The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the church.

History[link]

The Washington Times was founded in 1982 by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the Unification Church which also owns newspapers in South Korea, Japan, and South America, as well as the news agency United Press International.^[1] Bo Hi Pak, the chief aide of church founder and leader Sun Myung Moon, was the founding president and the founding chairman of the board.^[2] Moon asked Richard L. Rubenstein, a rabbi and college professor who had written on the Holocaust, to serve on the board of directors.^[3]

At the time of founding of the Times Washington had only one major newspaper, the Washington Post. Massimo Introvigne, in his 2000 book The Unification Church, said that the Post had been "the most anti-Unificationist paper in the United States."^[4] In 2002, at an event held to celebrate the Times' 20th anniversary, Moon said: "The Washington Times is responsible to let the American people know about God" and "The Washington Times will become the instrument in spreading the truth about God to the world."^[5]

The Washington Times bag.

The Times was founded the year after the Washington Star, the previous "second paper" of D.C., went out of business, after operating for over 100 years. A large percentage of the staff came from the Washington Star. When the Times began, it was unusual among American broadsheets in publishing a full color front page, along with full color front pages in all its sections and color elements throughout. Although USA Today used color in the same way, it took several years for the Washington Post, New York Times and others to do the same. The Times originally published its editorials and opinion columns in a physically separate "Commentary" section, rather than at the end of its front news section as is common practice in U.S. newspapers. It ran television commercials highlighting this fact. Later, this practice was abandoned (except on Sundays, when many other newspapers, including the Post, also do it). The Washington Times also used ink that it advertised as being less likely to come off on the reader's hands than the Post's. This design and its editorial content attracted "real influence" in Washington.^[6] When the Times began it had 125 reporters, 25% of them Unification Church members.^[7] In 1982 the Post criticized the Times for its negative review of the movie Inchon, which was also sponsored by the Unification Church.^[8]

Former speechwriter for President George W. Bush David Frum, in his 2000 book How We Got Here: The '70s, wrote that Moon had granted the Times editorial independence.^[6] But some former employees, including the newspaper's first editor and publisher, James R. Whelan, have insisted that the paper was under Moon's control from the beginning. Whelan, whose contract guaranteed editorial autonomy, left the paper when the owners refused to renew the contract, asserting that "I have blood on my hands" for helping Moon acquire legitimacy.^[9] Three years later editorial page editor William P. Cheshire and four of his staff resigned, charging that, at the explicit direction of Sang Kook Han, a top official of the Unification Church, then-editor Arnaud de Borchgrave had stifled editorial criticism of political repression in South Korea. ^[10]

The Times was read every day by President Ronald Reagan during his terms in office.^[11] In 1997 he said:

The American people know the truth. You, my friends at The Washington Times, have told it to them. It wasn't always the popular thing to do. But you were a loud and powerful voice. Like me, you arrived in Washington at the beginning of the most momentous decade of the century. Together, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. And—oh, yes—we won the Cold War.^[12]

The Times circulation has always been much less than the Washington Post. In 1992 the New York Times reported the Times had only one-eighth the circulation of the Post (100,000 to 800,000) and that two-thirds of its subscribers also subscribed to the Post.^[13] In 1994, the Times introduced a weekly national edition, especially targeted to conservative readers nationwide.^[14]

In 1997, the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (which is critical of United States and Israeli policies), praised the Times (along with The Christian Science Monitor owned by the Church of Christ, Scientist), and the Times’ sister publication The Middle East Times for their objective and informative coverage of Islam and the Middle East, while criticizing the Times generally pro-Israel editorial policy. The Report suggested that these newspapers, being owned by churches, were less influenced by pro-Israel pressure groups in the United States.^[15] In 1998 the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram wrote that the Times' editorial policy was "rabidly anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and pro-Israel."^[16]

In 2002, the Times published a story accusing the National Educational Association (NEA), the largest teachers' union in the United States, of promoting teaching students that the policies of the United States government were partly to blame for the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.^[17] This was denied by the NEA and by other commentators.^[18][19]

In 2002, Post veteran Ben Bradlee said, "I see them get some local stories that I think the Post doesn’t have and should have had."^[20] Dante Chinni wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review:

In addition to giving voice to stories that, as Pruden says, “others miss,” the Times plays an important role in Washington’s journalistic farm system. The paper has been a springboard for young reporters to jobs at The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, even the Post. Lorraine Woellert, who worked at the Times from 1992 to 1998, says her experience there allowed her to jump directly to her current job at Business Week. “I got a lot of opportunities very quickly. They appreciated and rewarded talent and, frankly, there was a lot of turnover.”^[21]

In his 2003 book, Lies (And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them): A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right, comedian, author, and later senator Al Franken devoted a chapter to criticizing the Times after executive editor Wesley Pruden re-wrote a reporter's story—without the reporter's knowledge—about Franken's performance at a White House party. According to Franken, the rewrite was made to appear as if Franken had received a negative reception, which he says was not the case.^[22]

In 2004 the Washington Post reported dissention between some of the Times staff and ownership over the paper's stance on international issues, including support for the United Nations.^[23]

The Southern Poverty Law Center in its Spring 2005 report criticized the wife of Times editor Francis "Fran" Coombs for writing articles for white nationalist websites such as the Occidental Quarterly.^[24] In 2006, Max Blumenthal writing in The Nation reported that Moon's son Preston Moon was in the process of ousting Coombs because of his racist editorializing. Blumenthal, quoting veteran Times news reporter George Archibald and others, reported that Coombs had made a number of racist and sexist comments, and was in the process of being sued by his colleagues for his remarks. Moon was also reported to be trying to oust editor in chief Wesley Pruden, who was also said to have far-right leanings including sympathy for the Confederate States of America, and to recruit a non-extremist person to replace him.^[25]

As of 2007^[update], home delivery of the paper in its local area was made in bright orange plastic bags, with the words, "Brighter. Bolder. The Washington Times" and a slogan that changes. Two of the slogans are "The voice and choice of discerning readers" and "You're not getting it all without us".^[26]

In 2009, the Manila Times criticized the Times for an editorial which it said interfered with the political process in the Philippines,^[27] while the New York Times criticized it for an editorial linking proposed health care reforms in the United States to policies of Nazi Germany.^[28][29]

In January 2008, editor-in-chief Wesley Pruden retired and John F. Solomon began work as executive editor of the Times. Solomon is known for his work as an investigative journalist for the Associated Press and the Washington Post, and was most recently head of investigative reporting and mixed media development at the Post.^[30][31][32] Within a month the Times changed some of its style guide to conform more to mainstream media usage. The Times announced that it would no longer use words like "illegal aliens" and "homosexual," and in most cases opt for "more neutral terminology" like "illegal immigrants" and "gay," respectively. The paper also decided to stop using "Hillary" when referring to Senator Hillary Clinton, and the word "marriage" in the expression "gay marriage" will no longer appear in quotes in the newspaper. These changes in policy drew criticism from some conservatives.^[33] Prospect magazine attributed the Times' apparent move to the center to differences of opinion over the United Nations and North Korea, and said: "The Republican right may be losing its most devoted media ally."^[34]

On November 30, 2009 the New York Times reported that the Washington Times would no longer be receiving funds from the Unification Church and might have to cease publication or go to online publication only.^[35] In December 2009 the Times announced it would lay off 40% of its 370 employees and stop subscription service, instead distributing the paper free in some areas of Washington including branches of the government. The Times said that it would focus on its "core strengths," which it identified as "exclusive reporting and in-depth national political coverage, enterprise and investigative reporting, geo-strategic and national security news and cultural coverage based on traditional values." A subscription website owned by the paper, theconservatives.com, continued, as did the Times three-hour radio program, “America’s Morning News.”^[36] Later that month the Times announced that it would cease publication of its Sunday edition, along with other changes partly in order to end its reliance on subsidies from the Unification Church ownership.^[37] On December 31, 2009 it announced that it would end its coverage of sports.^[38][39]

