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This article is about the song by Ace Of Base, Donnie is also a diminutive form of the name Donald.

"Donnie" was the second single released in Japan from the album Flowers by Swedish pop band Ace of Base. Stations began to play the song in Autumn 1998.

Promo CD (BMG Japan PDTD-1198)

1. Donnie 3:47
2. Whenever You're Near Me 3:32

Despite the existence of a more radio-friendly edit of the song found on Australian versions of the Flowers record (3:33 in length), Ace of Base's Japanese label opted with the 3:47 album version to promote the song.

Music Video[link]

No video was filmed.

No commercial single was ever released, and the chart trajectory for Donnie is unknown. The DJ CD also contains the American version of the song "Life Is a Flower" titled "Whenever You're Near Me", which had previously been unavailable to Japanese audiences.

All Available Versions:

1. Euro Album Version 4:40
2. US Album Version (Ole Evenrude Mix) 3:47
3. Australian Album Version (Ole Evenrude Edit) 3:33
4. Demo Version 5:47

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Donald Andrew McClurkin, Jr. (born November 9, 1959) is an American gospel music singer and minister. He has won three Grammy awards, ten Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award for his work.

Early life[link]

McClurkin was born Copiague, New York and raised in Amityville. When he was eight years old, his two-year-old brother was hit and killed by a speeding driver. After the loss, McClurkin found comfort in church and through an aunt who sang background vocals with gospel music musician Andraé Crouch. He began to play piano and sing with his church youth choir. He formed the McClurkin Singers by the time he was a teenager, and later formed another group, the New York Restoration Choir.^[1][2]

Ministry[link]

He was hired as an associate minister at Marvin Winans' Perfecting Church in 1989.^[3] The Winans are a well-established family of singers who dominated the contemporary gospel charts in the 80's and 90's,while experiencing cross-over appeal, and continue to be voices of influence in 2012. McClurkin served as an assistant to Pastor Marvin L. Winans for over a decade, while living in Detroit,MI.

In 1991, a sharp pain and swelling, followed by internal bleeding, led, he says, to a diagnosis of leukemia. The doctor suggested immediate treatment, but McClurkin, who was then 31, decided to take his own advice. "I tell people to believe that God will save you," he says, "[and] I had to turn around and practice the very thing that I preached."^[4]

He was ordained and sent out by Winans in 2001 to establish Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, Long Island, where he is now Senior Pastor.^[5][6]

Music[link]

A friendship with a Warner Alliance executive resulted in his signing to the label for his 1996 self-titled LP, with producers Mark Kibble of Take 6, Cedric and Victor Caldwell plus Andraé Crouch. The disc, which featured the perennially popular "Stand," went gold shortly after being publicly lauded by Oprah Winfrey.^[7] At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, he won in the category Traditional Soul Gospel Album, for "Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs".^[8] McClurkin is best known for his hit songs “Stand” and “We Fall Down” which were played in heavy rotation on both Gospel and Urban radio. His three solo albums have topped the Billboard charts.^[9]

Dovetailing off the success of his near double-platinum selling album,"Live in London and More" McClurkin released "Psalms,Hymns and Spiritual Songs" in 2005 and “We All Are One: Live In Detroit” in 2009 which also topped Billboard charts across various musical genres. McClurkin's love for people and desire to share gospel music,globally, is why he includes a language medley:Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Dutch in most live performances.

Radio and television[link]

Tom Versen and Tony Sisti of T&T Creative www.tandtcreative.com signed Grammy winner Donnie McClurkin to a radio syndication deal with advertising giant Dial-Global and syndicator Gary Bernstein. T&T Creative provided a mobile recording studio in Pastor Donnie's church that he can also take on the road. He is quoted as saying "As much as I love music and singing, I really love doing radio and the direct feedback I get from my listeners all over the country. I never thought I would be having this much fun doing radio and I could touch and impact so many people."[19]

In 2009 he also broadcast his own television show titled “Perfecting Your Faith” on cable television.^[10] His television appearances include Good Morning America, CBS Saturday’s Early Show, and the View. He has also been featured in movies like “The Gospel”, “The Fighting Temptations” and television shows “Girlfriends” and “The Parkers.”

