ Public announcement of annulment in Variety Magazine. (July 22, 2003). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ Stritof, S. & Stritof, B. (2007). James Brown and Tomi Rae Hynie timeline: The puzzle of a complicated marriage relationship. About.com: Marriage. Retrieved January 14, 2002.
- ^ "Brown wanted paternity test". The Herald Sun (Australia). January 8, 2007. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21026466-5006024,00.html. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ "James Brown's partner selects guardian". The Washington Post. April 4, 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040400490.html. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
- ^ In the Matter of James Joseph Brown, File No. SV-44B-3846. (1989). Criminal Investigative Division, Civil Rights Unit. U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved on June 3, 2007 (Abobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing).
- ^ Stephens, J. (April 3, 2007). FBI file recounts James Brown's side Of '88 police chase. The Washington Post. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
- ^ Aiken County Sheriff's Office Incident Report, Case No. 0000030719. (July 3, 2000). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ South Carolina pardons James Brown for past crimes. (June 9, 2003). Jet Magazine, 36. Retrieved January 14, 2007 from the Lexis-Nexis Academic database.
- ^ James Brown pleads to domestic violence. (2004). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ "James Brown rape case dismissed.". BBC News. April 3, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6520959.stm. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
- ^ a b James Brown hospitalized with pneumonia. (December 24, 2006). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ Soul "godfather" James Brown dies. (December 25, 2006). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ Old friend and original Famous Flames founder Bobby Byrd was also present. Mourners pay respects to James Brown at Apollo Theater public viewing. (December 28, 2006). Fox News. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
- ^ Private ceremony held Friday for friends and family of James Brown. (December 29, 2006). Fox News. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
- ^ Michael Jackson attends James Brown funeral. (2006, December 30). Access Hollywood. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- ^ Anderson, V. (2006, December 30). Michael Jackson, McCartney had private viewing. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
- ^ James Brown eulogized for impact on word: Family and friends attend a private South Carolina ceremony for the "Godfather of Soul". (2006, December 29). CBS News: The Show Buzz. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
- ^ NYC & Ga. farewell for Godfather of Soul: Funeral procession and wake in Harlem; funeral in Georgia. (2006, December 28). CBS News: The Show Buzz. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
- ^ Christensen, J. (2006, December 28). Picture of horse drawn carriage carrying James Brown's body in gold casket to the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- ^ Altaffer, M. (2006, December 28). Picture of pallbearers carrying James Brown's casket to Apollo Theater memorial service. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- ^ Mourners pay respects to James Brown at Apollo Theater public viewing. (2006, December 28). Fox News. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
- ^ Private ceremony held Friday for friends and family of James Brown. (2006, December 29). Fox News. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
- ^ Farewell tour to James Brown ends with hometown memorial. (2006, December 30). Fox News. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- ^ Barnett, R. (2006, December 30). Farewell tour to James Brown ends. USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
- ^ Wynn, M. & Edwards, J. (December 31, 2006). [1] Article "Hardest Work Is Done, Publication: Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved February 1, 2009.
- ^ a b James Brown Jr. not included in will. WRDW-TV News (Augusta, Georgia). Retrieved January 12, 2007.
- ^ James Brown's road to wealth was rocky: Financial turmoil part of "Godfather" legend. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- ^ James Brown's widow "not in will". BBC News (UK). Retrieved January 12, 2007.
- ^ Finn, N. (2007, January 18). James Brown's estate wills more drama. E!News. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- ^ James Brown's children request trustees be removed. (2007, January 26). Star Pulse. Retrieved January 28, 2007.
- ^ Emergency petition for termination of appointment and removal of personal representatives and for emergency order restraining all personal representatives. In the matter of James Brown, a/k/a James Joseph Brown. Case/Estate No. 2007-ES02-0056 (S.C. Probate Ct., filed January 24, 2007). Retrieved January 28, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing).
- ^ Emergency petition for appointment of special administrator. In re estate of James Brown a/k/a James Joseph Brown, deceased, Case No. 2007-CP-02-0122 (S.C. Cir. Ct., filed January 31, 2007). FindLaw. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- ^ Deal reached on James Brown's burial place: Judge appoints administrator to oversee "Godfather of Soul's" property and trust. (2007, February 20). CBS News: The Show Buzz. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
- ^ a b c Grossberg, J. (2007, March 13). Brown laid to rest (finally). E! Online. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
- ^ James Brown laid to rest in temporary tomb. (2007, March 10). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
- ^ Godfather of Soul's body moved from home. CBC (Iraq). Retrieved January 21, 2007.
- ^ Goggins, K.A. (2007, March 11). James Brown placed in daughter's crypt, for now. The Washington Post, p. D03. Retrieved March 14, 2007.
- ^ Crowl, D. (2002, June 29). The godfather's bridge: James Brown snatched a piece of steamboat history nine years ago. Steamboat Pilot & Today. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
- ^ The String Cheese Independence Incident returns to Steamboat: Earl Scruggs and Family and Friends, Yonder Mountain String Band, James Brown & Corey Harris round out music acts. (2002, June 26). Steamboat Ski Two, U.S.A. Retrieved January 29, 2007.
- ^ "The Famous Flames". Future Rock Legends. http://www.futurerocklegends.com/artist.php?artist_id=The_Famous_Flames. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
- ^ "The Famous Flames Biography | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. http://rockhall.com/inductees/the-famous-flames/bio/. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
- ^ Redferns. "The Famous Flames: James Brown was their leader, but they were R&B legends, too (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2012)". cleveland.com. http://www.cleveland.com/rockhall/index.ssf/2012/04/the_famous_flames_james_brown.html. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
- ^ a b c d e f The James Brown review. (2006, December 30). The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
- ^ "BMI Celebrates Urban Music at 2002 Awards Ceremony". bmi.com. http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233151. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
- ^ UK Music Hall of Fame 2006. (2006, March 11). Endemol UK Plc. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
- ^ Rubin, R. (2004, April 15). The Immortals: The first fifty – 7) James Brown. Rolling Stone Magazine (issue 946). Retrieved January 10, 2007.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. The Genius: James Brown. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on June 17, 2010.
- ^ James Brown's legal troubles delay statue unveiling. (2004, May 1). The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved January 14, 2007 from the Lexis-Nexis Academic database.
- ^ Remembering James Brown: Augusta memorial memorable. WKBF-TV (Augusta, Georgia). Retrieved January 10, 2007.
- ^ James Brown receives posthumous degree. (2007, January 2). Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
- ^ Hasty, J. (2007, February 12). Grammy performances look forward and back. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2007.
- ^ Rolling Stones show they are still greatest rock band. (2007, August 22). The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 24, 2007.
- ^ Ross Bennett. Jimmy Page: "The Records That Changed My Life!" #10. Mojo. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
- ^ Tunis, W. (2007, December 21). Feel good again: Show to pay tribute to the Godfather of Soul, a year after his death. Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved December 23, 2005.
- ^ The RS 500 greatest albums of all time. (2003, November). Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
- ^ The 100 greatest albums: Results. Channel 4 (UK). Retrieved January 30, 2007.
- ^ The RS 500 greatest songs of all time. (2004, November). Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
- ^ "Bronjahm – NPC – World of Warcraft". Wowhead.com. http://www.wowhead.com/npc=36497/bronjahm. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
- Other references
- Sussman, M. (producer). (2006, December 25). Arts: Soul classics by James Brown (multimedia presentation). The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- Slide show: James Brown through the years. (2006, December 25). The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- Lethem, J. (2006, June 12). Being James Brown. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 14, 2007.
- Rolling Stone Magazine audio interview with Jonathan Lethem about James Brown and his music. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- Sullivan, James (2008). The Hardest Working Man: How James Brown Saved the Soul of America. New York: Gotham Books. ISBN 978-1-59240-390-5. http://www.amazon.com/Hardest-Working-Man-James-America/dp/1592403905/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qisbn=1224096080&sr=1-2.
External links[link]
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Book: James Brown |
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: James Brown |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: James Brown |
- James Brown at Find-a-Grave
- Celebrities share memories of James Brown
- Profile of James Brown at Soul Evolution
- The Times Obituary for James Brown
- James Brown at the Internet Movie Database
- James Brown discography at MusicBrainz
- James Brown at Allmusic
- James Brown at the Open Directory Project
- James Brown, 1928–2006. News and multimedia archive from The Augusta Chronicle
- James Brown's Musicians Reflect On His Legacy – article from Down Beat Magazine
- Biography: James Brown and the Black Arts movement of the 1960s and 1970s (biography at Funky-Stuff.com).
- James Brown biography and concert review in cosmopolis.ch
- RBMA Radio On Demand – Across 135th Street – Volume 7 – Tribute to James Brown – Chairman Mao (RBMA, Egotrip)
- 1980 Interview with James Brown and the Rev. Al Sharpton by Jon Alpert on Democracy Now!
- James Brown concert and interviews on NPR Music
- James Brown radiostream
- James Brown funeral program Digital Library of Georgia
- The James Brown SuperFan Club
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Brown, James Joseph, Jr. |
| Alternative names | Godfather of Soul |
| Short description | Singer, songwriter, record producer, dope dealer |
| Date of birth | May 3, 1928 |
| Place of birth | Barnwell, South Carolina, United States |
| Date of death | December 25, 2006 |
| Place of death | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (12 October 1935 – 6 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor, who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, and established himself as one of the finest tenors of the 20th century.[1] He was one of The Three Tenors and became well known for his televised concerts and media appearances. Pavarotti was also noted for his charity work on behalf of refugees and the Red Cross, amongst others.
Pavarotti began his professional career as a tenor in 1961 in Italy. That same year, he made his first international appearance in La traviata in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.[2] He sang in opera houses in addition to Italy, in the Netherlands, Vienna, London, Ankara, Budapest and Barcelona. The young tenor earned valuable experience and recognition while touring Australia at the invitation of soprano Joan Sutherland in 1965. He made his United States debut in Miami soon afterwards, also on Sutherland's recommendation. His position as a leading lyric tenor was consolidated in the years between 1966 and 1972, during which time he first appeared at Milan's La Scala and other major European houses. In 1968, he debuted at New York City's Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème. At the Met in 1972, in the role of Tonio in Donizetti's La fille du régiment he earned the title "King of the high Cs" when he sang the aria "Ah mes amis ... pour mon âme". He gained worldwide fame for the brilliance and beauty of his tone, especially into the upper register.[3] He was at his best in bel canto operas, pre-Aida Verdi roles and Puccini works such as La bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. The late 1970s and 1980s saw Pavarotti continue to make significant appearances in the world's foremost opera houses.
Celebrity beyond the world of opera came to Pavarotti at the 1990 World Cup in Italy with performances of Puccini's "Nessun dorma", sample (help·info) from Turandot, and as one of The Three Tenors in their famed first concert held on the eve of the tournament's final match. He sang on that occasion with fellow star tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras, bringing opera highlights to a wider audience. Appearances in advertisements and with pop icons in concerts furthered his international celebrity.
His final performance in an opera was at the Metropolitan Opera in March 2004. Later that year, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) inducted him into its Italian American Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifetime of work. During a ceremony held at the Foundation's Anniversary Gala just four days after his 69th birthday, singer Faith Hill presented Pavarotti with a birthday cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to the opera legend.
The 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, saw Pavarotti on stage for the last time, where he performed "Nessun dorma", with the crowd serving as the aria's chorus, and he received a thunderous standing ovation.[4]
He died from pancreatic cancer on 6 September 2007.
Contents |
Earlier life and musical training[link]
Luciano Pavarotti was born in 1935 on the outskirts of Modena in Northern Italy, the son of Fernando Pavarotti, a baker and amateur tenor, and Adele Venturi, a cigar factory worker.[5] Although he spoke fondly of his childhood, the family had little money; its four members were crowded into a two-room apartment. According to Pavarotti, his father had a fine tenor voice but rejected the possibility of a singing career because of nervousness. World War II forced the family out of the city in 1943. For the following year they rented a single room from a farmer in the neighbouring countryside, where the young Pavarotti developed an interest in farming.