In July 2010 international leaders of the Unification Church issued a letter protesting the direction the Times was taking and urging closer ties between it and the church.^[40] In August 2010, a deal was made to sell the Times to a group more closely related to the church. Editor-in-chief Sam Dealey said that this was a welcome development among the Times' staff.^[41] On November 2, 2010, Moon and a group of former Washington Times editors purchased the paper from Moon's son, Preston Moon, for $1. This ended a stalemate that had been threatening to shut down the paper completely.^[42] In March 2011 the Times announced that some former staffers would be rehired and that the paper would bring back its sports, metro and life sections.^[43] In June 2011 Ed Kelley, formerly of The Oklahoman, was hired as editor overseeing both news and opinion content.^[44]

Funding[link]

The Washington Times has lost money every year that it has been in business. By 2002, the Unification Church had spent about $1.7 billion subsidizing the Times.^[45] In 2003, The New Yorker reported that a billion dollars had been spent since the paper's inception, as Moon himself had noted in a 1991 speech, "Literally nine hundred million to one billion dollars has been spent to activate and run the Washington Times".^[46] In 2002, Columbia Journalism Review suggested Moon had spent nearly $2 billion on the Times.^[21] In 2008, Thomas F. Roeser of the Chicago Daily Observer mentioned competition from the Times as a factor moving the Washington Post to the right, and said that Moon had "announced he will spend as many future billions as is needed to keep the paper competitive."^[47]

Political leanings[link]

The political views of The Washington Times are often described as conservative.^[48][49][50] The Washington Post reported: "the Times was established by Moon to combat communism and be a conservative alternative to what he perceived as the liberal bias of The Washington Post."^[5]

Conservative commentator Paul Weyrich has called the Times an antidote to its liberal competitor:

The Washington Post became very arrogant and they just decided that they would determine what was news and what wasn't news and they wouldn't cover a lot of things that went on. And the Washington Times has forced the Post to cover a lot of things that they wouldn't cover if the Times wasn't in existence.^[51]

In 1999 the Times was criticized by the Daily Howler for misquoting vice-president Al Gore.^[52] In 2000 the Howler criticized the Times again, this time for making unsubstantiated allegations about Gore's campaign fundraising.^[53] In 2004 the Howler criticized a Times' front page story which made fun of Democratic Party presidential candidate John Kerry's vacationing in France.^[54]

Conservative-turned-liberal writer David Brock, who worked for the Times' sister publication Insight on the News, said in his 2002 book Blinded by the Right that the news writers at the Times were encouraged and rewarded for giving news stories a conservative slant. In his 2004 book The Republican Noise Machine, Brock wrote "the Washington Times was governed by a calculatedly unfair political bias" and that its journalistic ethics were "close to nil."^[55]

In 2007, the liberal Mother Jones news magazine said that the Times had become "essential reading for political news junkies" soon after its founding, and quoted James Gavin, special assistant to Bo Hi Pak:

We're trying to combat communism and we're trying to uphold traditional Judeo-Christian values. The Washington Times is standing up for those values and fighting anything that would tear them down. Causa is doing the same thing, by explaining what the enemy is trying to do.^[56]

In a 2008 essay published in Harper's Magazine, historian Thomas Frank linked the Times to the modern American conservative movement, saying:

There is even a daily newspaper—the Washington Times—published strictly for the movement’s benefit, a propaganda sheet whose distortions are so obvious and so alien that it puts one in mind of those official party organs one encounters when traveling in authoritarian countries.^[57]

In 2009 the New York Times reported:

With its conservative editorial bent, the paper also became a crucial training ground for many rising conservative journalists and a must-read for those in the movement. A veritable who’s who of conservatives — Tony Blankley, Frank J. Gaffney Jr., Larry Kudlow, John Podhoretz and Tony Snow — has churned out copy for its pages.^[35]

The Times has generally opposed gay and transgender rights.^[58] In 2010, the Times published an editorial opposing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because it granted legal protective status for transgender people.^[59][60][61] The editorial criticized transgender people and said that gender identity can be a choice, not an innate characteristic.^[59]

Notable current and former writers[link]