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Live albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Singles:

• Stand (1996)
• Speak To My Heart (1996)
• Love Will Never Be (1996)
• We Fall Down (2000)
• Love Melodies (1998)
• We Love You, Lord (2000)
• Ooh Child (2005) with Kirk Franklin)
• The Prayer (2003)(with Yolanda Adams)
• I Call You Faithful (2005)
• That Great Day (2007) (with Tye Tribbett, Da' T.R.U.T.H.)
• Wait on the Lord (2009)

Filmography[link]

• Hopeville (2007)
• The Gospel (2005)
• The Prince of Egypt (1998) wrote and sang "I Am" & "Humanity"
• 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Special
• The Donnie McClurkin Story: From Darkness to Light (2004)
• Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem (2004)
• The Fighting Temptations (2003)

Notable television appearances:

• SuperBowl Gospel Celebration (2012)
• CNN Saturday Morning (2012)
• CNN Pierce Morgan Tonight (2012)
• BET Awards-performance (2011)
• Sunday's Best/ BET Sunday Best -Judge (2011)
• BET Sunday Best - Judge (2010)
• 25th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards-Hosted (2010)
• 24th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards-Co-Hosted (2009)
• An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Stevie Wonder (2006)
• 20th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2005)
• 19th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2004)
• 18th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards Preshow (2003)
• 17th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2002)
• Essence Awards (2003)
• The Parkers (2002)
• Girlfriends (2001)
• 1st Annual BET Awards (2001)
• Essence Awards (2001)
• An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational Excellence (2001)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Donnie McClurkin: official site
• The Donnie McClurkin Show: radio broadcast
• Perfecting Faith Church: official site
• Exclusive Interview on BlackGospel.com (October 2008) : Interview

This article may contain wording that merely promotes the subject without imparting verifiable information. Please remove or replace such wording, unless you can cite independent sources that support the characterization. (August 2011)

Donnie Yen
Yen at the 2007 Shanghai International Film Festival
Chinese name	甄子丹 (Traditional)
Chinese name	甄子丹 (Simplified)
Pinyin	Zhēn Zǐdān (Mandarin)
Jyutping	Jan1 Zi2daan1 (Cantonese)
Ancestry	Taishan, Guangdong, China
Origin	Hong Kong
Born	(1963-07-27) 27 July 1963 (age 48) Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Occupation	Actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer
Years active	1983 – present
Spouse(s)	Zing-Ci Leung (1993–1995) Cecilia Cissy Wang (2003 – present)
Awards Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography 2003 The Twins Effect 2005 SPL: Sha Po Lang 2008 Flash Point Golden Bauhinia Awards Best Action Choreography 2006 Dragon Tiger Gate Golden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography 2003 The Twins Effect 2007 Flash Point 2011 Wu Xia Other awards Iron Elephant Awards Best Actor 2009 (Ip Man)

Donnie Yen Ji-Dan (born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist.^[1] Apart from being a well-known film and television actor in Hong Kong, Yen has also gained international recognition for appearing in many films together with other prominent and internationally-known actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh.

Yen is widely credited by many^[2][3][4] as the person responsible for popularizing the traditional martial arts style known as Wing Chun. He played the role of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the 2008 film Ip Man, which was a box office success. This has led to an increase in the number of people taking up Wing Chun, leading to hundreds of new Wing Chun schools to be opened up in mainland China and other parts of Asia.^[5] Ip Chun, the eldest son of Ip Man, even mentioned that he is grateful to Yen for making his family art popular and allowing his father's legacy to be remembered.^[6]

Yen is considered to be Hong Kong's top action star; director Peter Chan mentioned that he "is the 'it' action person right now" and "has built himself into a bona fide leading man, who happens to be an action star."^[7] Yen is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts (MMA) into the mainstream of Chinese culture, by choreographing MMA in many of his recent films. Yen has displayed notable skills in MMA, being well-versed in boxing, kickboxing, taekwondo, Muay Thai, wrestling, karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Wing Chun, and Wushu. Seen as one of the most popular film stars in Asia in recent years, Yen is currently one of the most highly paid actors in the whole of Asia.^[8]

Early life[link]

Yen's mother, Bow-sim Mark (麥寶嬋), is a Fu Style Wudangquan (internal martial arts) grandmaster, while his father, Klyster Yen (甄雲龍), is a newspaper editor.^[9] Yen was born in Taishan, Guangdong, China. When he was two years old, his family moved to Hong Kong, and then to Boston, Massachusetts, United States when he was 11.^[10] His younger sister, Chris Yen, is also a martial artist and actress, and appeared in the 2007 film Adventures of Johnny Tao: Rock Around the Dragon.

