This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (February 2012)

St. Dominic of Silos enthroned as abbot (Hispano-Flemish Gothic 15th century)

The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. This article is intended to present facts related to the role and history associated with abbots in Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery. The female equivalent is abbess.

Origins[link]

The title had its origin in the monasteries of Egypt and Syria, spread through the eastern Mediterranean, and soon became accepted generally in all languages as the designation of the head of a monastery. At first it was employed as a respectful title for any monk, but it was soon restricted by canon law to certain priestly superiors. At times it was applied to various priests, e.g. at the court of the Frankish monarchy the Abbas palatinus ('of the palace') and Abbas castrensis ('of the camp') were chaplains to the Merovingian and Carolingian sovereigns’ court and army respectively. The title "abbot" came into fairly general use in western monastic orders whose members include priests.^[1]

Monastic history[link]

Coptic icon of St. Pachomius, the founder of cenobitic monasticism.

Carving of St. Benedict of Nursia, holding an abbot's crozier and his Rule for Monasteries (Münsterschwarzach, Germany).

An abbot (from Old English abbod, abbad, from Latin abbas (“father”), from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbas), from Aramaic ܐܒܐ/אבא (’abbā, “father”); confer German Abt; French abbé) is the head and chief governor of a community of monks, called also in the East hegumen or archimandrite.^[1] The English version for a female monastic head is abbess.

Early history[link]

In Egypt, the first home of monasticism, the jurisdiction of the abbot, or archimandrite, was but loosely defined. Sometimes he ruled over only one community, sometimes over several, each of which had its own abbot as well. Saint John Cassian speaks of an abbot of the Thebaid who had 500 monks under him. By the Rule of St Benedict, which, until the Cluniac reforms, was the norm in the West, the abbot has jurisdiction over only one community. The rule, as was inevitable, was subject to frequent violations; but it was not until the foundation of the Cluniac Order that the idea of a supreme abbot, exercising jurisdiction over all the houses of an order, was definitely recognized.^[1]

Monks, as a rule, were laymen, nor at the outset was the abbot any exception. For the reception of the sacraments, and for other religious offices, the abbot and his monks were commanded to attend the nearest church. This rule proved inconvenient when a monastery was situated in a desert or at a distance from a city, and necessity compelled the ordination of some monks. This innovation was not introduced without a struggle, ecclesiastical dignity being regarded as inconsistent with the higher spiritual life, but, before the close of the 5th century, at least in the East, abbots seem almost universally to have become deacons, if not priests. The change spread more slowly in the West, where the office of abbot was commonly filled by laymen till the end of the 7th century. The ecclesiastical leadership exercised by abbots despite their frequent lay status is proved by their attendance and votes at ecclesiastical councils. Thus at the first Council of Constantinople, AD 448, 23 archimandrites or abbots sign, with 30 bishops.^[1]

The second Council of Nicaea, AD 787, recognized the right of abbots to ordain their monks to the inferior orders^[1] below the diaconate, a power usually reserved to bishops.

Abbots were originally subject to episcopal jurisdiction, and continued generally so, in fact, in the West till the 11th century. The Code of Justinian (lib. i. tit. iii. de Ep. leg. xl.) expressly subordinates the abbot to episcopal oversight. The first case recorded of the partial exemption of an abbot from episcopal control is that of Faustus, abbot of Lerins, at the council of Arles, AD 456; but the exorbitant claims and exactions of bishops, to which this repugnance to episcopal control is to be traced, far more than to the arrogance of abbots, rendered it increasingly frequent, and, in the 6th century, the practice of exempting religious houses partly or altogether from episcopal control, and making them responsible to the pope alone, received an impulse from Pope Gregory the Great. These exceptions, introduced with a good object, had grown into a widespread evil by the 12th century, virtually creating an imperium in imperio, and depriving the bishop of all authority over the chief centres of influence in his diocese.^[1]

Later Middle Ages[link]

In the 12th century the abbots of Fulda claimed precedence of the archbishop of Cologne. Abbots more and more assumed almost episcopal state, and in defiance of the prohibition of early councils and the protests of St Bernard and others, adopted the episcopal insignia of mitre, ring, gloves and sandals.^[1]

It has been maintained that the right to wear mitres was sometimes granted by the popes to abbots before the 11th century, but the documents on which this claim is based are not genuine (J. Braun, Liturgische Gewandung, p. 453). The first undoubted instance is the bull by which Alexander II in 1063 granted the use of the mitre to Egelsinus, abbot of the monastery of St Augustine at Canterbury. The mitred abbots in England were those of Abingdon, St Alban's, Bardney, Battle, Bury St Edmunds, St Augustine's Canterbury, Colchester, Croyland, Evesham, Glastonbury, Gloucester, St Benet's Hulme, Hyde, Malmesbury, Peterborough, Ramsey, Reading, Selby, Shrewsbury, Tavistock, Thorney, Westminster, Winchcombe, and St Mary's York^{[citation needed]}. Of these the precedence was originally yielded to the abbot of Glastonbury, until in AD 1154 Adrian IV (Nicholas Breakspear) granted it to the abbot of St Alban's, in which monastery he had been brought up. Next after the abbot of St Alban's ranked the abbot of Westminster. To distinguish abbots from bishops, it was ordained that their mitre should be made of less costly materials, and should not be ornamented with gold, a rule which was soon entirely disregarded, and that the crook of their pastoral staff (the crosier) should turn inwards instead of outwards, indicating that their jurisdiction was limited to their own house.^[1]

The adoption of certain episcopal insignia (pontificalia) by abbots was followed by an encroachment on episcopal functions, which had to be specially but ineffectually guarded against by the Lateran council, AD 1123. In the East abbots, if in priests' orders and with the consent of the bishop, were, as we have seen, permitted by the second Nicene council, AD 787, to confer the tonsure and admit to the order of reader; but gradually abbots, in the West also, advanced higher claims, until we find them in AD 1489 permitted by Innocent IV to confer both the subdiaconate and diaconate. Of course, they always and everywhere had the power of admitting their own monks and vesting them with the religious habit.^[1]

The power of the abbot was paternal but absolute, limited, however, by the canon law. One of the main goals of monasticism was the purgation of self and selfishness, and obedience was seen as a path to that perfection. It was sacred duty to execute the abbot's orders, and even to act without his orders was sometimes considered a transgression. Examples among the Egyptian monks of this submission to the commands of the superiors, exalted into a virtue by those who regarded the entire crushing of the individual will as a goal, are detailed by Cassian and others, e.g. a monk watering a dry stick, day after day, for months, or endeavoring to remove a huge rock immensely exceeding his powers.^[1]

Appointments[link]

When a vacancy occurred, the bishop of the diocese chose the abbot out of the monks of the convent, but the right of election was transferred by jurisdiction to the monks themselves, reserving to the bishop the confirmation of the election and the benediction of the new abbot. In abbeys exempt from the (arch)bishop's diocesan jurisdiction, the confirmation and benediction had to be conferred by the pope in person, the house being taxed with the expenses of the new abbot's journey to Rome. It was necessary that an abbot should be at least 25 years of age, of legitimate birth, a monk of the house, unless it furnished no suitable candidate, when a liberty was allowed of electing from another convent, well instructed himself, and able to instruct others, one also who had learned how to command by having practised obedience.^[1] In some exceptional cases an abbot was allowed to name his own successor. Cassian speaks of an abbot in Egypt doing this; and in later times we have another example in the case of St Bruno. Popes and sovereigns gradually encroached on the rights of the monks, until in Italy the pope had usurped the nomination of all abbots, and the king in France, with the exception of Cluny, Premontré and other houses, chiefs of their order. The election was for life, unless the abbot was canonically deprived by the chiefs of his order, or when he was directly subject to them, by the pope or the bishop.^[1]

The ceremony of the formal admission of a Benedictine abbot in medieval times is thus prescribed by the consuetudinary of Abingdon. The newly elected abbot was to put off his shoes at the door of the church, and proceed barefoot to meet the members of the house advancing in a procession. After proceeding up the nave, he was to kneel and pray at the topmost step of the entrance of the choir, into which he was to be introduced by the bishop or his commissary, and placed in his stall. The monks, then kneeling, gave him the kiss of peace on the hand, and rising, on the mouth, the abbot holding his staff of office. He then put on his shoes in the vestry, and a chapter was held, and the bishop or his delegate preached a suitable sermon.^[1]

General information[link]

Before the late modern era, the abbot was treated with the utmost reverence by the brethren of his house. When he appeared either in church or chapter all present rose and bowed. His letters were received kneeling, as were those of the pope and the king. No monk might sit in his presence, or leave it without his permission, reflecting the hierarchical etiquette of families and society. The highest place was assigned to him, both in church and at table. In the East he was commanded to eat with the other monks. In the West the Rule of St Benedict appointed him a separate table, at which he might entertain guests and strangers. This permission opening the door to luxurious living, the council of Aachen, AD 817, decreed that the abbot should dine in the refectory, and be content with the ordinary fare of the monks, unless he had to entertain a guest. These ordinances proved, however, generally ineffectual to secure strictness of diet, and contemporaneous literature abounds with satirical remarks and complaints concerning the inordinate extravagance of the tables of the abbots. When the abbot condescended to dine in the refectory, his chaplains waited upon him with the dishes, a servant, if necessary, assisting them. When abbots dined in their own private hall, the Rule of St Benedict charged them to invite their monks to their table, provided there was room, on which occasions the guests were to abstain from quarrels, slanderous talk and idle gossiping.^[1]

Arms of a Roman Catholic abbot are distinguished by a gold crozier with a veil attached and a black galero with twelve tassels (the galero of a territorial abbot would be green)

The ordinary attire of the abbot was according to rule to be the same as that of the monks. But by the 10th century the rule was commonly set aside, and we find frequent complaints of abbots dressing in silk, and adopting sumptuous attire. Some even laid aside the monastic habit altogether, and assumed a secular dress. With the increase of wealth and power, abbots had lost much of their special religious character, and become great lords, chiefly distinguished from lay lords by celibacy. Thus we hear of abbots going out to hunt, with their men carrying bows and arrows; keeping horses, dogs and huntsmen; and special mention is made of an abbot of Leicester, c. 1360, who was the most skilled of all the nobility in hare hunting. In magnificence of equipage and retinue the abbots vied with the first nobles of the realm. They rode on mules with gilded bridles, rich saddles and housings, carrying hawks on their wrist, followed by an immense train of attendants. The bells of the churches were rung as they passed. They associated on equal terms with laymen of the highest distinction, and shared all their pleasures and pursuits.^[1] This rank and power was, however, often used most beneficially. For instance, we read of Whiting, the last abbot of Glastonbury, judicially murdered by Henry VIII, that his house was a kind of well-ordered court, where as many as 300 sons of noblemen and gentlemen, who had been sent to him for virtuous education, had been brought up, besides others of a lesser rank, whom he fitted for the universities. His table, attendance and officers were an honour to the nation. He would entertain as many as 500 persons of rank at one time, besides relieving the poor of the vicinity twice a week. He had his country houses and fisheries, and when he travelled to attend parliament his retinue amounted to upwards of 100 persons. The abbots of Cluny and Vendôme were, by virtue of their office, cardinals of the Roman church.^[1]

In process of time the title abbot was extended to clerics who had no connection with the monastic system, as to the principal of a body of parochial clergy; and under the Carolingians to the chief chaplain of the king, Abbas Curiae, or military chaplain of the emperor, Abbas Castrensis. It even came to be adopted by purely secular officials. Thus the chief magistrate of the republic at Genoa was called Abbas Populi.^[1]

Lay abbots (M. Lat. defensores, abbacomites, abbates laici, abbates milites, abbates saeculares or irreligiosi, abbatiarii, or sometimes simply abbates) were the outcome of the growth of the feudal system from the 8th century onwards. The practice of commendation, by which—to meet a contemporary emergency—the revenues of the community were handed over to a lay lord, in return for his protection, early suggested to the emperors and kings the expedient of rewarding their warriors with rich abbeys held in commendam.^[1]