After abandoning the dream of becoming a football goalkeeper, Pavarotti spent seven years in vocal training. Pavarotti's earliest musical influences were his father's recordings, most of them featuring the popular tenors of the day - Beniamino Gigli, Giovanni Martinelli, Tito Schipa and Enrico Caruso. Pavarotti's favourite tenor and idol was Giuseppe Di Stefano.[6] He was also deeply influenced by Mario Lanza, saying, "In my teens I used to go to Mario Lanza movies and then come home and imitate him in the mirror".[7] At around the age of nine he began singing with his father in a small local church choir.
After what appears to have been a normal childhood with a typical interest in sports — in Pavarotti's case football above all, he graduated from the Scuola Magistrale and faced the dilemma of a career choice. He was interested in pursuing a career as a professional football goalkeeper, but his mother convinced him to train as a teacher. He subsequently taught in an elementary school for two years but finally allowed his interest in music to win out. Recognising the risk involved, his father gave his consent only reluctantly.
Pavarotti began the serious study of music in 1954 at the age of 19 with Arrigo Pola, a respected teacher and professional tenor in Modena who offered to teach him without remuneration. Not until he began these studies was Pavarotti aware that he had perfect pitch.[citation needed]
In 1955, he experienced his first singing success when he was a member of the Corale Rossini, a male voice choir from Modena that also included his father, which won first prize at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. He later said that this was the most important experience of his life, and that it inspired him to become a professional singer.[8] At about this time Pavarotti first met Adua Veroni. They married in 1961.
When his teacher Arrigo Pola moved to Japan, Pavarotti became a student of Ettore Campogalliani, who at that time was also teaching Pavarotti's childhood friend, Mirella Freni, whose mother worked with Luciano's mother in the cigar factory. Like Pavarotti, Freni was destined to operatic greatness; they were to share the stage many times and make memorable recordings together.
During his years of musical study, Pavarotti held part time jobs in order to sustain himself – first as an elementary school teacher and then as an insurance salesman. The first six years of study resulted in only a few recitals, all in small towns and without pay. When a nodule developed on his vocal cords, causing a "disastrous" concert in Ferrara, he decided to give up singing. Pavarotti attributed his immediate improvement to the psychological release connected with this decision. Whatever the reason, the nodule not only disappeared but, as he related in his autobiography, "Everything I had learned came together with my natural voice to make the sound I had been struggling so hard to achieve".
Career[link]
1960s–1970s[link]
Pavarotti began his career as a tenor in smaller regional Italian opera houses, making his debut as Rodolfo in La Bohème at the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia in April 1961.
Very early in his career, on 23 February 1963, he debuted at the Vienna State Opera with the same role. In March and April 1963 Vienna saw Pavarotti again as Rodolfo and as Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto. The same year saw his Royal Opera House debut, where he replaced an indisposed Giuseppe di Stefano as Rodolfo.[9]
While generally successful, Pavarotti's early roles did not immediately propel him into the stardom that he would later enjoy. An early coup involved his connection with Joan Sutherland (and her conductor husband, Richard Bonynge), who in 1963 had sought a young tenor taller than herself to take along on her tour to Australia.[10] With his commanding physical presence, Pavarotti proved ideal.[11] The two sang some forty performances over two months, and Pavarotti later credited Sutherland for the breathing technique that would sustain him over his career.[12]
Pavarotti made his American début with the Greater Miami Opera in February 1965, singing in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor opposite Joan Sutherland on the stage of the Miami-Dade County Auditorium in Miami. The tenor scheduled to perform that night became ill with no understudy. As Sutherland was traveling with him on tour, she recommended the young Pavarotti as he was well acquainted with the role.
Shortly after, on 28 April, Pavarotti made his La Scala debut in the revival of the famous Franco Zeffirelli production of La Bohème, with his childhood friend Mirella Freni singing Mimi and Herbert von Karajan conducting. Karajan had requested the singer's engagement. After an extended Australian tour, he returned to La Scala, where he added Tebaldo from I Capuleti e i Montecchi to his repertoire on 26 March 1966, with Giacomo Aragall as Romeo. His first appearance as Tonio in Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment took place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 2 June of that year. It was his performances of this role that would earn him the title of "King of the High Cs".
He scored another major triumph in Rome on 20 November 1969 when he sang in I Lombardi opposite Renata Scotto. This was recorded on a private label and widely distributed, as were various recordings of his I Capuleti e i Montecchi, usually with Aragall. Early commercial recordings included a recital of Donizetti (the aria from Don Sebastiano were particularly highly regarded) and Verdi arias, as well as a complete L'Elisir d'Amore with Sutherland.
His major breakthrough in the United States came on 17 February 1972, in a production of La Fille du Régiment at New York's Metropolitan Opera, in which he drove the crowd into a frenzy with his nine effortless high Cs in the signature aria. He achieved a record seventeen curtain calls.
Pavarotti sang his international recital début at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, on 1 February 1973, as part of the college's Fine Arts Program, now known as the Harriman-Jewell Series. Perspiring due to nerves and a lingering cold, the tenor clutched a handkerchief throughout the début. The prop became a signature part of his solo performances.
He began to give frequent television performances, starting with his performances as Rodolfo (La Bohème) in the first Live from the Met telecast in March 1977, which attracted one of the largest audiences ever for a televised opera. He won many Grammy awards and platinum and gold discs for his performances. In addition to the previously listed titles, his La Favorita with Fiorenza Cossotto and his I Puritani (1975) with Sutherland stand out.
In 1976, Pavarotti debuted at the Salzburg Festival, appearing in a solo recital on 31 July, accompanied by pianist Leone Magiera. Pavarotti returned to the festival in 1978 with a recital and as the Italian singer in Der Rosenkavalier in 1983 with Idomeneo, and both in 1985 and 1988 with solo recitals.
In 1979, he was profiled in a cover story in the weekly magazine Time.[13] That same year saw Pavarotti's return to the Vienna State Opera after an absence of fourteen years. With Herbert von Karajan conducting, Pavarotti sang Manrico in Il Trovatore. In 1978, he appeared in a solo recital on Live from Lincoln Center.
1980s–1990s[link]
At the beginning of the 1980s, he set up The Pavarotti International Voice Competition for young singers, performing with the winners in 1982 in excerpts of La Bohème and L'Elisir d'Amore. The second competition, in 1986, staged excerpts of La Bohème and Un Ballo in Maschera. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of his career, he brought the winners of the competition to Italy for gala performances of La Bohème in Modena and Genoa, and then to China where they staged performances of La Bohème in Beijing (Peking). To conclude the visit, Pavarotti performed the first ever concert in the Great Hall of the People before 10,000 people, receiving a standing ovation for nine effortless high Cs. The third competition in 1989 again staged performances of L'Elisir d'Amore and Un ballo in Maschera. The winners of the fifth competition accompanied Pavarotti in performances in Philadelphia in 1997.
In the mid-1980s, Pavarotti returned to two opera houses that had provided him with important breakthroughs, the Vienna State Opera and La Scala. Vienna saw Pavarotti as Rodolfo in La Bohème with Carlos Kleiber conducting and again Mirella Freni was Mimi; as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore; as Radames in Aïda conducted by Lorin Maazel; as Rodolfo in Luisa Miller; and as Gustavo in Un Ballo in Maschera conducted by Claudio Abbado. In 1996, Pavarotti appeared for the last time at the Staatsoper in Andrea Chenier.
In 1985, Pavarotti sang Radames at La Scala opposite Maria Chiara in a Luca Ronconi production conducted by Maazel, recorded on video. His performance of the aria "Celeste Aïda" received a two-minute ovation on the opening night. He was reunited with Mirella Freni for the San Francisco Opera production of La Bohème in 1988, also recorded on video. In 1992, La Scala saw Pavarotti in a new Zeffirelli production of Don Carlo, conducted by Riccardo Muti. Pavarotti's performance was heavily criticized by some observers and booed by parts of the audience.
Pavarotti became even better known throughout the world in 1990 when his rendition of Giacomo Puccini's aria, "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot was taken as the theme song of BBC's TV coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. The aria achieved pop status and remained his trademark song. This was followed by the hugely successful Three Tenors concert, held on the eve of the World Cup final at the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome with fellow tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and conductor Zubin Mehta, which became the biggest selling classical record of all time. A highlight of the concert, in which Pavarotti hammed up a famous portion of di Capua's "O Sole Mio" and was mimicked by Domingo and Carreras to the delight of the audience, became one of the most memorable moments in contemporary operatic history. Throughout the 1990s, Pavarotti appeared in many well-attended outdoor concerts, including his televised concert in London's Hyde Park, which drew a record attendance of 150,000. In June 1993, more than 500,000 listeners gathered for his free performance on the Great Lawn of New York's Central Park, while millions more around the world watched on television. The following September, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, he sang for an estimated crowd of 300,000. Following on from the original 1990 concert, the Three Tenors concerts were held during the Football World Cups: in Los Angeles in 1994, in Paris in 1998, and in Yokohama in 2002.
In 1995, Pavarotti's friends, the singer Lara Saint Paul (as Lara Cariaggi) and her husband showman Pier Quinto Cariaggi, who had produced and organised Pavarotti's 1990 FIFA World Cup Celebration Concert at the PalaTrussardi in Milan,[14] produced and wrote the television documentary The Best is Yet to Come, an extensive biography about the life of Pavarotti.[15] Lara Saint Paul was the interviewer for the documentary with Pavarotti, who spoke candidly about his life and career.[16]
Pavarotti's rise to stardom was not without occasional difficulties, however. He earned a reputation as "The King of Cancellations" by frequently backing out of performances, and his unreliable nature led to poor relationships with some opera houses. This was brought into focus in 1989 when Ardis Krainik of the Lyric Opera of Chicago severed the house's 15-year relationship with the tenor.[17] Over an eight-year period, Pavarotti had cancelled 26 out of 41 scheduled appearances at the Lyric, and the decisive move by Krainik to ban him for life was well-noted throughout the opera world, after the performer walked away from a season premiere less than two weeks before rehearsals began, saying pain from a sciatic nerve required two months of treatment.
On 12 December 1998, he became the first (and, to date, only) opera singer to perform on Saturday Night Live, singing alongside Vanessa L. Williams. He also sang with U2, in the band's 1995 song "Miss Sarajevo", and with Mercedes Sosa in a big concert at the Boca Juniors arena La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1999.
In 1998, Pavarotti was presented with the Grammy Legend Award. Given only on special occasions, as of 2007 it has been awarded only 15 times since its first presentation in 1990.
2000s[link]
In 2004, one of Pavarotti's former managers, Herbert Breslin, published a book, The King & I.[17] Seen by many as bitter and sensationalistic, it is critical of the singer's acting (in opera), his inability to read music well and learn parts, and of his personal conduct, although acknowledging their mutual success. In an interview in 2005 with Jeremy Paxman on the BBC, Pavarotti rejected the allegation that he could not read music, although he acknowledged he did not read orchestral scores.
He received an enormous number of awards and honours, including Kennedy Center Honors in 2001. He also holds two Guinness World Records: one for receiving the most curtain calls (165)[18] and another for the best-selling classical album (In Concert by The Three Tenors). (The latter record is thus shared by fellow tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras.)
In late 2003, he released his final compilation - and his first and only "crossover" album, Ti Adoro. Most of the 13 songs were written and produced by the Michele Centonze who had already helped produce the "Pavarotti & Friends" concerts between 1998 and 2000.[19] The tenor described the album as a wedding gift to Nicoletta Mantovani.
Pavarotti began his farewell tour in 2004, at the age of 69, performing one last time in old and new locations, after more than four decades on the stage. Pavarotti gave his last performance in an opera at the New York Metropolitan Opera on 13 March 2004, for which he received a long standing ovation for his role as the painter Mario Cavaradossi in Giacomo Puccini's Tosca. On 1 December 2004, he announced a 40-city farewell tour. Pavarotti and his manager, Terri Robson, commissioned impresario Harvey Goldsmith to produce the Worldwide Farewell Tour. His last full-scale performance was at the end of a two-month Australasian tour in Taiwan, in December 2005.