At a young age, under influence from his mother, Yen developed an interest in martial arts and began experimenting with various styles, including t'ai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts. Yen focused on practicing wushu after dropping out of school. His parents were concerned that he was spending too much time in the Boston Combat Zone, so they sent him to Beijing on a two-year training program with the Beijing Wushu Team.^[10] When Yen decided to return to the United States, he made a side-trip to Hong Kong and met action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping there.

Yen also came from a family of musicians. His mother is a soprano, in addition to being a martial arts teacher in Boston, while his father is a violinist.^[11] From a young age, he was taught by his parents to play musical instruments, including the piano.^[12][13] He also knows hip-hop dancing and breakdancing.^[14][15][16]

Career[link]

Donnie Yen in Seoul in 2005

Yen was a stuntman in his earliest films, Shaolin Drunkard (1983) and Taoism Drunkard (1984). At the age of 20, he got his first acting role in the 1984 film Drunken Tai Chi'.'

After filming Drunken Tai Chi and Tiger Cage (1988), Yen made his breakthrough role as General Nap-lan in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), which included a fight scene between his character and Wong Fei-hung (played by Jet Li). Yen had a starring role in the film Iron Monkey in 1993. Yen and Li appeared together again in the 2002 film Hero, where Yen played a spear (or qiang) fighter who fought with Li's character, an unnamed swordsman. The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 2003 Academy Awards.

In 1995, Yen starred as Chen Zhen (Cantonese: Chan Zan) in the television series Fist of Fury produced by ATV, which is adapted from the 1972 film of the same title that starred Bruce Lee as Chen Zhen. Yen reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen.

In 1997, Yen started the production company Bullet Films, and made his directorial debut^[17] in Legend of the Wolf (1997) and Ballistic Kiss (1998), in which he played the lead character. Yen went on to choreograph fight scenes and appeared in minor roles in some Hollywood films, such as Highlander: Endgame (2000) and Blade II (2002).

In 2003, Yen played the antagonist against Jackie Chan in Shanghai Knights.

Yen choreographed most of the fight animation in the 2004 video game Onimusha 3, which featured actors Takeshi Kaneshiro and Jean Reno. Yen continued to be active in the Hong Kong cinema in the 2000s, starring as Chu Zhaonan in Tsui Hark's wuxia epic film Seven Swords, and as Ma Kwun in Wilson Yip's brutal crime drama film SPL: Sha Po Lang in 2005. Both films were featured at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. Later that year, Yen co-starred with Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue in Wilson Yip's Dragon Tiger Gate, an adaptation of Wong Yuk-long's manhua series Oriental Heroes. Yen also worked as action choreographer in Stormbreaker, starring Alex Pettyfer. Yen's continued to work with Wilson Yip in Flash Point (2007) in which he starred as the lead character and served as producer and action choreographer for the film. He won the Best Action Choreography at the Golden Horse Film Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance in Flash Point.

In 2008, Yen starred in Ip Man, a semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the Wing Chun master of Bruce Lee. Ip Man marked Yen's fourth collaboration with director Wilson Yip, reuniting him with his co-stars in SPL: Sha Po Lang, Sammo Hung and Simon Yam. Ip Man became the biggest box office hit to date which featured Yen in the leading role, grossing HK$25 million in Hong Kong and 100 million yuan in China.^[18][19] In July 2011 it was announced that Yen and Cecilia Cheung would be cast in a Hong Kong remake of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, titled Assassin Couple.^[20]

In August 2011, while Yen was on a vacation with his family in the United States, he reportedly received an invitation by producer Avi Lerner to star in The Expendables 2. It was stated that Yen is considering the offer, and has many films at hand, and will not decide until he sees if the script appeals to him or not.^[21]

In September 2011, Yen revealed that he took two comedy roles in a row, All's Well, Ends Well 2012 and Thunder Cop, and will be working with Sandra Ng in the first film.^[22]

Action choreography[link]

Apart from being an acclaimed martial artist and actor, Yen is also a world class action choreographer, and his on-screen choreography has been recognized through the numerous awards he has attained.