During the Carolingian epoch the custom grew up of granting these as regular heritable fiefs or benefices, and by the 10th century, before the great Cluniac reform, the system was firmly established. Even the abbey of St Denis was held in commendam by Hugh Capet. The example of the kings was followed by the feudal nobles, sometimes by making a temporary concession permanent, sometimes without any form of commendation whatever. In England the abuse was rife in the 8th century, as may be gathered from the acts of the council of Cloveshoe. These lay abbacies were not merely a question of overlordship, but implied the concentration in lay hands of all the rights, immunities and jurisdiction of the foundations, i.e. the more or less complete secularization of spiritual institutions. The lay abbot took his recognized rank in the feudal hierarchy, and was free to dispose of his fief as in the case of any other. The enfeoffment of abbeys differed in form and degree. Sometimes the monks were directly subject to the lay abbot; sometimes he appointed a substitute to perform the spiritual functions, known usually as dean (decanus), but also as abbot (abbas legitimas, monasticus, regularis).^[1]

When the great reform of the 11th century had put an end to the direct jurisdiction of the lay abbots, the honorary title of abbot continued to be held by certain of the great feudal families, as late as the 13th century and later, the actual head of the community retaining that of dean. The connection of the lesser lay abbots with the abbeys, especially in the south of France, lasted longer; and certain feudal families retained the title of abbes chevaliers (abbates milltes) for centuries, together with certain rights over the abbey lands or revenues. The abuse was not confined to the West. John, patriarch of Antioch, at the beginning of the 12th Century, informs us that in his time most monasteries had been handed over to laymen, bencficiarii, for life, or for part of their lives, by the emperors.^[1]

Giraldus Cambrensis reported (Itinerary, ii.iv) the common customs of lay abbots in the late 12th-century Church of Wales:

"for a bad custom has prevailed amongst the clergy, of appointing the most powerful people of a parish stewards, or, rather, patrons, of their churches; who, in process of time, from a desire of gain, have usurped the whole right, appropriating to their own use the possession of all the lands, leaving only to the clergy the altars, with their tenths and oblations, and assigning even these to their sons and relations in the church. Such defenders, or rather destroyers, of the church, have caused themselves to be called abbots, and presumed to attribute to themselves a title, as well as estates, to which they have no just claim."

In conventual cathedrals, where the bishop occupied the place of the abbot, the functions usually devolving on the superior of the monastery were performed by a prior.

Modern practices[link]

In the Roman Catholic Church, abbots continue to be elected by the monks of an abbey to lead them as their religious superior in those orders and monasteries that make use of the term (some orders of monks, as the Carthusians for instance, have no abbots, only priors). A monastery must have been granted the status of an abbey by the Pope,^{[citation needed]} and such monasteries are normally raised to this level after showing a degree of stability—a certain number of monks in vows, a certain number of years of establishment, a certain firmness to the foundation in economic, vocational and legal aspects. Prior to this, the monastery would be a mere priory, headed by a prior who acts as superior but without the same degree of legal authority that an abbot has.

Abbot Francis Michael and Prior Anthony Delisi (on the left) of Monastery of the Holy Spirit, a Trappist monastery in Conyers, Georgia, USA.

The abbot is chosen by the monks from among the fully professed monks. Once chosen, he must request blessing: the blessing of an abbot is celebrated by the bishop in whose diocese the monastery is or, with his permission, another abbot or bishop. The ceremony of such a blessing is similar in some aspects to the consecration of a bishop, with the new abbot being presented with the mitre, the ring, and the crosier as symbols of office and receiving the laying on of hands and blessing from the celebrant. Though the ceremony installs the new abbot into a position of legal authority, it does not confer further sacramental authority- it is not a further degree of Holy Orders (although some abbots have been ordained to the episcopacy).

Once he has received this blessing, the abbot not only becomes father of his monks in a spiritual sense, but their major superior under canon law, and has the additional authority to confer the ministries of acolyte and lector (formerly, he could confer the minor orders, which are not sacraments, that these ministries have replaced). The abbey is a species of "exempt religious" in that it is, for the most part, answerable to the Pope, or to the abbot primate, rather than to the local bishop.

The abbot wears the same habit as his fellow monks, though by tradition he adds to it a pectoral cross.

Territorial abbots follow all of the above, but in addition must receive a mandate of authority from the Pope over the territory around the monastery for which they are responsible.

Abbatial hierarchy[link]

In some monastic families there is a hierarchy of precedence or authority among abbots. In some cases, this is the result of an abbey being considered the "mother" of several "daughter" abbeys founded originally as dependent priories of the "mother." In other cases, abbeys have affiliated in networks known as "congregations." Some monastic families recognize one abbey as the motherhouse of the entire order.

• The abbot of Sant'Anselmo di Aventino, in Rome, is styled the "abbot primate," and is acknowledged the senior abbot for the Order of St. Benedict (O.S.B.)
• An abbot president is the head of a congregation (federation) of abbeys within the Order of St. Benedict (for instance, the English Congregation, The American Cassinese Congregation, etc.), or of the Cistercians (O. Cist.)
• An archabbot is the head of some monasteries which are the motherhouses of other monasteries (for instance, St. Vincent's Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania)

Modern abbots not as superior[link]

The title abbé (French; Ital. abate), as commonly used in the Catholic Church on the European continent, is the equivalent of the English "Father" (parallel etymology), being loosely applied to all who have received the tonsure. This use of the title is said to have originated in the right conceded to the king of France, by the concordat between Pope Leo X and Francis I (1516), to appoint abbés commendataires to most of the abbeys in France. The expectation of obtaining these sinecures drew young men towards the church in considerable numbers, and the class of abbés so formed—abbés de cour they were sometimes called, and sometimes (ironically) abbés de sainte espérance, (abbés of holy hope; or the pun, of St. Hope)—came to hold a recognized position. The connection many of them had with the church was of the slenderest kind, consisting mainly in adopting the title of abbé, after a remarkably moderate course of theological study, practising celibacy and wearing a distinctive dress—a short dark-violet coat with narrow collar. Being men of presumed learning and undoubted leisure, many of the class found admission to the houses of the French nobility as tutors or advisers. Nearly every great family had its abbé. The class did not survive the Revolution; but the courtesy title of abbé, having long lost all connection in people's minds with any special ecclesiastical function, remained as a convenient general term applicable to any clergyman.

