Bill Corr

Bill Corr is the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in President Barack Obama's administration. He was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on May 6, 2009.^[1]

In his previous government service during President Bill Clinton's administration, Corr was Chief of Staff for the Secretary of HHS, Donna Shalala and chief counsel for former Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle, (D-South Dakota).^[2]

Corr's appointment has been criticized by conservative publications because he worked as an anti-tobacco lobbyist as recently as September 2008, having been the executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. In response to the criticism, Corr's spokesman said that in his new job, Corr would recuse himself from tobacco-related issues.^[2]

As Deputy Director of HHS, Corr is responsible for many of the day-to-day operations of the department, and among other duties, is the co-chair of the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team HEAT,^[3] a task force which ferrets out Medicare fraud.

Corr is a graduate of University of Virginia and the Vanderbilt School of Law.^[4]

References[link]

William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. (born July 4, 1938) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. He recorded a number of hits such as "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands". His life was recently the subject of the documentary film Still Bill.

Early life[link]

Withers was born the youngest of six children in the small coal-mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia. Raised in nearby Beckley, West Virginia, Withers was twelve years old when his father died. He enlisted with the United States Navy at age eighteen and served for nine years, during which time he became interested in singing and writing songs. Soon after his discharge from the Navy in 1965, he relocated to Los Angeles in 1967 for a musical career.^[1]

Withers worked as an assembler for several different companies, including Douglas Aircraft Corporation, while recording demo tapes with his own money, shopping them around and performing in clubs at night. When he debuted with the song "Ain't No Sunshine" he refused to resign his job because of his belief that the music business was a fickle industry and that he was still a novice compared to other acts.

Career[link]

Sussex Records[link]

During early 1970, Withers' demonstration tape was audited favorably by Clarence Avant of Sussex Records. Avant signed Withers to a record deal and assigned Booker T. Jones to produce Withers' first album. Four three-hour studio sessions were planned to record the album, but funding caused the album to be recorded in three sessions with a six-month break between the second and final sessions. Just as I Am was released in 1971 with the tracks "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Grandma's Hands" as singles. The album features Stephen Stills playing lead guitar.^[2]

The album was a success and Withers began touring with a band assembled from members of The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band: drummer James Gadson, guitarist Benorce Blackmon, keyboardist Ray Jackson, and bassist Melvin Dunlap.

At the 14th annual Grammy Awards on Tuesday, March 14, 1972, Withers won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for "Ain't No Sunshine." The track had already sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 1971.^[3]

During a hiatus from touring, Withers recorded his second album, Still Bill. The single "Lean on Me" went to number one the week of July 8, 1972. It was Withers' second gold disc awarded track with confirmed sales in excess of three million.^[3] His single "Use Me" released in August 1972, became his third million seller, with the R.I.A.A. gold disc award taking place on October 12, 1972.^[3] His performance at Carnegie Hall on October 6 1972 was recorded, and released as the live album Bill Withers, Live at Carnegie Hall on November 30 1972. In 1974 Withers recorded the album +'Justments. Due to a legal dispute with the Sussex company, Withers was unable to record for some time thereafter.

During this time, he wrote and produced two songs on the Gladys Knight & the Pips record I Feel a Song, and in October 1974 performed in concert together with James Brown, Etta James, and B. B. King four weeks prior to the historic Rumble in the Jungle fight between Foreman and Ali in Zaire.^[4] Footage of his performance was included in the 1996 documentary film, When We Were Kings, and he is heard on the accompanying soundtrack. Other footage of his performance is included in the 2008 documentary film Soul Power which is based on archival footage of the 1974 Zaire concert.

Columbia Records[link]

Withers signed with Columbia Records in 1975. His first release with the label, Making Music, Making Friends, included the single "She's Lonely" which was featured in the film Looking for Mr. Goodbar. During the next three years he released an album each year with Naked & Warm (1976), Menagerie (1977, containing the successful Lovely Day) and Bout Love (1978) and Get On Down, the latter song was also on Looking for Mr. Goodbar soundtrack.

