The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (December 2010)

Laser lights illuminate the dance floor at a Gatecrasher dance music event in Birmingham, England

A nightclub (also known as a discothèque, or simply a club or disco) is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night. A nightclub is generally distinguished from bars, pubs or taverns by the inclusion of a dance floor and a DJ booth, where a DJ plays recorded electronic dance music, hip hop, rock music, reggae, and pop music.

The music in nightclubs is either live bands or, more commonly, a mix of songs played by a DJ through a powerful PA system. Most clubs or club nights cater to certain music genres, such as techno, house music, trance, heavy metal, garage, hip hop, salsa, dancehall, drum and bass, Dubstep or soca music. Many clubs also promote playing the Top 40 which has most of the night playing the most broadcast songs of the previous week.

Entry criteria[link]

Many nightclubs choose who can enter, on bases other than just age, e.g. dress code and guest list. This is used to make their status as a nightclub more "exclusive". Quite often, there are no clear policies governing entry to a nightclub, thereby allowing the doormen to deny entry to anybody at their discretion.

Cover charge[link]

In most cases, entering a nightclub requires a flat fee called a cover charge. Early arrivers and women may have their cover charge waived or reduced (in the United Kingdom, this latter option is illegal under the Equality Act 2010^[1] but the law is rarely enforced and open violations are frequent). Friends of the doorman or the club owner may gain free entrance. Sometimes, especially at larger clubs in continental European countries, one only gets a pay card at the entrance, on which all money spent in the discothèque (often including the entrance fee) is marked. Sometimes, entrance fee and cloakroom costs are paid by cash and only the drinks in the club are paid using a pay card.

Clubgoers dancing at an upscale nightclub

Guestlist[link]

Many nightclubs operate a "guestlist" that allows certain attendees to enter the club for free, or at a reduced rate. Some nightclubs have a range of unpublished guestlist options ranging from free, to reduced, to full price with line by-pass privileges only. Nightclub goers that are on the guestlist usually have a separate queue and possibly a separate entrance to the one used by full price paying attendees. It is common for the guestlist line-up to be as long or longer than the full-paying or ticketed queues. Some nightclubs allow clubbers to register for the guestlist through their websites.

Dress code[link]

Light-up club wear for performances, glowing under black lights.

Many nightclubs enforce a dress code in order to ensure a certain type of clientele is in attendance at the venue. Some upscale nightclubs ban attendees from wearing trainers or jeans, while other nightclubs will advertise a vague "dress to impress" dress code that allows the bouncers to discriminate at will against those vying for entry to the club. Many exceptions are made to nightclub dress codes, with denied entry usually reserved for the most glaring rule breakers or those thought to be unsuitable for the party. Certain nightclubs like fetish nightclubs may apply a leather-only, rubber-only or fantasy dress code. The dress code criterion is often an excuse for discriminatory practices, such as in the case of Carpenter v. Limelight Entertainment Ltd.^[2]

Association[link]

Many nightclubs will only allow entry by association. A number of gay nightclubs that prefer to cater to an exclusively male clientele will deny entry to a group of lesbians but will welcome a lesbian with a number of male gay friends.

History[link]

Early history[link]

"The Cave" in the basement of the Gruenwald (later Roosevelt) Hotel, New Orleans opened in 1912; said by some to be the first "nightclub" in the United States

From about 1900 to 1920, working class Americans would gather at honky tonks or juke joints to dance to music played on a piano or a jukebox.

During US Prohibition, nightclubs went underground as illegal speakeasy bars. With the repeal of Prohibition in February 1933, nightclubs were revived, such as New York's Stork Club, 21 Club, El Morocco and the Copacabana. These nightclubs featured big bands (there were no DJ's).

In Occupied France, jazz and bebop music, and the jitterbug dance were banned by the Nazis as decadent American influences, so members of the French underground met at hidden underground basement dance clubs called discothèques where they danced to American swing music, which a DJ played on a single turntable when a jukebox was not available. These discothèques were also patronized by anti-Vichy youth called zazous. There were also underground discotheques in Nazi Germany patronized by anti-Nazi youth called the swing kids.

