Beginning may refer to:

• "Beginning", a song by Kotipelto
• Beginning, an album by Pakho Chau

See also[link]

• Cosmogony, any theory concerning the coming into existence or origin of the universe
• Beginnings (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

Richard Marx
Richard Marx in Germany (2005)
Background information
Birth name	Richard Noel Marx [1]
Born	(1963-09-16) September 16, 1963 (age 48)[1] Chicago, IL, United States[1]
Genres	Pop, soft rock, rock, adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, organ, piano, guitar
Years active	1982 - present
Labels	Capitol Records, EMI, Manhattan Records, Signal 21 Records, Zanzibar Records, Frontiers Records, Xenon Records
Associated acts	Dick Marx, Matt Scannell, Luther Vandross, Keith Urban
Website	Official website

Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard". Although most of his major hit songs were slow ballads, many of his songs had a classic rock style, such as "Don't Mean Nothing", "Should've Known Better," "Satisfied," and "Too Late To Say Goodbye". Marx placed himself in the record books by being the first solo artist to have his first seven singles hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart (3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 4). His record sales worldwide exceed 30 million.^[2] Aside from songs that he's written and recorded for himself, he has written, co-written, and produced successful tracks for other artists such as "This I Promise You" by NSYNC and "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross. The latter song won several Grammy Awards.^[3] His 14th and latest chart topper, "Long Hot Summer," performed by Keith Urban, gave Marx the distinction of having a song he wrote or co-write top the charts in four different decades.^[4]

Early life[link]

Marx is the only child of Ruth, a former singer, and Dick Marx, a jazz musician and founder of a successful jingle company in the early 1960s. He has three half-siblings from his father's previous marriage.^[5]

Early career[link]

Marx began his career in music at the age of 5, singing commercial jingles written by his father, Dick Marx's list of adverstising hits includes Arm & Hammer. Ken-L Ration^[6] and Nestlé Crunch.

Marx was 17 and living in Highland Park, Illinois when a tape of his songs ended up in the hands of Lionel Richie. Richie said he thought Marx had the talent to make it big, saying "I can't promise you anything, but you should come to L.A." ^[7] So after graduating from North Shore Country Day School, Marx moved to Los Angeles and visited Richie. "He was recording his first solo album (Lionel Richie) and having trouble with the background vocal," Marx recalls. "He tells me, ‘Come try this part.’ It worked and I ended up singing on his album." Marx contributed backing vocals to Richie’s hit "You Are", as well as "Running with the Night" and "All Night Long (All Night)", both on Richie's follow-up album Can't Slow Down.

In those early years, Marx would find any excuse possible to work within the recording industry. His enthusiasm and presence in the studio landed him several jobs as a background singer for artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross, and, eventually, as a songwriter. Marx also had a minor acting role in the television movie Coach Of The Year, which starred Robert Conrad. He was singing for Kenny Rogers in 1984 when he overheard Rogers say he needed a new song. Within days, Marx gave him the demo of "Crazy." Rogers recorded it, along with another of Marx’s songs, "What About Me?", which also featured James Ingram and Kim Carnes. The trio recording hit #1 Adult Contemporary and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 (while just scraping onto the Country and R&B charts) in late 1984 while "Crazy" hit #1 Country and #5 AC the following year. Soon after, Marx began working with producer David Foster and writing songs for the group Chicago and R&B singer Freddie Jackson.

While working as a songwriter and doing background vocals, Marx continued to pursue his own record deal. His demo tape was rejected by every label in Hollywood until, finally, four years after moving to Los Angeles, the president of EMI/Manhattan Records, Bruce Lundvall, heard Marx's demo and knew he had a star on his hands. He gave Marx a recording contract with the opportunity to write and record whatever he wanted. Marx contacted his good friend Fee Waybill, frontman of The Tubes, and some very talented musicians, including Joe Walsh, and Randy Meisner of the Eagles, and created a ten-track album that led to a very successful career.

Music career[link]

Debut album[link]

Marx's self-titled debut album, released in June 1987, yielded four hit singles and sold nearly four million copies in the US. The debut single, "Don't Mean Nothing", had been released the previous month and climbed to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #1 on Billboard's Album Rock charts.^{[citation needed]} Marx became the first new artist played on 117 radio stations nationwide during his initial week on the charts. The next two singles, "Should’ve Known Better" and "Endless Summer Nights" reached #3 and #2, respectively.^{[citation needed]} The fourth single release, "Hold on to the Nights", earned Marx his first #1 Pop single.