Eastern Christian[link]

In the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, the Abbot is referred to as the Hegumen. The Superior of a Convent of Nuns is called the Hēguménē. The title of Archimandrite (literally the head of the enclosure) used to mean something similar.

In the East, the principle set forth in the Code of Justinian still applies, whereby most abbots are immediately subject to the local bishop. Those monasteries which enjoy the status of being stauropegiac will be subject only to a primate or his Synod of Bishops and not the local bishop.

Though the title "abbot" is not given in the Western Church to any but actual abbots of monasteries today, the title archimandrite is given to "monastics" (i.e., celibate) priests in the East, even when not attached to a monastery, as an honor for service, similar to the title of monsignor in the Western/Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. In the Orthodox Church, only actual monastics are permitted to be elevated to the rank of Archimandrite. Married priests are elevated to the parallel rank of Archpriest or Protopresbyter. Normally there are no celibate priests who are not monastics in the Orthodox Church, with the exception of married priests who have been widowed. Since the time of Catherine II the ranks of Abbot and Archimandrite have been given as honorary titles in the Russian Church, and may be given to any monastic, even if he does not in fact serve as the superior of a monastery. In Greek practice the title or function of Abbot corresponds to a person who actually serves as the head of a monastery, although the title of the Archimandrite may be given to any celibate priest who could serve as the head of a monastery.

In the German Evangelical Church the German title of Abt (abbot) is sometimes bestowed, like the French abbé, as an honorary distinction, and survives to designate the heads of some monasteries converted at the Reformation into collegiate foundations. Of these the most noteworthy is Loccum Abbey in Hanover, founded as a Cistercian house in 1163 by Count Wilbrand of Hallermund, and reformed in 1593. The abbot of Loccum, who still carries a pastoral staff, takes precedence over all the clergy of Hanover, and was ex officio a member of the consistory of the kingdom. The governing body of the abbey consists of the abbot, prior and the "convent" of Stiftsherren (canons).

In the Church of England, the Bishop of Norwich, by royal decree given by Henry VIII, also holds the honorary title of "Abbot of St. Benet." This title hails back to England's separation from the See of Rome, when King Henry, as supreme head of the newly independent church, took over all of the monasteries, mainly for their possessions, except for St. Benet, which he spared because the abbot and his monks possessed no wealth, and lived like simple beggars, disposing the incumbent Bishop of Norwich and seating the abbot in his place, thus the dual title still held to this day.

Additionally, at the enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury, there is a threefold enthronement, once in the throne the chancel as the diocesan bishop of Canterbury, once in the Chair of St. Augustine as the Primate of All England, and then once in the chapter-house as Titular Abbot of Canterbury.

There are several Benedictine Abbeys throughout the Anglican Communion. Most of them have mitred abbots.

Abbots in art and literature[link]

"The Abbot", from the Dance of Death, by Hans Holbein the Younger

"The Abbot" is one of the archetypes traditionally illustrated in scenes of Dance Macabre.

The lives of numerous abbots make up a significant contribution to Christian hagiography, one of the most well-known being the Life of St. Benedict of Nursia by St. Gregory the Great.

During the years 1106-1107 A.D., a Russian Orthodox Abbot named Daniel made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and recorded his experiences. His diary was much-read throughout Russia, and at least seventy-five manuscript copies survive.

Saint Joseph, Abbot of Volokolamsk (1439–1515), wrote a number of influential works against heresy, and about monastic and liturgical discipline, and Christian philanthropy.

In the Tales of Redwall series the creatures of Redwall are led by an Abbot or Abbess. These "abbots" are appointed by the brothers and sisters of Redwall to serve as a superior and provide paternal care, much like real abbots.

"The Abbot" was a nickname of RZA from the Wu Tang Clan.

See also[link]

• Abbé
• Abbé Pierre
• Abbess
• Abbot Lawn
• Commendatory abbot
• Hegumen
• Archimandrite

Notes[link]

References[link]

•  "Abbot". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Venables, Edmund (1911). "Abbot". In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links[link]

• Russian Orthodox Abbot of Valaam Monastery
• The Pilgrimage of the Russian Abbot Daniel in the Holy Land
•  James Wood (1907). "Abbot". The Nuttall Encyclopædia. 
•  "Abbot". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921. 

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2007)

Russ Abbot (born Russell Allan Roberts on 18 September 1947) is an English musician, comedian and actor who first came to public notice during the 1970s as the singer and drummer with British comedy showband the Black Abbots, later forging a prominent solo career as a television comedian with his own weekly show on British television.

Continuing his musical career as a solo artist Abbot released several charting singles and albums. Latterly his career has continued with a shift into more mainstream serious acting in television shows, series and stage productions.

Career[link]

As a drummer/backing singer, Abbot founded the Black Abbots in Chester during the mid-1960s and released several singles to modest chart success on minor labels in the early 1970s.^[2] The band only signed their first major recording contract in 1977, putting out a series of comedy singles and a lone live album with Abbot now taking lead vocals, before disbanding in 1980.^[3] Later on he appeared as a comedian, winning the Funniest Man On Television award five times.

From 1980 onwards, Abbot released some albums as a solo artist, and appeared in several TV series. The most successful of his music singles was called "Atmosphere", which did well in the UK top 10, peaking at No 7 in 1984.

Russ Abbot's Madhouse and The Russ Abbot Show showcased his talents as an all-round entertainer, attracting millions of viewers. This show was especially popular among younger viewers, prompting two annuals to be published in 1982 and 1983. These annuals featured comic strips based on popular characters, plus some publicity photos of Abbot in a variety of guises, including his well-known James Bond satire featuring characters named Basildon Bond and Miss Funnyfanny (based on the fictional MI6 spy duo James Bond and Miss Moneypenny).