News

• George Archibald (Congressional, political, United Nations, and education reporter)
• Jeffrey H. Birnbaum (Managing editor, WashingtonTimes.com)
• Stephen Dinan (Immigration and political reporter)
• Bill Gertz (Defense and foreign policy reporter)
• Ralph Z. Hallow (Political reporter)
• Donald Lambro Political reporter)
• John McCaslin ("Inside the Beltway" columnist)
• Jerry Seper (Investigative reporter)

Opinion

• Brett M. Decker
• David Mastio
• Richard Diamond
• James S. Robbins
• Frank Perley
• Kerry Picket
• Frank Gaffney
• Lawrence Kudlow
• Jeffrey Kuhner
• Larry Moffitt
• Steve Bradley

Sports

• Dan Daly (columnist)
• Dick Heller (columnist)
• Tom Knott (columnist)
• Thom Loverro (columnist)

Computers

• Mark Kellner

Metro

• Gary Emerling (D.C. Reporter)
• Adrienne T. Washington (columnist)
• Tom Knott (columnist)
• Fred Reed (police beat, later took on a broader purview)

Former

• David Brooks (journalist)
• Dave Fay (deceased)
• Samuel T. Francis (deceased)
• Jeremiah O'Leary (deceased)
• Rob Redding (journalist and talk host)
• Bill Sammon
• Rowan Scarborough
• James G. Lakely
• Wes Johnson (Cartoonist, Martini 'n Clyde - 1990-1992)

Executives, editors and managers, present and past[link]

President[link]

• Dong Moon Joo

Editors-in-chief[link]

• James R. Whelan (1982–1984)
• Smith Hempstone (1984–86)
• Arnaud de Borchgrave (1986–1992); currently editor-at-large
• Wesley Pruden (1992–2008)
• John F. Solomon (2008–2009)
• Sam Dealey (2010-2010)
• Ed Kelley (2011- )

Managing Editors[link]

• Coit Taylor Hendley Jr. (1982–1985)
• Josette Sheeran Shiner (1992–1997)
• William Giles (1997–2002)
• Fran Coombs (2002–2008)
• David W. Jones (2008–present)

Editorial Page Editors[link]

• Ann Crutcher (1982–1984)
• William P. Cheshire (1984–1987)
• Tony Snow (1987–1990)
• Tony Blankley (2002–2007)
• Brett M. Decker (2010–present)

Others[link]

• Daniel Wattenberg - Arts and Entertainment Editor

See also[link]

District of Columbia portal

• Media in Washington, D.C.
• Washington Times-Herald Washington DC newspaper founded in 1893 by William Randolph Hearst.
• Washington Times-Herald (Indiana) Washington, Indiana newspaper.

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Washington Times official website
• Fear and Loathing on the Potomac: The Washington Times at Twenty, Wesley Pruden, Heritage Lecture No 757, August 15, 2002.
• Defending Dixie: The Washington Times has always been conservative and error-prone -- now it's helping to popularize extremist ideas, Heidi Beirich and Bob Moser, Intelligence Report, Southern Poverty Law Center, undated.

William T. "Bill" Bolling (born June 15, 1957) is the 39th and current Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Running as a Republican, he was elected twice to the position by defeating his Democratic opponent in both the 2005 and 2009 general elections. He is the first Lieutenant Governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia to serve two consecutive terms since Don Beyer. In addition, he currently serves in Governor Bob McDonnell's cabinet as the Chief Jobs Creation Officer.

Early life, education, and early career[link]

Bolling was born in Sistersville, West Virginia in 1957. He was raised in the coal fields of southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia. He graduated from the University of Charleston (West Virginia) in 1978 with a B.S. degree in Political Science and was the first member of his family to graduate from college.

Hanover County Board of Supervisors[link]

Bolling first ran for elected office in 1991 for a position on the Hanover County Board of Supervisors. Bolling won that office and served as a member of the Board until 1995. While a member, Bolling also served as the Chairman of the Board of supervisors.