With the success of his self-titled album, Marx became the first male artist to reach the Top 3 with four singles from a debut album. He embarked on his first world tour, initially opening for REO Speedwagon, but quickly began headlining his own shows. Marx's first tour kept him on the road for 14 months while the album remained on the charts for more than a year and a half.

In 1988, Marx was nominated for a Grammy Award for 'Best Rock Vocal Performance - Male' for "Don’t Mean Nothing" ^[8]

[edit] Repeat Offender

Repeat Offender, Marx’s second release (May 1989), hit pole position and pushed Prince out of the #1 spot on Billboard's Album chart. It went triple platinum within a few months and eventually sold over 5 million US copies. Repeat Offender was the result of the energy generated from over a year and a half on the road and was written or co-written entirely by Marx. "Some people might think that it would be easier this time around, that I could just kick back." Marx said at the time, "but the truth is, it’s harder, I’ve got more to prove."

The first two singles, "Satisfied" and the platinum-selling "Right Here Waiting," both reached #1, completing a string of three consecutive No. 1 singles. When the third single from Repeat Offender, "Angelia" climbed to #4, Marx became the first solo artist to reach the Top 5 with his first seven singles. Since then, "Right Here Waiting" has been covered numerous times, most notably by Monica and 112 in a 1998 duet.

Another song from the album, "Children of the Night", was written in support of the suburban Los Angeles (Van Nuys)-based organization for runaways. It became the fifth single from Repeat Offender, and all royalties were donated to the charity.

Marx's second world tour began in the spring of 1989 and took him to Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Europe, Canada, and the United States, lasting through August 1990. Highlights of that tour included a performance in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London and an invitation from Tina Turner to tour Germany.

Marx also had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform the Beatles’ "Help" at the Berlin Wall in late 1989. Marx also received his second Grammy nomination in 1990 for "Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male" for "Right Here Waiting".^[9]

[edit] Rush Street

Marx went on to release a number of other albums. In 1991 he released his third consecutive multi-platinum album Rush Street. This album saw artists such as Luther Vandross and Billy Joel appear as backing vocalists and guest pianists. The disc's first single, "Keep Coming Back", went to #12 pop as well as #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts for 4 weeks running. "Hazard", which depicted a man being wrongfully accused of murder in a fictional version of Hazard, Nebraska, went #1 in charts around the world. Two more Top 10 singles were culled from Rush Street with "Take This Heart" (AC #4, Hot 100 #20) and "Chains Around My Heart" (AC #9, Hot 100 #44).^{[citation needed]} In August 2001 Marx admitted that the track "Superstar," from the Rush Street album was about pop star Madonna.^[10]

[edit] Paid Vacation

In early 1994, as Marx and his family permanently left Los Angeles behind and returned to Chicago, Marx released Paid Vacation, and scored his fourth consecutive platinum album. The acoustic ballad "Now and Forever" peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 and spent 11 weeks in the Top 10 (also #12 in the UK) and also held the #1 position on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts for 11 weeks - at the time just one week short of the all-time record. The follow-up single, "The Way She Loves Me," climbed to #3 on the US AC chart and #20 on the Pop charts.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Flesh and Bone

1997 saw the release of Flesh and Bone - Marx's final studio album on the Capitol imprint. This album sold 250,000 copies in the United States. "Until I Find You Again" hit #1 in several countries and #3 in the US.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Greatest Hits

Marx's Greatest Hits compilation was released in November 1997. The 16-track album includes a variety of hit singles from his first five albums plus "Angel’s Lullaby," a song written about his children originally appearing on For Our Children, Too, a compilation CD released in 1996 to benefit the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Greatest Hits was released in Asia in November 1998 and included two new songs, "Slipping Away" and "Thanks To You," a touching tribute to his mother. Marx’s dedication and support of numerous charities has continued throughout his career.

[edit] Days in Avalon

In 2000, Marx debuted his sixth studio album Days in Avalon. This disc was released on the Signal 21 Records label founded by Marx and former Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer and record producer Bobby Colomby. Its title track, "Days in Avalon", was picked up by Adult Contemporary radio and spent 12 weeks in the chart's Top 30.^{[citation needed]} The album was also quite successful in other parts of the world, particularly Asia and Australia. The label became the vehicle for the release of this disc, and folded shortly thereafter.