From 2000, Abbot played the lead role in the British National Tour of Doctor Doolittle. Taking a break over the Christmas period, Russ stepped down for Phillip Schofield to take the part, but returned to the tour subsequently.

In 2003, his 'See You Jimmy' character (called C. U. Jimmy) came third in The Glasgow Herald's poll to find the most Scottish person in the world, behind Iain and Jimmy Krankie.

Abbot's theatre roles include Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady (starring Amy Nuttall) at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and on tour; The Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show; Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and Fagin in Oliver! both in 1998 and 2009. From July 2007, he took over the role of Roger De Bris in the UK tour of Mel Brooks' The Producers. In 2008, Abbot appeared as the Tin Man in the stage production of The Wizard of Oz at the Mayflower in Southampton.

In 2008, the BBC announced that Abbot would be joining the cast of Last of the Summer Wine for the show's 30th series. He played Luther 'Hobbo' Hobdyke, who was the leader of a group consisting also of Entwistle, played by Burt Kwouk and Alvin, played by Brian Murphy.^[4] In 2008 he guest starred in The Sarah Jane Adventures episode 'Secrets of the Stars' as a character called Martin Trueman, an astrologer who was possessed by the Ancient Lights.

On 8 August 2009, it was announced that Abbot would appear in an episode of Casualty playing a pet shop owner. This will be Abbot's second Casualty role - he previously appeared as a different character in a 1999 episode.^[5] Abbot also appeared on Harry Hill's TV Burp parodying the character he played in Casualty.

In 2009, when Rowan Atkinson fell ill during the original run of Cameron Mackintosh's West End revival of Oliver!, Abbot stepped into the role of Fagin for the second time. He has again taken the role, after Griff Rhys Jones left the show on 12 June 2010.

Personal life[link]

Abbot was the fifth of six sons born to Betty and Don. His siblings are John, Donald, Derek, Stuart and Neil. Abbot's parents met when his father (who earned a living as a salesman), played cornet in a bluecoat band for a party at the Duke of Westminsters' estate in Chester, where his mother was a ladies maid for the Dukes household. Abbot is of Scottish heritage through his mother, who was born in Falkirk.

Abbot passed his eleven plus at Hoole & Newton Jnr School and moved onto Chester City Grammar School. As a young drummer, Abbot joined Adam & the Apples, The Buccaners, Johnny Gibson & the D Notes and then the Black Abbots. He worked part-time backstage at the Royalty Theatre, Chester and in 1965, the Black Abbots took residency there. Whilst Abbot was there, he met Denis Critchley with whom he learnt the craft of comedy.

Abbot met his wife Trish backstage at a Black Abbots gig and in 1966, they married. They went on to have four children; Gary, Richard, Christopher and Erika. He has two grandchildren; Laine and Charlotte.

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

• 1980 - "Space Invaders Meet the Purple People Eater" / "Country Cooper Man"^[2]
• 1982 - "A Day In The Life of Vince Prince" (UK #61, one week; re-entered at #75 two weeks later for one week)^[6]
• 1984 - "Atmosphere" (UK #7, in chart for thirteen weeks)^[6]
• 1985 - "All Night Holiday" (UK #20, in chart for seven weeks)^[6]
• 1985 - "Let's Go To The Disco" (No UK chart placing)
• 2009 - "Atmosphere" - Basildon Bond's Madhouse Mix

Albums[link]

• 1984 - Russ Abbot's Madhouse
• 1985 - I Love A Party - (UK #12)^[7]
• 1990 - Songs Of Joy

Filmography[link]

• 1972 - Who Do You Do (television programme)
• 1976 - What's On Next (television programme)
• 1979 - The Freddie Starr Variety Madhouse (television programme)
• 1980 - Madhouse (television programme)
• 1982 - My Beard is My Lighthouse (radio show on BBC Radio 4)
• 1986 - The Russ Abbot Show (television programme)
• 1993 - Stars in Their Eyes - cover for Leslie Crowther (also presented a one-off Elvis special)
• 1993 - September Song (television programme)
• 1996 - Married for Life (television programme)
• 2000 - Heartbeat (UK TV series) (television programme); guest appearance, December 2000, single episode
• 2001 - TV to Go (television programme)
• 2003 - The Bill (television programme); guest appearance, single episode
• 2003 - My Family (television programme); guest appearance, single episode
• 2005 - Miss Marple (television programme)
• 2007 - Hotel Babylon (television programme) as Mr Poldark, guest appearance, February 2007, single episode, in conjunction Cherie Lunghi
• 2007 - The Last Detective (television programme) guest appearance, May 2007, single episode, in conjunction Roy Hudd
• 2008 - The Sarah Jane Adventures (television programme) Secrets of the Stars : Series 2 Episode 5 ^[8]
• 2008–2010 - Last of the Summer Wine
• 2009 - Casualty (TV series) (television programme); guest appearance, November 2009, single episode
• 2012 - Run For Your Wife (film); cameo role

References[link]

External links[link]

• Russ Abbot at the Internet Movie Database

Ross James Belshaw Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is a BAFTA award-winning English actor, author^[2][3] and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. Since 2006, Kemp has received international recognition as an investigative journalist for his critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary series Ross Kemp on Gangs.

Acting career[link]

Early career[link]

Before becoming publicly known, Kemp made a TV commercial for Kellogg's Fruit 'n Fibre breakfast cereal. His first credited television appearance was in 1986, playing Graham Lodsworth in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale Farm (now Emmerdale). He was infamously thrown off set of Emmerdale after reportedly stubbing his toe on a prop and proceeding to violently attack the prop and claim that all props should be 'burnt alive' . He then ironically made guest appearances in episodes of London's Burning where he was seen throwing numerous props into the on-set fire, and Birds of a Feather. He was in a film called Playing Away in 1986 in a minor role alongside Neil Morrissey.^[4]

[edit] EastEnders

His most famous role to date is that of hardman Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Kemp made his debut in February 1990. On-screen, Kemp, as Grant, was often at the centre of EastEnders' plots, amongst them abusive marriages to Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) and Tiffany Mitchell (Martine McCutcheon), and the "Sharongate" storyline, that saw Grant's brother Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) conduct an affair with his wife.