In Harlem, the Cotton Club and Connie's Inn were popular venues for white audiences. Before 1953 and even some years thereafter, most bars and nightclubs used a jukebox or mostly live bands. In Paris, at a club named "Whisky à Gogo", founded in 1947,^[3] Régine in 1953 laid down a dance-floor, suspended coloured lights and replaced the juke-box with two turntables which she operated herself so there would be no breaks between the music. The Whisky à Gogo set into place the standard elements of the modern post World War II discothèque-style nightclub. At the end of the 1950's several of the coffee bars in Soho introduced afternoon dancing and the most famous, at least on the continent, was Les Enfants Terribles at 93 Dean St. These original discothèques were nothing like the night clubs as they were unlicensed and catered to a very young public - mostly made up of French and Italians working illegally, mostly in catering, to learn English as well as au pair girls from most of western Europe. In the early 1960s, Mark Birley opened a members-only discothèque nightclub, Annabel's, in Berkeley Square, London. In 1962, the Peppermint Lounge in New York City became popular and is the place where go-go dancing originated. However, the first rock and roll generation preferred rough and tumble bars and taverns to nightclubs, and the nightclub did not attain mainstream popularity until the 1970s disco era.

1970s: Disco[link]

By the late 1970s many major US cities had thriving disco club scenes which were centered around discothèques, nightclubs, and private loft parties where DJs would play disco hits through powerful PA systems for the dancers. The DJs played "... a smooth mix of long single records to keep people 'dancing all night long'"^[4] Some of the most prestigious clubs had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music.

Some cities had disco dance instructors or dance schools which taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", the "hustle" and the "cha-cha-cha". There were also disco fashions that discothèque-goers wore for nights out at their local disco, such as sheer, flowing Halston dresses for women and shiny polyester Qiana shirts for men. Disco clubs and "...hedonistic loft parties" had a club culture which had many Italian-American, African American, gay^[5] and Hispanic people.

In addition to the dance and fashion aspects of the disco club scene, there was also a thriving drug subculture, particularly for recreational drugs that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud music and the flashing lights, such as cocaine^[6] (nicknamed "blow"), amyl nitrite "poppers",^[7] and the "...other quintessential 1970s club drug Quaalude, which suspended motor coordination and turned one's arms and legs to Jell-O".^[8] The "massive quantities of drugs ingested in discothèques by newly liberated gay men produced the next cultural phenomenon of the disco era: rampant promiscuity and public sex. While the dance floor was the central arena of seduction, actual sex usually took place in the nether regions of the disco: bathroom stalls, exit stairwells, and so on. In other cases the disco became a kind of "main course" in a hedonist's menu for a night out."^[8]

Famous 1970s discothèques included "...cocaine-filled celeb hangouts such as Manhattan's "Studio 54", which was operated by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. Studio 54 was notorious for the hedonism that went on within; the balconies were known for sexual encounters, and drug use was rampant. Its dance floor was decorated with an image of the "Man in the Moon" that included an animated cocaine spoon. Other famous 1970s discothèques in New York City included "Xenon", "The Loft", the "Paradise Garage", and "Aux Puces", one of the first gay disco bars. In San Francisco, there was the Trocadero Transfer, the I-Beam, and the End Up.

By the early 1980s, the term "disco" had largely fallen out of favour in most of the English-speaking world.

1980s New York, London & Europe[link]

During the 1980s, during the New Romantic movement, London had a vibrant nightclub scene, which included clubs like The Blitz, the Batcave, the Camden Palace and Club for Heroes. Both music and fashion embraced the aesthetics of the movement. Bands included Depeche Mode, The Human League, Duran Duran, Blondie, Eurythmics and Ultravox. Reggae-influenced bands included Boy George and Culture Club, and electronic vibe bands included Visage. At London nightclubs, young men would often wear make-up and young women would wear men's suits.

The largest UK cities like Leeds (The Orbit), Newcastle, Liverpool (Quadrant Park and 051), Swansea, Manchester (The Haçienda) and several key European places like Paris (Les Bains Douches), Ibiza (Pacha), Rimini etc. also played a significant role in the evolution of clubbing, DJ culture and nightlife.

Significant New York nightclubs of the period were Area, Danceteria, and The Limelight.^[9]

1990s and 2000s[link]

A dance club in Okinawa, Japan.

Nightclub located in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, which also offers karaoke.

In Europe and North America, nightclubs play disco-influenced dance music such as house music, techno, and other dance music styles such as electronica and trance. Most nightclubs in the U.S. major cities play hip hop, house and trance music. These clubs are generally the largest and most frequented of all of the different types of clubs. The emergence of the "superclub" created a global phenomenon, with Ministry of Sound (London), Cream (Liverpool) and Pacha (Ibiza).

In most other languages, nightclubs are referred to as "discos" or "discothèques" (French: discothèque; Italian and Spanish: discoteca, antro (common in Mexico only), and "boliche" (common in Argentina only), "discos" is commonly used in all others in Latinamerica; German: Disko or Diskothek). In Japanese ディスコ, disuko refers to an older, smaller, less fashionable venue; while クラブ, kurabu refers to a more recent, larger, more popular venue. The term night is used to refer to an evening focusing on a specific genre, such as "retro music night" or a "singles night."

A recent trend in the North American and European nightclub industry is the usage of video. Instead of audio-only, DJ's are now using video and "mixing" music videos and related songs together in an audio/visual presentation.

2010s and Decline[link]

Due to changes in the economy, attitudes towards heavy drinking and drug use and simply changes in fashion; footfall in nightclubs has sharply declined ^{[10] [11]} . The public have been increasingly frequenting public houses where the drinks are cheaper and where there is considered to be a friendlier atmosphere.

Serious incidents[link]

• 20 September 1929 - Study club fire of 1929, early dance club fire that killed 22 in Detroit, USA;
• 23 April 1940 - Rhythm Night Club fire, 209 killed at nightclub fire at Natchez, Mississippi, USA;
• 28 November 1942 - Cocoanut Grove fire, 492 killed in a nightclub fire at Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
• 1 November 1970 - Club Cinq-Sept fire in a nightclub just outside the small town of Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, Isère in south-eastern France; 146 people killed
• 8 March 1973 - Whiskey Au Go Go fire, 15 killed after firebombing at Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia;
• 2 August 1973 - Summerland disaster, 51 killed at fire at Summerland leisure centre at Douglas, Isle of Man;
• 28 May 1977 - Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, 165 killed and 200 injured in nightclub fire at Southgate, Kentucky, USA;
• 14 February 1981 - Stardust fire disaster, 48 killed and 214 injured at nightclub fire at Dublin, Republic of Ireland;
• 5 April 1986 - Bomb attack on La Belle discothèque, Berlin, Germany, 3 killed, 230 injured; 2 Marines sustaining permanent disability were 2nd Force Recon Co. Marine's LCPL Hurt & LCPL Blackwood who despite their injuries gave assistance to their fellow Marines and civilians alike before their injuries were discovered by medical personnel.
• February 1990 - Stage collapse at a discothèque at Bilbao, Spain, 13 injured;
• 25 March 1990 - Happy Land fire, 87 killed in a nightclub fire at Happy Land, The Bronx, New York City;
• 20 December 1993 - Kheyvis Fire, 17 killed in a nightclub fire at Buenos Aires, Argentina;
• 18 March 1996 - Ozone Disco Club fire, 162 dead and 92 injured at a nightclub in Quezon City, Philippines;
• 30 October 1998 - Gothenburg discothèque fire, 63 people killed, 200 injured in a nightclub fire at Gothenburg, Sweden;
• 1 June 2001 - Suicide bombing at the Dolphinarium discotheque in Tel Aviv, Israel
• 13 October 2001 - Stage toggled at Zapata discothèque Stuttgart, Germany, several people hurt;
• 21 December 2001 - At Club "Indigo", Sofia, Bulgaria, in an early party for minors, the huge crowd pushing their way to get in collapses down the frosty stairs and crushes 7 children (ages between 10 and 14) to death;
• 12 October 2002 - 2002 Bali bombings, 202 killed by large bombs;
• 7 December 2002 - Cowgate fire, Edinburgh, Scotland;
• 17 February 2003 - 2003 E2 nightclub stampede, Chicago, Illinois, 21 killed and over 50 injured;
• 20 February 2003 - The Station nightclub fire, 100 killed at nightclub fire at Warwick, Rhode Island;
• 8 December 2004 - A shooter in Columbus, Ohio shot and killed guitarist "Dimebag" Darrel Abbott and two other people, also wounding band manager and a fan in the audience;
• 30 December 2004 - República Cromañón nightclub fire, 194 killed and 714 injured in a nightclub fire at Buenos Aires, Argentina;
• 31 December 2005 - a circular crossbar fell down from the roof of a nightclub at Ibbenbüren, Germany, 4 people hurt;
• 18 June 2007 - Gatecrasher One Fire, Sheffield, England;
• 1 January 2009 - Santika Club fire in Santika Club in Watthana, Bangkok, Thailand, 61 killed and at least 212 injured
• 24 July 2009 - a man bled to death at a pool party in Perkins Park nightclub, Stuttgart, Germany after he made a head dive into a swimming pool in which there were fragments of glass ^[12]
• 5 December 2009 - Lame Horse fire, a fire at the Lame Horse nightclub killed at least 155 people and injures 79 others in Perm, Russia.^[13][14]
• 15 January 2011 - 3 girls died, 14 people injured at a stampede in a Budapest discotheque.

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nightclubs

v t e Disco Subculture Nightclub • Roller disco • Hustle Subgenres Cosmic Disco • Disco polo • Disco-punk • Euro disco • Italo disco • Manila Sound • Nu-disco • Space disco Derivations Hi-NRG • Post-disco • House • Garage • Hip-hop • New Wave List of disco artists (A-E - F-K - L-R - S-Z) • Four-on-the-floor • Orchestration • Mix • Category

Laidback Luke
Laidback Luke
Background information
Birth name	Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen
Also known as	Laidback Luke, Nouveau Yorican
Born	(1976-10-22) 22 October 1976 (age 35) Manila, Philippines
Genres	Electro house, House, Dance
Occupations	DJ, Producer
Instruments	Software (Ableton, Fl Studio)
Labels	Mixmash Records
Associated acts	Sander Van Doorn, Steve Aoki, Lil John, Tocadisco, Nicky Romero, David Guetta, DJ Daaar, Sidney Samson, Robyn, Avicii, Johnathan Mendelson, Kaskade, Sirah, Example, Benny Benassi, Congorock, The Bloody Beetroots
Website	laidbackluke.com

Laidback Luke (born Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, 22 October 1976 in Manila, Philippines) is a Dutch DJ, producer. He was voted #46 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ list in 2008, before jumping to #27 in 2009 and jumping up 10 places in 2010.^[1][2]

Laidback Luke grew up in The Netherlands and made his name as a graffiti artist before turning to making music. He has worked with artists such as David Guetta, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, Example and Junior Sanchez and played throughout Europe and North America as well as shows in Japan and Ibiza. He has released two studio albums: Psyched Up (1998) and Electronic Satisfaction (2002) as well as a successful mix album, Windmill Skill (2003). In 2003, van Scheppingen did a remix of the Daft Punk song "Crescendolls" for the duo's remix album Daft Club. Luke has also released his own mix album, titled Ibiza Closing Party, as a free covermount CD in the October 2008 issue of Mixmag. He has currently released his new album on the 4th of July 2011, called Cream Ibiza Super You & Me.

He announced on the maiden voyage of Holy Ship that he was engaged to Gina Turner^[3]

Discography[link]

• Cream Ibiza - Super You And Me (2011)

Singles

Remixes, Bootlegs, Edits and Unofficial Reworks

• 1996: Green Velvet - The Stalker (LBL Remix)
• 1998: Lambda - Hold on tight (LBL Remix)
• 2002: Damon Wild & Tim Taylor - Bang The Acid
• 2002: Green Velvet - Land Of The Lost
• 2003: Daft Punk - Crescendolls (LBL Remix)
• 2004: Steve Angello - Voices (LBL Remix)
• 2004: Jaimie Fanatic - B Boy Stance
• 2005: MYPD - You're Not Alone (LBL Remix)
• 2006: DJ Daaar - Now It's 2006 I'll Stop Smoking Weed (YEAH RIGHT!)(LBL Bootleg)
• 2006: Hardrox - Feel The Hard Rock (LBL Remix)
• 2006: Another Chance - The Sound Of Eden (LBL Remix)
• 2007: TV Rock vs Dukes Of Windsor - The Others (LBL Remix)
• 2007: DJ DLG & Laidback Luke - Ambition (LBL Remix)
• 2007: David Guetta feat. Cozi - Baby When The Light (LBL Remix)
• 2007 Denis Naidanow - Ascension ( LBL Remix )
• 2008: Natalie Williams - U Don't Know (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Roger Sanchez - Again (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Paul Johnson - Get Get Down (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Juice String - Sex Weed (LBL Remix)
• 2008: David Guetta feat. Tara McDonald - Delirious (LBL Remix)
• 2008: TV Rock feat. Rudy - Been A Long Time (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Steve Angello - Gypsy (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Underworld - Ring Road (LBL Remix)
• 2008: The Black Ghosts - Repetition Kills You (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Martin Solveig - I Want You (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Roger Sanchez feat. Terri B - Bang That Box (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Hervé (DJ) - Cheap Thrills (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Madonna vs Dirty South - 4 Minutes To Let It Go (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Joachim Garraud - Are U Ready (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Bob Sinclar - Gymtonic (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Beyoncé - Me, Myself & I (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Coldplay - Viva La Vida (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Tocadisco - Streetgirls (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Surkin - White Knight Two (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Daft Punk - Teachers (LBL Rework)
• 2008: Dada Life - Rubber Band Boogie (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters Theme (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Daddy & Mase - Mo Money Mo Problems (LBL Bootleg)
• 2009: David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Nas - Made You Look (LBL Bootleg)
• 2009: Tiesto - I Will Be Here (LBL Remix)
• 2009: MSTRKRFT feat. John Legend - Heartbreaker (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Junior Sanchez feat. Good Charlotte - Elevator (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Avicii - Ryu (LBL Edit)
• 2009: The Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feelin' (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Dizzee Rascal feat. Chrome - Holiday (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Martin Solvieg feat. Dragonette - Boys & Girls (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Sandro Silva - Prom Night (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Depeche Mode - Fragile Tension (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Robbie Rivera - Rock The Disco (LBL Edit)
• 2009: Calvin Harris - You Used To Hold Me (LBL Remix)
• 2009: System F - Out of The Blue 2010 (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2009: Korgis - Need Your Lovin' (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Wynter Gordon - Dirty Talk (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Jay-Z feat. Swizz Beatz - On To The Next One (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
• 2010: Moby - Wait For Me (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Carte Blanche Feat. Kid Sister - Do! Do! Do! (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Bad Boy Bill feat. Eric Jag - Got That Feeling (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Lil' Jon feat. Kee - Give It All You Got (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Steve Angello vs. Dr. Dre - Knas Episode (Laidback Luke & Junior Sanchez Mashup)
• 2010: Afrojack Vs. Radioclit Vs. Armand van Helden - I Want Your Divine Control (Laidback Luke Mash Up)
• 2010: iSquare - Hey Sexy Lady (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: SHM vs. Bingo Players - Save Everything Tonight (Laidback Luke Mashup)
• 2011: Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go - Cinema (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
• 2011: Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
• 2011: Jump Jump Dance Dance - 2.0 (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Laura LaRue - Un, Deux, Trois (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Skream feat. Sam Frank - Where You Should Be (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Anjulie - Brand New Bitch (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: GTA feat. Zashanell - U & I (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi - Beautiful People (Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2011: Patric La Funk - Time And Time Again (Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2011: Kanye West feat. Rihanna - All Of The Lights (Mata vs Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2011: Pitbull feat. Marc Anthony - Rain Over Me (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj - Turn Me On (David Guetta & Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Aaron Smith ft. Luvli - Dancin' (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Madonna feat. M.I.A. & Nicki Minaj "Give Me All Your Luvin" (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Felix Cartal ft Polina "Dont Turn On The Lights" (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Tiesto ft Dino - Beautiful World (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Congorock & DJ Daaar - Ivory (Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2012: Sub Focus feat. Alice Gold - Out The Blue (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Steve Aoki feat. Lil Jon & Chiddy Bang - Emergency (Laidback Luke Remix)[Unreleased]
• 2012: Sato Goldschlag feat. Wynter Gordon - Hey Mr. Mister (Laidback Luke Remix)[Unreleased]
• 2012: Skrillex & Damian Marley - Make It Bun Dem (Laidback Luke Remix)[Unreleased]

Notes[link]

1. ^ DJ Mag Top 100 2009 http://www.djmag.com/top100
2. ^ DJ Mag Top 100 2009 http://www.djmag.com/top100
3. ^ http://digi10ve.com/2012/01/06/laidback-luke-gets-engaged-to-gina-turner/

External links[link]

• Official website
• Laidback Luke discography at Discogs
• Laidback Luke on Myspace
• Interview on Clubplanet

Braylon Edwards

Edwards in 2009
No. --     Free Agent
Wide receiver
Personal information
Date of birth: (1983-02-21) February 21, 1983 (age 29)
Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Weight: 214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
College: Michigan
NFL Draft: 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Debuted in 2005 for the Cleveland Browns
Career history
Cleveland Browns (2005–2009) New York Jets (2009–2010) San Francisco 49ers (2011)
Career highlights and awards
Consensus All-American (2004) Fred Biletnikoff Award (2004) Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (2004) Pro Bowl (2007) All-Pro (2007)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2011
Receptions 340 Receiving Yards 5,314 Touchdowns 39 Stats at NFL.com

Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns third overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. He has also played for the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers.

He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as Big Ten Conference MVP, and became a consensus All-American. Along the way, he became the first receiver in Big Ten history to have three consecutive 1000-yard seasons and the third in NCAA Division I-A. He set most of the current Michigan Wolverines football receiving records.

He played four plus seasons with the Browns where he earned a Pro Bowl selection following the 2007 NFL season. Outside of football, in Cleveland, he was notable for both his legal troubles and his philanthropy. He was arrested for numerous speeding violations, but has upheld his commitment to sponsor 100 Cleveland area youths' educations.

Early years[link]

During his three active high school years at Bishop Gallagher HS, Edwards played a variety of positions and made 63 receptions for 740 yards and eight touchdowns.^[1] Edwards followed in his father Stan Edwards's footsteps to Michigan where he played 2001–2004. During his senior year Edwards set Michigan season records for receptions (97) and yards (1,330) and career records for 252 receptions, 3,541 yards, and 39 touchdowns,^[2] a Big Ten record.^[3]

Edwards at 2005 Rose Bowl

Edwards also set the Michigan record for the most games with 100 or more receiving yards (17) and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award given to the nation's top wide receiver and was named the Big Ten Conference MVP and was also a 2004 consensus All-America selection.

Edwards is the only wide receiver in Big Ten history and the third in NCAA Division I-A annals to gain 1,000 or more receiving yards in three consecutive years. Edwards concluded his college career by recording three touchdown catches in the 2005 Rose Bowl against Texas, tying a record for that game. Edwards' Michigan career did not entirely eclipse Jack Clancy's who held the Michigan single game receptions yardage mark at the time with 197, this record is now held by Roy Roundtree who had a 246 yard game against Illinois in 2010, while Edwards remains third with his 189 yard effort in 2004.^[4] Edwards also fell just short of eclipsing Clancy's 10-game single season records of 76 receptions and 1,077 yards by recording 76 and 1,049 in his first 10 in 2004. Edwards also ran track at Michigan and his indoor 200 meter time of 21.81 seconds was the third fastest in school history when he completed his career.^[5]

Professional career[link]

2005 NFL Draft[link]

Edwards was selected in the first round (3rd overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland Browns[link]

Edwards in Browns 2008 training camp.

2005[link]

Edwards began his rookie season as Cleveland's third wide receiver – he would have started higher, but a hold-out caused him to miss the beginning of training camp. Early in the season Edwards revealed that he had a staph infection, and missed a few weeks as a result of it. He moved into the starting lineup by midseason. He made his NFL debut versus the Cincinnati Bengals on September 11 and caught his first NFL touchdown at the Green Bay Packers on September 18. He amassed 512 receiving yards and three touchdowns before suffering a season ending knee injury. Edwards had surgery in the offseason, and while rehabilitating bonded with Kellen Winslow II. Both were determined to make a full and speedy recovery.

2006[link]

Edwards, like Winslow, had a successful rehabilitation that enabled him to be ready to play in the team's opening game in 2006. Edwards became the top receiver for the Browns after an injury to Joe Jurevicius that season. Edwards totaled 61 receptions for 884 yards and six touchdowns on the season. At the end of the season, Edwards announced he would give $500,000 to the University of Michigan for a scholarship endowment for football players. Edwards also had an altercation with Charlie Frye on the sidelines of a game in 2006. He said "and they're talking about video games." Edwards continued to make headlines that season when he called out Mike Minter, Chris Gamble, Ricky Manning and other defensive backs of the Carolina Panthers. Additionally, he attended the annual Michigan-Ohio State rivalry game after being advised not to go by several veteran captains. Edwards was late getting back from Columbus and was late to a team meeting.

2007[link]

Edwards had a breakout season in 2007 and made his first Pro Bowl, becoming the first Browns receiver to make the Pro Bowl since Webster Slaughter in 1989. Edwards broke franchise records for receiving yardage with 1,289 receiving yards compared to Slaughter's record of 1,236 in 1989 and receiving touchdowns with 16 compared to Gary Collins's 13 in 1963. Edwards' 16 touchdowns was also second in the league behind only Randy Moss who set an NFL record with 23 touchdowns.

2008[link]

Like the Browns, Edwards had high expectations in 08. Edwards publicly made a bet with Michael Phelps that he would catch 17 touchdowns in 2008. However, Edwards and the Browns struggled during the entire year. The Browns finished at 4–12, and Braylon led the NFL in dropped passes with 23. He caught only three touchdown passes.^[7]

New York Jets[link]

2009[link]

On October 7, Edwards was traded to the New York Jets for wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnik and a third and fifth round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.^[8][9] Edwards cited a need for a "fresh start" following the deal's completion.^[10] In 12 games for New York, Braylon had 35 catches for 541 yards and four touchdowns. Braylon had his first taste of the post-season in the 2009–10 NFL playoffs. In the Jets first two games, Braylon only had 4 catches for 56 yards but in the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts, Braylon caught a 80 yard touchdown pass to give the Jets their first points of the game. He finished the game with 2 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown as the Jets lost 30-17.

2010[link]

Braylon Edwards remained with the New York Jets in 2010. He had 904 receiving yards for New York.

Edwards visiting Marines in 2009.

San Francisco 49ers[link]

On August 4, 2011, Edwards signed a one-year contract worth $1 million with the San Francisco 49ers. The contract would have increased to $3.5 million had Edwards recorded a 90-catch or Pro Bowl season. He was waived on December 27 without having achieved either of these.

Career statistics[link]

Legal issues[link]

Edwards has often been in trouble with the law as he has been pulled over several times over the last eight years for speeding violations.^[11] The most recent of which was in October 2008 when he was pulled over for driving 120 mph in a 65 mph zone.^[12]

Two days before being traded to the New York Jets, on October 5, 2009, Edwards reportedly punched Edward Givens, a local party promoter, in the face at 2:30 A.M. outside of the View Ultralounge & Nightclub.^[13] Givens, who is an acquaintance of LeBron James, alleged that Edwards was jealous of James' success thus prompting Edwards' attack. This prompted James to call the incident "childish."^[13] On October 26, 2009, Edwards was charged with misdemeanor assault^[13] and later plead no contest to the charge of aggravated assault on January 12, 2010.^[14] Edwards was given a suspended 180-day jail sentence, was fined $1,000 and placed on inactive probation.^[14] Though Edwards offered no explanation or apology for his actions, he reportedly regretted the entire ordeal according to his lawyer.^[14] The NFL did not suspend Edwards for his actions.^[15]

On September 21, 2010, Edwards was arrested on a drunken driving charge in New York early in the morning.^[12] He was originally pulled over for having excessively tinted windows on his Range Rover.^[12] Police smelled alcohol on Edwards who blew 0.16—twice the legal limit.^[12] He was arrested on a DWI charge.^[12] He is still on probation for the altercation that occurred in October 2009.^[12]

Philanthrophy[link]

In 2007, Edwards pledged to 100 Cleveland high school students that, if they maintained grade point averages at 2.5 or higher and performed 15 hours of community service, he would pay for their college tuition, an offer valued at $1 million.^[16] On May 25, 2011, it was widely reported that Edwards announced he was keeping his pledge. Sporting News website quoted Edwards as saying:

"As the 2nd most hated man in Clev & a man of my word, today I will honor a promise made to 100 students in Cleveland years ago," Edwards tweeted. "The last of my Advance 100 students will graduate from my program and head off to college on scholarships that I will provide them with. Guys, enjoy and embrace your new beginnings and remember your promise to me, to reach back & help someone else along the way." ^[17][18]

The scholarships are worth $10,000 each and fulfill a promise Edwards made to 100 eighth-graders in the Cleveland area in 2007 as long as they continued to meet the academic and community service requirements. According to published reports, Edwards actually selected 101 students. In an interview Edwards said:

"This was not a tax write-off. This was something we wanted to do the right way and something I was going to be a part of until the end. I know that some of these kids could have easily steered off the right path or maybe wouldn't have been able to go to college at all without this, and I just hope someday they pay it forward." ^[19]

The pledge was through a program called the "ADVANCE 100 Program", an educational initiative established by the Braylon Edwards Foundation in May, 2007.^[16][20]

See also[link]

• Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Braylon Edwards on Twitter
• New York Jets bio

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. (January 2012)

Sebastian Ingrosso
Sebastian Ingrosso at Germany 2010
Background information
Birth name	Sebastian Carmine Ingrosso
Born	(1983-04-20) 20 April 1983 (age 29) Stockholm, Sweden
Origin	Sweden
Genres	House
Occupations	DJ, Electronic musician, Remixer, Producer Instruments music sequencer, personal computer, synthesizers
Years active	1999-present
Labels	Refune, Size Matters, Ministry of Sound Australia
Associated acts	Swedish House Mafia, Axwell, Steve Angello, Laidback Luke, Alesso, Style of Eye, Kylie Minogue

Sebastian Ingrosso (born Sebastian Carmine Ingrosso on 20 April 1983) is a Swedish DJ and producer of Italian descent. Born in Nacka Sjukhus Stockholm, Sweden. Sebastian spent his teenage years in his father's studio learning how to make music, with his first official remix released on Mega Records in 1999. He was ranked #26 in 2011 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ list,^[1] and won the award for the highest new entry into the chart in 2009, a record beaten only by Deadmau5 into the 2008 Top 100 DJ list at #10.

Refune Record label

Sebastian Ingrosso is head of A&R for his own record label, Refune, which has pioneered many artists in recent years including AN21, Max Vangeli, Style of Eye and Alesso.

In Swedish House Mafia

Sebastian is also one third of DJ super-group the Swedish House Mafia, along with friends Axwell and Steve Angello.