[edit] My Own Best Enemy

After signing a new deal with his former label, Manhattan Records, Marx released the 2004 album My Own Best Enemy. It featured the two hit singles "When You're Gone" and "Ready to Fly."

[edit] Duo

In 2008, Marx released Duo with Vertical Horizon's lead singer Matt Scannell. This album features select acoustic versions of Marx and Vertical Horizon's hits, plus one they co-wrote and recorded together, "Always on Your Mind." This disc was not released under any label. It was available through Marx's website, and at concerts featuring Marx and Scannell together.

[edit] Emotional Remains and Sundown

On October 31, 2008, "Emotional Remains" and "Sundown" were released via digital download on Marx's official site. Marx composed the track "Through My Veins" in tribute to his late father, jazz musician and jingle writer Dick Marx, who died in 1997. The track appears on the Emotional Remains disc.

[edit] Stories to Tell

In March 2010, Stories To Tell was released during Marx's solo acoustic concerts. It is his first acoustic album, which featured several songs from several of his previous albums. In November 2010, "Stories to Tell" album was released in Europe supporting Richard Marx's European tour. The European release featured all the songs from the March release and new studio recordings of songs Richard has written with or for other artists, like Josh Groban and Keith Urban. On May 3, 2011, the reissue of Stories to Tell was released in the United States as a three-disc set exclusively through Walmart, which included a best of disc, an acoustic disc of tracks, and a DVD of a live concert performance at the Shepherd's Bush venue in England. The album is also available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon, but without the bonus DVD and album booklet. Everybody was released as a single in Europe and When You Loved Me was released in the US, peaking at #15 on the Adult Contemporary chart.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The Christmas EP

On November 1, 2011, Marx released The Christmas EP, a five song collection of Christmas songs. "Christmas Spirit," written by Marx and Fee Waybill, was the first single released for radio airplay. Marx plans to record an additional seven tracks to this collection for a full-scale album release at Christmas 2012.^{[citation needed]}

Collaborations[link]

• 1993 – Marx played piano on John Farnham's 1993 song "The Reason Why."

• 1997 – Marx recorded "At the Beginning" with Donna Lewis for the 1997 film Anastasia.

• 1999 – In 1999 Marx built "Renegade Studios," a state of the art recording facility located in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Artists such as Philip Sayce, Keith Urban, and Emerson Drive have recorded material at this location.

• 2004 – At the 46th Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004, Marx won a Grammy for Song of the Year for "Dance with My Father," which he wrote with Luther Vandross. On that same night, he played the piano accompanying Celine Dion in performing "Dance With My Father," since Vandross was not present at the ceremony for health reasons.

• 2006 – During Summer 2006, Marx toured with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Other members of that year's All-Starr Band included Edgar Winter, Sheila E, and Billy Squier.

• 2006 – Marx appeared on the Fox network's TV show "Celebrity Duets" (September 2006). Other singers to take part in the series included Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Loggins, Patti LaBelle, Randy Travis, Jesse McCartney, and Gladys Knight.

• 2007 – In 2007 Marx released a new ballad titled "Your Goodbye" and a new version of his classic love song "Hold On To The Nights" on a Phil Ramone compilation production called New Music From An Old Friend. This compilation was released on the Target label Spotlight.

Musical influences / favorite artists[link]

In addition to his parents, Marx names recording artists like Sam Cooke and Elvis Presley as his biggest musical influences, along with Donny Hathaway, Steven Tyler, Elton John, Kenny Loggins, Peter Gabriel, Daniel Lanois, Annie Lennox, U2, Dave Grusin, and includes John Farnham, Billy Joel, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, The Eagles, Luther Vandross, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Gladys Knight in his list of favorites.^[11]

2008-2011[link]