Kemp announced his departure from the show in April 1999, his last appearance being aired in October 1999 when his character moved to Brazil. Kemp refused to rule out an eventual return to EastEnders, and various media reports over the next few years speculated that he would be returning to the series. In early 2005, the BBC confirmed that Kemp would be returning to EastEnders later that year after six years away. Kemp joked that he originally auditioned to play the part of Wellard the dog. It was co-star Barbara Windsor who convinced him to go back for a brief period.^[5] His first comeback lasted just a few weeks in 2005, but he returned for a period of three months in 2006, before departing once again in June that year. BBC bosses have left Kemp's role open for a possible future return. Kemp has won various awards for his portrayal of Grant.^[6]

In December 2008, Barbara Windsor, Kemp's onscreen mother Peggy publicly called for Kemp to return to the role of Grant. In September 2009, Steve McFadden (Phil) and Danniella Westbrook (Sam), Kemp's onscreen siblings, also expressed their desire to have him back on the show.^[7] Kemp has not ruled out returning to the soap again, but he said a return would not be any time soon.

Other roles[link]

Following his initial departure from EastEnders, Kemp moved from the BBC to ITV for a reported £1.2 million. Kemp's first role for ITV was in Hero of the Hour. During its filming, on 27 October 1999, Kemp required treatment in the hospital after being shot in the face when a stunt went wrong. He suffered cuts to his chest and face after safety glass shattered, and was also hit in the face by the discharge from a blank round. He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to Barnet Hospital in north London, but made a full recovery. although he was facing 2–5 months of recovery after the incident

He also starred as the lead in ITV's Christmas edition of A Christmas Carol. He took the lead roles in the television series, Without Motive and In Defence in 2000, and in 2002's Ultimate Force, where he took the role of Army Staff sergeant Henry Garvie from the British Special Air Service. He continued to appear in this role until 2006. He also gained the role of "Cirra" in the 2004 TV film, Spartacus.

In 2005, Kemp appeared in an episode of BBC's Extras and in a two-part adaptation of the Gerald Seymour novel A Line In The Sand for ITV, and he has also presented, on The Friday Night Project and as a stand in host on The Paul O'Grady Show (2007; 2008).

Kemp appeared in the 4th episode of Series 14 of BBC's motoring show Top Gear. He was the "Man in Boot" of a Renault Twingo Sport being tested by Jeremy Clarkson. The test ended with Clarkson driving the car off the quayside of Belfast Harbour, after which Clarkson joked that Kemp was killed.^[8]

Investigative journalism[link]

[edit] Ross Kemp on Gangs

The award-winning TV series Ross Kemp on Gangs, in which Kemp interviewed gang members around the world, was first broadcast in 2006. The first series featured gangs and police corruption in Brazil, Māori gangs in New Zealand, neo-Nazi skinheads in California, gangsters in London, and teenagers from Blaenau Gwent. The second series featured "MS13" from El Salvador, neo-Nazis in Russia, football hooligans in Poland, American "Bloods" and "Crips" gangs in St. Louis, and the Numbers gang in South Africa. In May 2007, Ross Kemp on Gangs was awarded a BAFTA award for factual programming. .

The show returned in September 2008 for four more episodes, starting in the Los Angeles district of Compton. A famously hazardous scene was filmed in Compton when gangland junior Matt 'Malicious' Ward misfired his gun in a rival gang's neighbourhood.

The show has also been released on DVD.

In early 2007 Kemp published his experiences from the TV programme in book form, in 'Ross Kemp. Gangs'.

In early 2009, Ross Kemp on Gangs began airing in the United States on the Investigation Discovery channel under the title "Gang Nation."

[edit] Ross Kemp in Afghanistan

The Pilot which was initially accepted by Sky was a home video of Ross Kemp and his own gang filming a music video for the then named Channel U On 21 January 2008, Sky broadcast the first episode of a five-part series Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, which entails Kemp following the 1st Battalion of the British Army's Royal Anglian Regiment during their deployment to Afghanistan's Helmand Province from March to August 2007. In preparation for the assignment, Kemp had to participate in military training for personal defence, including use of the SA80 assault rifle. Kemp has a personal interest in the Royal Anglians, as he is from their recruiting area, and his father served with one of the predecessor regiments of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Norfolk Regiment, in Cyprus. He has since returned to Afghanistan to film a second series of Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, which began its broadcast on Sky One on February 1, 2009, titled Ross Kemp Return to Afghanistan.

[edit] Ross Kemp: Middle East

In January and February 2010, Sky broadcast a 2-part documentary on the situation in Gaza and Israel. Ross Kemp follows Hamas to try and get a glimpse at what is sparking the violence between the two nations in some of the most politically fraught places in the world. He also examines the black market importation from Egypt into Gaza.^[9]

[edit] Ross Kemp: Battle For The Amazon

In April 2010 Kemp's documentary, Battle For The Amazon, was shown on Sky 1, Kemp travelled to areas of the Amazon basin in Brazil and Ecuador, filming the practices of cattle farming, soya bean farming and oil exploration that are causing rapid de-forestation in the region.^[10]

[edit] Ross Kemp: Extreme World

In February 2011 his new series Ross Kemp: Extreme World debuted on Sky 1.

[edit] Ross Kemp: Back On The Frontline

Kemp returned to Afghanistan 10 years after the War in Afghanistan started. The show aired on Sky1 during Winter 2011.

Other documentaries[link]

Sky and Kemp have collaborated on various other documentaries. These include Ross Kemp: A Kenya Special, Ross Kemp Meets the Glue Kids and Ross Kemp in Search of Pirates.