In recent years, Yen was successful in including mixed martial arts (MMA) into his action choreography in various films, a feat most other action directors have been unsuccessful at accomplishing so far. Flash Point, a film fully choreographed by Yen using MMA was a huge success. Another notable MMA film involving Yen is SPL: Sha Po Lang.

In recent years, Yen's work as a choreographer won him "Best Action Choreography" awards at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards and the 2008 and 2011 Golden Horse Film Awards.

Yen was the fight choreographer for the 2010 film Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. For this film, Yen mentioned that he included Jeet Kune Do elements as a tribute to Bruce Lee, who played Chen Zhen in the 1972 film Fist of Fury.^[21] Furthermore he incorporated many MMA elements in the film, coupled with the utilization of Wing Chun. Yen also stated that the concept behind Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do is similar to that of MMA, hence the incorporation of many forms of martial arts is a necessity in this film.^[23]

Due to his success in action choreography, he is invited to choreograph his upcoming films such as The Lost Bladesman, Wu Xia and The Monkey King.

Martial arts history, style and philosophy[link]

Yen describes himself as a mixed martial artist, and this is evident from his style.^[1] He learned wushu from a young age, under his mother's tutelage. He then wanted to learn taekwondo in his teenage years, but never did.^[25] When he was a teenager, he obtained a medal in a wushu competition held in the United States, known as Boston Combat Zone. At the time, the Beijing wushu team had a scout in the United States, and invited Yen over to Beijing, China, where he began training at the Beijing Sports Institute, the same facility where champion-turned actor Jet Li trained; this is where the two of them crossed paths for the first time.^[26]

Yen later went on to discover and to seek knowledge on other martial arts style, he would later obtain belts from judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and went on to study the art of parkour, wrestling, Muay Thai, kickboxing and boxing under various trainers. His exposure of mixed martial arts (MMA) was heightened when he went back to the United States from 2000 to 2003, while making his Hollywood debut, he also took time off to learn the various martial arts form.^[27] The progress was evident when he returned back to Asia, where he implemented his new found knowledge of MMA showcased in films such as SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005) and Flash Point (2007).

Near the end of 2007, Yen added a new martial arts system to his arsenal. He was offered the role of Wing Chun grandmaster and Bruce Lee's mentor, Ip Man, in a 2008 film named after the grandmaster. He worked hard and studied Wing Chun under Ip Man's eldest son, Ip Chun for 9 months before tackling the role.^[28][29] Ip Chun has since praised Yen for his effort, and complimented that Yen is a great martial artist and a fast learner, and has managed to grasp the full concept of Wing Chun much faster than anyone he has taught.^[30]

Yen believes in practical combat, and in his opinion, MMA is the most authentic type of practical combat. He has particular interest in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has obtained a purple belt.^[31] He has mentioned that he would have entered the Octagon, joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship if he did not have a recurring shoulder injury.

Yen believes that combining many martial arts together will produce the most effective and harmonious style. Yen has said, "When you watch my films, you're feeling my heart."^[32]

Personal life[link]

Yen has stated that he is a big fan of the MMA organization Ultimate Fighting Championship, and has watched almost every UFC event available.^[33]

In 1993, Yen married Zing-Ci Leung. Their son, Man-Zeok Yen, was born in 1995. From 1995 to 2000, Yen was involved in a relationship with actress Yee Man "Joey" Meng. Yen married Cecilia Wang in Toronto in 2003.

About Cecilia Wang[link]

Cecilia Wang born April 21,1981 in Hong Kong was the winner of the 2000 Miss Chinese Toronto Pageant[34] , including the "Miss Vitality" and "Miss Perfect Figure" awards. She stands at 5'8" and was a model[35] . She is known in Asia as a socialite and appears in prestigious events throughout Asia. Wang supports Yen by accompanying in his red carpet events, film festivals, award shows, premieres around the world, including Cannes, Venice, Beijing, Shanghai, Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong etc. They have a daughter, Jasmine, born in 2004, and a son, James, born in 2007.[36]Cecilia Wang has a younger sister, named Yuen Yuen Wang.