• On June 12, 2008 Marx was part of a PBS television series called "Songwriters In The Round Presents: Legends & Lyrics." In Episode 102 of the first season, Marx appears along with Kenny Loggins, Nathan Lee^{[disambiguation needed ]}, and rock band Three Doors Down. The musical performance has recently^[when?] been released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc through the Legends and Lyrics website. This episode also features an interview with singer/songwriter Diane Warren.^[12][13][14]
• On 6 December 2008 Marx headlined a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis research, "Newsapalooza," sponsored by WLS-AM's Roe Conn program, in which Marx both performed several of his hits with his band and accompanied Chicago broadcast news reporters and anchors covering rock hits.^[15]
• On an interview published in Rolling Stone on June 26, 2009, Marx said he was "ashamed" of being linked to a $1.92 million fine against single mother Jammie Thomas-Rasset by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Rasset had shared 24 songs on the file-sharing website Kazaa in 2005. Marx's "Now and Forever" was one of them.^[16]
• Marx played piano on the song "Here" and produced Matt Scannell's vocals on two tracks for Vertical Horizon's latest album Burning the Days.^[17]
• Richard Marx appeared on a YouTube video "ASK KevJumba 2", singing along with YouTube star KevJumba.^[18]
• On March 27, 2011, Marx sang the National Anthem at the NASCAR race, the 2011 Auto Club 400.
• On May 3, 2011 Richard Marx was invited on stage at the Curran Theater, San Francisco, by Hugh Jackman. It was opening night of Hugh Jackman In Performance. When introducing the mystery guest Hugh Jackman said that the person was instrumental in helping him put the show together and rehearse. That he had been on at least 4 occasions in this person's living room practicing. The mystery guest was revealed to be Richard Marx. They then sang "Right Here Waiting" together with Marx changing the lyrics on the last chorus to "Right here waiting for Hugh".
• In summer 2011, Marx collaborated with comedy internet giants, Rhett and Link, producing a celebrity endorsement for a colon cleansing spa in Sacramento, CA. The ad spot and its "making of" was featured on an episode of Rhett and Link's series on IFC.^[19]

Personal life[link]

On January 8, 1989, Marx married the singer/dancer/actress Cynthia Rhodes.^[1] Rhodes acted and sang in Staying Alive (1982), Flashdance (1983), and most notably in the 1987 blockbuster Dirty Dancing, as well as appearing as the female lead in Marx's first video, "Don't Mean Nothing". Rhodes also briefly sang lead for the second incarnation of the synth-pop band Animotion in the late 1980s. The couple have three sons—Brandon (born 1990), Lucas (born 1992), and Jesse (born 1994)—and reside in Lake Bluff, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Official

• RichardMarx.com (Official Site)
• Official Richard Marx page at MySpace
• Official Richard Marx page at Facebook
• Official Richard Marx page on Twitter
• Richard Marx page at VH1
• Richard Marx Music Page at Yahoo!
• Richard Marx at the Internet Movie Database

Donna Lewis
Background information
Born	(1973-08-06) 6 August 1973 (age 38) Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Genres	Pop, adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboard
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Atlantic, Peruzzi
Website	www.donnalewis.com

Donna Lewis (born 6 August 1973) is a Welsh singer-songwriter and record producer, best known for the 1996 pop hit single "I Love You Always Forever", and the adult contemporary chart-topper "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx. After releasing her second album Blue Planet, Lewis left Atlantic Records and independently released albums Be Still and In the Pink. Lewis is working on her next album, and performing with her side project, Chute.

Biography[link]

At the age of six, Lewis began playing the piano.^[1] Her father, a jazz pianist lent encouragement, and while still a teenager, she began composing original songs.^[1] Her formal training was at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales, where she majored in classical composition for piano and flute.^[1] Lewis then went on to teach music for a year in Sussex before moving to Birmingham to sing in a bar band.^[1] During that time she set up a home studio ^[1][2] and began recording demos. Before long she became a popular live attraction and circa 1993 began sending her demos to record labels.^[1]

The U.S. based Atlantic Records took an interest in Lewis and subsequently released her first single, "I Love You Always Forever", a love song which went on to become a major hit on VH1.^[1] It was also successful on U.S. radio, staying at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100^[3] for nine consecutive weeks,^[3] and spending 13 consecutive weeks at #1 on the airplay chart.^[3] It exceeded one million "spins" on radio, to claim its place in music industry history as the most-played single up to that point, until Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" broke the record two years later.^{[citation needed]} The single reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1996, and spent 14 weeks in the chart. It helped her debut album, Now in a Minute, to #6 in the U.S. Billboard 200^[4] chart, and #52 in the UK Albums Chart.It was certified platinum in the U.S.^[5]

In 1997 Lewis appeared as herself in the Season 7 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, "The Phantom of CU".