Due to problems with Columbia, he concentrated on joint projects between 1977 and 1985, including the successful "Just the Two of Us", with jazz saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., which was released during June 1980. It won a Grammy on February 24, 1982. Withers next did Soul Shadows with The Crusaders, and In the Name of Love with Ralph MacDonald, the latter being nominated for a Grammy for vocal performance.

In 1985 came Watching You, Watching Me, which featured the Top 40 rated Rhythm&Blues single "Oh Yeah". Withers ended his business association with Columbia Records after this release, which as of 2011 is his last studio album.

In 1988, a new version of "Lovely Day" from the 1977 Menagerie album, titled "Lovely Day (Sunshine Mix)" and remixed by Ben Liebrand, reached the Top 10 in the United Kingdom, leading to Withers' performance on the long-running Top of the Pops that year. The original release had scored #7 in the UK in early 1978, and the re-release scored to #4.

In 1987, he received his ninth Grammy award nomination and on March 2, 1988 his third Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Song as songwriter for the re-recording of Lean On Me by Club Nouveau on their debut album Life, Love and Pain, released in 1986 on Warner Bros. Records.

In 1996, a portion of his song "Grandma's Hands" was sampled in the song "No Diggity" by BLACKstreet, featuring Dr. Dre. The single went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold 1.6 million copies and won a Grammy in 1999 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Withers contributed two songs to Jimmy Buffett's July 13, 2004 release License To Chill. Following the reissues of Still Bill on January 28, 2003 and Just As I Am on March 8, 2005, there was speculation of previously unreleased material being issued as a new album.^[5] In 2006, Sony gave back to Withers his previously unreleased tapes.

In 2007, "Lean On Me" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Personal life[link]

Withers married actress Denise Nicholas in 1973, during her stint as the main actress of the popular sitcom, Room 222. The couple divorced the next year.^[6]

During the professional semi-hiatus which began in the late 1970s, Withers concentrated more on personal matters than professional recording. In 1976, he married Marcia Johnson and they had two children, Todd and Kori. Marcia eventually assumed the direct management of his Beverly Hills-based publishing companies, in which his children also became involved as they became adults.^[7]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Live albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Singles[link]

• ^A The original version of "Ain't No Sunshine" did not chart on the UK Singles Chart until 2009, 38 years after its release.

Awards[link]

Honors[link]

• 2002: Honorary doctorate from Mountain State University
• 2005: Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee
• 2006: ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage award^[14]
• 2007: Inducted into West Virginia Music Hall of Fame^[15]

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Official website
• Bill Withers at Allmusic
• Bill Withers at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography at Soultracks.com
• Bill Withers Biography with photos
• Still Bill documentary
• Extensive 2009 audio interview with Withers on public radio program The Sound of Young America

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. (July 2011)

Bill Cullen
Cullen in 1954.
Born	William Lawrence Francis Cullen (1920-02-18)February 18, 1920 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died	July 7, 1990(1990-07-07) (aged 70) Bel Air, California, United States
Cause of death	Lung cancer
Occupation	Television personality Radio personality Game show host
Years active	1952–1988

William Lawrence Francis "Bill" Cullen (February 18, 1920 – July 7, 1990) was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades. He was best known for television game shows, having hosted multiple series (including Place the Face, the original The Price Is Right, the syndicated The $25,000 Pyramid, and Blockbusters) and served as a panelist on I've Got a Secret and To Tell the Truth.

Early life[link]

Cullen was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the only child of William and Lillian Cullen. He survived a childhood bout with polio that left him with significant physical limitations for the rest of his life (see medical history). He also wore very thick spectacles, which became a trademark.