See also[link]

• Donnie Yen filmography
• Cinema of Hong Kong
• Cinema of China

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Donnie Yen

• Official website
• Donnie Yen at the Internet Movie Database
• Donnie Yen's Sina blog site
• "An Action Star Moves to the Lead," New York Times article
• Donnie Yen profile page at Hong Kong Cinemagic
• Stokes, Lisa; Michael Hoover (2000). "An Interview with Donnie Yen". Asian Cult Cinema 29 (4th quarter): pp.48–62. 

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2008)

Anita Baker
Baker performing at the 17th Annual Salute to Freedom
Background information
Born	(1958-01-26) January 26, 1958 (age 54) Toledo, Ohio, United States
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Genres	R&B, soul jazz, smooth jazz, soul, quiet storm
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Ariola (1979) Beverly Glen Records (1982-1984) Elektra (1985-1995) Atlantic (1996-2001) Blue Note (2004-present)
Website	Blue Note artist page

Anita Baker (born January 26, 1958, in Toledo, Ohio, and raised in Detroit, Michigan)^[1] is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit.

Music career[link]

[edit] Chapter 8 (1979)

In 1975, Baker (Contralto) joined the Detroit-based band, Chapter 8, which featured Michael J. Powell, who would later produce her solo works. The band eventually got a record deal with Ariola, and their self-titled debut Chapter 8 came out in Fall 1979. Two singles hit the R&B charts: "Ready for Your Love," a duet between Baker and group member Gerald Lyles; and the Baker-led "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl."

Ariola Records was bought by Arista Records. Chapter 8 were subsequently dropped from the label roster.

[edit] The Songstress (1983)

Baker released her solo debut album, The Songstress, in 1983. Produced by Patrick Moten and Otis Smith, the album was released on the small independent label Beverly Glen Records. The album was initially not a success, but featured the moderate R&B hit "Angel".

[edit] Rapture (1985-1986)

She released her second album, Rapture, in 1986. Produced by her friend Michael J. Powell (from the Detroit soul band Chapter 8), Baker wrote several tracks for the album herself including "Been So Long" and "Watch Your Step", and co-wrote the single "Sweet Love" which became her first mainstream hit; it peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, number two on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, also making the Top 20 in the United Kingdom. "Caught Up in the Rapture", "No One in the World", and "Same Ole Love" also became major R&B and adult contemporary chart hits during 1986 and 1987. Rapture remains Baker's biggest-selling album and went on to sell nearly eight million copies worldwide. It also earned Baker two Grammy Awards in 1987: Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for the album and Best Rhythm & Blues Song for "Sweet Love". A show from Baker's world tour, entitled A Night of Rapture, was filmed and released on home video (and DVD in 2007).

In 1987, Baker collaborated with The Winans on the single "Ain't No Need to Worry", which earned Baker her third Grammy Award the following year, in the Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus category.

[edit] Giving You the Best That I Got (1988)

Baker's third album, Giving You the Best That I Got, was released in October 1988. She again worked with Powell, and the album became a critical and commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart and selling five million copies worldwide (including three million in the U.S. alone). It featured such hits as "Just Because" and the title track, which became Baker's biggest pop hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 while topping both the R&B and adult contemporary charts.^[2] The album also won three more Grammy awards.

[edit] Compositions (1990)

Baker returned to the studio in 1990 for her fourth album (her third for Elektra), entitled Compositions. Once again produced by Powell, this time Baker became more involved in the songwriting and production process and began to experiment with jazz influences. Baker wrote or co-wrote seven of the nine songs on the album, including the hits "Talk to Me", "Fairy Tales", "No One to Blame", and "Whatever It Takes" (written with Gerald Levert). The album was mostly cut "live", in that the rhythm section was playing as Baker sang. The album included musicians Greg Phillinganes, Nathan East, Paulinho da Costa, Vernon Fails, Ricky Lawson, and Stephen Ferrone.