Lewis recorded "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx for the 1997 film Anastasia. Her second LP, Blue Planet (1998), won critical acclaim, but it was largely overlooked by the public. Although it produced a minor hit in continental Europe and Asia, "I Could Be the One", and a U.S. #1 dance single, "Love Him", Lewis parted ways with Atlantic Records^[2] and independently produced her third LP, Be Still (2002), which featured her on an almost entirely acoustic set. During the early 2000s Lewis was featured as a guest vocalist on several trance music/house music recordings. Her fourth LP, In the Pink, was released in 2008; its first single was "Shout," which was included in the soundtrack to the Marian Quinn film 32A. Lewis also sang lead vocals for her side project, Chute. which released their debut EP in April 2010. She is working on her next studio album, and an EP with Ryan Farish.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

Featured singles[link]

Collaborations[link]

• The Seduction of Claude Debussy - Art of Noise [guest vocalist] (2000)
• Take Me Over - Dino Lenny [guest vocalist] (2001)
• When the Rain Comes Down - [guest vocalist] (2001)
• Dancing Angel - Ryan Farish [guest vocalist] (2010)
• Chute (EP) - [lead singer] (2010)

See also[link]

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Donna Lewis on Myspace
• Donna Lewis at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography from BBC Wales
• Donna Lewis on Discogs.com
• People Magazine feature on Donna Lewis

کریستین امان پور Christiane Amanpour
Amanpour at the 2011 Time 100 gala
Born	(1958-01-12) January 12, 1958 (age 54) London, England
Education	University of Rhode Island
Occupation	ABC Global Affairs Anchor (2010–present) CNN Anchor and Chief International Correspondent (1992–2010, 2011-present)
Years active	1983–present
Notable credit(s)	Amanpour (CNN International) Anchor (2009–2010, 2012–present) This Week (ABC) Anchor (2010–2011) 60 Minutes (CBS) Reporter (1996–2005)
Spouse	James Rubin (1998–present)
Children	Darius Rubin

Christiane Amanpour, CBE (ⁱ/krɪstʃiˈɑːn ɑːmənˈpʊər-/; Persian: کریستین امان‌پور‎; born January 12, 1958) is the Global Affairs Anchor of ABC News. She is the host of CNN International's nightly interview program Amanpour, the network's Chief International Correspondent and runs the website Amanpour.com for the network's digital platform. She is a board member of the International Women's Media Foundation .^[1]

Early years[link]

Raised in Tehran, Amanpour was born in London, England^[2] to Iranian father Mohammad, a Persian airline executive, and British mother, Patricia.^{[3][dead link]}

After completing her primary education in Iran, she was sent by her parents to boarding school in England when she was 11. She attended New Hall School, an all-girls school located in Chelmsford, Essex, England. Christiane and her family returned to England not long after the Islamic Revolution began. She has stressed that they were not forced to leave the country, but were actually returning to England when Iraq invaded Iran. The family eventually remained in England, finding it difficult to return to Iran.^[4]

After her graduation from New Hall, Amanpour moved to the United States to study journalism at the University of Rhode Island. During her time there, she worked in the news department at WBRU-FM in Providence, Rhode Island. She also worked for NBC affiliate WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island, as an electronic graphics designer.^[5] In 1983, Amanpour graduated from the university summa cum laude with a bachelor of journalism degree.^[6]

CNN[link]

In 1983, she was hired by CNN on the foreign desk in Atlanta, Georgia, as an entry-level desk assistant. During her early years as a correspondent, Amanpour was given her first major assignment covering the Iran-Iraq War, which led to her being transferred in 1986 to Eastern Europe to report on the fall of European communism.^[7] In 1989, she was assigned to work in Frankfurt, Germany, where she reported on the democratic revolutions sweeping Eastern Europe at the time. Through this position, she was able to move up in the company and by 1990 served as a correspondent for CNN's New York bureau.

Following Iraq's occupation of Kuwait in 1990, Amanpour's reports of the Persian Gulf War brought her wide notice while also taking the network to a new level of news coverage. Thereafter, she reported from the Bosnian war and other conflict zones. Because of her emotional delivery from Sarajevo during the Siege of Sarajevo, viewers and critics questioned her professional objectivity, claiming that many of her reports were unjustified and favoured the Bosnian Muslims, to which she replied, "There are some situations one simply cannot be neutral about, because when you are neutral you are an accomplice. Objectivity doesn't mean treating all sides equally. It means giving each side a hearing."^[8] Amanpour gained a reputation for being fearless during the Gulf and Bosnian wars from parachuting into conflict areas.^[9]