Virginia Senate[link]

Elections[link]

Bolling delivering the keynote address at the 2003 Virginia Mining Institute Safety Day

In 1995, Bolling was elected to the Senate of Virginia as a member of the in a highly contested political campaign against twenty year Democrat incumbent, Elmo G. Cross, Jr. Bolling represented Virginia's 4th District including Caroline, Essex, Hanover, King and Queen, King William, Middlesex, Spotsylvania (part) counties. Bolling was reelected to this position in 1999 and 2003 and served in the Senate of Virginia from 1996 to 2005.

Committee assignments[link]

As a member of the General Assembly, Bolling served as Chairman of the Joint Republican Caucus, the Virginia Republican Senatorial Committee, Chairman of the Senate's sub-committee on Health Care, the Commission on the Future of Virginia's Environment, and the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia[link]

Elections[link]

In 2005, Bolling ran for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. In the Republican primary, he defeated Sean Connaughton with 58% of the vote.^[2] In the general election, he defeated Democratic nominee and State Senator Leslie Larkin Byrne 50%-49%.^[3] He won even though Republican nominee for Governor Jerry Kilgore lost the 2005 gubernatorial election.

In 2009, Bolling ran for re-election. He defeated Democratic nominee Jody Wagner with 57% of the vote.^[4] He underperformed Republican nominee for Governor Bob McDonnell, who won the 2009 gubernatorial election with 59% of the vote.

Tenure[link]

Kaine administration[link]

He was inaugurated as Lieutenant Governor on January 14, 2006 in Williamsburg, Virginia, along with the other Executive Branch officers, including Democratic Governor Tim Kaine and Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell. Upon his re-election in 2009, Bolling became the first Lieutenant Governor since Don Beyer to be elected to two consecutive terms.^{[citation needed]}

As Lieutenant Governor, Bolling leveraged the Office of the Lieutenant Governor as a podium to promote a number of programs and initiatives focused on the quality of life and health care in Virginia. Bolling promoted multiple programs including his September program focused on encouraging a healthy and active life, his Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime program focused on raising awareness about Cervical Cancer and HPV, and his Helping Virginians Breathe Easier campaign focused on asthma awareness.

Also as Lieutenant Governor, Bolling put forth a statewide initiative, "100 Ideas for the Future of Virginia". This two year program focused on reaching out to the public for feedback and ideas through a series of town hall meetings, mailings, and an integrated web site. This program focused on promoting feedback from the people of Virginia to develop a long term strategy for addressing issues like education, transportation, public safety, health care, protecting the environment, reforming government, and more.

McDonnell administration[link]

He was one of newly elected Governor McDonnell's first cabinet members, and was appointed as Chief Jobs Creation Officer; the first job czar. Regarding creation of the position, McDonnell stated, "I'm going to turn him into the busiest lieutenant governor in the nation."^{[citation needed]}

2012 presidential campaign[link]

On August 1, 2011, Mitt Romney named Bolling state chairman of Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.^[5]

Political positions[link]

Renewable energy[link]

• On March 22, 2010, Bolling announced $10 million in rebates for home owners and small businesses to reduce energy costs and to increase usage of solar panels.^[6]
• On June 17, 2010, Bolling announced $800,000 from the Virginia government to James Madison University to further research in wind energy, including "turbine testing, research and curriculum"^[7]

Gun control[link]

• The National Rifle Association endorses Bolling in his first bid for Lieutenant Governor in 2005,^[8] and then again for re-election in 2009^[9]

Personal life[link]

He is married to Jean Ann Kincaid, whom he met in college. They have two children. Matthew Bolling graduated from Virginia Tech in Computer Engineering and Computer Science. Kevin graduated from James Madison University.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Senate of Virginia: Bill Bolling
• Official website
• Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

v t e Lieutenant Governors of Virginia Leake McComas Jackson Montague S Price Cowper Lewis Marye Withers Thomas Walker Lewis Massey Tyler Kent Echols Willard Ellyson Buchanan West J Price Holt Tuck Collins Stephens Godwin Pollard Reynolds Howell Dalton Robb Davis Wilder Beyer Hager Kaine Bolling

Beau Davidson (born June 7, 1981) is an American recording artist,^[1] actor, and model. He has appeared on Country Music Television (CMT), Great American Country (GAC), MTV, and Vh1, as well as television shows and print magazines.