Cullen's career began in Pittsburgh, where he worked at WWSW radio. He assisted sportscaster Joe Tucker, who called Pittsburgh Steelers games. He was well known for his puckish sense of humor and for playing pranks on his fellow announcers while they were on the air. Cullen decided to try his luck in New York and one of his first jobs was writing for the Easy Aces radio show.^[1]

Game show career[link]

After moving to New York City he hosted several radio programs, including game shows, in the late 1940s and 1950s. His first TV game show was Winner Take All, a Mark Goodson-Bill Todman production that aired on CBS in 1952. From 1954 to 1955, he hosted NBC's Place the Face, a program in which celebrities identify persons from their past. He hosted the daytime and prime-time versions of The Price Is Right, another Goodson-Todman production, from 1956 to 1965. He was also a panelist on I've Got a Secret from 1952 until 1967 and then on To Tell the Truth from 1969 until 1978, where he would also guest host on occasion. After relocating to southern California, Cullen sub-hosted Password Plus for four weeks in April 1980 while original host Allen Ludden recovered from stomach cancer.

Cullen was in the running to be the host of the 1972 revival of The Price Is Right, for CBS. However, the physical demands of the new format were considered too strenuous for Cullen. The job was instead split between Bob Barker (daytime) and Dennis James (nighttime); Barker took over both versions in 1977, and hosted The Price Is Right until his retirement in 2007. Occasional references to Cullen have been made by current The Price Is Right host Drew Carey.

While much of Cullen's hosting duties were on the East Coast, one game early in his career and those in his later years were shot in California. One show he hosted, How Do You Like Your Eggs?, was filmed in Columbus, Ohio, for Warner Cable's QUBE system.

Cullen hosted 23 different game shows over the years, making him host of more game shows than anyone else in television history. These shows included Eye Guess in the 1960s, Three on a Match and the nighttime version of The $25,000 Pyramid in the 1970s, and Chain Reaction, Blockbusters, Child's Play, Hot Potato, and The Joker's Wild in the 1980s (the last one after Jack Barry died).

He appeared as a celebrity guest on many other game shows throughout his TV career, including I've Got a Secret, Password, Password Plus, To Tell the Truth, Match Game, and all pre-$100,000 versions of Pyramid. Cullen also hosted a number of pilots for his close friend, quiz producer Bob Stewart, who created The Price Is Right, Truth, and Password for Goodson-Todman and Pyramid for his own company. He thus became the only person to host each of these formats on a full- or part-time basis. He also appeared as a panelist on several game shows hosted by his favorite understudy, Bob Eubanks, including those of Trivia Trap, Rhyme and Reason, and All Star Secrets, and also made guest appearances with him on Family Feud. He was also a close friend of Canadian-American host Jim Perry.

In 1982, Cullen made a surprise appearance on The Price Is Right to promote his new game show, Child's Play. This was the only time Cullen ever appeared on the revival of The Price Is Right and no mention was made of Cullen's original run as host. His successor Bob Barker made a similar move to promote his new book Priceless Memories in April 2009 on Drew Carey's show.

Achievements[link]

Cullen served in the Civil Air Defense as an instructor and patrol pilot in his native Pennsylvania during World War II (having failed to qualify for combat duty due to his physical disabilities), and was interested in mechanics. He did color commentary on college football games early in his career, and also broadcast track and field on NBC. On I've Got A Secret, producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman quickly learned to never start the questioning with Cullen if the guest's secret was anything sports-related or mechanical, because chances were good that he would guess it immediately.

Honors[link]

The Game Show Congress, a nonprofit association that seeks to promote the game show industry, annually presents the Bill Cullen Career Achievement Award to performers who have had distinguished careers in the genre. The first award in 2004 was given posthumously to Cullen himself, which his widow Ann accepted.

Personal life[link]

Cullen was married three times. His first marriage was a brief one while still living in Pittsburgh. His second marriage was to singer Carol Ames from 1949 to 1955. On December 24, 1955, Cullen married former dancer and model Ann Roemheld Macomber, daughter of composer Heinz Roemheld; this marriage would last until his death. Ann often appeared with Cullen on Tattletales in the 1970s and 1980s.