From 1992 to 2010, Amanpour was CNN's chief international correspondent as well as the anchor of Amanpour, a daily CNN interview program that aired from 2009–2010. Amanpour has reported on major crises from many of the world's hotspots, including Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda, and the Balkans and from the United States during Hurricane Katrina. She has secured exclusive interviews with world leaders from the Middle East to Europe to Africa and beyond, including Iranian Presidents Mohammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as well as the presidents of Afghanistan, Sudan, and Syria, among others.^{[citation needed]} After 9/11, she was the first international correspondent to interview British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

From 1996 to 2005, she was contracted by 60 Minutes creator Don Hewitt to file four to five in-depth international news reports a year as a special contributor. These reports garnered her a Peabody Award in 1998 (she had earlier been awarded one in 1993). Hewitt's successor Jeff Fager was not a fan of her work and terminated her contract.

She has had many memorable moments in her career, one of them being a telephone interview with Yasser Arafat during the siege on his compound in March 2002, during which Arafat hung up on her.^[10]

Amanpour at the 2009 World Economic Forum in Davos

Bosnian War reporting[link]

On 22 December 1992, during the Bosnian War, Amanpour was reporting from Kiseljak, not far from Sarajevo. Kiseljak was in Croat hands, undamaged, and ostensibly well supplied with necessities. Amanpour reported that, "While people in Sarajevo are dying from starvation, the Serbs are living [in Kiseljak] in plenty," a report that was subsequently criticized by some analysts as spreading "misinformation" and "beautiful lies."[21]

On October 9, 1994, Stephen Kinzer of the New York Times criticized Amanpour's coverage, in general, of the Bosnian War. Kinzer quoted a colleague’s description of Amanpour as she reported on a terrorist bombing in the Markale marketplace of the Bosnian city of Sarajevo:

"[Christiane Amanpour] was sitting in Belgrade when that marketplace massacre happened, and she went on the air to say that the Serbs had probably done it. There was no way she could have known that. She was assuming an omniscience which no journalist has."^[11]

In January 2004, prosecutors in the trial against Stanislav Galić, a Serb general in the siege of Sarajevo, introduced into evidence a report including the testimony of ammunition expert Berko Zečević. Working with two colleagues, Zečević's investigation revealed a total of six possible locations from which the shell in the first Markale massacre could have been fired, of which five were under VRS and one under ARBiH control. The ARBiH site in question was visible to UNPROFOR observers at the time, who reported that no shell was fired from that position. Zečević further reported that certain components of the projectile could only have been produced in one of two places, both of which were under the control of the Army of Republika Srpska. The court would eventually find Galić guilty of all the five shellings prosecutors had charged him with, including Markale's.^[12]

Amanpour has responded to the criticism leveled on her reporting from the war in the former Yugoslavia for "lack of neutrality," stating:

"Some people accused me of being pro-Muslim in Bosnia, but I realised that our job is to give all sides an equal hearing, but in cases of genocide you can't just be neutral. You can't just say, 'Well, this little boy was shot in the head and killed in besieged Sarajevo and that guy over there did it, but maybe he was upset because he had an argument with his wife.' No, there is no equality there, and we had to tell the truth."^[13]

The segment labelled "Democratic Reporting" has been eliminated because it only cited conservative sources critical of Ms. Amanpour or anyone responsible for reporting on issues in ways that conflict with the conservative ideology or narrative.

ABC News[link]

On March 18, 2010, Amanpour announced she would leave CNN for ABC News, where she would anchor This Week. She said, “I’m thrilled to be joining the incredible team at ABC News. Being asked to anchor This Week in the superb tradition started by David Brinkley is a tremendous and rare honor, and I look forward to discussing the great domestic and international issues of the day. I leave CNN with the utmost respect, love, and admiration for the company and everyone who works here. This has been my family and shared endeavor for the past 27 years, and I am forever grateful and proud of all that we have accomplished.”^[14] She hosted her first broadcast on August 1, 2010.