Early life and education[link]

Davidson was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee and began taking classical piano lessons at age four. In spite of his classical training, he learned to play popular music by ear. He was a finalist in the Mid-South Fair Youth Talent Contest, held annually in Memphis. Elvis Presley and Justin Timberlake were also veterans of this contest.

In 1999, Davidson graduated from the all-male private preparatory Memphis University School.^[2]

Educational background[link]

Davidson attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, graduating in 2003. He studied opera and vocal performance with renowned baritone Bruce Hall and was coached by Richard Boldrey. At Northwestern, Davidson appeared in the role of Danny Zuko in Grease, and as the leading man in many other productions, including the Chicago Premiere of Titanic (Barrett) and Into the Woods.

During his Northwestern days, Davidson began writing music, primarily for Northwestern's student-produced revue, The Waa-Mu Show. In his junior year, he wrote and performed his first country-inspired song, "The Dixie in Me".

In the summer of his junior year, Davidson starred as "Frid" in the Ravinia Festival's production of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music^[3] with George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Zoe Caldwell, and Marc Kudisch. Upon graduation, Davidson starred in the Chicago Shakespeare Theater's production of The Little Mermaid,^[4] playing the role of the Prince.

Professional background[link]

Rather than move to New York to pursue a career on Broadway, Davidson moved to Los Angeles. He guest-starred on the NBC daytime drama Days of our Lives and The WB Television Network's Gilmore Girls.

In between projects, Davidson wrote music that he later released as a digital EP titled The Good Hurt. His debut single, "More Than I Can Give", was the song that catapulted his career. Independent of any record label or production company, the corresponding music video landed on the websites of CMT,^[5] Great American Country,^[6] MTV,^[7] and VH1,^[8] indicative of the fact that Davidson's music appealed to a diverse audience from contemporary country to pop/rock. The song was featured on the in-flight audio programs of Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Cathay Pacific Airways, as well as the Subway sandwich franchise's own radio station. This success gave rise to interviews and performances on radio stations all across the country.

In 2008, Davidson moved to Nashville and won CMT's Music City Madness^[9] original song contest with his song "Mr. Wrong", and opened for Josh Gracin and Craig Morgan in Southaven, Mississippi.

Philanthropy and community service[link]

In August 2008, Davidson was featured in Country Weekly magazine and gained international media attention when asked to write an honorary lullaby for Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman's daughter, Sunday Rose. This lullaby aired on New Zealand and Australia's number one morning television show, Sunrise.^[10]

Davidson has partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, performing at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk in Atlanta.

In 2010, Clear Channel Communications and Muscular Dystrophy Association selected Davidson to perform at the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon live in Las Vegas over Labor Day. Davidson's other philanthropic involvement and performances include National Wildlife Federation, Old West Special Trails, Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee, and The American Spirit Pageant, benefiting the HAVlife Foundation.

Appearances[link]

In 2008, Davidson was named one of Nashville's "25 Most Beautiful People" by Nashville Lifestyles magazine,^[11] along with fellow recording artists Jewel and Chuck Wicks. Davidson was also named one of Cosmopolitan Magazine's "51 Hottest Bachelors of 2009",^[12] representing his home state of Tennessee. As a result, he appeared and/or performed on The Today Show, Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends and The Strategy Room, Entertainment Tonight, and the nationally syndicated morning TV show, The Daily Buzz. He also performed at the 2010 Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida, as his alma mater Northwestern was playing Auburn. Davidson was a featured music pick in In Touch Weekly magazine's "Can't Miss Guide" in 2009, and an "Artist to Watch" on Clear Channel's iheartradio playlist, where his song "More Than I Can Give" charted at #6.

In May 2009, Davidson was featured on Oprah, due to their mutual love of Skype.

In April 2010, Davidson guest starred as himself on the CBS daytime drama, The Bold and the Beautiful,^[13] where he performed a song written by his producer, Frank J. Myers, called "You're All I Ever Wanted".