Kemp signed a new 2 year contract with Sky to produce and present 12 hour-long factual programmes for the channel, split over the July 2009 to July 2011 period.

Writing[link]

Kemp has authored several books. Initially focusing on tie-ins to his various TV documentaries, 2011 saw the publication of his first fictional story, 'Devil to Pay'. A new novel, 'Moving Target', is due for release in summer 2012.

Personal life[link]

His mother Jean was a hairdresser and his father John was a Detective Chief Inspector in the police force. He has one brother, Darren, who is a filmmaker for the BBC. He attended Shenfield High School and the Webber Douglas Academy.^[11]

On 11 June 2002 Kemp married Rebekah Wade, the then editor of The Sun. In November 2005 Wade was arrested following an alleged assault on her husband.^[12] Kemp refused medical attention for a swollen lip and no action was taken.^[13] In March 2009 Kemp and Wade divorced, after he admitted to adultery.^[14] In October 2010, Kemp became a father to a baby boy with ex-partner Nicola Coleman.^[15]

Kemp is a longtime supporter of the Labour Party. In the 2010 General Election he called on voters to back the party "which cares for everyone in society, not just the privileged few."^[16]

Glasgow University association[link]

In 1999 he was elected as Rector of the University of Glasgow as the candidate of the Glasgow University Labour Club, but resigned in 2001 after the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council passed a motion requesting him to do so.^[17] Kemp was succeeded by Greg Hemphill.^[18]

Awards[link]

Filmography[link]

TV[link]

Films[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ross Kemp at the Internet Movie Database

Abbot Kinney (1850, New Brunswick, New Jersey - 1920, Santa Monica, California) was a developer and conservationist. Kinney is best known for his "Venice of America" development in Los Angeles.

Early life[link]

Kinney's family moved to Washington, D.C. and became known in politics. His aunt's husband was Senator James Dixon of Connecticut.

At the age of 16, the 6-foot-2-inch (1.88 m) Kinney went to Europe, where he studied in Heidelberg, Paris and Zürich and became fluent in six languages. A walking tour of Italy took him to Venice and the Italian Riviera. Returning to Washington in 1869 he joined the Maryland National Guard and in 1873 was able to join a U. S. Geological Survey team to map the Sioux reservations of the Dakotas. He traveled to Salt Lake City and Oregon and rejoined the survey team in the Yosemite Valley.

Kinney joined his older brother's, Francis S. tobacco business with offices in New York in 1874. The Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company did much of its purchasing in the southern states and then took an interest in imported tobaccos. In 1876, Abbot traveled to Egypt and Ottoman Macedonia.

Kinneloa[link]

Instead of returning home, Kinney took an extended vacation through Europe, India, Ceylon, New Guinea, Australia and Hawaii. After his arrival in San Francisco in January 1880, his train travel east was delayed by snow. So, Kinney, an asthmatic, improvised with side trip to a Southern California health resort, the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. After showing up without a reservation, he slept on a billiard table in the parlor, where he awoke in the morning free of asthma symptoms. This positive experience inspired him to purchase 550 acres (2.2 km²) of nearby property, which he named "Kinneloa".^[1][2]

Conservationist[link]

Kinney was appointed to a three-year position as chairman of the California Board of Forestry. There he developed an agency to protect the forests of the San Gabriel Mountains, where ranchers typically set fires to clear land for livestock grazing, but then, as a result, subsequent rainfalls led to flooding in the valleys.

On his own property, he developed land management techniques for raising livestock alongside cultivated forests. Aided by his friend naturalist John Muir, Kinney established the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve in December 1892, forerunner to the Angeles National Forest.

In 1883, Kinney and Helen Hunt Jackson co-wrote a report for the U.S. Department of the Interior on the condition of California Mission Indians.^[3] This report and others led to the Mission Indian Act of 1891, which created a commission to seek to establish or confirm reservations in Southern California.^[4][5]

In 1887, Kinney established the nation's first forestry station in Rustic Canyon on 6 acres (24,000 m²) of land donated by Santa Monica co-founder John P. Jones (also a U.S. Senator from Nevada), and Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker. One of the station's projects was a study of the newly introduced eucalyptus trees.

Santa Monica[link]

Kinneloa did not suit Kinney's first wife Margaret Kinney in the summer months, and in 1886 they built a summer home in Santa Monica. Kinney formed the Santa Monica Improvement Company in 1887 and built a lawn tennis club. In 1887 Kinney purchased 247 acres (1.00 km²) of land on the bluffs north of Santa Monica Canyon to be developed as "Santa Monica Heights", but economic conditions forced Kinney to abandon the project. Collis P. Huntington of Southern Pacific Railroad bought the property in 1891 and renamed it "Huntington Palisades." Kinney shifted his attention to the coastal area south of Santa Monica.

Ocean Park[link]

In 1891, Kinney and his partner, Francis Ryan, bought a controlling interest in Pacific Ocean Casino and a tract of land 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and 1,000 feet (300 m) wide along the Santa Monica beach. Kinney and Ryan built a pier, golf course, horse-racing track, boardwalk and other resort amenities. Kinney convinced the Santa Fe Railroad to extend its Inglewood line north to his resort.

Ryan died in 1898, and his widow's new husband, Thomas Dudley, sold their half interest to a group of men (Fraser, Gage and Merritt Jones) not to Kinney's liking. With a flip of a coin, which Kinney won, he took the marshy southern half to build his Venice of America.^[6]

Venice of America[link]

The Venice recreation area opened on July 4, 1905. Unfortunately for Kinney, the majority of the inhabitants of Venice of America did not share his interest in art and culture. Even though he hired the best lecturers and performers of the time, the Chautauqua-like Assembly lost $16,000 the first summer. By December 1905, Kinney knew his dream of creating a great cultural mecca had failed and, ever the astute businessman, he turned his attention to accommodating the wishes of the public. The character of Venice succumbed to the beach-goers and summer holiday guests who frequented the community's many amusement attractions. Venice came to be known as the "Coney Island of the Pacific." By mid-January 1906, an area was built along the edge of the Grand Lagoon patterned after the amusement thoroughfares of the great 19th and 20th century expositions. It featured foreign exhibits, amusements, and freak shows. Trolley service was available from Downtown Los Angeles and nearby Santa Monica. Visitors were dazzled by the system of canals complete with gondolas and gondoliers brought in from Venice, Italy. There were ornate Venetian-style businesses and a full-sized amusement pier. Around the entire park, a miniature steam railroad ran on a 2+¹⁄₂-mile (4.0 km) track. Kinney and some of the nearby residents were aghast at some of the low-class shows that Venice began to offer, but it was considered the best collection of amusement devices on the Pacific Coast, and made a handsome profit.^[7][8]

Eventually, Kinney gained control of city politics and had the name changed from "Ocean Park" to "Venice" in 1911. Kinney was also allowed to build a 60-foot (18 m) breakwater to protect his facilities from storm tides.