In March 2005, Pavarotti underwent neck surgery to repair two vertebrae. In early 2006, he underwent further back surgery and contracted an infection while in the hospital in New York, forcing cancellation of concerts in the U.S., Canada and the UK.[20]
On 10 February 2006, Pavarotti sang "Nessun Dorma" at the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Turin, Italy, at his final performance. In the last act of the opening ceremony, his performance received the longest and loudest ovation of the night from the international crowd. Leone Magiera, who directed the performance, revealed in his 2008 memoirs, Pavarotti Visto da Vicino, that the performance was prerecorded weeks earlier.[21] "The orchestra pretended to play for the audience, I pretended to conduct and Luciano pretended to sing. The effect was wonderful," he wrote. Pavarotti's manager, Terri Robson, said that the tenor had turned the Winter Olympic Committee's invitation down several times because it would have been impossible to sing late at night in the sub-zero conditions of Turin in February. The committee eventually persuaded him to take part by pre-recording the song.
Other work[link]
Film and television[link]
Pavarotti's one venture into film, a romantic comedy called Yes, Giorgio (1982), was roundly panned by the critics. He can be seen to better advantage in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's adaptation of Rigoletto for television, released that same year, or in his more than 20 live opera performances taped for television between 1978 and 1994, most of them with the Metropolitan Opera, and most available on DVD.
Humanitarianism[link]
Pavarotti annually hosted the "Pavarotti and Friends" charity concerts in his home town of Modena in Italy, joining with singers from all parts of the music industry, including Andrea Bocelli, Jon Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Bono, James Brown, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Céline Dion, Elton John, Deep Purple, Meat Loaf, Queen, George Michael, Sting and the Spice Girls, to raise money for several UN causes. Concerts were held for War Child, and victims of war and civil unrest in Bosnia, Guatemala, Kosovo and Iraq. After the war in Bosnia, he financed and established the Pavarotti Music Centre in the southern city of Mostar to offer Bosnia's artists the opportunity to develop their skills. For these contributions, the city of Sarajevo named him an honorary citizen in 2006.[22]
He performed at benefit concerts to raise money for victims of tragedies such as the Spitak earthquake that killed 25,000 people in northern Armenia in December 1988,[23] and sang Gounod's Ave Maria with legendary French pop music star and ethnic Armenian Charles Aznavour.
He was a close friend of Diana, Princess of Wales. They raised money for the elimination of land mines worldwide. He was invited to sing at her funeral service, but declined to sing, as he felt he could not sing well "with his grief in his throat". Nonetheless, he attended the service.
In 1998, he was appointed the United Nations Messenger of Peace, using his fame to raise awareness of UN issues, including the Millennium Development Goals, HIV/AIDS, child rights, urban slums and poverty.[24]
In 1999, Pavarotti performed a charity benefit concert in Beirut, to mark Lebanon's reemergence on the world stage after a brutal 15 year civil war. The largest concert held in Beirut since the end of the war, it was attended by 20,000 people who travelled from countries as distant as Saudi Arabia and Bulgaria.[25]
In 2001, Pavarotti received the Nansen Medal from the UN High Commission for Refugees for his efforts raising money on behalf of refugees worldwide. Through benefit concerts and volunteer work, he has raised more than any other individual.[26]
Other honours he received include the "Freedom of London Award" and The Red Cross "Award for Services to Humanity", for his work in raising money for that organization, and the 1998 "MusiCares Person of the Year", given to humanitarian heroes by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.[27][28]
He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.[29]
Death[link]
 |
Wikinews has related news: Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti dies at age 71 |
While undertaking an international "farewell tour," Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2006. The tenor fought back against the implications of this diagnosis, undergoing major abdominal surgery and making plans for the resumption and conclusion of his singing commitments.[30] He died at his home in Modena on 6 September 2007. Within hours of his death, his manager, Terri Robson, noted in an e-mail statement, "The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness".[31][32][33]
Pavarotti's funeral was held in Modena Cathedral. Romano Prodi and Kofi Annan attended.[34] The Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force, flew overhead, leaving green-white-red smoke trails. After a funeral procession through the centre of Modena, Pavarotti's coffin was taken the final ten kilometres to Montale Rangone, a village part of Castelnuovo Rangone, and was buried near his parents' grave. The funeral, in its entirety, was also telecast live on CNN. The Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival Hall flew black flags in mourning.[35] Tributes were published by many opera houses, such as London's Royal Opera House.[36] The Italian football giant Juventus F.C., of which Pavarotti was a lifelong fan, was represented at the funeral and posted a farewell message on its website which said: "Ciao Luciano, black-and-white heart" referring to the team's famous stripes when they play on their home ground.
Personal life[link]
On 13 December 2003, he married his former personal assistant, Nicoletta Mantovani (born 1969), with whom he already had a daughter, Alice. A second child, Riccardo, did not survive, because of complications at the time of birth in January 2003. Pavarotti is also survived by three other daughters by his first wife Adua, to whom he was married for 34 years: Lorenza, Cristina, and Giuliana. At the time of his death, he had one granddaughter.
Settlement of estate[link]
His first will was opened the day after his death and a second will, within the same month of September.[37] He left an estate outside his native Modena, a villa in Pesaro, a flat in Monte Carlo, and three flats in New York City.[38]
Pavarotti's widow's lawyers Giorgio Bernini, Anna Maria Bernini, and manager Terri Robson announced on 30 June 2008 that his family amicably settled his estate – 300 million euros ($ 474.2 million, including $15 million in U.S. assets). Pavarotti drafted two wills before his death: one divided his assets by Italian law, giving half to his second wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, and half to his four daughters; the second gave his U.S. holdings to Mantovani. The judge confirmed the compromise by the end of July 2008. However, a Pesaro public prosecutor, Massimo di Patria, investigated allegations that Pavarotti was not of sound mind when he signed the will.[39][40][41] Pavarotti's estate has been settled "fairly", a lawyer for Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, said in statements after reports of a dispute between Ms. Mantovani and his three daughters from his first marriage.[42]
See also[link]
Notes and references[link]
- ^ The Times Obituary: Luciano Pavarotti, 6 September 2007
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Warrack, John and Ewan West (1996). "Luciano Pavarotti." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera. (3rd Ed.), ... an excellent technique, and a conquering personality.")
- ^ Kington, Tom (7 April 2008). "Pavarotti mimed at final performance". The Guardian (London). http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/story/0,,2271470,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
- ^ Luciano Pavarotti Biography (1935-2007)
- ^ YouTube - Luciano Pavarotti talks about his idol Giuseppe di Stefano
- ^ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5e2_1189060061 Originally from MSNBC article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20607839/
- ^ "Pavarotti eisteddfod career start". BBC Online. 6 September 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/6981188.stm. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- ^ Paul Arendt, "It Was All About the Voice," The Guardian,(Italy), 7 September 2007
- ^ Joan Sutherland quoted in Paul Arendt, "It Was All About the Voice," The Guardian, (London), 7 September 2007: "The young Pavarotti was a revelation to the opera world. He made his debut in the United States with us in Miami in 1965. He then came as part of our company to Australia, where he sang three times a week for 14 weeks, and we went on to make countless recordings together.
- ^ Richard Dyer, "Opera star Luciano Pavarotti dies: Epic career spanned 40 years, The Boston Globe, 6 September 2007
- ^ Ariel David, "World Mourns Italian Tenor Pavarotti," WTOPnews.com, 6 September 2007
- ^ Time Cover Archive, Sept 24th, 1979
- ^ Pavarotti, Luciano: The Event, The World Cup Celebration Concert (1990) Pavarotti, Luciano
- ^ The New York Public Library: Luciano Pavarotti, The Best is Yet to Come Pavarotti: The Best is Yet to Come: LEO - the New York Public Library Catalogue[dead link]
- ^ The Best is Yet to Come Pavarotti: The Best is Yet to Come, Interviewed by Lara Saint Paul: Penrith City Library Catalogue
- ^ a b Herbert H. Breslin, The King and I: The Uncensored Tale of Luciano Pavarotti's Rise to Fame by His Manager, Friend and Sometime Adversary, New York: Doubleday Publishing, 2004 ISBN 978-0-385-50972-5 ISBN 0-385-50972-3
- ^ Block, Mervin (15 October 2004). "'60 Minutes' Story About Singer Hits False Note". Poynter Online. http://www.mervinblock.com/?q=node/34. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
- ^ Pavarotti & Friends concert series at Amazon.com
- ^ "Pavarotti 'will return to stage'". BBC News Online. 25 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5212832.stm. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
- ^ Kington, Tom (7 April 2008). "Pavarotti mimed at final performance". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/apr/07/classicalmusicandopera.italy. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ^ "Sarajevo authorities name Pavarotti honorary citizen", Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 22 February 2006; retrieved on 2007-09-06
- ^ Alessandra Rizzo, "Italian tenor Pavarotti dies at age 71" on yahoo.com[dead link]; retrieved on 2007-09-06
- ^ "Luciano Pavarotti to Promote UN Causes During Series of Concerts, 2005 - 2006", U.N. Press release, 5/4/2005, retrieved on 6 September 2007
- ^ Pavarotti breaks a different kind of sound barrier; 14 June 1999; retrieved on 2007-10-12
- ^ Crossette, Barbara (30 May 2001). "United Nations: Honor For Tenor With Midas Touch". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE5D8133CF933A05756C0A9679C8B63. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ "Freedom of London for Pavarotti". Entertainment (BBC News). 13 September 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/4236980.stm. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ Parker, Lyndsey (31 February 1997). "Pavarotti Is The Person". Yahoo! Music News (Yahoo!). http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12044059. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ Delta Omicron
- ^ "Singer Luciano Pavarotti recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery". Fox News. 7 July 2006. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202530,00.html. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
- ^ "Tenor Luciano Pavarotti dead at 71" on cnn.com, 6 September 2007; retrieved on 2007-09-06
- ^ Pavarotti dead at 71: manager; retrieved on 2007-09-06
- ^ "Pavarotti Dead At Age 71". CBS News. 7 September 2007. http://www.webcastr.com/videos/news/pavarotti-dead-at-age-71.html.
- ^ People gather at Modena Cathedral to say farewell to Pavarotti|
- ^ "Black flag flies over Vienna Opera House for Pavarotti". Agence France-Presse. 2007-09-06. http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n121376. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ Castonguay, Gilles (2007-09-06). "Luciano Pavarotti dead at 71". Reuters. http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/story.html?id=24dd10ff-8048-45bb-9fde-b362693e5ac8&k=84681&p=1. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ Hooper, John (19 September 2007). "Pavarotti's will leaves US property to his second wife". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,,2172193,00.html. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
- ^ Owen, Richard (11 September 2007). "Pavarotti's manager on his last days". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2433004.ece. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
- ^ ap.google.com, Pavarotti widow, daughters agree on inheritance[dead link]
- ^ uk.reuters.com, Pavarotti's widow and daughters reach inheritance deal
- ^ independent.co.uk, Widow settles dispute with Pavarotti's daughters over will
- ^ Lee, Felicia R. (1 July 2008). "Pavarotti's Daughters and Widow Reach Deal". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/arts/01arts-PAVAROTTISDA_BRF.html. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
External links[link]
|
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Luciano Pavarotti |
|
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Luciano Pavarotti |
- Official website
- Luciano Pavarotti at the Internet Movie Database
- Discography (Capon's Lists of Opera Recordings)
- Luciano Pavarotti discography at MusicBrainz
- The Times obituary
- Review of The King and I at theage.com.au
- The Pavarotti Story Decca Records
- Pavarotti Video Biography by National Italian American Foundation NIAF
- History of the Tenor - Sound Clips and Narration
- Funeral Mass of Luciano Pavarotti
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pavarotti, Luciano |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | Opera singer |
| Date of birth | 12 October 1935 |
| Place of birth | Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Date of death | 6 September 2007 |
| Place of death | Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
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For other people named Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation).
| Michael Jackson | |
|---|---|
 Jackson at the White House in 1984 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Joseph Jackson[1] |
| Also known as | King of Pop, MJ |
| Born | (1958-08-29)August 29, 1958 Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | June 25, 2009(2009-06-25) (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1964–2009 |
| Labels | Motown, Epic, Legacy, MJJ Productions |
| Associated acts |
 Michael Jackson's Signature |
| Website | www.michaeljackson.com |
Michael Joseph Jackson[1] (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ,[2] Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.