Medical history[link]

Cullen contracted poliomyelitis in the early 1930s. The long-term sequelae of that illness, combined with injuries sustained in a serious motor vehicle accident in 1937 requiring a 9-month hospitalization,^[2] left him with significant and lifelong ambulatory limitations.

His physical disabilities were (and largely remain) unknown to the general public due to the creative set design of his shows. The game's structure, its props, and any physical movement by contestants were deliberately arranged so that Cullen could remain stationary for most of the show. Rather than the grand entrance that was common for game show hosts, Cullen would begin each show either already seated or concealed on set behind a sign or podium so that he would only have to take a few steps. Cullen always sat in a chair while hosting, even on shows where the other participants stood. Similar accommodations were made when he served as a celebrity guest on other game shows.

Many of Cullen's show business colleagues were likewise unaware of his disability, which occasionally led to awkward situations. In the August, 2010 issue of GQ Magazine, under the heading "Epic Tales of Embarrassment", comedian/writer/producer Mel Brooks related the following story to writer Steve Heisler:

The week of October 17–21 in 1966—that would make me about 40—was a special celebrity week on Eye Guess. Bill Cullen was the host. The game was very similar to Concentration. I was teamed up with Julia Meade. Remember her? Actress, very pretty young lady, blonde... Okay, never mind. I don't think I won, but I did get the take-home game. Anyway, the show is over, and I start walking toward the podium to say good night to Bill, to thank him for having me on. He starts coming toward me cross-stage, and I don't know what he's doing. His feet are flopping. His hands are flying everywhere. He's doing this kind of wacky walk-of-the-unfortunates that Jerry Lewis used to do. So I figured, what the hell, I'll join him. I start doing, I dunno, this multiple-sclerosis walk, flapping my arms and doing the Milton Berle cross legs—my own Jerry Lewis impression... And Julia is whispering, "No! He's crippled, Mel!" I don't even hear her. Finally we meet in the middle, we hug, and he says to me, "You know, you're the only comic who's ever had the nerve to make fun of my crippled walk. Everyone's so careful, it makes me feel even worse." And I realize, Oh, my God, this guy is really crippled! It was my worst moment—and if you weren't me, probably the funniest thing that ever happened.^[3]

Death[link]

Cullen, a smoker for most of his life, died on July 7, 1990, of lung cancer in Los Angeles.

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• The Bill Cullen Homepage by Matt Ottinger
• Bill Cullen at the Internet Movie Database
• Bill Cullen at Find a Grave

Ida Corr
Ida Corr performing in Bucharest, Romania in 2008
Born	(1977-03-14) March 14, 1977 (age 35) Århus, Denmark
Nationality	Danish, Gambian
Occupation	Singer, Songwriter

Ida Corr (born March 14, 1977 in Århus, Denmark) is a Danish singer, songwriter and music producer.

Career[link]

At the age of 11 Corr won the first Danish Children Songcontest (Børne Melodi Grand Prix "MGP").^[1] As a young adult she started singing background on tours and in the studio for Danish artists such as Gnags, Sanne Salomonsen, Thomas Helmig and Rasmus Nøhr.^[1]

In 2002 Ida became known to the Danish public as a member of the short-lived girlgroup Sha Li Mar, consisting of Christina Undhjem, Engelina and Ida herself. The group regularly performed on the prime time television show Venner for livet (literally "Friends forever"). They released a self-titled album in the same year.^[2] In 2004 Corr collaborated with house producer Morten Trust on I Put My Faith in You a moderately popular dance hit.

Ida rose to fame in her native Denmark in 2005 with the release of her debut album Streetdiva and in 2006 with her follow-up album Robosoul. After creating a special song with Dutch DJ Fedde le Grand as part of the Live Earth set of international music concerts, her popularity began to spread outside of her homeland. The song, entitled Mirror 07-07-07, was played at exactly seven minutes past the seventh hour of the seventh day of the seventh month of 2007. In 2007 she received exposure in the Netherlands due to her second collaboration with Fedde le Grand, and her most recent self-written single, remixed by Fedde le Grand, Let Me Think About It spread to wider Europe quickly. It's the best-selling single outside Denmark from a Danish singer since the Danish bands Aqua and Infernal. In 2008 Ida released the compilation album One in Scandinavia. The single Let Me Think About It continued its success and reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay. One was released in the United States on August 26, 2008 as the first release on the new founded label Ministry of Sound America. A release in Russia and Germany followed quickly afterwards.

Ida Corr was also member of the band called SugaRush Beat Company, that has performed on Later... with Jools Holland in 2008 with a debut album being released in September 2008. Other members of the London-based group were Australian-born producer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Jarrad 'Jaz' Rogers and US soul singer/songwriter Rahsaan Patterson.^[3]

In January 2009 Ida received an award for Best-Selling-Artist from Denmark selling music in Europe at the European Border Breakers Awards in Groningen^[4] In April 2009 Corr released a musicvideo to Ride My Tempo simultaneously to a single release in Germany.^[5] A month later a new single for Scandinavia called Time premiered to Danish radios, taken from her fourth album, Under The Sun.^[6] The leading single from the album became I Want You. A musicvideo however was only shot for the Jason Gault Mix. In December the title song Under The Sun, which features guest vocals by Jamaican singer Shaggy was released as a single. On December 16, 2009 Ida participated at one of the Climate change concerts in Copenhagen. Alongside Simon Mathew she performed their duet Illusion, which was written for the World Wide Fund for Nature Climate campaign.

In January 2011 Ida collaborated with Kato, Camille Jones and Johnson on the Danish-language dance single Sjus. The song debuted at number 1 on the Danish Single charts.^[7] She also released a single called, What Goes Around Comes Around in 2011.

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Streetdiva (2005)
• Robosoul (2006)
• Under the Sun (2009)

Compilation albums

• One (2008)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official fansite
• Ida Corr on Myspace
• SugaRush Beat Company on Myspace

For the French film director, see Christian Vincent (director).

Christian Vincent (born 9 February 1980) is a Canadian-American professional dancer, choreographer, actor and model. His most visible role has been as Ricky Davis on the LOGO MTV sitcom Noah's Arc, which chronicles the lives of four gay African-American friends in Los Angeles.

Vincent has also appeared in the films She's All That, Rent, Starsky & Hutch, and Sex Politics & Cocktails and the television series Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Arrested Development, MADtv, The George Lopez Show, Baywatch, and Cold Case.^[1] He has also acted in a Bellsouth television commercial, as well as for Oral-B, and was a background dancer in Madonna's "Don't Tell Me" music video. Vincent recently starred in Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom and Center Stage: Turn It Up. On April 17, 2012 Mr. Vincent appeared on the hit reality t.v. show Dancing with the stars in the U.S. Christian co stars in the Canadian reality t.v. show Canada Sings. Vincent is currently signed with Shakir Entertainment Management in New York City.

Personal[link]

While growing up in Windsor, Ontario, Vincent had several interests as a child, ranging from karate to painting and drawing. He later discovered his passion for dance and eventually enrolled at Butler University, where he received his BFA, with cum laude honors.^[1]

Vincent later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a dancer and choreographer. As a dancer/choreographer, Vincent has toured and performed with Madonna, Ashanti, Ricky Martin, and Britney Spears.^[1] Vincent has also choreographed several commercials for Target and Kellogs.

Vincent lives in Los Angeles, California.^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Christian Vincent at the Internet Movie Database
• Christian Vincent's official site
• Christian Vincent's MySpace page
• Shakir Entertainment Management, Mr.Vincent's Manager
• [1] Canada Sings t.v. show

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