During her first two months as host, the ratings for This Week reached their lowest point since 2003.^[15] On February 28, 2011, she interviewed Muammar Gaddafi and his sons Saif al-Islam and Al-Saadi al-Gaddafi.^[16][17]

On December 13, 2011, ABC announced Amanpour would be leaving her post as anchor of ABC News' This Week on January 8, 2012, and returning to CNN International, where she had previously worked for 27 years, and maintaining a reporting role at ABC News.^[18]

Return to CNN[link]

A day later on December 14, 2011, in statements by ABC and CNN, it was announced that, in a "unique arrangement," Amanpour would begin hosting a program on CNN International in 2012, while continuing at ABC News as a global affairs anchor.^[19]

It was later revealed that in the spring of 2012, CNN International would refresh its lineup, putting the interview show Amanpour back on air.^[20] On-air promotions said she would return to CNN International on April 16. Her 30-minute New York-recorded show - to be screened twice an evening - would mean that the US parent network's Piers Morgan Tonight interview show would be 'bumped' out of its 9:00pm (Central European Time) slot to midnight (CET).^[21]

Personal life[link]

Amanpour is a member of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) along with many other notable journalists.

Amanpour is married to James Rubin, a former Assistant Secretary of State and spokesman for the US State Department during the Clinton administration and currently an informal adviser to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama. Their son, Darius John Rubin, was born in 2000. The family resides in New York City.

She shared a house on the east side of Providence with John F. Kennedy, Jr. and some of his friends while he was attending Brown University and she was attending the University of Rhode Island.^[22]

Amanpour speaks English and Persian fluently.^{[citation needed]}

Screen and media appearances[link]

Amanpour appeared in the Gilmore Girls as herself in the television series finale. Throughout the series, Amanpour was an inspiration to aspiring journalist Rory Gilmore. In July 2009 she appeared in a Harper's Bazaar magazine article entitled "Christiane Amanpour Gets a High-Fashion Makeover".^[23]

Amanpour played herself in newscasts in the films Iron Man 2 and Pink Panther 2.

Trivia[link]

• On June 20, 2009, Amanpour was a guest host for Larry King Live, broadcast live from the CNN studio in London. She interviewed her husband James Rubin about the turmoil in Iran. She told the viewers: "Quick disclaimer, that Mr. Rubin is also my husband."

Awards and recognition[link]

• 1992, Livingston Award for Young Journalists
• 1993, George Polk Award for Television Reporting
• 1993, George Foster Peabody awards^[24]
• 1994, Woman of the Year, New York Chapter of "Women in Cable"
• 1994, Courage in Journalism Award, International Women's Media Foundation^[25]
• 1996, George Polk Award for Television Reporting
• 1997, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, Emory University
• 1997, Nymphe d’Honneur at the Monte Carlo Television Festival
• 1998, George Foster Peabody awards^[26]
• 2002, Edward R. Murrow Award for Distinguished Achievement in Broadcast Journalism
• 2002, Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism, at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government^[27]
• 2005, International Emmy, International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
• 2006, Honorary citizen, city of Sarajevo
• 2006, Honorary doctorate degree from the University of Michigan for her contributions to journalism
• 2007, CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours^[28]
• 2007, Persian Woman of the Year
• 2008 The Fourth Estate Award (National Press Club)
• 2010 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences^[29]
• 2010, Honorary doctorate of humane letters degree, Northwestern University
• 2010, Honorary doctorate from Georgia State University for her contributions to journalism
• 2010, Honorary member of the graduating class of 2010 of Harvard College
• 2011, Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
• 2012, Honorary doctorate of humane letters, Amherst College
• Director on the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists
• Fellow, Society of Professional Journalists
• Nine Emmy news/documentary awards
• Major role in two DuPont awards given to CNN
• Major role in a Golden CableACE award given to CNN
• Honorary Board Member of the Daniel Pearl Foundation
• Sigma Chi Award (SDX) for her reports from Goma, Zaire
• Forbes magazine named her one of "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women"
• WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival Gold Award
• POP Award, by "Cable Positive"
• Honorary degree presented by Smith College

See also[link]

• List of famous Iranian women

References[link]

External links[link]

• Amanpour.com official website
• Christiane Amanpour on Twitter
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Christiane Amanpour on Charlie Rose
• Christiane Amanpour at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Christiane Amanpour in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Christiane Amanpour collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Christiane Amanpour: career in pictures, The Guardian
• 2000 Murrow Awards Ceremony Speech, 2000
• Christiane Amanpour's Interview on NPR, December 3, 2008
• Christiane Amanpour, at the Height of the Iranian Election Crisis - Interview by Lesley Stahl, June 23, 2009
• Christiane Amanpour's Class Day speech at Harvard University, May 26, 2010