Paxton may refer to:

Places

United Kingdom

Great Paxton, England

Little Paxton, England

Paxton, Scottish Borders, UK

Paxton House, Berwickshire, Scotland

Paxton's Tower, near the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire, Wales

United States

Paxton, California

Paxton, Florida

Paxton, Illinois

Paxton, Indiana

Paxton, Massachusetts

Paxton, Nebraska

Paxton, Pennsylvania

Paxtang, Pennsylvania (a variation of Paxton)

Paxville, South Carolina

;Townships

Paxton Township, Minnesota

Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania

Middle Paxton Township, Pennsylvania

Upper Paxton Township, Pennsylvania

Paxton Township, Ross County, Ohio

;Natural features

Paxton Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania

;Schools

See Carlheim for Margaret Paxton Memorial Learning & Resource Campus, Leesburg, Virginia

Australia

Paxton, New South Wales

People

;Surnames

Bill Paxton (born 1955), American actor

Elisha F. Paxton (1828–1863), American Civil War general in the Confederate army

Gary S. Paxton (born 1938), American musician, producer

Geoffrey Paxton, Australian Anglican minister

George Paxton, American 1930s and 1940s big band leader, composer, and arranger

James Paxton (born 1994), American actor

John Paxton (1911–1985), American screenwriter

John Paxton (footballer) (born 1890) English footballer

John M. Paxton, Jr. (born 1951), United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General, Director for Operations, J-3, Joint Staff

Sir Joseph Paxton (1803–1865), English architect and botanist, designed the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851

Lonie Paxton (born 1978), American NFL pro football player

Mike Paxton (born 1953), American MLB pro baseball player

Richard Paxton (1956–2006), English architect

Robert Paxton (born 1932), American historian

Sara Paxton (born 1988), American actress, musician

Steve Paxton (born 1939), American experimental dancer and choreographer

Thomas Paxton (1820–1887), Ontario businessman and politician

Sir Thomas Paxton, 1st Baronet, Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1920 to 1923

Thomas Paxton (1754–1804), captain of HMS ''Speedy'' (1798), lost in Lake Ontario

Tom Paxton (born 1937), American folk musician, singer-songwriter

See Paxton's Tower for William Paxton, (1745-1824) London merchant and banker

William Paxton (Australian businessman)(1818–1893) Englishman who made a fortune in South Australia

William McGregor Paxton (1869–1941), American artist

;Given names

Paxton Boys, American frontiersmen, vigilantes from Paxtang, Pennsylvania

Paxton Whitehead, British actor

;Fictional

Emma Paxton, main character in ''The Lying Game'' series by Sara Shepard

John Frederick Paxton, fictional character in ''Star Trek'' leading Terra Prime

Sonya Paxton, a fictional Executive ADA appearing in ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''

Paxton Fettel, main antagonist of F.E.A.R..

Business

Paxton Automotive, a manufacturer of centrifugal-type superchargers

Paxton Media Group, owner of WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky, and newspapers such as the ''Daily Star'' (Hammond, Louisiana)

Other

''Paxton'' (genus), a genus of fish from the family ''Apogonidae''

Paxton Phoenix, a rear-engined prototype car developed in 1953.

Category:Surnames

ca:Paxton cs:Paxton de:Paxton fr:Paxton it:Paxton nl:Paxton pl:Paxton pt:Paxton ru:Пэкстон vo:Paxton

Name	Tom Paxton (author)
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Thomas Richard Paxton
Birth date	October 31, 1937
Birth place	Chicago, Illinois
Instrument	Guitar, Vocals
Genre	Folk
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, guitarist.
Years active	1962–present
Influences	Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Bob Gibson, Burl Ives, