Joan may refer to:

• Joan (given name) a female or male given name
• Jōan (era), a Japanese era name
• Joan Township, Ontario, a geographic township

Given name[link]

• Joan I (disambiguation), various
• Joan II (disambiguation), various
• Saint Joan (disambiguation) various uses
• Joan of Arc (disambiguation)
• Joan, Countess of Blois (died 1292)
• Joan, Duchess of Brittany (1319–1384)
• Joan of England (disambiguation), various
• Joan of France (disambiguation), various
• Joan of Habsburg (disambiguation), various
• Joan of Kent (1328–1385), Princess of Wales "The fair maid of Kent"
• Joan the Lame (1293–1348), first Queen consort of Philip VI of France
• Joan of Lancaster (1310–1345)
• Joan of Lestonnac (1556–1640), saint, founder of order The Company of Mary Our Lady
• Joan of Lusignan (died 1322)
• Joan of Naples (disambiguation), several
• Joan of Navarre (disambiguation), various
• Joan of Portugal (disambiguation)
• Joan of Scotland (disambiguation), various
• Joan of Spain (1535–1573), Infanta of Spain
• Joan of The Tower (1321–1362), first Queen consort of David II of Scotland ⋅
• Joan of Valois (disambiguation), various
• Joan, Lady of Wales (1188–1237), wife of Llywelyn the Great
• John (knez), a cneaz in Wallachia around 1247

Surname[link]

• Bernat Joan i Marí (born 1960), Catalan politician
• Joel Joan (born 1970), Catalan actor, scriptwriter and director
• Josep Tarradellas i Joan (1899–1988), Catalan politician
• Martí Joan de Galba (died 1490), co-author of the Catalan epic Tirant lo Blanc

Music[link]

• "When Big Joan Sets Up", a song by Captain Beefheart from the album Trout Mask Replica
• "Joan", a song by The Art Bears from their 1978 album Hopes and Fears
• "Joan", a song by Lene Lovich from his 1980 album Flex
• "Joan", a song by Erasure from their 1991 album Chorus
• "Joan", a song by The Innocence Mission from their 1991 album Umbrella
• "Joan", a song by God is My Co-Pilot from their 1992 album I Am Not This Body

Other[link]

• Darby and Joan, expression for a happily married couple who led a placid, uneventful life
• Jo-an (teahouse), National Treasure in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

See also[link]

• Jane (disambiguation)
• Jean (disambiguation)
• Jeanne (disambiguation)
• John (disambiguation)
• Joanna
• Johanna

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

This 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. (May 2010)

Joan Sebastian
Joan Sebastian at Pepsi Center on August 22, 2009.
Background information
Birth name	Jose Manuel Figueroa
Also known as	El rey del jaripeo, "El Poeta De Juliantla", "El Huracán del Sur"
Born	(1951-04-08) 8 April 1951 (age 61) Julianta, Guerrero,  Mexico
Genres	Mariachi Banda Latin Pop / Mexican pop
Occupations	Singer/Composer, Actor
Website	Joan Sebastian

Joan Sebastian (pronounced: [xoˈan seβaˈstjan]) (born in Juliantla, Guerrero, in 1951) is a popular Mexican singer and songwriter. He has composed hundreds of songs and been a regular staple on the top-40 charts in Mexico since his career began in 1977. His music is a mixture of Latin pop, ranchera and grupera music. His success is not only found in music but also in his short acting career when he became the main protagonist of a Mexican soap opera. In 1996 he made his acting debut in the Mexican soap opera Tú y Yo (You and I) sharing credits with Maribel Guardia (his former wife and mother to one of his sons) the soap opera became an instant televised hit.

Background[link]

Before he had a big successful music career Jose Manuel Figueroa (Joan Sebastian's legal name) passed most of his childhood from place to place. At age eight he was sent away by his parents to Guanajuato for school. When he was eleven he return to Juliantla, his native town, this return inspired him to begin formally composing. But he was sent off again to a monastery in Morelos where he was under the care of father David Salgado. Due to the influence Father Salgado had on Sebastian he took the decision of becoming a priest. So at age 14 he enrolled in the Seminario Conciliar de San Jose(located in Cuernavaca, Morelos). But he soon realized that music was his true calling so when he was 17 years old he abandoned the seminary to dedicate himself completely to the music business.

Meanwhile he made a living as an administrative assistant in a vacationing resort in Oaxtepec, Morelos, where he would sing through the intercom. It was in that resort that Sebastian found the incentive he needed to pursue his singing dream more aggressively. The year was 1968 when Joan Sebastian encountered Angélica María (a famous Mexican actress) who was looking for a place to stay. While she waited she asked him if he sang and the following day he sang for her six songs. Angélica María suggested to Sebastian that he record the songs and gave him the telephone number of Eduardo Magallanes, a music producer. Without hesitating Sebastian moved to Mexico City and began knocking on doors until Chucho Rincon from Discos Capitals agreed to listen to him and thus began Sebastian's artistic career. He recorded his first disc and the positive results came fast when in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, the song "Descartada" sold 12 thousand copies. previous. His most recent production up to date is "Secreto de Amor" which was released in 2000 and sold over 1 million copies.

In February 2001 Joan received the prestigious award "Premio Lo Nuestro a la Música Latina" as recognition of his career, during 2003 Sebastian received the Songwriter of the universe Award for the second time at the 11th Annual El Premio ASCAP. He was awarded "The Silver Pen Award" in 2000, and was named el jefe

Personal life[link]

Joan Sebastian remains one of the most famous singers and songwriters Mexico has. Although he had been diagnosed with cancer in 1999, it did not stop him from creating music.^[1] His versatility has help him remain in the popular taste of the public.

Family[link]

Sebastian is the father of eight children who he has had with different partners throughout his life. Their names are José Manuel Figueroa (who is also a singer and composer), Juan Sebastián, Trigo de Jesús, Sarelia, Julián (son of Maribel Guardia), Marcelia, Joana Marcelia y Juliana.

Trigo de Jesús, his third oldest, was shot in the back of the head after one of Joan Sebastian's concert in Texas on August 27, 2006. Trigo had been trying to control the crowd after the show. He was transported to the McAllen Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

On June 12, 2010, Juan Sebastián was shot dead in Cuernavaca, Morelos, after arriving at a night club with some friends and being refused entrance.^[2] Joan Sebastian said that his son's death had nothing to do with the Mexican drug cartel.

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• www.joansebastian.com OFFICIAL website
• Biography at Musicamania (Spanish)
• Starpulse.com – Discography
• Biography at Chalino.com

Alyssa Milano
Milano at the 2011 premiere of New Year's Eve
Born	Alyssa Jayne Milano (1972-12-19) December 19, 1972 (age 39) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer, producer
Years active	1981–present
Spouse	Cinjun Tate (1999) David Bugliari (2009–present; 1 child)
Website
alyssa.com

Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of Jennifer Mancini. Milano has a female sports apparel line, Touch.

Early life[link]

Alyssa Milano is the daughter of Lin, a fashion designer and talent manager, and Thomas M. Milano, a film music editor.^[1] Milano was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Staten Island. She has a younger brother, Cory (born in 1982), who is also an actor. In a 2003 interview, Milano recalled having had a good childhood, having grown up in a "loving, true family."^[2]

Milano is a cousin to actors Eric Lloyd and Emily Ann Lloyd.

Career[link]

Early career[link]

Milano began her career at age eight after winning a role in an open audition for a national tour of Annie. She was one of the four picked out of an audition with over 1,500 girls.^[3] She appeared in television commercials and off-Broadway productions.

At age 10, she won her first major role in the television show Who's the Boss? alongside Tony Danza, Judith Light, Danny Pintauro and Katherine Helmond. She co-starred as Samantha Micelli, the daughter of Danza's character. After Milano won the role, she and her father relocated from Staten Island to Hollywood. The rest of the family followed a year later, because her mother was initially unwilling to give up her home life "for a show that wasn't a guarantee."^[4] Although born and raised in Brooklyn, Milano had trouble getting this accent right because she worked to lose it to land more roles in the theater, including in a stage adaption of Jane Eyre.^[3]

On stage, she starred in Tender Offer, a one-act play written by Wendy Wasserstein, All Night Long by American playwright John O'Keefe,^[5] and the first American musical adaptation of Jane Eyre. She returned to the theater in 1991, when she starred in and produced a Los Angeles production of Butterflies Are Free from December 26 until January 19, 1992.

In 1985, Milano was in the film Commando as Jenny Matrix, daughter of John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Appearing at age 12 in an R-rated action film, Milano admitted she was sometimes "freaked out" by the weapons on set.^[2] A few years later this film was shown in Japan, prompting a producer to offer Milano a five-album record deal. Subsequently, she appeared opposite John Gielgud in the children's film The Canterville Ghost (1986). The film did not achieve much praise or attention, and Variety magazine noted in its review: "Milano as the catalyzing daughter Jennifer adapts to the ghostly Sir Simon without a qualm; that, of course, is the true charm of the story, but Milano doesn't exhibit enough presence to match the droll, charming Gielgud.^[6]

By the late 1980s, Milano was established as a teen idol,^[2] appearing in made-for-television teen films such as Crash Course and Dance 'til Dawn (both 1988). Both projects allowed her to work alongside close personal friend Brian Bloom. Bloom and his brother Scott worked with Milano in episodes of Who's the Boss. This working camaraderie would later expand in 1993 when Milano guest starred in Brian's series The Webbers. She produced a teen workout video in 1988 called Teen Steam and achieved some fame outside the USA with her music career, which lasted until the early 1990s. In 1991, Milano wanted to quit acting to pursue an academic career, but was unable to gain release from her contract.^[2]

When her role on Who's the Boss ended in 1992, Milano feared having trouble obtaining other roles, aware of the fate of many grown-up child stars in that period.^[4] Nevertheless, she was excited when she found out the show was cancelled, being ready "to move on."^[2] Milano tried to shed her "nice girl" image by appearing nude in several erotic films targeted at adults, such as Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story (1993), Embrace of the Vampire (1994), Deadly Sins (1995), and Poison Ivy II: Lily (1996), where she starred opposite Johnathon Schaech and Xander Berkeley.