In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop and rock artists.
Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.[3] He was also one of the world's most prominent humanitarians and philanthropists; personally, and through his Heal the World Foundation, he donated more than $300 million in charity, and held the Guinness World Record for having supported the most charities out of any pop star.[4][5]
Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series titled This Is It, Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.[6]
Life and career[link]
Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)[link]
Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family who lived in a small 3-room house in Gary, Indiana,[7] an industrial city near Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy.[8] A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.[9]
Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe.[10][11][12] Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he regularly whipped Jackson as a boy.[12] Jackson stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, though he also credited his father's strict discipline with playing a large role in his success.[10] Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, broadcast in February 1993. He admitted that he had often cried from loneliness and he would vomit on the sight of his father. Jackson's father was also said to have verbally abused Jackson, saying that he had a fat nose on numerous occasions.[13] In fact, Michael Jackson's deep dissatisfaction with his appearance, his nightmares and chronic sleep problems, his tendency to remain hyper-compliant especially with his father, and to remain child-like throughout his adult life are in many ways consistent with the effects of this chronic maltreatment he endured as a young child.[14]
In an interview with Martin Bashir, later included in the 2003 broadcast of Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson acknowledged that his father hurt him when he was a child, but was nonetheless a "genius", as he admitted his father's strict discipline played a huge role in his success. When Bashir dismissed the positive remark and continued asking about beatings, Jackson put his hand over his face and objected to the questions. He recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you".[15][16]
In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing. When he was eight, Jackson began sharing the lead vocals with his older brother Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5.[8] The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit", where they often opened stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael.[17]
The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, before signing with Motown Records in 1968.[8] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."[18] The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There") peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[8] Between 1972 and 1975, Michael released four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben, released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and producing successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin".
The Jackson 5 "became a cutting-edge example of black crossover artists... five working-class black boys with afros and bell bottoms, and they really didn't have to trade any of that stuff in order to become mainstream stars."[19]
The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.[20]
[edit] Move to Epic and Off the Wall (1975–81)
In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records[20] and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career.[21] They continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Michael was the lead songwriter, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel", and "Can You Feel It".[17] In 1978, he starred as the scarecrow in the musical, The Wiz, a box-office disaster. It was here that he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who was arranging the film's musical score. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall.[22] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.[23]
Jones and Jackson produced the Off the Wall album together. Songwriters for the album included Jackson, Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first solo album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[24][25] It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[26] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[27][28] That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[24] Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist.[29] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[30] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.[31]
[edit] Thriller and Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (1982–83)
In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows.[32][33] These awards were thanks to the Thriller album, released in late 1982, which was 1983's best-selling album worldwide[34][35] and became the best-selling album of all time in the United States,[36] as well as the best-selling album of all time worldwide, selling an estimated 110 million copies so far.[37] The album topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[38] Thriller was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work.[39] Jackson's attorney John Branca noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point: approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making record-breaking profits from sales of his recordings. The videocassette of the documentary The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller sold over 350,000 copies in a few months. The era saw the arrival of novelties like dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, which appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.[40] Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli writes that, "Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie—and started selling like a household staple."[41] In 1985, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Longform.[32] In December 2009, the music video for "Thriller" was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, "Thriller" is the first music video ever to be inducted.[42][43][44]
Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".[40] The New York Times wrote that, "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[45]
On March 25th 1983, Michael Jackson reunited with his brothers for a legendary live performance which was taped for a Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. The show aired on May 16, 1983, to an audience of 47 million viewers, and featured the Jacksons and a number of other Motown stars. It is best remembered for Jackson's solo performance of "Billie Jean". Wearing a distinctive black sequin jacket and golf glove decorated with rhinestones, he debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk, which former Soul Train dancer and Shalamar member Jeffrey Daniel had taught him three years before. The Jacksons' performance drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[46] Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times later wrote, "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing."[47]
Pepsi, "We Are the World" and business career (1984–85)[link]
On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi Cola commercial, overseen by executive Phil Dusenberry,[48] from ad agency BBDO and Pepsi's Worldwide Creative Director, Alan Pottasch at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire. He suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars on his scalp, and he also had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.[23] Jackson never recovered from this injury. Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated his $1.5 million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, which now has a "Michael Jackson Burn Center" in honor of his donation.[49] Dusenberry later recounted the episode in his memoir, Then We Set His Hair on Fire: Insights and Accidents from a Hall of Fame Career in Advertising.
On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.[50] Jackson won eight awards during the Grammys that year. Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. He donated all the funds (around $8 million) raised from the Victory Tour to charity.[51] He also co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985 with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in the U.S. and Africa. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 30 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief. In 1986, "We Are the World" won four Grammys (one for Jackson for Song of the Year). American Music Award directors removed the charity song from the competition because they felt it would be inappropriate, but recognized it with two special honors (one for the creation of the song and one for the USA for Africa idea). They are the only AMAs that Jackson won as non-solo artist.[52][53][54][55]
In 1984, ATV Music Publishing, which had the copyrights to nearly 4000 songs, including the Northern Songs catalog that contained the majority of the Lennon–McCartney compositions recorded by The Beatles, was put up for sale by Robert Holmes à Court.[56] Jackson had become interested in owning music catalogs after working with Paul McCartney in the early 1980s: Jackson had learned McCartney made approximately $40 million a year from other people's songs.[57] In 1981,[58] McCartney was offered the ATV music catalog for £20 million ($40 million).[57][59] According to McCartney, he contacted Yoko Ono about making a joint purchase by splitting the cost equally at £10 million each, but Ono thought they could buy it for £5 million each.[57][59] When they were unable to make the joint purchase, McCartney let the offer fall through, not wanting to be the sole owner of the Beatles' songs.[58][59]
According to a negotiator for Holmes à Court in the 1984 sale, "We had given Paul McCartney first right of refusal but Paul didn't want it at that time."[60] Also, an attorney for McCartney assured Jackson's attorney, John Branca, that McCartney was not interested in bidding: McCartney reportedly said "It's too pricey".[57][58] But there were several other companies and investors bidding. In September 1984, Jackson was first informed about the sale by Branca and sent a bid of $46 million on November 20, 1984.[56] Jackson's agents thought they had a deal several times, but encountered new bidders or new areas of debate.[56] In May 1985, Jackson's team walked away from talks after having spent over $1 million on four months of due diligence and on the negotiations.[56]
In June 1985, Jackson and Branca learned that Charles Koppelman's and Marty Bandier's The Entertainment Co. had made a tentative agreement with Holmes à Court to buy ATV Music for $50 million.[56] But in early August, Holmes à Court's team contacted Jackson and talks resumed. Jackson raised his bid to $47.5 million and it was accepted because he could close the deal more quickly, having already completed due diligence of ATV Music.[56] He also agreed to visit Holmes à Court in Australia, where he would appear on the Channel Seven Perth Telethon.[56][60] Jackson's purchase of ATV Music was finalized August 10, 1985.[56]
[edit] Appearance, tabloids, Bad, films, autobiography and Neverland (1986–90)
See also: Michael Jackson's health and appearance
File:Michael Jackson King of Pop 1988.jpg
Jackson two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here in the early stages of the disease
Jackson's skin had been a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the mid 1980s, it gradually grew paler. The change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that he might be bleaching his skin.[61] According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in 1986, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the vitiligo partially lightened his skin, and the lupus was in remission; both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.[62] Jackson was also diagnosed with vitiligo in his autopsy.[63] By the mid 1990s several surgeons speculated that he had undergone various nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips, and cheekbone surgery—although Jackson denied this and insisted that he only had surgery on his nose.[64] Jackson claimed that he had only two rhinoplasties and no other surgery on his face, although at one point he mentioned having a dimple created in his chin.[65] Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".[65] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem later in life.[66]
During the course of his treatment, Jackson made two close friends: his dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, and Klein's nurse Debbie Rowe. Rowe eventually became Jackson's second wife and the mother of his two eldest children. Long before becoming romantically involved with her, Jackson relied heavily on Rowe for emotional support. He also relied heavily on Klein, for medical and business advice.[67]
Jackson became the subject of increasingly sensational reports. In 1986, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying down in a glass box. Although the claim was untrue, according to tabloid reports that are widely cited, Jackson had disseminated the fabricated story himself.[68][69] When Jackson bought a chimpanzee called Bubbles from a laboratory, he was reported to be increasingly detached from reality.[70] It was reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "elephant man") and although untrue, Jackson did not deny the story.[68][69] Although initially he saw these stories as opportunities for publicity, he stopped leaking untruths to the press as they became more sensational. Consequently the media began making up their own stories.[69][71][72] These reports became embedded in the public consciousness, inspiring the nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson came to despise.[73] Responding to the gossip, Jackson remarked to Taraborrelli:
Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars? Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth."[74]
Jackson collaborated with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 17-minute 3-D film Captain EO, which debuted in September 1986 at both the original Disneyland and at EPCOT in Florida, and in March 1987 at Tokyo Disneyland. The $30 million movie was a popular attraction at all three parks. A Captain EO attraction was later featured at Euro Disneyland after that park opened in 1992. All four parks' Captain EO installations stayed open well into the 1990s: Paris' installation was the last one to close, in 1998.[75] The attraction would later return to Disneyland in 2010 after Jackson's death.[76]
In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses, in response to their disapproval of the Thriller video.[77] With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.[78] It did not top Thriller as a commercial or artistic triumph, but Bad was still a substantial success in its own right.
The Bad album spawned seven hit singles in the U.S., five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. This was a record for most number one Hot 100 singles from any one album, including Thriller.[79] Although the title track's video was arguably derivative of the video for the earlier single "Beat It", the "Bad" video still proved to be one of Jackson's iconic moments. It was a gritty but colorful epic set against the backdrop of the New York City Subway system, with costuming and choreography inspired by West Side Story. As of 2012, the album sold between 30 and 45 million copies worldwide.[80][81][82][83][84][85][86] Thanks to the Bad album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989.[32][39] In the same year, Jackson won an Award of Achievement at the American Music Awards because Bad is the first album ever to generate five number one singles in the US, the first album to top in 25 countries and the best-selling album worldwide in 1987 and in 1988.[87][88][89][90] In 1988, "Bad" won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single.[91]
The Bad World Tour began on September 12 that year, finishing on January 14, 1989.[92] In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.[93] Jackson broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to an audience of 4.4 million people. The Bad Tour turned out to be the last of Jackson's concert tours to include shows in the continental United States, although later tours did make it to Hawaii.