The three singles from Compositions all failed to reach the top forty of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart ("Talk to Me" came closest peaking at number forty-four). The singles became top twenty hits on the R&B singles chart and were also moderate adult contemporary hits. Compositions peaked at number five on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, number three on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and number four on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for one million units sold in the US. The album also earned Baker her seventh Grammy Award and her fourth in the category of Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (a category that she had won four times during five awards ceremonies between 1987 - 1991).

Following Compositions, Elektra Records secured the rights to Baker's debut album The Songstress from 1983, and re-released it with a new cover artwork in 1991.

After almost five years of touring, performing, and recording, Baker took a break, only entering the studio to record the jazz standard "Witchcraft" with Frank Sinatra for his 1993 Duets album.

[edit] Rhythm of Love (1994)

Baker's fifth album, Rhythm of Love, was issued in September 1994. After ending her production partnership with Powell, Baker produced most of the album herself along with many famous producers such as George Duke, Arif Mardin, Barry J. Eastmond, and Tommy LiPuma. Rhythm of Love was mainly recorded at Baker's home due to her pregnancy at the time, and she wrote five of the album's twelve songs. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and eventually being certified double platinum by the RIAA. The first single, "Body and Soul", became Baker's first US top forty hit in over five years. Baker won the award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the single "I Apologize" at the 1996 Grammy Awards, her fifth Grammy Award in this category and her eighth overall. Baker embarked on the Rhythm of Love World Tour in support of the album, on December 14, 1994 to November 14, 1995.

Recent career[link]

After Rhythm of Love, Baker largely withdrew from the public eye for many years to dedicate time to her new family. In June 2002, Rhino Records released The Best of Anita Baker (known as Sweet Love: The Very Best of Anita Baker in the UK, with a slightly different track listing), a compilation of Baker's material from 1983–2002.

Two years later, in March 2004, Blue Note Records announced that they had signed Baker to an exclusive recording contract that would result in at least two new albums. Bruce Lundvall, president and CEO of EMI Jazz & Classics, signed her after she approached him to record for Blue Note. At the same time Rhino Records released A Night of Rapture: Live, a compilation that contained nine live tracks and three multimedia videos recorded in the 1980s.

In September 2004, a decade after her last studio album, Baker released a new album, entitled My Everything. Co-produced by Barry J. Eastmond and Baker herself, she wrote or co-wrote nine of this album's ten tracks, including a duet with Babyface, "Like You Used to Do". Though she had been out of the limelight for some considerable time, the album was still moderately successful, peaking at number four on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album was certified gold by the RIAA, denoting sales in excess of 500,000 units in the US.

In October 2005, Baker released her first Christmas album, Christmas Fantasy. Again produced by Baker and Eastmond, the album mixed traditional Christmas carols ("God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen"), standards ("I'll Be Home for Christmas"), re-imagined classics ("Frosty's Rag"), Broadway show tunes ("My Favorite Things"), and three new songs by Baker and Eastmond ("Moonlight Sleighride", "Family of Man", and "Christmas Fantasy"). She received a Grammy Award nomination in 2007 for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for the song "Christmas Time Is Here", although she did not win.

In 2007, Baker appeared on Dave Koz's album At the Movies. She sang "Somewhere" from the Broadway musical West Side Story.^{[citation needed]}

Baker embarked on a concert tour in 2008, entitled An Evening with Anita Baker. Her performance at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan, on July 12, 2008, was recorded and Baker announced plans to release a new DVD and/or CD live album in early 2009.^{[citation needed]}

On September 19, 2008, BusyBoy Productions^[3] filmed her entire An Evening with Anita Baker concert at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota, for Baker's up-and-coming DVD and B-roll footage for promotional purposes.

On April 25, 2010, Baker performed at the New Orleans Annual Jazz Fest 2010 at the Congo Square Stage.^{[citation needed]}

On June 10, 2010, Baker sang the National Anthem at Game 4 of the NBA Finals in TD Garden. Her performance was criticized by viewers, and many began criticizing the performance on Twitter after she finished singing.^[4]

Baker was scheduled to release her seventh studio album in 2010, entitled 21st Century Love, on Blue Note Records/EMI.^[5] However, the album has yet to surface.