In 1992, Milano auditioned for female lead as a homeless teenager in the independent film Where the Day Takes You. Although the crew was reluctant to sign a former child star, she was given a small role as a prostitute in the production.^[2] She was noticed by the media, that helped her land the controversial role of Amy Fisher in the high profile TV movie Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story.^[2] In 1994, she was considered to replace Shannen Doherty in Beverly Hills, 90210.^[7] In 1996, Milano appeared opposite Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon in the thriller Fear

Later roles[link]

Milano at MLB.com All-Star Party, Roseland Ballroom in NYC 2008-07-13

Her performance in Fear led to a starring role in Hugo Pool (1997), her first film released through cinemas since Commando.^[2] Despite the milestone, Milano was soon out of work and after a period of six months, she decided to return to television. She portrayed bad girl Jennifer Mancini on Melrose Place (1997–1998), Meg Winston in Spin City, and most notably as Phoebe Halliwell on the eight-year run of the popular hit TV series Charmed (1998–2006). Her role on Melrose Place was offered to the actress by Aaron Spelling himself in late 1996.^[8] The stint garnered her new fame and she was named the most successful and popular actress on the primetime soap, alongside Heather Locklear.^[2] Milano and close friend Holly Marie Combs became producers for Charmed during the show's fifth season.

She played the role of Eva Savelot in MCI's commercials. In 2007, Milano filmed a pilot for ABC entitled Reinventing the Wheelers. The series was not picked up for the 2007–2008 season, but instead, Milano appeared in ten episodes of the show My Name Is Earl. This reunited her with Jaime Pressly, who guest-starred in the two-part Season 5 premiere of Charmed, "A Witch's Tail".^[9]

Milano's commercial work includes appearing in the "Josie" music video by Blink-182, as well as 2007 television ads for Veet and Sheer Cover. She also appeared in mid-1980s commercial for Hi-C

Milano was part of TBS's special coverage installment Hot Corner for the 2007 Major League Baseball playoffs.^[10] She reported at Fenway Park during the ALDS between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. She also reported at Chase Field during the NLCS between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

Milano starred in the 2008 film Pathology alongside Milo Ventimiglia and was then cast in a television sitcom, Single with Parents, which was pulled prior to production.

On March 20, 2009, it was announced that Milano would provide a voice for the Ghostbusters: The Video Game.^[11] In a 2010 interview, she told the press that she had 'a blast' working on the game, although she recalled it being 'odd' having to grunt in a room alone.^[12] It was speculated that following the voice over in the video game, she was set to star in Ghostbusters III, although Milano claimed she was never approached.^[12]

On March 24, 2009, her book on her baseball fandom, Safe At Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic, was released. Milano has signed on to star in and produce My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, a romantic comedy in which she plays a woman with a relationship dilemma.^[13]

Milano starred in the sitcom Romantically Challenged as Rebecca Thomas, a recently divorced single mom attorney in Pittsburgh who has not dated "since Bill Clinton was president". The series premiered on ABC on April 19, 2010.^[14] On why she accepted the role, Milano commented:

"I was so attracted to the writing. Our creative showrunner is Ricky Blitt from Family Guy and I was struck at how funny the female characters were written. Usually the female characters are written pretty straightforward, like the straight-man but with Ricky’s writing, the women get to be equally as funny. That was what hooked me. James Burrows, who’s our director, is another major part of what attracted me to the show. It just seemed like a really good package and something that I could commit to in the long-term."^[12]

On May 16, 2010, the series was cancelled after four episodes had aired.^[15] On the show's cancellation, Milano wrote on her website:

"It would be so very, very, easy for me to be upset and bitter about [it]. But... I'm not upset or bitter. [..] I am well aware that I'm in a business that sometimes makes decisions that are inexplicable. Dealing with those decisions is almost just as much a part of the job as memorizing my dialogue. My only true sadness comes from not being able to see Ricky, Mr. Burrows, Josh, Kelly and Kyle's face every day."^[16]

Milano co-starred with Owen Wilson, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate in the comedy Hall Pass (2011), in which she was cast in February 2010.^[17] She will produce and lead the cast of Lifetime's TV film Sundays at Tiffany's.^[18] The latter will be her second collaboration with Lifetime, the first being 2008's Wisegal.^[18] Milano appeared in the ensemble romantic comedy New Year's Eve.

Milano will star in the upcoming ABC drama Mistresses about the romantic lives of four women.^[19]

Philanthropy[link]

Alyssa Milano for Peta

Milano was appointed Founding Ambassador for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, to which she donated $250,000. The Global Network is an alliance formed to advocate and mobilize resources in the fight to control neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Milano will work to raise awareness of NTDs by educating the mainstream media and general public of the plight faced by the one billion people who are afflicted by NTDs, and the importance in controlling and preventing this global health crisis.

Milano is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States. She traveled to India, Kosovo, as well as Angola, to work with UNICEF field officers there. In the fall of 2004, she participated in UNICEF's "Trick or Treat" campaign as an official spokesperson. She raised approximately $50,000 for South African women and children with AIDS by selling own and school's photo work. In the late 1980s, she appeared on Phil Donahue's talk show where she kissed Ryan White, a schoolboy ostracised for having AIDS, to show that she would not catch it from him.^[20]

In support of PETA, she appeared in an advertisement for them, advocating vegetarianism, in a dress made entirely of vegetables.^[21]

In honor of her 37th birthday (December 19, 2009), Milano ran an online fundraising campaign for Charity:Water. Her original goal was to raise $25,000, but a donation from her husband put her over the $75,000 mark on December 18. The fundraiser was scheduled to run until December 26.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Milano has dyslexia. In a 2004 interview, she explained how she deals with the disorder:

I've stumbled over words while reading from teleprompters. Sir John Gielgud, whom I worked with on The Canterville Ghost years ago, gave me great advice. When I asked how he memorized his monologues, he said, "I write them down." I use that method to this day. It not only familiarizes me with the words, it makes them my own.^[22]

Milano is a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and writes a regular baseball blog on the Major League Baseball's website.^[23] In 2007, Milano launched her signature "Touch" line of team apparel for female baseball fans, selling it through her blog and Major League Baseball's website.^[23] It also became available in 2009 through a boutique store located in Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets.^[24] She has an interest in the Los Angeles Kings,^[25] a National Hockey League team, and is involved with a related clothing line. In 2008, she expanded that to NFL football, as a New York Giants fan. Since Milano is in the same hometown as NFL Network's Rich Eisen (Staten Island), she revealed some of her family's connections with the New York Giants.^[26]

Milano has eight tattoos on her body: one on each wrist and ankle, shoulder, neck, hip, and lower back. Milano is a vegetarian and appears in numerous PETA advertising campaigns for vegetarianism. Outside of acting, her hobbies include photography, humanitarian work, and spending time with her three dogs and eight horses. Milano has commented on her love for animals, and in a 2009 interview discussed one of her dogs, a German shepherd called Pinto, who had died at the age of 14; he had worked with the LAPD dogs and Milano had owned him for 10 years.^[27]

Milano dated actor Corey Haim from 1987 to 1990.^[28] She was engaged to Scott Wolf in 1993.^[29] She was married to musician Cinjun Tate for 10 months in 1999.^[30] She briefly dated Justin Timberlake in 2002.^[31] After one year of dating, she and CAA agent David Bugliari were engaged December 18, 2008.^[32] Milano and Bugliari married on August 15, 2009 in New Jersey, at the home of Bugliari's family.^[33] In February 2011, it was announced that Milano and Bugliari were expecting their first child, a baby boy.^[34][35] In August 2011 she gave birth to a son named Milo Thomas Bugliari.^[36]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

The discography of American pop singer Alyssa Milano includes four studio albums, two compilations, and eleven singles. These albums were only commercially available in Japan, with the exception of one single that was only available in France and a charity single that was available in the US.

Studio albums

Compilations

Singles

Footnotes:

• ¹ Non-album single
• ² Only released in France

Other recordings

• "Teen Steam" – Theme song from Alyssa Milano's Teen Steam Workout Video (1988).

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alyssa Milano

Media related to Alyssa Milano at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Alyssa Milano at the Internet Movie Database

Heather Dale is a Canadian Celtic recording artist and touring musician. She records and performs primarily her own original songs, which draw their inspiration from the mythology, folklore and history of various Celtic and non-Celtic cultures. Her musical style is a mix of traditional and modern, with elements from Celtic folk, jazz, blues, folk-rock and world music influences.

Life and career[link]

Born and based in Toronto, she began her career by performing at Society for Creative Anachronism historical re-creation events; she has been a medieval-era re-creator since 1993 and is known by the name 'Mistress Marian of Heatherdale' ^[1] within the group. She was elevated to the Order of the Laurel, the Society's highest award for achievement in the arts, in 2001.^[2] Her CD Call The Names is a compilation album of her oldest songs (originally released on cassette between 1995 and 1998), all of which present an idealized view of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, within the SCA context. Heather released another historical album in November 2002: This Endris Night, with twelve reworkings of pre-1700AD Christmas carols.

Building on her popularity in the SCA community, Heather soon started doing concerts at folk clubs and other live music venues in the Toronto area, traveling occasionally to perform for audiences further afield. She released two major albums in this time period:

• The Trial of Lancelot (released in January 2000; nine original songs inspired by Britain's King Arthur legends)
• May Queen (released in April 2003; ten original songs inspired by the King Arthur legends)

These albums demonstrated Heather's longtime interest in the epic King Arthur story, and garnered mention in the scholarly New Arthurian Encyclopedia.^[3] Particularly notable is Heather's ability to create empathy with the characters in her songs; listeners are shown vulnerable, first-person portrayals of such legendary figures are Sir Lancelot, Sir Tristan, Queen Guinevere, King Arthur, Merlin the Magician and Morgan Le Fay. Heather also released a 120-page story/songbook called The Legends of Arthur in November 2006; it has sheet music arrangements for all of her Arthurian songs. The book also includes Heather's re-telling of the whole King Arthur story, in the form of 27 traditionally-inspired stories that were originally released as part of Heather's fan newsletter.

In late 2004, Heather began a new phase of her career and shifted her focus toward a solid touring schedule (100+ shows per year). Along with fellow multi-instrumentalist Ben Deschamps, she regularly books and performs extensive tours across Canada, the United Kingdom and continental Europe (Germany, Hungary and Spain). In addition to vocals, Heather and Ben play as many as a dozen instruments in their duo shows, including piano, double bass, guitar, bodhran drum, mountain dulcimer, alto recorder, violin, and an array of Irish flutes & tin whistles.

Dale is an outspoken advocate of independent musicians within the Canadian music industry, and has never signed with a major record label.^[4] She undertakes all her touring and recording work through the indie record label she founded in 1998: Amphisbaena Music (often shortened to Amphis Music). Many of her fans discover her music through online radio and download sites like iTunes; her song Mordred's Lullaby has achieved popularity with anime fans on YouTube, and her song This Endris Night has been featured on the several hundred Medieval-memed YTMND sites. In addition to her fans in folk & Celtic music circles worldwide, she has a strong fan following in the historical re-enactment and science fiction/fantasy fan communities. Her recording The Hidden Path was nominated for a 2007 Aurora Award. She and Ben Deschamps won the 2009 Pegasus Award for Best Performer(s). In 2005 Heather received a double Pegasus nomination for her songwriting, and she won the 2010 Pegasus for Best Writer/Composer.

Discography[link]

• Light of the North (1996; cassette only—out of print)
• Bow To The Crown (1998; cassette only—out of print)
• Dances by the Marian Ensemble (1998; instrumental versions of Medieval dance music)
• The Trial of Lancelot (2000)
• Call The Names (2001)
• The Call The Names Book (songbook) (2001)
• This Endris Night (2002)
• May Queen (2003)
• The Road to Santiago (released in April 2005; ten original songs and two cover songs, all inspired by legends & folktales)
• The Hidden Path: Live & Rarities (released in November 2006; fourteen tracks of live recordings, alternate recordings and traditional songs)
• The Legends of Arthur (story/songbook) (2006)
• The Gabriel Hounds (released in May 2008; fourteen original songs, all inspired by legends & folktales)
• Heather Dale: Live in Köln (2008; live CD of a German concert)
• Heather Dale: Live in Montreal (2008; live CD of a Canadian concert)
• The Green Knight (released in July 2009; fourteen original songs inspired by the Middle Ages and the Renaissance)
• Avalon (released in December 2010; New versions of the Arthurian Legend songs all on one CD)
• Fairytale (released in December 2011; Music about growing up, dealing with the real world, and still keeping a healthy dose of fantasy in your life)

References[link]

External links[link]

• www.HeatherDale.com - official artist's website

Joan Rivers
Rivers in 2010
Birth name	Joan Alexandra Molinsky
Born	(1933-06-08) June 8, 1933 (age 79) Brooklyn, New York City New York, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, television, film
Nationality	American
Years active	1950–present
Spouse	James Sanger (1955) Edgar Rosenberg (1965–1987; his death)
Website	"joan.co". http://www.joan.co/.

Joan Alexandra Molinsky (born June 8, 1933), better known by her stage name Joan Rivers, is an American television personality, comedian, and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries. Rivers' comic style relies heavily on her ability to poke fun at herself and other Hollywood celebrities.

Early life[link]

Joan Rivers was born Joan Alexandra Molinsky in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants Beatrice (née Grushman; January 6, 1906 – October 1975) and Meyer C. Molinsky (December 7, 1900 – January 1985).^[1][2] She was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and her family later moved to Larchmont, in Westchester County, New York. She attended Connecticut College between 1950 and 1952 and graduated from Barnard College in 1954 with a bachelor-of-arts degree in English literature^[3] and anthropology. Before entering show business, Rivers worked at various jobs such as a tour guide at Rockefeller Center,^[4] a writer/proofreader at an advertising agency^[4] and as a fashion consultant at Bond Clothing Stores.^[5] During this period, the agent Tony Rivers advised her to change her name, so she chose Joan Rivers as her stage name.^[6]

Career[link]

Early career[link]

During the late 1950s, Rivers appeared in a short-run play, Driftwood, playing a lesbian with a crush on a character played by a then-unknown Barbra Streisand. The play ran for six weeks.^[7] In 1961, Rivers briefly performed on stage in Chicago at The Second City comedy club. Rivers performed in numerous comedy clubs in the Greenwich Village area of New York City in the early 1960s, including The Bitter End and The Gaslight Cafe,^[8] before making her first appearances as a guest on the TV program The Tonight Show originating from New York, hosted at the time by Jack Paar.^[9]

By 1965, Rivers had a stint on Candid Camera as a gag writer and participant; she was "the bait" to lure people into ridiculous situations for the show. She also made her first appearance on The Tonight Show with new host Johnny Carson, on February 17, 1965.^[10] During the same decade, Rivers made other appearances on The Tonight Show as well as The Ed Sullivan Show, while hosting the first of several talk shows. She had a brief role in The Swimmer (1968), starring Burt Lancaster. A year later, she had a short-lived syndicated daytime talk show; Johnny Carson was her first guest.^[11] In the middle of the 1960s, she released at least two comedy albums, The Next to Last Joan Rivers Album^[12] and Joan Rivers Presents Mr. Phyllis & Other Funny Stories.^[13]

By the 1970s, Rivers was appearing on various television comedy and variety shows, including The Carol Burnett Show and a semi-regular stint on Hollywood Squares. From 1972 to 1976, she narrated The Adventures of Letterman, an animated segment for The Electric Company. In 1973, Rivers wrote the TV movie The Girl Most Likely to..., a black comedy starring Stockard Channing. In 1978, Rivers wrote and directed the film Rabbit Test, starring her friend Billy Crystal. During the same decade, she was the opening act for singer Helen Reddy on the Las Vegas Strip. In July 1970, Joan performed as the opening act for Sergio Franchi during an acclaimed appearance at the Mill Run Theater in Chicago.^[14] Joan also was the opening act for Sergio Franchi (three year contract) at the MGM Grand Hotel from 1974-1976.^[15][16] Joan became a Las Vegas Strip headliner herself in the 1980s.

1980s–1990s[link]

Rivers has spoken of her primary Tonight Show life as having been Johnny Carson's daughter, a reference to his longtime mentoring of her and, during the 1980s, establishing her as his regular guest host by August 1983. It was not her only work, however. On April 9, 1983, she hosted Saturday Night Live.^[17] In the same period, she released a best-selling comedy album on Geffen Records, What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most? The album reached No. 22 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.^[18]

Autograph with famous catchphrase, about 1983

Also in 1984, Rivers published a best-selling humor book, The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abramowitz, a mock memoir of her brassy, loose comedy character. A television special based on the character, a mock tribute called Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abramowitz, was not successful with the public.

The decade was controversial for Rivers. She sued female impersonator Frank Marino for $5,000,000 in 1986, after discovering he was using her real stand-up material in the impersonation of her that he included in his popular Las Vegas act. The two comics reconciled, even appearing together on television in later years.^[19]

Also in 1986 came the move that cost Rivers her longtime friendship with Carson, who had first hired her as a Tonight Show writer. The soon-to-launch Fox Television Network announced that it was giving her a late night talk show, The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.^[20] The new network planned to broadcast the show 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time, making her a Carson competitor. Carson claimed he learned of the show from Fox and not from Rivers herself. In 2008, during an interview with Dr. Pamela Connolly on television's Shrink Rap, Rivers claimed she did call Carson, but he hung up on her at once and repeated the gesture when she called again.

The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers turned out to be flecked by tragedy. When Rivers challenged Fox executives, who wanted to fire her husband Edgar Rosenberg as the show's producer, the network fired them both. On May 15, 1987, three months later, Rosenberg committed suicide in Philadelphia; Rivers blamed the tragedy on his "humiliation" by Fox.^[21] Fox attempted to continue the show with a new name (The Late Show) and rotating guest hosts.

A year after the Late Show debacle, Rivers was a guest on TV's Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special. By 1989, she tried another daytime TV talk show, The Joan Rivers Show,^[22] which ran for five years and won her an Emmy in 1990 for outstanding talk show host.^[23]

In 1994, Rivers and daughter Melissa first hosted the E! Entertainment Television pre-awards show for the Golden Globe Awards.^[24] Beginning in 1995, they hosted the annual E! Entertainment Television pre-awards show for the Academy Awards.^[24] Beginning in 1997, Rivers hosted her own radio show on WOR in New York City.

Rivers also appeared as one of the center square occupants on the 1986-89 version of The Hollywood Squares, hosted by John Davidson.

2000–present[link]

By 2003, Rivers had left her E! red-carpet show for a three-year contract (valued between $6–8 million) to cover award-show red-carpet shows for the TV Guide Channel.^[25]

Joan Rivers poses for a photograph at the Pierre Hotel, May 24, 2001

Rivers appeared in three episodes of the TV show Nip/Tuck during its second, third and seventh season playing herself.^[26][27][28] Rivers appears regularly on television's The Shopping Channel (in Canada) and QVC (in both the United States and the UK), promoting her own line of jewelry under brand name "The Joan Rivers Collection". She was also a guest speaker at the opening of the American Operating Room Nurses' 2000 San Francisco Conference. Both Joan and Melissa Rivers are frequent guests on Howard Stern's radio show, and Joan Rivers often appears as a guest on UK panel show 8 out of 10 Cats.

Rivers was one of only four Americans invited to the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles on April 9, 2005.^[29]

In 2006, Rivers was featured on the adult animated show, Drawn Together as Princess Clara's vagina that had received too much plastic surgery. Clara's 'vajoana' often repeated the phrase "who are you wearing, who are you wearing?".

On August 16, 2007, Rivers began a two-week workshop of her new play, with the working title "The Joan Rivers Theatre Project," at The Magic Theatre in San Francisco.^[30] On December 3, 2007, Rivers performed in the Royal Variety Show 2007 at the Liverpool Empire Theatre, England, with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip present.

In January 2008, Rivers became one of 20 hijackers to take control of the Big Brother house in the UK for one day in spin-off TV show Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack. On June 24, 2008, Rivers appeared on NBC-TV’s show Celebrity Family Feud and competed with her daughter, Melissa against Ice-T and Coco.

Joan Rivers performing in her show at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Rivers and daughter Melissa were contestants in 2009 on the second Celebrity Apprentice. Throughout the season, each celebrity raised money for a charity of his or her choice; Rivers selected God's Love We Deliver.^[31] After a falling out with poker player Annie Duke, following Melissa's on-air firing (elimination) by Donald Trump, Rivers left the green room telling Clint Black and Jesse G. James that she would not be in the next morning. Rivers later returned to the show and on May 3, 2009, she became a finalist in the series. The other finalist was Duke.^[32][33] On the season finale, which aired live on May 10, Joan was announced the winner and hired to be the 2009 Celebrity Apprentice.

Rivers was featured on the show Z Rock as herself and was also a special so-called pink-carpet presenter for the 2009 broadcast of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. She was also roasted in a Comedy Central special, taped on July 26, 2009, and aired on August 9, 2009. From August 2009, Joan began starring in the new reality TV series How'd You Get So Rich? on TV Land.

Joan performing at a London Udderbelly event in 2009

A documentary film about Rivers, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival at the Castro Theatre on May 6, 2010.

In 2011, Rivers appeared in a commercial for Go Daddy, which debuted during the broadcast of Super Bowl XLV.^[34]

Joan and her daughter Melissa Rivers premiered the new show Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best on WE tv. The series follows Joan moving to California to be closer to her family. She moves in with daughter Melissa while searching for a home of her own. It was recently revealed that WE TV has ordered a new season consisting of 10 episodes premiering in January 2012.

In 2011, Rivers was featured as herself in Season 2 of Louis C.K.'s self-entitled show Louie, where she performed on-stage.

Personal life[link]

Rivers' first marriage was in 1955 to James Sanger,^[35] the son of a Bond Clothing Stores merchandise manager. The marriage lasted six months^[36] and was annulled on the basis that Sanger did not want children and had not informed Rivers before the wedding.^[37] Her second marriage was on July 15, 1965^[38] to Edgar Rosenberg, who committed suicide in 1987. Their only child, Melissa Warburg Rosenberg (now known as Melissa Rivers), was born on January 20, 1968. She has one grandson, Melissa's son Cooper (born Edgar Cooper Endicott on December 1, 2000)^[39] who is featured with his mother and grandmother in the WE tv series Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?^[40]

In her book, Bouncing Back (1997), she described how she developed bulimia and contemplated suicide. Eventually, she recovered with counseling and the support of her family.