In 1988, Jackson released his first and only autobiography, Moonwalk, which took four years to complete and sold 200,000 copies.[94] Jackson wrote about his childhood, The Jackson 5, and the abuse he had suffered.[95] He also wrote about his facial appearance, saying he had had two rhinoplastic surgeries and a dimple created in his chin.[65] He attributed much of the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style, and stage lighting.[65] Moonwalk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers' list.[96] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage and short films that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. The film was originally intended to be released to theaters but due to financial issues, the film was released direct-to-video. It saw a theatrical release in Germany, though. It debuted atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.[97]
In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California, to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. He installed Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater on the 2,700-acre (11 km2) property. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, it was valued at approximately $100 million.[18][98] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone.[99] Shortly afterwards, he became the first Westerner to appear in a television ad in the Soviet Union.[97]
His success resulted in his being dubbed the "King of Pop".[100][101][102][103] The nickname was popularized by Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."[104] President George H. W. Bush designated him the White House's "Artist of the Decade".[105] From 1985 to 1990, he donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[106][107] Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.[97]
[edit] Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation and Super Bowl XXVII (1991–93)
In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million, a record-breaking deal at the time,[108] displacing Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.[109] He released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991. As of 2008, Dangerous had shipped seven million copies in the U.S. and had sold 32 million copies worldwide. The Dangerous album was co-produced by Teddy Riley, one of the pioneers of "new jack swing" which convinced Michael to feature a rapper on his album for the first time, the act worked and it turned out to be the best-selling album associated with that movement.[110][111][112] In the United States, the album's first single "Black or White" was its biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.[113] The album's second single "Remember the Time" spent eight weeks in the top five in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[114] At the end of 1992, Dangerous was awarded 1992's best-selling album worldwide and "Black or White" was awarded 1992's best-selling single worldwide at the Billboard Music Awards. Additionally, he won an award as best-selling artist of the '80s.[115] In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Music Awards in a chair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.[116] In the UK and other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.[114]
Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to enjoy theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease. In the same year Jackson published his second book, the bestselling collection of poetry, Dancing the Dream. While it was a commercial success and revealed a more intimate side to Jackson's nature, the collection was mostly critically unacclaimed at the time of release. In 2009, the book was republished by Doubleday and was more positively received by some critics in the wake of Jackson's untimely death. The Dangerous World Tour grossed $100 million. The tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5 million people in 67 concerts.[114][117] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.[118]
Following the illness and death of Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.[119][120] In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.[121] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable and enthusiastic reception of more than 100,000 people, some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael."[121] In his trip to Côte d'Ivoire, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief.[121] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.[121]
In January 1993, Jackson made a memorable appearance at the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. The performance began with Jackson catapulting onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As he landed on the canvas, he maintained a motionless "clenched fist, standing statue stance", dressed in a gold and black military outfit and sunglasses; he remained completely motionless for a minute and a half while the crowd cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away and sang four songs: "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White" and "Heal the World". It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show, and was viewed by 135 million Americans alone; Jackson's Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart.[61] Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. "Black or White" was Grammy-nominated for best vocal performance. "Jam" gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.[114] The Dangerous album won a Grammy for Best Engineered – Non Classical, awarding the work of Bruce Swedien and Teddy Riley. In the same year, Michael Jackson won three American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album (Dangerous), Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Remember the Time") and was the first to win the International Artist Award, for his global performances and humanitarian concerns. This award will bear his name in the future.[32][39][122]
First child sexual abuse allegations and first marriage (1993–94)[link]
Jackson gave a 90-minute interview to Oprah Winfrey on February 10, 1993, his second television interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the bones of the Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, stating for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by an American audience of 90 million. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the top 10, more than a year after its original release.[16][61][114]
In the summer of 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father, Dr. Evan Chandler, a dentist.[123][124][125] The Chandler family demanded payment from Jackson, and the singer initially refused. Jordan Chandler eventually told the police that Jackson had sexually abused him.[126] Dr. Chandler was tape-recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges, saying, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever ... Michael's career will be over". Jordan's mother was, however, adamant that there had been no wrongdoing on Jackson's part.[125] Jackson later used the recording to argue that he was the victim of a jealous father whose only goal was to extort money from the singer.[125]
Later that year, on December 20, Jackson's home was raided by the police, and Jackson submitted to a 25-minute strip search.[127] Jordan Chandler had reportedly given police a description of Jackson's intimate parts, notably claiming that his bleach-damaged penis was circumcised; the strip search revealed, to the contrary, that Jackson was actually uncircumcised,[128] a fact confirmed in his autopsy.[129] His friends said he never recovered from the humiliation of the strip search. The investigation was inconclusive and no charges were ever filed.[130][131] Jackson described the search in an emotional public statement, and proclaimed his innocence.[123][127][132] On January 1, 1994, Jackson's insurance carrier settled with the Chandlers out of court for $22 million. A Santa Barbara County grand jury and a Los Angeles County grand jury disbanded on May 2, 1994 without indicting Jackson.[133] After which time the Chandlers stopped co-operating with the criminal investigation around July 6, 1994.[134][135][136] The out-of-court settlement's documentation specifically stated Jackson admitted no wrongdoing and no liability; the Chandlers and their family lawyer Larry Feldman signed it without contest.[137] The Chandlers' lawyer Mr. Feldman also explicitly stated "nobody bought anybody's silence".[138] A decade after the fact, during the second round of child abuse allegations, Jackson's lawyers would file a memo stating that the 1994 settlement was done without his consent.[135]
In May 1994, Jackson married the daughter of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley. They had first met in 1975, when a seven-year-old Presley attended one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend.[139] According to a friend of Presley's, "their adult friendship began in November 1992 in L.A."[140] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As the child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Presley for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.[141] Presley explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."[142] She eventually persuaded him to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover.[141]
Jackson proposed to Presley over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?"[141] They married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy, denying it for nearly two months afterwards.[143] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active".[144] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image.[143] The marriage lasted less than two years and ended with an amicable divorce settlement.[145] In a 2010 interview with Oprah, Presley admitted that they spent four more years after the divorce "getting back together and breaking up", until she decided to stop.[146]
[edit] HIStory, second marriage and fatherhood (1995–99)
In 1995, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's music publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95 million upfront as well as the rights to even more songs.[147][148] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I in 2001, while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments in the US.[149] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.[113][150] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.[151]
The first single released from the album was the double A-side "Scream/Childhood". "Scream" was a duet, performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The song fights against the media, mainly for what the media made him out to be during his 1993 child abuse allegations. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[151] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[99] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".[151] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress-related panic attack.[152] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK Singles Chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.[151] The track "They Don't Care About Us" became controversial when the Anti-Defamation League and other groups criticized its allegedly antisemitic lyrics. Jackson quickly put out a revised version of the song without the offending lyrics.[153] In 1996, Jackson won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Scream" and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.[32][154]
The album was promoted with the successful HIStory World Tour. The tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans, and grossed up a total of $165 million. The show, which visited five continents and 35 countries, became Jackson's most successful in terms of audience figures.[92] During the tour, Jackson married his longtime friend Deborah Jeanne Rowe, a dermatology nurse, in an impromptu ceremony in Sydney, Australia. Rowe was approximately six months pregnant with the couple's first child at the time. Originally, Rowe and Jackson had no plans to marry, but Jackson's mother Katherine persuaded them to do so.[155] Michael Joseph Jackson Jr (commonly known as Prince) was born on February 13, 1997; his sister Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson was born a year later on April 3, 1998.[145][156] The couple divorced in 1999, and Jackson got full custody of the children. The divorce was relatively amicable, but a subsequent custody suit was not settled until 2006.[157][158]
In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, it is the best selling remix album ever released.[159] It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.[159][160] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.[110][151] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.[98] Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the nonprofit organization War Child, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, FR Yugoslavia, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.[161] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, the Red Cross and UNESCO.[162]
[edit] Label dispute, Invincible and third child (2000–03)
At the turn of the century, the American Music Awards honored Jackson as Artist of the '80s.[163] Throughout 2000 and 2001, Jackson worked in the studio with Teddy Riley and Rodney Jerkins, as well as other collaborators. These sessions would result in the album Invincible, released in October 2001. Invincible was Jackson's first full-length album in six years, and it would be the last album of new material he released while still alive. The release of the album was preceded by a dispute between Jackson and his record label, Sony Music Entertainment. Jackson had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him sometime in the early 2000s. Once he had the licenses, he would be able to promote the material however he pleased and he would also be able to keep all the profits. However, due to various clauses in the contract, the revert date turned out to be many years away. Jackson discovered that the attorney who represented him in the deal was also representing Sony.[160] Jackson was also concerned about the fact that for a number of years, Sony had been pressuring him to sell his share in their music catalog venture. Jackson feared that Sony might have a conflict of interest, since if Jackson's career failed he would have to sell his share of the catalog at a low price.[164] Jackson sought an early exit from his contract.[160] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.[160] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were suspended.
In September 2001, two 30th Anniversary concerts were held at Madison Square Garden to mark the singer's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984. The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, Destiny's Child, Monica, Luther Vandross, and Slash, among other artists.[165] The second of the two shows took place the night before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.[166] After 9/11, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The concert took place on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.[164] Jackson's solo performances were omitted from the televised version of the benefit concert, although he could still be seen singing background vocals. This omission happened because of contractual issues related to the earlier 30th Anniversary concerts: those concerts were boiled down into a two-hour TV special titled Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration: The Solo Years which debuted in November 2001.
In spite of the events preceding its release, Invincible came out in October 2001 to much anticipation. Invincible proved to be a hit, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 13 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.[110][113][167] However, the sales for Invincible were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general.[164] The album cost $30 million to record, not including promotional expenditures.[168] Invincible spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter without a music video. Jackson alleged in July 2002 that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.[164] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[169] Sony refused to renew Jackson's contract, and claimed that a $25 million promotional campaign had failed because Jackson refused to tour in the United States.[168]
In 2002, Michael Jackson won his 22nd American Music Award for Artist of the Century.[170] In the same year, Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket") was born.[171] The mother's identity is unknown, but Jackson has said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm.[157] On November 20 of that year, Jackson brought his newborn son onto the balcony of his room at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, as fans stood below, holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face. The baby was briefly extended over a railing, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".[172] Sony released Number Ones, a compilation of Jackson's hits on CD and DVD. In the US, the album was certified triple platinum by the RIAA; in the UK it was certified six times platinum for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.[110][173]
Second child sexual abuse allegations and acquittal (2003–05)[link]
Further information: Living with Michael Jackson and People v. Jackson
Beginning in May 2002, Jackson allowed a documentary film crew, led by British TV personality Martin Bashir, to follow him around just about everywhere he went. Bashir's film crew was with Jackson during the "baby-dangling incident" in Berlin. The program was broadcast in March 2003 as Living with Michael Jackson, and painted an extraordinarily unflattering portrait of the singer.
In a particularly controversial scene, Jackson was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with a young boy.[174] As soon as the documentary aired, the Santa Barbara county attorney's office began a criminal investigation. Jackson was arrested in November 2003, and was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in relation to the 13 year old boy shown in the film.[174] Jackson denied the allegations, saying the sleepovers were not sexual in nature. The People v. Jackson trial began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted five months, until the end of May. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts.[175][176][177] After the trial, in a highly publicized relocation he moved to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.[178] Bahrain was also where the family intended to send Jackson if he was convicted (though Jackson did not know about the plan), according to a statement by Jermaine Jackson printed in The Times of London in September 2011.[179]
[edit] Closure of Neverland, final years and This Is It (2006–09)
In March 2006, the main house at the Neverland Ranch was closed as a cost-cutting measure.[180] There were numerous reports around that time that Jackson was having financial problems. Jackson had been delinquent on his repayments of a $270 million loan secured against his music publishing holdings, even though those holdings were reportedly making him as much as $75 million a year.[181] Bank of America sold the debt to Fortress Investments. Sony reportedly proposed a restructuring deal which would give them a future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).[148] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal in April 2006, although the exact details were not made public.[182] Jackson did not have a recording contract in place with Sony or any other major record label at the time.
