Name	Knobody
Birth name	Jerome Foster
Origin	New York, New York, United States
Genre	R&B;, Hip hop,
Occupation	Record producer, A&R;
Years active	1994–present
Url	Knobody's MySpace
Background	non_performing_personnel

Jerome Foster, better known as Knobody, is an American music producer and A&R;. Knobody has produced records across different genres including soul, R&B;, hip hop and blues for several multi-platinum artists including Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Akon, The Game, Big Pun, Mýa and R.E.M.. Knobody worked as an A&R; at SRC Records/Universal from 2003 to 2007, during which time he handled Akon's debut album Trouble.

Acclaim

Recognized for his hand in launching the careers of world-renowned artists, Knobody has influenced the success of Jay-Z, Big Pun and Akon. Knobody's contributions to these artists' careers has had an enormous impact on the world of hip hop and R&B.;

Jay-Z

Knobody produced the classic single "Can't Knock the Hustle" for Jay-Z, the first track on the artist's debut album Reasonable Doubt. "Can't Knock the Hustle" was Jay-Z' first chart single, bringing the rapper into the limelight and jump starting a career that has resulted in millions of album sales worldwide. 1996: "Can't Knock the Hustle" (Jay-Z f/Mary J. Blige) 1997: "How You Want It" (Jungle Brothers f/De La Soul & Q-Tip) 1998: "Still Not a Player" (Big Pun f/Joe) 1998: "Movin' Out" (Mýa f/ Raekwon & Noreaga) 2002: "I've Been High" (R.E.M.) 2004: "Locked Up (Remix)" (Akon f/Styles P) 2004: "Coo Coo Chee" (Ric-A-Che) 2006: "Feels So Good" (Remy Ma f/Ne-Yo) 2006: "Wanna Be" (The Fugees) 2008: "Game's Pain" (The Game f/Keyshia Cole)

Songs

Awards

Hit Quarters named Knobody a "World Top 10 A&R;" in 2005 as a result of his involvement in Akon's career-launching album Trouble. In 2008, Knobody was awarded a GRAMMY for "Leaving Tonight", his contribution to Ne-Yo's Because of You album, which won the 2007 GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary R&B; Album.

References

External links

Interview, HitQuarters Sep 2005

Category:American record producers Category:Hip hop record producers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Living people

Name	Willie Nelson
Landscape	no
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Willie Hugh Nelson
Born	April 30, 1933Abbott, TexasUnited States
Instrument	Vocals, guitar
Genre	Country, country rock, outlaw country, alternative country
Occupation	MusicianSongwriterProducerActorActivist
Years active	1956 - present
Label	Liberty, RCA, Atlantic, Columbia, Island, Justice Records, Lost Highway
Associated acts	Waylon Jennings, The Highwaymen, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson
Url	www.willienelson.com
Notable instruments	"Trigger" (Martin N-20)

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 30, 1933) His father was a mechanic and pool hall owner. Willie later did an album with Ray Price in 1980 called San Antonio Rose. Nelson signed with Liberty Records in 1961 and released several singles, including "Willingly" (sung with his soon-to-be second wife, Shirley Collie) and "Touch Me".

He was unable to impress Nashville producers with his singing voice, and Nelson's singing career in Nashville did not take off. Demo recordings from his years as a songwriter for Pamper Music were later discovered and released as Crazy: The Demo Sessions (2003).

Austin

In 1965, Nelson moved to RCA Victor Records and joined the Grand Ole Opry. He released a string of standard, mid-1960s Nashville Sound-inspired country albums, mostly produced by Chet Atkins. He had a number of mid-level chart hits throughout the remainder of the 1960s and into the early 1970s, before retiring and moving to Austin, Texas. While in Austin, with its burgeoning "hippie" music scene (see Armadillo World Headquarters), Nelson decided to return to music. His popularity in Austin soared, as he played his own brand of country music marked by rock and roll, jazz, western swing, and folk influences. A passion for running and a new commitment to his own health also began during this period.

In the mid 1970's, Nelson purchased property near Lake Travis in Austin and converted Pedernales Country Club into the Pedernales Studio. The studio underwent state of the art renovations in the mid 1990's, and many top recording artists adorn its client list. Its amenities include a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts and an Olympic size swimming pool.

Outlaw country

, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings at Willie's 4th of July Picnic 1972.]] Nelson signed with Atlantic Records and released Shotgun Willie (1973), which won excellent reviews but did not sell well. Phases and Stages (1974), a concept album inspired by his divorce, included the hit single "Bloody Mary Morning". Nelson then moved to Columbia Records, where he was given complete creative control over his work. The result was the critically acclaimed, massively popular concept album, Red Headed Stranger (1975). Although Columbia was reluctant to release an album with primarily a guitar and piano for accompaniment, Nelson insisted (with the assistance of Waylon Jennings) and the album was a huge hit, partially because it included a popular cover of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" (written by Fred Rose in 1945). "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" became Nelson's first number one hit as a singer.

Along with Nelson, Waylon Jennings was also achieving success in country music in the early 1970s, and the pair were soon combined into a genre called outlaw country ("outlaw" because it did not conform to Nashville standards). Nelson's outlaw image was cemented with the release of the album Wanted! The Outlaws (1976, with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser), country music's first platinum album. Nelson continued to top the charts with hit songs during the late 1970s, including "Good Hearted Woman" (a duet with Jennings), "Remember Me", "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time", "Uncloudy Day", "I Love You a Thousand Ways", and "Something to Brag About" (a duet with Mary Kay Place).