Baker was scheduled to perform at VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul taped December 18 2011: she was to sing "Sweet Love" during a salute to Detroit R&B music. However Baker dropped out of the show at the last minute: rumors claimed there had been friction between Baker and Divas 2011 performer Jill Scott but Baker attributed her leaving the show to its producers refusing to allow her to properly rehearse her number with the other Divas performers who'd be singing with her - presumably Marsha Ambrosius and Ledisi who performed "Sweet Love" on the finalized Divas 2011 broadcast.^[6]

Personal life[link]

She married Walter Bridgforth Jr. on Christmas Eve 1988. As of October 2007 they were finalizing their divorce.^[7] They have two sons, Walter Baker Bridgforth (born January 1993) and Edward Carlton Bridgforth (born May 1994).^[8] Baker currently lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.^[9]

Selected awards and accolades[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

American Music Awards[link]

Other honors[link]

• Baker received a "Legend Award" at the 2010 Soul Train Music Awards, where she also performed and was honored.^[11]

Discography[link]

• 1983: The Songstress
• 1986: Rapture
• 1988: Giving You the Best That I Got
• 1990: Compositions
• 1994: Rhythm of Love
• 2004: My Everything
• 2005: Christmas Fantasy

Tours[link]

• A Night of Rapture Tour (1986/87)
• Giving You The Best Tour (1988)
• Compositions World Tour (1990)
• The Rhythm of Love Tour (1994/95)
• An Evening with Anita Baker Tour (2008)

References[link]

External links[link]

	Book: Anita Baker
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Official Website
• Anita Baker on Blue Note Records
• Anita Baker at Allmusic
• Anita Baker at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography and note to fans at SoulTracks
• Official Myspace Page

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2009)

Donnie Wahlberg
Wahlberg in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Donald Edmond Wahlberg, Jr.
Born	(1969-08-17) August 17, 1969 (age 42)
Origin	Dorchester, Massachusetts, United States
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, actor
Years active	1984–94(with NKOTB) 1995–present(solo and acting career) 2008–present(with NKOTB)
Associated acts	New Kids on the Block

Donald Edmond "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr.^[1] (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television. Donnie has had featured roles in the Saw films, The Sixth Sense, Dreamcatcher, Boomtown and Righteous Kill, also appearing in the award-winning World War II miniseries Band of Brothers. He is also known for currently starring in the critically acclaimed drama series Blue Bloods. Donnie was nominated for Choice Scream at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards for his work on the Saw films.

Early life[link]

Wahlberg was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, as the eighth of nine children, with older siblings Arthur, Jim, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, Debbie (died 2003) and younger brother Mark. He also has three half-siblings from his father's first marriage- Donna, Scott and Buddy. His mother, Alma Elaine (née Donnelly), was a bank clerk and nurse's aide, and his father, Donald Edmond Wahlberg, Sr. (died February 14, 2008) was a teamster who worked as a delivery driver; the couple divorced in 1982.^[2][3] He is of Swedish, Irish, English, and French Canadian ancestry.^[4]

Career[link]

New Kids on the Block[link]

Wahlberg in 1990

As a recording artist, Wahlberg is known as an original member of boy band New Kids on the Block.

Acting career[link]

Wahlberg's first film acting role was in the 1996 film Bullet with Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur. Also in 1996, he appeared as a kidnapper in Ransom with Mel Gibson. Wahlberg received attention for his role in the 1999 film The Sixth Sense, playing the patient of Bruce Willis's character in the opening sequence. This role was originally intended for a 13-year-old boy until Wahlberg met with writer and director M. Night Shyamalan to inquire about obtaining the rights for a theatre production, and ended up getting the role.

In 2001, Wahlberg co-starred as Second Lieutenant C. Carwood Lipton in the television miniseries Band of Brothers. Wahlberg also starred in the 2002–2003 NBC drama series Boomtown as Joel Stevens, a Los Angeles police detective. Graham Yost, executive producer and writer of Boomtown, had worked with Wahlberg in Band of Brothers and was so impressed by his performance that he wrote the role of Joel Stevens specifically for him.