Published works[link]

• 1890: Australian ballot system, Evening Express Co., 31 pages
• 1893: The Conquest Of Death, 259 pages
• 1893: Task by twilight, B.R. Baumgardt & Co, 211 pages
• 1895: Eucalyptus, B.R. Baumgardt & Co., (Read Books, ISBN 1-4086-6309-0 334 pages, 2008)
• 1900: Forest and water, The Post Pub. Co.

Family life[link]

In his travels to the California State Legislature in Sacramento, Kinney met Margaret Thornton, daughter of California Supreme Court Justice James Dabney Thornton. They were married in November 1884 and had seven children, three of whom died during childhood. When Margaret died in June 1911, Kinney married his mistress Winifred Harwell in 1914, formally adopting his two children by her.

Kinney died suddenly in November 1920. He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica.^[9]

Legacy[link]

The Venice Pier business was carried on by Kinney's oldest son Thornton. In December 1920, however, the amusement pier was completely destroyed by fire, except for the new roller coaster and the bandstand tower. The operation was rebuilt and reopened in six months. The miniature railroad ran until 1924.

Venice became part of the city of Los Angeles in October 1925. The Venice of America canals came under sharp scrutiny by the health department. The lack of water circulation through the system left the waters turbid and malodorous. The bulk of the canals were paved over in 1929 after a protracted three-year court battle. The remaining canal district stayed in poor condition until extensively renovated in 1992. The canals have since become an expensive residential section and many large, modern houses have been built. The Venice Canal Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

The Venice Pier's demise came in 1946 when the city did not renew the lease on the tidelands.

Relationship[link]

Abbot's adopted son, Thornton Parillo, left a government position and moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he wrote stories and books on his father's experience in Southern California. Kinney's creative spirit continued on to his children and the next generation. Though most of Abbot Kinney's work has been demolished, some of his buildings and Venetian-style arches remain, along with his breakwater.

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Venice of America KCET Departures Venice
• Abbot Kinney Festival

Love Psychedelico (ラブ・サイケデリコ^?) is a Japanese band. In Japan they are often called Delico for short. They are widely popular not only in Japan but also Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Members[link]

• Kumi (Born April 11, 1976 in Chiba Prefecture) – lead vocals, guitars, etc.
  • Kumi can speak native English because she lived in San Francisco, the United States, in her infancy. She married a man 10 years senior to her on March 9, 2010.
• Naoki (Born July 21, 1973 in Shizuoka Prefecture^[1]) – guitars, bass, backing vocals, etc.
  • Naoki wrote his own name in their early works as "Naoki Sato." He produces The Bawdies.

History[link]

The band was formed in January, 1997 by singer Kumi and guitarist Naoki Sato, while studying at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo. Only Kumi and Naoki remained finally in the band though it consisted of several members at first.

They signed with major label Victor in 1999.

Their first album, The Greatest Hits, sold over two million copies.^[2] Their second album Love Psychedelic Orchestra, released in January 9, 2001, sold 690,000 copies.

Love Psychedelico visited America in March, 2001 and appeared at the music festival SXSW. They also toured extensively through the club and bar circuit in the United States, garnering largely positive reactions. American cities the band has said to have enjoyed playing were Nashville, Austin, and Kumi's childhood home of San Francisco.

They have released two albums since, Love Psychedelico III, in early 2004, and compilation album Early Times, in February 2005. This best-of compilation received a positive response in the Taiwanese J-pop market and the group visited Taiwan in June of that year. They held a concert in Taipei on June 22 where many fans gathered, including a sizable number of celebrity attendees. It proved to be a very successful concert for the duo who do not usually appear publicly.

For the promotion of their new album, Golden Grapefruit, Love Psychedelico made their first televised music program appearance on Bokura no Ongaku in 2007. It is also notable that they were interviewed by Yoko Ono, famous experimental musician and widow of John Lennon.^[3]

They released a new album called This is Love Psychedelico in the United States on May 20 from HackTone Records^[4] because David Gorman who is the president of the label aspired to the contract with them by listening to the record of Love Psychedelico got from his acquaintance. It marked their American debut. This album was also released on June 18, 2008 in Japan as This is Love Psychedelico ~U.S.Best~.

Style[link]

Stylistically, Love Psychedelico is highly reminiscent of the British Invasion of the late 60s, both members having cited The Beatles and Led Zeppelin as influences, though the influence of American folk and blues are also present (Kumi having claimed Janis Joplin and Sheryl Crow, and Sato Bob Dylan, as influences). To pay tribute to their influences, Love Psychedelico sometimes borrow song titles from the bands that influence them.

Kumi's lyrics are a mix of English and Japanese, a phenomenon common to popular Japanese music. Kumi often attributes her English language proficiency to her early childhood in San Francisco, California.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Other albums[link]

Singles[link]

DVDs[link]

• The Film 1999.12—2002.05 (November 21, 2002)
• In Concert at Budokan (December 7, 2005)
• Golden Grapefruit Box (June 18, 2008)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Love Psychedelico at Musicjapanplus
• Love Psychedelico - The Film DVD Review at cityonfire.com
• Early Times CD Review
• Nippon Project interview