In 2011, he returned to The Bold and the Beautiful to premiere his original song, "Blessed" on a special Veterans Day episode. He later performed it at the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl in December, 2011 at Sam Boyd Stadium for 40,000 fans.

In 2011, he became a vocalist on the Season 3 cast of The Singing Bee on CMT.

Beau performed with Kristin Chenoweth for her Grand Ole Opry debut in 2011, as well as with her for 2011 CMA Fest at the Wildhorse Saloon and on television for the finale of CMT's Next Superstar.

Beau serves as Master of Ceremonies to the Miss Louisiana USA pageant, the Miss Alabama USA pageant the Miss South Carolina USA pageant, and the Miss North Carolina USA pageant, all state qualifiers in the Miss Universe Organization, under the direction of Paula Miles' RPM Productions.

He is an official judge for the Daytime Emmy Awards.

Official Website[link]

http://www.beaudavidson.com

References[link]

Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen at Lakewood Church, December 8, 2007
Born	Joel Scott Osteen (1963-03-05) March 5, 1963 (age 49) Houston, Texas
Occupation	Pastor, author, televangelist
Employer	Lakewood Church
Term	1999 – present
Predecessor	John Osteen
Religion	Evangelical Charismatic
Spouse	Victoria Osteen (m. 1987) «start: (1987)»"Marriage: Victoria Osteen to Joel Osteen" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Joel_Osteen)
Children	Jonathan, Alexandra
Parents	John Osteen (father) Dolores ("Dodie") Pilgrim Osteen (mother)[1]
Website
joelosteen.com

Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963^[2]) is an American author, televangelist, and the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. His ministry reaches over seven million broadcast media viewers weekly in over 100 nations around the world.^[3]

Biography[link]

Born in Houston, Texas, Osteen is one of five children of John Osteen and Dolores ("Dodie") Pilgrim. His father, a former Southern Baptist pastor, founded Lakewood Church where Osteen is the current senior pastor.^[4] Osteen married his wife, Victoria L. Iloff, on April 4, 1987.^[5] They have two children, Jonathan and Alexandra. His older siblings, Paul, Lisa, and Tamara, and his younger sister, April, are also involved in full-time ministry.^[6] His half-brother Justin does missionary work out of New York.^[7]

After 17 years producing the church's television program, Osteen succeeded his father on October 3, 1999, as pastor of Lakewood Church. He had only preached once in his life, the week before his father's death.^[7] Today, Lakewood Church services, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, are seen in over 100 nations around the world.^[8] Joel Osteen's first book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, was released in October 2004. In December 2006, he was named one of the year's "Ten Most Fascinating People" by Barbara Walters.^[9] Former presidential candidate John McCain has described Osteen as "inspirational".^[10]

The Lakewood Church in Houston.

Currently, Osteen and several Lakewood Church personnel travel across the nation, presenting programs in large arenas. The event, titled "A Night of Hope", includes worship music led by the church's music ministry, a sermon from Osteen and a testimony by his mother, Dodie. In 2007, the tour expanded to include stops in several other countries, including Canada, England, Northern Ireland and Israel.^[11] Osteen released his second book, titled Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day in October 2007, which also topped the New York Times Best Sellers List with a first printing of four million copies.^[12][13] Osteen told Larry King the new book will focus more on relationships and not getting stuck where we are in life. "Just my basic message of becoming all God's created you to be," he added.^[14]

Osteen at a Nashville book signing, 18 May 2007

Osteen's popularity led to him being featured as one of ABC News' "10 Most Fascinating People of 2006",^[15] and was named "Most Influential Christian in America" in 2006 by The Church Report.^[16] Osteen is one of five children of John Osteen and Dolores "Dodie" Pilgrim.

Education[link]

It has been widely reported that Osteen attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a two year period without receiving a degree.^{[citation needed]} Likewise, it has been reported that he has no higher level training in religious matters or Bible studies.^{[citation needed]} In an appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight in January, 2011, Osteen mentioned that he had never attended seminary.^[17]