In 1978, Nelson released two more platinum albums, Waylon and Willie (a collaboration with Jennings that included "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", which was written and originally recorded as a hit single by Ed Bruce a couple of years earlier), and Stardust, an unusual album of popular standards. It was produced by Booker T. Jones. Though most observers predicted that Stardust would ruin his career, it ended up being one of his most successful recordings. Willie also had a notable success with the LP titled Half Nelson, including such great artists as Ray Charles.

Acting career

Nelson began acting, appearing in The Electric Horseman (1979), Honeysuckle Rose (1980), Thief (1981), and Barbarosa (1982). Also in 1982 he played "Red Loon" in Coming Out of the Ice with John Savage. In 1984 he starred in the movie Songwriter with Kris Kristofferson guest starring. He then had the lead role in the film version of his concept album Red Headed Stranger (1986), Wag the Dog (1997), Gone Fishin' (1997) as Billy 'Catch' Pooler, the 1986 TV movie Stagecoach (with Johnny Cash), The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) and Surfer, Dude (2008).

He has continued acting since his early successes, but usually in smaller roles and cameos, some of which involve his status as a cannabis activist and icon. One of his more popular recent cameos was a performance in Half Baked as an elderly "Historian Smoker" who, while smoking marijuana, would reminisce about how things used to be in his younger years. Nelson also appeared as himself in the 2006 movie Beerfest, looking for teammates to join him in a mythical world-championship cannabis-smoking contest held in Amsterdam. That same week Willie Nelson recorded, "Weed with Willie" with Toby Keith.

He has made guest appearances on Miami Vice (1986's "El Viejo" episode), Delta, Nash Bridges, The Simpsons, Monk, Adventures in Wonderland, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, King of the Hill,The Colbert Report and Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

He played country singer-songwriter Johnny Dean in the 1997 film Wag the Dog. He played Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard, the 2005 cinematic treatment of the television series, and was the only member of the big screen cast to reprise the role in the TV/DVD movie prequel (2007). He also briefly appeared in .

In 2008, Willie appeared in the movie Swing Vote where he played himself, an idol of the character played by Kevin Costner.

Hits, excesses, and Farm Aid

The Eighties saw a series of hit singles: "Midnight Rider" (1980), a cover of the Allman Brothers song, which Nelson recorded for The Electric Horseman soundtrack; "On the Road Again" (1980) from the movie Honeysuckle Rose; and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" (a duet with Julio Iglesias). There were also more popular albums, including Pancho & Lefty (1982, with Merle Haggard), WWII (1982, with Waylon Jennings) and Take it to the Limit (1983, with Waylon Jennings).

In the mid-1980s, Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash formed a group called The Highwaymen. They unexpectedly achieved success, including platinum record sales and worldwide touring. Meanwhile, he became more and more involved in charity work, such as singing on the We are the World single in 1984 and establishing the Farm Aid concerts in 1985.

In 1990, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seized most of his assets, claiming he owed $32 million in back taxes including penalties and interest. It was later discovered that his accountants had not been paying Nelson's taxes for many years. He released as a double album, with all profits going straight to the IRS. Many of his assets were auctioned and purchased by friends, who gave his possessions back to him or rented them at a nominal fee. He sued accounting firm Price Waterhouse, contending that they put him into tax shelters that were later disallowed. Nelson sent the legislators a case of red bandannas, T-shirts, and a case of whiskey with a note that read "Stand your ground." In 2005, Democratic Texas Senator Gonzalo Barrientos introduced a bill to name 49 miles of the Travis County section of State Highway 130 after Nelson. At one point, Barrientos had 23 of the 31 state Senators as co-sponsors.

Discography

Filmography

Books

Awards

Archives

An important collection of Willie Nelson materials (1975–1994) has been preserved at the Wittliff collections of Southwestern Writers, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. The collection contains song lyrics, screenplays, letters, concert programs, tour itineraries, posters, articles, clippings, personal effects, promotional items, souvenirs, and documents. There are examples of Nelson's talent as a songwriter, material reflecting his success as a concert artist, and memorabilia. The collection contains documentation on how the funds collected through Farm Aid were used; Nelson's trouble with the IRS is also documented. Most of the material was collected by Bill Wittliff, a friend of Willie Nelson's who wrote or co-wrote three of the films in which Willie Nelson starred: Honeysuckle Rose (1980), Barbarosa (1982), and Red Headed Stranger (1986).

On June 23, 2010 Willie Nelson was inducted to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.

See also

Academy of Country Music

Austin Dam (until 1911 failure, and afterward until 1942 failure) (in Pennsylvania in the US)

Best selling music artists

Country Music Association

Evergreen, Colorado

Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame

List of best-selling music artists

List of country musicians

Music of Austin

Further reading

Allen, Bob. (1998). "Willie Nelson." In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 374–6

References

External links

Willie Nelson at Rolling Stone

Willie Nelson discography at Discogs

Category:1933 births Category:Living people Category:9/11 conspiracy theorists Category:Abilene, Texas Category:American activists Category:American actors Category:American country guitarists Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American male singers Category:Artists from Louisiana Category:Baylor University alumni Category:Cannabis culture Category:American taekwondo practitioners Category:Challenge Records artists Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:English-language singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:Lafayette, Louisiana Category:Liberty Records artists Category:Musicians from Texas Category:Psychedelic drug advocates Category:RCA Victor artists Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:Lost Highway Records artists Category:The Highwaymen (country supergroup) members

Oto Pestner is one of the most prominent singers and composers of popular music from Slovenia, born in 1956 in Ljubljana. Until 2008 he was the leader of the Slovene vocal group New Swing Quartet.

From 1986 to 1991 and in 1995 he was member of Alpski kvintet (German: Alpenoberkrainer).

External links

Oto Pestner's home page

New Swing Quartet

Category:1956 births Category:Slovenian singers Category:Living people