2003 was the year that Wahlberg starred alongside Timothy Olyphant, Jason Lee, and his Band of Brothers co-star Damian Lewis as the mentally challenged Duddits in William Goldman and Lawrence Kasdan's adaptation of the Stephen King alien-invasion thriller, Dreamcatcher. In 2005, Wahlberg starred as Detective Eric Matthews in the second installment of the Saw series. He reprised the role in Saw III in 2006 and Saw IV in 2007, also appearing in Saw V in 2008 via archive footage from the previous films.^[5]

In 2006, Wahlberg also played Lieutenant Commander Burton in the military/boxing drama, Annapolis. In September 2006, he played the lead role in the short-lived television drama Runaway on The CW. The show was cancelled in October 2006 due to poor ratings. In 2007, he starred alongside Jason Gedrick, Ricardo Chavira, and Nadine Velazquez in the television film Kings of South Beach on A&E. Also in 2007, he starred opposite John Leguizamo on the TV series The Kill Point.

In 2008, he appeared in Righteous Kill co-starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. He also co-starred in What Doesn't Kill You with Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo and Amanda Peet.

Wahlberg currently stars as a detective on CBS's Blue Bloods, a police drama set in New York City. The show, which also stars Tom Selleck and Bridget Moynahan, airs Fridays at 10 pm EST.^[6]

Currently, Donnie is the host of an internet radio show on Friday nights at 8 pm PST called "DDUB's R&B Back Rub" on Cherry Tree Radio.^[7] Donnie also appeared in the 2011 comedy, The Zookeeper.

Personal life[link]

Wahlberg married Kim Fey on August 20, 1999. He has two children with Fey, Xavier Alexander Wahlberg (born March 4, 1993) and Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg (born August 20, 2001). Wahlberg and Fey filed for divorce on August 13, 2008 citing "irreconcilable differences".^[8] He is one of the "famous faces"^[9] due to being a regular player on the online poker website Hollywood Poker which is run in conjunction with Ongame Network.

Wahlberg is a passionate fan of the Boston Celtics and has been seen attending many of their games. He will be narrating a documentary called "The Association: Boston Celtics" about the team's 2010–11 season, which is set to air on ESPN between 2010 and 2011.^[10]

Filmography[link]

• Bullet (1996) as "Big Balls" (street name) Shelby Horne
• Ransom (1996) as Cubby Barnes
• Black Circle Boys (1996) as Greggo
• Body Count (1996) as Booker
• Butter (1998) as Rick Damon
• The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1998) (TV) as Mr. Grey
• Southie (1998) as Danny Quinn
• Purgatory (1999), as Deputy Glen/Billy The Kid
• The Sixth Sense (1999), as Vincent Grey
• The Practice (2000) (TV) (1 episode, "Settling") as Patrick Rooney
• Bullfighter (2000), as Chollo
• Diamond Men (2000), as Bobby Walker
• Big Apple (2001) (TV) (7 episodes) as Chris Scott
• Triggermen (2002), as Hitman Terry Mulloy
• Band of Brothers (2001), television miniseries, as 101st Airborne second lieutenant Carwood Lipton
• Dreamcatcher (2003), as Douglas "Duddits" Cavell
• Boomtown (2002–2003), television series, as Detective Joel Stevens
• 50 First Dates (2004) as Vincent Grey (cameo)
• Saw II (2005), as Detective Eric Matthews
• Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005), as Randall Ipswitch
• Annapolis (2006), as Burton
• Runaway (2006), (TV series), as Paul Rader
• The Path to 9/11 (2006), television miniseries, as Detective Kirk
• Saw III (2006), as Detective Eric Matthews
• Kings of South Beach (2007), as Detective Andy
• Dead Silence (2007), as Detective Jim Lipton
• Saw IV (2007), as Detective Eric Matthews
• The Kill Point (2007), (TV series), as Detective Horst Cali
• Turok (video game) (2008), as Shepherd
• Righteous Kill (2008), as Detective Ted Reily
• What Doesn't Kill You (2008), as Detective Moran
• 1 1/2 Ritter (2008), as singer
• In Plain Sight (episode one, season 3) (TV series) (2010)
• Rizzoli & Isles (2 episodes) (TV Series) (2010)
• Zookeeper (2011) as Shane
• Blue Bloods (TV Series) (2010 – present), as Detective Daniel "Danny" Reagan

References[link]