In 2002, Rivers told the Montreal Mirror that she was a Republican.^[41]

Rivers is open about her multiple cosmetic surgeries and has been a patient of plastic surgeon Steven Hoefflin since 1983. Her first procedure, an eye lift, was performed in 1965 as an attempt to further her career.^[42]

Awards[link]

• In 1990, Rivers won the Daytime Emmy Award (a TV citation) for Outstanding Talk Show Host. The same year, a star in her name was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[43]

Books[link]

• Having a Baby Can Be a Scream (1974, Self-Help/Humour)
• The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abromowitz (1984, Humour)
• Enter Talking (1986, Autobiography)
• Still Talking (1991, Autobiography)
• Jewelry by Joan Rivers (1995, Non-Fiction)
• Bouncing Back: I've Survived Everything ... and I Mean Everything ... and You Can Too! (1997, Autobiography/Self-Help)
• From Mother to Daughter: Thoughts and Advice on Life, Love and Marriage (1998, Self-Help)
• Don’t Count the Candles: Just keep the Fire Lit! (1999, Self-Help)
• Men Are Stupid...And They Like Big Boobs: A Woman's Guide to Beauty Through Plastic Surgery (2008, Non-Fiction)
• Murder at the Academy Awards (R): A Red Carpet Murder Mystery (2009, Fiction)
• I Hate Everyone...Starting With Me (2012, Humour)

Filmography[link]

• Once Upon a Coffee House (1965)
• The Swimmer (1968)
• Rabbit Test (1978) (also director and writer)
• Uncle Scam (1981)
• The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
• Les Patterson Saves the World (1987)
• Spaceballs (1987) (voice)
• Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (1988)
• Look Who's Talking (1989) (voice)
• Public Enemy # 2 (1993)
• Serial Mom (1994)
• Napoleon (1995) (voice)
• Goosed (1999)
• The Intern (2000)
• Whispers: An Elephant's Tale (2000) (voice)
• The Making and Meaning of 'We Are Family' (2002) (documentary)
• Hip! Edgy! Quirky! (2002)
• Shrek 2 (2004) (voice)
• First Daughter (2004)
• The Last Guy on Earth (2007)
• Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010) (documentary)
• Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) (uncredited)
• The Smurfs (2011) (uncredited)
• Tower Heist (2011) (uncredited)

Television work[link]

• That Show starring Joan Rivers (1968–69) (syndicated daytime talk show)^[11]
• The Electric Company (cast member from 1972–1977) (voice)
• Here's Lucy (1973)
• An Audience with Joan Rivers (1984)
• Joan Rivers: Can We Talk? (1986)
• The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers (host from 1986–1987)
• The New Hollywood Squares hosted by John Davidson (center square from 1988–1989)
• The Joan Rivers Show (1989–1993)
• How to Murder a Millionaire (1990)
• Lady Boss (1992)
• Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story (1994)^[44]
• Can We Shop? (1995–present)
• Another World (cast member in 1997)
• E! True Hollywood Story: Joan Rivers (parody episode of show aired April 1, 2001)^[45]
• Jack Dee Live at the Apollo (cast member in 2004, guest host in 2007)
• Nip/Tuck (2004–2005–2010)^[46]
• The Joan Rivers Position (2004–2006)
• An Audience with Joan Rivers (2006)
• 8 out of 10 Cats (2006–2007)
• Joan Rivers: Before Melissa Pulls the Plug (2006)
• Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy (in-depth interview BBC 2006)
• The Graham Norton Show (2007)
• Straight Talk (2007)
• Shrink Rap (2008) – With Dr. Pamela Connolly – More4
• Celebrity Family Feud (2008)
• Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack (Celebrity Hijacker) (2008)
• Loose Women (2008)
• The Graham Norton Show (2008)
• Z Rock (2008) – Aunt Joan
• Spaceballs: The Animated Series (2008) (voice)
• Arthur (2008, 2010) (voice) – Bubby (Francine's Grandmother)
• Celebrity Apprentice (2009) – Herself
• How'd You Get So Rich? (2009) – Herself
• The Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers (2009) – Herself
• Celebrity Ghost Stories (2009) – Herself
• The Graham Norton Show (December 31, 2009)
• Celebrity Apprentice 3 (March 14, 2010)
• Fashion Police (September 10, 2010 – present)
• The Graham Norton Show (November 5, 2010)
• Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best (January 25, 2011 – present)
• Louie S02E04 – Joan (July 14, 2011) – Herself
• The Simpsons S23E08 – "The Ten-Per-Cent Solution" (December 4, 2011) (voice) – Annie Dubinsky

Theater work[link]

The following is a selected list of theater work performed by Rivers.

• Broadway Bound by Neil Simon (replacement for Kate, 1988, Broadhurst Theatre)^[47]
• Sally Marr and Her Escorts, a play suggested by the life of Lenny Bruce's mother (co-written with Erin Ladd Sanders and Lonny Price), May 1994, Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway.
• Joan Rivers: A Work In Progress By A Life In Progress (February 2008, Geffen Playhouse)
• Joan Rivers: A Work In Progress By A Life In Progress (August 2008, Edinburgh Festival Fringe)
• Joan Rivers: A Work In Progress By A Life In Progress (September 2008, Leicester Square Theatre, London)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Joan Rivers

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Joan Rivers

• Official website
• Joan Rivers at the Internet Movie Database
• Joan Rivers at the Internet Broadway Database
• Joan Rivers at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• E! Entertainment Bio
• BroadwayWorld.com interview with Joan Rivers, February 19, 2009