In early 2006, there was an announcement that Jackson had signed a contract with a Bahrain-based startup called Two Seas Records. However, nothing ever came of that deal, and the CEO of Two Seas, Guy Holmes, later stated that the deal had never been finalized.[183][184] Throughout 2006, Sony repackaged 20 singles from the 1980s and 1990s as the Michael Jackson: Visionary series, which subsequently became a box set. Most of those singles returned to the charts as a result. In September 2006, Jackson and his ex-wife Debbie Rowe confirmed reports that they had settled their long-running child custody suit. The terms were never made public. Jackson continued to be the custodial parent of the couple's two children.[158] In October 2006, Fox News entertainment reporter Roger Friedman said that Jackson had been recording at a studio in rural Westmeath, Ireland. It was not known at the time what Jackson might be working on, or who might be paying for the sessions, since his publicist had recently issued a statement claiming that he had left Two Seas.[184][185]
In November 2006, Jackson invited an Access Hollywood camera crew into the studio in Westmeath, and MSNBC broke the story that he was working on a new album, produced by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas.[113] Jackson performed at the World Music Awards, in London on November 15, 2006, and accepted a Diamond Award for selling over 100 million records.[113][186] Jackson returned to the United States after Christmas 2006 to attend James Brown's funeral in Augusta, Georgia. He gave one of the eulogies, saying that "James Brown is my greatest inspiration."[187] In the spring of 2007, Jackson and Sony teamed up to buy yet another music publishing company: Famous Music LLC, formerly owned by Viacom. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.[188] Jackson recorded extensively during this period in New York with songwriter and producer will.i.am and also in Las Vegas with producers Akon and RedOne.[189][190] In March 2007, Jackson gave a brief interview to the Associated Press in Tokyo, where he said, "I've been in the entertainment industry since I was 6 years old, and as Charles Dickens would say, 'It's been the best of times, the worst of times.' But I would not change my career ... While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me."[191]
In September 2007, Jackson was reportedly still working with will.i.am, but the album was apparently never completed.[192] However, in 2008, Jackson and Sony released Thriller 25 to mark the 25th anniversary of the original Thriller. This album featured the previously unreleased song "For All Time" (an outtake from the original sessions) as well as remixes, where Jackson collaborated with younger artists who had been inspired by his work.[193] Two of the remixes were released as singles with only modest success: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" (with will.i.am) and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" (with Akon). The first single was based on an early demo version, without Paul McCartney. The album itself was a hit, however.[193][194][195][196] In anticipation of Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of greatest-hits albums called King of Pop. Slightly different versions were released in various countries, based on polls of local fans.[197] King of Pop reached the top 10 in most countries where it was issued, and also sold well as an import in other countries (such as the United States.)[198][199]
In the fall of 2008, Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which Jackson used as collateral for loans running into many tens of millions of dollars. However, Fortress opted to sell Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC. In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch's title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, which was a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC. This deal cleared Jackson's debt, and he reportedly even gained an extra $35 million from the venture. At the time of his death, Jackson still owned a stake in Neverland/Sycamore Valley, but it is unknown how large that stake was.[200][201][202] In September 2008, Jackson entered negotiations with Julien's Auction House to display and auction a large collection of memorabilia amounting to approximately 1,390 lots. The auction was scheduled to take place between April 22 and April 25.[203] An exhibition of the lots opened as scheduled on April 14, but the actual auction was eventually cancelled at Jackson's request.[204]
In March 2009, Jackson held a press conference at London's O2 Arena and announced a series of comeback concerts titled This Is It. The shows would be Jackson's first major series of concerts since the HIStory World Tour finished in 1997. Jackson suggested possible retirement after the shows; he said it would be his "final curtain call". The initial plan was for 10 concerts in London, followed by shows in Paris, New York City and Mumbai. Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, stated that the first 10 dates alone would earn the singer approximately £50 million.[205] The London residency was increased to 50 dates after record breaking ticket sales: over one million were sold in less than two hours.[206] Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG.[207] The concerts would have commenced on July 13, 2009, and finished on March 6, 2010. Less than three weeks before the first show was due to begin in London and with all concerts being sold out, Jackson died after suffering cardiac arrest.[208] Some time before his death, it was widely stated that he was starting a clothing line with Christian Audigier; due to his death, the current status of the label remains unknown.[209][210]
Jackson's first posthumous single was a song titled "This Is It" which Jackson cowrote in the 1980s with Paul Anka. It was not on the set lists for the concerts, and the recording was based on an old demo tape. The surviving brothers reunited in the studio for the first time since 1989 to record backing vocals. On October 28, 2009, a documentary film about the rehearsals titled Michael Jackson's This Is It was released.[211] Even though it ran for a limited two-week engagement, it became the highest grossing documentary or concert movie of all time, with earnings of more than $260 million worldwide.[212] Jackson's estate received 90% of the profits.[213] The film was accompanied by a compilation album of the same name. Two versions of the new song appear on the album, which also featured original masters of Jackson's hits in the order in which they appear in the movie, along with a bonus disc with previously unreleased versions of more Jackson hits as well as a spoken-word poem titled "Planet Earth".[214] At the 2009 American Music Awards Jackson won four posthumous awards, two for him and two for his album Number Ones, bringing his total American Music Awards to 26.[215][216]
Death and memorial[link]
Main articles: Death of Michael Jackson and Michael Jackson memorial service
File:MJ's tomb.jpg
Michael Jackson's Tomb in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
On June 25, 2009, Jackson died while in his bed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him by Conrad Murray, his personal physician, were unsuccessful.[217] Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22 (PDT, 19:22 UTC), arriving three minutes later at Jackson's location.[218][219] He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed.[220] Resuscitation efforts continued en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for more than an hour after arriving there at 1:13 (20:13 UTC). He was pronounced dead at 2:26 local time (21:26 UTC).[221][222] Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief.[217]
The news spread quickly online, causing websites to slow down and crash from user overload. Both TMZ and the Los Angeles Times suffered outages.[223] Google initially believed that the input from millions of people searching for "Michael Jackson" meant that the search engine was under DDoS attack, and blocked searches related to Michael Jackson for 30 minutes. Twitter reported a crash, as did Wikipedia at 3:15 p.m. PDT (22:15 UTC).[224] The Wikimedia Foundation reported nearly a million visitors to Jackson's biography within one hour, probably the most visitors in a one-hour period to any article in Wikipedia's history.[225] AOL Instant Messenger collapsed for 40 minutes. AOL called it a "seminal moment in Internet history", adding, "We've never seen anything like it in terms of scope or depth."[226]
Around 15% of Twitter posts—or 5,000 tweets per minute—reportedly mentioned Jackson after the news broke,[227][228] compared to the 5% recalled as having mentioned the Iranian elections or the flu pandemic that had made headlines earlier in the year.[228] Overall, web traffic ranged from 11% to at least 20% higher than normal.[227][229] MTV and Black Entertainment Television (BET) aired marathons of Jackson's music videos.[230] Jackson specials aired on multiple television stations around the world. The British soap opera EastEnders added a last-minute scene, in which one character tells another about the news, to the June 26 episode.[231] Jackson was the topic of every front-page headline in the daily British tabloid The Sun for about two weeks following his death.[232] During the same period, the three major U.S. networks' evening newscasts—ABC World News, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News—devoted 34% of their broadcast time to him.[233] Magazines including Time published commemorative editions.[234] A scene that had featured Jackson's sister La Toya was cut from the film Brüno out of respect toward Jackson's family.[235]
Jackson's memorial was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, preceded by a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park's Hall of Liberty. Jackson's casket was present during the memorial but no information was released about the final disposition of the body. While some unofficial reports claimed a worldwide audience as high as one billion people,[236][237] the U.S. audience was estimated by Nielsen to be 31.1 million, an amount comparable to the estimated 35.1 million that watched the 2004 burial of former president Ronald Reagan, and the estimated 33.1 million Americans who watched the 1997 funeral for Princess Diana.[238]
Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi performed at the event. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave eulogies, while Queen Latifah read "We had him", a poem written for the occasion by Maya Angelou.[239] The Reverend Al Sharpton received a standing ovation with cheers when he told Jackson's children, "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway."[240] Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Katherine, cried as she told the crowd, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine ... I just wanted to say I love him ... so much."[166] Reverend Lucious Smith provided a closing prayer.[241] On August 24, several news outlets quoted anonymous sources as stating that the Los Angeles coroner had decided to treat Jackson's death as a homicide; this was later confirmed by the coroner on August 28.[242][243] At the time of death, Jackson had been administered propofol, lorazepam and midazolam.[244] Law enforcement officials conducted a manslaughter investigation of his personal physician, Conrad Murray.[245] On February 8, 2010, Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter by prosecutors in Los Angeles.[246] Jackson was entombed on September 3, 2009, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[247]
On June 25, 2010, the first anniversary of Jackson's death, fans traveled to Los Angeles to pay their tribute to him. They visited Jackson’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and his family’s home, as well as Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Many of the fans were carrying sunflowers and other tribute items to drop off at the sites. Members of the Jackson family and close friends arrived to pay their respects.[248][249] Katherine returned to Gary, Indiana to unveil a granite monument constructed in the front yard of the family home. The memorial continued with a candlelight vigil and a special performance of "We Are the World".[250][251] On June 26, there was a protest march in front of the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division at the old Parker Center building and a petition with thousands of signatures demanding justice was delivered.[252][253] The Jackson Family Foundation in conjunction with Voiceplate presented "Forever Michael", an event bringing together Jackson family members, celebrities, fans, supporters and the community to celebrate and honor his legacy. A portion of the proceeds were presented to some of Jackson's favorite charities. Katherine also introduced her new book "Never Can Say Goodbye".[254][255][256]
Death aftermath[link]
After his death, Jackson became the best-selling albums artist of 2009. In the United States selling over 8.2 million albums and a total of 35 million albums worldwide in the 12 months that followed his death.[257][258] Following this surge in sales, Sony announced that they had extended their relationship with his material. The distribution rights held by Sony Music were due to expire in 2015.[259] On March 16, 2010, Sony Music Entertainment, in a move spearheaded by its Columbia/Epic Label Group division, signed a new deal with the Jackson estate to extend their distribution rights to his back catalogue until at least 2017, as well as to obtain permission to release ten new albums with previously unreleased material and new collections of released work. On November 4, 2010 Sony announced the release of Michael, the first posthumous album set to be released on December 14, with the promotional single released to the radios on November 8, titled "Breaking News".[260] The deal was unprecedented in the music industry as it is the most expensive music contract pertaining to a single artist in history; it reportedly involved Sony Music paying $250 million for the deal, with the Jackson estate getting the full sum as well as its share of royalties for all works released.[259][261] Video game developer Ubisoft announced it would release a new dancing-and-singing game featuring Michael Jackson for the 2010 holiday season. The game titled Michael Jackson: The Experience will be among the first to use Kinect and PlayStation Move, the respective motion-detecting camera systems for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 due out later that year.[262]
On November 3, 2010, the theatrical performing company Cirque du Soleil announced that it would launch "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" in October 2011 in Montreal, while a permanent show will reside in Las Vegas.[263] The 90-minute US$57M production will combine Jackson's iconic musical oeuvre and choreography with the Cirque's signature artistry, dance and aerial displays involving 65 artists.[264] The tour was written and directed by Jamie King[265] and centers on Jackson's "inspirational Giving Tree – the wellspring of creativity where his love of music and dance, fairy tale and magic, and the fragile beauty of nature are unlocked."[266] On October 3, 2011, the accompanying compilation soundtrack album Immortal was announced to have over 40 Jackson’s original recordings re-produced by Kevin Antunes.[267]
In April 2011, Jackson's longtime friend and billionaire businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, chairman of Fulham F.C., unveiled a statue of Jackson outside the club's stadium, Craven Cottage.[268] Fulham fans were however bemused by the statue and failed to understand the relevance of Jackson to the club.[269] Al Fayed however defended the statue and told the fans to 'go to hell' if they didn't appreciate the statue.[270]
Artistry[link]
Influences[link]
Jackson's music took root in R&B, pop and soul. He had been influenced by the work of contemporary musicians such as Little Richard, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Diana Ross, David Ruffin, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis, Jr., The Isley Brothers, the Bee Gees and the West Side Story dancers, to whom he made a tribute in "Beat It" and in the "Bad" video.[271] According to David Winters, who met and befriended Jackson while choreographing the 1971 Diana Ross TV Special "Diana!", (which was also Jackson's first solo debut outside of The Jackson 5), Jackson watched West Side Story almost every week and it was his favorite film.[272][273][274] While Little Richard had a substantial influence on Jackson,[275][276] James Brown was Jackson's greatest inspiration. In reference to Brown, Jackson declared: "Ever since I was a small child, no more than like six years old, my mother would wake me no matter what time it was, if I was sleeping, no matter what I was doing, to watch the television to see the master at work. And when I saw him move, I was mesmerized. I had never seen a performer perform like James Brown, and right then and there I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because of James Brown."[277]
The young Michael Jackson owed his vocal technique in large part to Diana Ross. Not only a mother figure to him, she was often observed in rehearsal as an accomplished performer. He later expressed: "I got to know her well. She taught me so much. I used to just sit in the corner and watch the way she moved. She was art in motion. I studied the way she moved, the way she sang – just the way she was." He told her: "I want to be just like you, Diana." She said: "You just be yourself."[278] But Jackson owed part of his enduring style—especially his use of the oooh interjection—to Ross. From a young age, Jackson often punctuated his verses with a sudden exclamation of oooh. Diana Ross had used this effect on many of the songs recorded with The Supremes.[279]
Musical themes and genres[link]
Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write his songs on paper. Instead he would dictate into a sound recorder, and when recording he would sing the lyrics from memory.[280] In most of his songs, such as "Billie Jean", "Who Is It", and "Tabloid Junkie", he would beatbox and imitate the instruments using his voice instead of playing the actual instruments, along with other sounds. Jackson noted that it is easier to sing a drum line, or sing a bass, instead of playing a drum line or a bass with an instrument. Several critics have said that Jackson's distinct voice was able to replace any instrument convincingly. Steve Huey of Allmusic said that, throughout his solo career, Jackson's versatility allowed him to experiment with various themes and genres.[281] As a musician, he ranged from Motown's dance fare and ballads to techno and house-edged new jack swing to work that incorporates both funk rhythms and hard rock guitar.[18][282][283]
According to Huey, Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.[281] Notable tracks included the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature" and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the post-disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[281][282][283][284][285] With Thriller, Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.[285] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[283] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers.[281] In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media.[285] "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey.[18][281] He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years.[281] In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona.[281]
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One of Jackson's signature pieces, "Thriller", released as a single in 1984, utilizes cinematic sound effects, horror film motifs and vocal trickery to convey a sense of danger.[22]
A single from the album Bad, released 1988, "Smooth Criminal" features digital drum sounds, keyboard-created bass lines and other percussion elements designed to give the impression of a pulsing heart.[286]
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In Bad, Jackson's concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana".[290] The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a traditional love ballad, while "Man in the Mirror" is an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution.[78] "Smooth Criminal" was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder.[78] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that Dangerous presents Jackson as a very paradoxical individual.[291] He comments the album is more diverse than his previous Bad, as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like "Heal the World".[291] The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time".[292] The album is Jackson's first where social ills become a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs.[292] Dangerous contains sexually charged efforts such as the multifaceted love song, "In the Closet".[292] The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire.[292] The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith"; these songs show Jackson opening up about various personal struggles and worries.[292] In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.[293]
HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia.[294] Its content focuses on the hardships and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", along with the R&B ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs much of his anger at the media.[295] In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments over his "fall from grace", while songs like "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are all operatic pop pieces.[294][295] In the track "D.S.", Jackson launched a verbal attack against Tom Sneddon. He describes Sneddon as an antisocial, white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive". Of the song, Sneddon said, "I have not—shall we say—done him the honor of listening to it, but I've been told that it ends with the sound of a gunshot".[296] Invincible found Jackson working heavily with producer Rodney Jerkins.[281] It is a record made up of urban soul like "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless", "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" and mixes hip-hop, pop and R&B in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".[297][298]
Vocal style[link]
Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice descended from boy soprano to high tenor.[299] His vocal range as an adult was F2-E♭6. Jackson first used a technique called the "vocal hiccup" in 1973, starting with the song "It's Too Late to Change the Time" from The Jackson 5's G.I.T.: Get It Together album.[300] Jackson did not use the hiccup technique— somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping— fully until the recording of Off the Wall: it can be seen in full force in the "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" promotional video.[20] With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded. At the time, Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".[301][302] 1982 saw the release of Thriller, and Rolling Stone was of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".[285]
A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation of "come on", used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelled "cha'mone" or "shamone", is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him.[303] The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album Dangerous. The New York Times noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone".[292] When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals.[292] When commenting on Invincible, Rolling Stone were of the opinion that—at the age of 43—Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies".[304] Nelson George summed up Jackson's vocals by stating "The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness—that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist".[286]
Music videos and choreography[link]
Jackson has also been referred to as the King of Music Videos,[305] Steve Huey of Allmusic observed how Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers.[281] Before Thriller, Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV, allegedly because he was African American.[306] Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, also helping other black music artists gain recognition.[307] MTV employees deny any racism in their coverage, or pressure to change their stance. MTV maintains that they played rock music, regardless of race.[308] The popularity of his videos on MTV helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map"; MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.[309][307] His performance on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever changed the scope of live stage show; "That Jackson lip-synced 'Billie Jean' is, in itself, not extraordinary, but the fact that it did not change the impact of the performance is extraordinary; whether the performance was live or lip-synced made no difference to the audience" thus creating an era in which artists re-create the spectacle of music video imagery on stage.[310] Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has frequently been imitated.[311] The choreography in Thriller has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Indian films to prisons in the Philippines.[312] The Thriller short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the most successful music video ever by the Guinness World Records.[99]
In the 19-minute music video for "Bad"—directed by Martin Scorsese—Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He occasionally grabbed or touched his chest, torso and crotch. When asked by Oprah in the 1993 interview about why he grabbed his crotch, he replied, "I think it happens subliminally" and he described it as something that was not planned, but rather, as something that was compelled by the music. "Bad" garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; Time magazine described it as "infamous". The video also featured Wesley Snipes; in the future Jackson's videos would often feature famous cameo roles.[71][313] For "Smooth Criminal", Jackson experimented with an innovative "anti-gravity lean" in his performances. The maneuver required special shoes for which he was granted U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452.[314] Although the music video for "Leave Me Alone" was not officially released in the US, in 1989, it was nominated for three Billboard Music Video Awards;[315] the same year it won a Golden Lion Award for the quality of the special effects used in its production. In 1990, "Leave Me Alone" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form.[97]
He received the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1988 and the MTV Video Vanguard Artist of the Decade Award in 1990 to celebrate his accomplishments in the art form in the 1980s; in 1991 the first award was renamed in his honor.[114] "Black or White" was accompanied by a controversial music video, which, on November 14, 1991, simultaneously premiered in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest viewing ever for a music video.[113] It featured scenes construed as having a sexual nature as well as depictions of violence. The offending scenes in the final half of the 14-minute version were edited out to prevent the video from being banned, and Jackson apologized.[316] Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt. It helped usher in morphing as an important technology in music videos.[317]
"Remember the Time" was an elaborate production, and became one of his longest videos at over nine minutes. Set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson, along with a distinct complex dance routine.[318] The video for "In the Closet" was Jackson's most sexually provocative piece. It featured supermodel Naomi Campbell in a courtship dance with Jackson. The video was banned in South Africa because of its imagery.[114]
The music video for "Scream", directed by Mark Romanek and production designer Tom Foden, is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed. In 1995, it gained 11 MTV Video Music Award Nominations—more than any other music video—and won "Best Dance Video", "Best Choreography", and "Best Art Direction".[319] The song and its accompanying video are a response to the backlash Jackson received from the media after being accused of child molestation in 1993.[320] A year later, it won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form; shortly afterwards Guinness World Records listed it as the most expensive music video ever made at a cost of $7 million.[151][321]
"Earth Song" was accompanied by an expensive and well-received music video that gained a Grammy nomination for Best Music Video, Short Form in 1997. The video had an environmental theme, showing images of animal cruelty, deforestation, pollution and war. Using special effects, time is reversed so that life returns, wars end, and the forests re-grow.[151][322] Released in 1997 and premiering at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, Michael Jackson's Ghosts was a short film written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston. The video for Ghosts is over 38 minutes long and holds the Guinness World Record as the world's longest music video.[151][160][323][324]
Legacy and influence[link]
Jackson throughout his career transformed the art of the music video and paved the way for modern pop music. Daily Telegraph writer Tom Utley described Jackson in 2003 as "extremely important" and a "genius".[239] For much of his career, he had an "unparalleled" level of worldwide influence over the younger generation through his musical and humanitarian contributions.[153] Jackson's music and videos, such as Thriller, fostered racial diversity in MTV's roster, helped to put the relatively new channel into public awareness, and steered the channel's focus from rock to pop music and R&B, shaping the channel into a form that proved enduring. Jackson's work continues to influence numerous hip hop, rock, pop and R&B artists, including Patrick Stump,[325] Jennifer Lopez,[326] Beyoncé,[327] Mariah Carey,[328] Mýa,[329] Usher,[330] Adam Lambert,[331] Green Day,[332] Justin Timberlake,[333] Britney Spears,[334] Madonna,[335] Alien Ant Farm[164] and Ludacris, among others.[336]
Allmusic's Steve Huey describes Jackson as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the skills to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility and loads of sheer star power".[281] In the mid-1980s, Time magazine's pop music critic, Jay Cocks, noted "Jackson is the biggest thing since The Beatles. He is the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley. He just may be the most popular black singer ever".[40] In 1990, Vanity Fair cited Jackson as the most popular artist in the history of show business.[97] In 2007, Jackson said, "Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever."[337]
Shortly after Jackson's death, on June 25, 2009, MTV briefly returned to its original music video format to celebrate and pay tribute to his work.[338] The channel aired many hours of Jackson's music videos, accompanied by live news specials featuring reactions from MTV personalities and other celebrities. The temporary shift in MTV's programming culminated the following week in the channel's live coverage of Jackson's memorial service.[339] At the memorial service on July 7, 2009, founder of Motown Records Berry Gordy proclaimed Jackson as "the greatest entertainer that ever lived".[340][341][342]
In 2010, two university librarians found that Jackson's influence extended into academia, and was detectable in scholarly literature pertaining to a range of subject matter.[343][344] The two researchers combed through various scholars' writings, and compiled an annotated bibliography of those writings that appeared to meet at least one of several criteria. Among these criteria were appearance in a peer-reviewed journal, and the provision of insight into the nature of "popular icons including Jackson".[345] The bibliography located references to Jackson in research reports concerning music, popular culture, and an array of other topics. The bibliographers identified as their most peculiar finding an argument that certain aspects of chemistry can be effectively taught by altering and imitating elements of Jackson's singing.[346] One of the research librarians later reflected that "the fact that someone would take a Michael Jackson song and co-opt it as a means to convey chemistry concepts just shows the pervasiveness of Jackson's influence".[343]
Honors and awards[link]
Michael Jackson was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980 as member of The Jacksons and in 1984 as solo artist. Throughout his career he received numerous honors and awards, including the World Music Awards' Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium, the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award.[165][347] He was a double-inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. Jackson was also inducted in several other hall of fames, including Vocal Group Hall of Fame (as The Jackson 5 member) in 1999, Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 and Hit Parade Hall of Fame (with his brothers) in 2009.[165][348] In 2010, Jackson was inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll.[349] His awards include many Guinness World Records (eight in 2006 alone),[350] 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), 26 American Music Awards (24 only as a solo artist, including the "Artist of the Century", but not the poll of "Artist of the '80s")—more than any artist—, 13 number one singles in the US in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era[351]—and estimated sales of up to 750 million records worldwide, making him the world's best selling male solo pop artist.[32][99][113][163][215][216][352][353][354][355][356] On December 29, 2009, the American Film Institute recognized Jackson's death as a "moment of significance" saying, "Michael Jackson's sudden death in June at age 50 was notable for the worldwide outpouring of grief and the unprecedented global eulogy of his posthumous concert rehearsal movie This Is It."[357] Michael Jackson also received a Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from the United Negro College Fund[358] and also an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Fisk University.[359]
Lifetime earnings[link]
His total lifetime earnings from royalties on his solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements have been estimated at US$500 million; some analysts have speculated that his music catalog holdings could be worth billions of dollars.[98][360] This speculation however is contradicted by financial documents obtained by the Associated Press, which showed that as of March 31, 2007, Jackson's 50 percent stake in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalog (his most prized asset) was worth $390.6 million and Michael Jackson's net worth was $236 million.[361] Billboard has estimated that Jackson has generated at least $1 billion in revenue in the year following his death.[362]
Discography[link]
Main articles: Michael Jackson albums discography, Michael Jackson singles discography, and Michael Jackson videography
See also: Jackson 5 discography
- Got to Be There (1972)
- Ben (1972)
- Music & Me (1973)
- Forever, Michael (1975)
- Off the Wall (1979)
- Thriller (1982)
- Bad (1987)
- Dangerous (1991)
- HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)
- Invincible (2001)
Filmography[link]
Main article: Michael Jackson videography
| Year | Film | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The Wiz[363] | Scarecrow | Lumet, SidneySidney Lumet |
| 1986 | Captain EO[364] | Captain EO | Coppola, Francis FordFrancis Ford Coppola |
| 1988 | Moonwalker[365] | Himself | Kramer, JerryJerry Kramer |
| 1997 | Michael Jackson's Ghosts[366] | Maestro/Mayor/Ghoul/Skeleton | Winston, StanStan Winston |
| 2002 | Men in Black II[367] | Agent M (cameo) | Sonnenfeld, BarryBarry Sonnenfeld |
| 2004 | Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls[368] | Agent MJ (cameo) | Stoller, Bryan MichaelBryan Michael Stoller |
| 2009 | Michael Jackson's This Is It[369] | Himself | Ortega, KennyKenny Ortega |
Tours[link]
- Bad World Tour (1987–89)
- Dangerous World Tour (1992–93)
- HIStory World Tour (1996–97)
- This Is It (2009–10) (cancelled)
See also[link]
|
Book: Michael Jackson |
| Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print. | |
- Honorific nicknames in popular music
- Michael Jackson-related games
- List of awards received by Michael Jackson
- List of best-selling albums
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of best-selling music artists in the United States
- List of most expensive music videos
- List of unreleased Michael Jackson material
- List of cover versions of Michael Jackson songs
References[link]
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- ^ Lewis, p. 47
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- ^ a b c Cocks, Jay (March 19, 1984). "Why He's a Thriller". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,950053-1,00.html. Retrieved April, 25 2010.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 226
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- ^ Alex Dobuzinskis (December 30, 2009). "Jackson "Thriller" film picked for U.S. registry". Reuters (Thomas Reuters). http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/12/30/us-thriller-idUSTRE5BT43W20091230?type=musicNews. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ Dave Itzkoff (December 30, 2009). "'Thriller' Video Added to U.S. Film Registry". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/arts/music/31arts-THRILLERVIDE_BRF.html. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
- ^ Pareles, John. Michael Jackson at 25: A Musical Phenomenon, The New York Times, January 14, 1984.
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- ^ Taraborrelli, pp. 279–287
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- ^ "Bruce shows who's Boss". The Montreal Gazette. (January 28, 1986). http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=MRgiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7aUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1658,3425033&dq=american+music+awards&hl=en. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
- ^ Lisa D. Campbell (1993). Michael Jackson: the King of Pop. Branden Books. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-8283-1957-7. http://books.google.com/?id=BVC9zltjf-EC&pg=PA114&lpg=PA114&dq=Michael+Jackson+won+American+Music+Awards+Appreciation&q=Michael%20Jackson%20won%20American%20Music%20Awards%20Appreciation. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
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- ^ a b c "Paul McCartney refused an offer to buy the ATV Catalog for £20 million". Audio & transcript of McCartney at a 1990 press conference. November 13, 2010. http://mjjinfo.blogspot.com/2010/11/paul-mccartney-refused-to-buy-atv.html.
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- ^ a b c Campbell (1995), pp. 14–16
- ^ Taraborrelli, pp. 434–436
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- ^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 355–361
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- ^ Goldberg, 1Michael; Handelman, David (September 24, 1987). "Is Michael Jackson for Real?". Rolling Stone (Wenner Media LLC).
- ^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 370–373
- ^ "Newswatch Magazine – The Man, His Weird Ways". Newswatchngr.com. July 5, 2009. http://www.newswatchngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1080&Itemid=1. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ Jackson, Michael (September 12, 1997). Interview with Barbara Walters. 20/20. ABC.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. vii
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- ^ "Captain EO is Back to Change the World – Movies News at IGN". Movies.ign.com. February 23, 2010. http://movies.ign.com/articles/107/1071393p1.html?RSSwhen2010-02-23_111800&RSSid=1071393. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ Ebony, Vol. 42, No. 11, September 1987, and Vol. 45, No. 12, October 1990.
- ^ a b c Cocks, Jay. The Badder They Come, Time, September 14, 1987.
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- ^ "Michael Jackson Bad album set for re-release". Telegraphy. 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/michael-jackson/8879265/Michael-Jackson-Bad-album-set-for-re-release.html. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
- ^ "50 fastest selling albums ever". NME.com. 2011. http://www.nme.com/photos/50-fastest-selling-albums-ever/213617/40/1. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
- ^ Gil Kaufman (2010). "Michael Jackson's New Album Cover Decoded Painting is packed with iconic MJ images". mtv.com. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1651633/michael-jacksons-new-album-cover-decoded.jhtml. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
- ^ Piya Sinha-Roy (2012). "Michael Jackson is still "Bad," 25 years after". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/entertainment-us-michaeljackson-bad-idUSBRE84K0Z120120521. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
- ^ Piya Sinha-Roy (2012). "Michael Jackson is still "Bad", 25 years after album". Chicagotribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-05-22/entertainment/sns-rt-us-michaeljackson-bad25bre84l17s-20120522_1_conrad-murray-dirty-diana-grammy-winning-album. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
- ^ "25th Anniversary Of Michael Jackson’s Landmark Album Bad Celebrated With September 18 Release Of New Bad 25 Packages". Yahoo. 2012. http://news.yahoo.com/25th-anniversary-michael-jackson-landmark-album-bad-celebrated-140242006.html. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ contactmusic (2012). "Michael Jackson - Michael Jackson's Bad To Get 25Th Anniversary Release". contactmusic. http://www.contactmusic.com/news/michael-jacksons-bad-to-get-25th-anniversary-release_1330641. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
- ^ "Michael, Travis top Music Award winners". Lodi News-Sentinel. (January 30, 1989). http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=lZozAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lTIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=4477,3617735&dq=american+music+awards&hl=en. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
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- ^ Lisa D. Campbell (1993). Michael Jackson: the King of Pop. Branden Books. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-8283-1957-7. http://books.google.com/?id=BVC9zltjf-EC&pg=PA251&dq=Michael+Jackson+Moonwalker+251&q=Michael%20Jackson%20Moonwalker%20251. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
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- ^ a b Lewis, pp. 95–96
- ^ Harrington, Richard.Jackson to Make First Solo U.S. Tour, The Washington Post, January 12, 1988.
- ^ Shanahan, Mark and Golstein, Meredith (June 27, 2009). "Remembering Michael". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2009/06/27/writer_stephen_davis_remembers_michael_jackson. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
- ^ Jackson, pp. 29–31
- ^ George, p. 42
- ^ a b c d e George, pp. 43–44
- ^ a b c Gunderson,, Edna (February 19, 2007). "For Jackson, scandal could spell financial ruin". USA Today (Gannett Co. Inc). http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-11-24-jackson-finances_x.htm. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Jackson receives his World Records". Yahoo!. (November 14, 2006). http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/14112006/344/jackson-receives-world-records.html&e=l_news_dm. Retrieved November 16, 2006. [dead link]
- ^ Press references to Jackson as a music "king" appeared as early as 1984 after he swept the Grammy Awards, and "king of pop" appeared as early as 1987. MTV and Fox used the title in joint press releases and ads for the "Black or White" video at Jackson's request, but MTV denied a report that VJs were required to use it on-camera. Writers described the title as self-proclaimed from then on.
- ^ Arar, Yardena (February 29, 1984). "Michael Jackson coronated latest king of rock 'n' roll". Boca Raton News: p. 7A.
- ^ Staff writer (July 27, 1987). "Is the thrill gone for singer Michael Jackson?". Sacramento Bee: p. B3.
- ^ Browne, David (November 29, 1991). "Michael Jackson's Black or White Blues". Entertainment Weekly.
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- Bibliography
- Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Fireside. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Campbell, Lisa (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden. ISBN 0-8283-1957-X.
- Campbell, Lisa (1995). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Darkest Hour. Branden. ISBN 0-8283-2003-9. http://books.google.ca/books?id=BVC9zltjf-EC&lpg=PP1&dq=michael%20jackson&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true.
- George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet. Sony BMG.
- Guinness World Records (2003). Guinness World Records 2004. Guinness. ISBN 1-892051-20-6.
- Guinness World Records (2005). Guinness World Records 2006. Guinness. ISBN 1-904994-02-4.
- Jackson, Michael (2009) [First published 1988]. Moonwalk. Random House. ISBN 978-0-307-71698-9. http://books.google.ca/books?id=E9sGl5P8vQMC&lpg=PP1&dq=Moonwalk&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true.
- Ramage, John D.; Bean, John C.; Johnson, June (2001). Writing arguments: a rhetoric with readings. Allyn and Bacon. ISBN 0-205-31745-6.
- Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2009). Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958–2009. Terra Alta, WV: Grand Central Publishing, 2009. ISBN 0-446-56474-5, 9780446564748.
Further reading[link]
- Dineen, Catherine (1993). Michael Jackson: In His Own Words. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-3216-6. http://books.google.ca/books?id=DEspWj_IN_UC&lpg=PP1&dq=Michael%20Jackson%3A%20In%20His%20Own%20Words&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true.
- Grant, Adrian (1994, 1997, 2002 and 2005). Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-432-2.
- Jackson, Michael (2006). My World, The Official Photobook, Vol. 1. Triumph International. ISBN 0-9768891-1-0.
- Jones, Bob (2005). Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask. Select Books Inc. ISBN 1-59079-072-3. http://books.google.ca/books?id=8j4ILUllObsC&lpg=PP1&dq=Michael%20Jackson%3A%20The%20Man%20Behind%20the%20Mask&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true.
- Jefferson, Margo; Brown (2007). On Michael Jackson. Vintage Books. ISBN 978-0-307-27765-7. http://books.google.com/?id=WJiPk-3oPGkC&lpg=PP1&dq=Michael%20Jackson&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true.
- Noonan, Damien (1994) (Audio book). Michael Jackson. Carlton Books. ISBN 1-85797-587-1.
External links[link]
| Find more about Michael Jackson on Wikipedia's sister projects: | |
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jackson, Michael Joseph |
| Alternative names | Jackson, Michael Joe; Jackson, Michael J. |
| Short description | Singer |
| Date of birth | August 29, 1958 |
| Place of birth | Gary, Indiana, United States |
| Date of death | June 25, 2009 |
| Place of death | Los Angeles, California, United States |
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Wiki Summary
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of funk music and is a major figure of 20th century popular music and dance.
In a career that spanned decades, Brown profoundly influenced the development of many different musical genres. Brown moved on a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music making. Brown performed in concerts, first making his rounds across the Chitlin' Circuit, and then across the country and later around the world, along with appearing in shows on television and in movies. Although he contributed much to the music world through his hitmaking, Brown holds the record as the artist who charted the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without ever hitting number one on that chart.
For many years, Brown's touring show was one of the most extravagant productions in American popular music. At the time of Brown's death, his band included three guitarists, two bass guitar players, two drummers, three horns and a percussionist. The bands that he maintained during the late 1960s and 1970s were of comparable size, and the bands also included a three-piece amplified string section that played during ballads. Brown employed between 40 and 50 people for the James Brown Revue, and members of the revue traveled with him in a bus to cities and towns all over the country, performing upwards of 330 shows a year with almost all of the shows as one-nighters. In 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1990 into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
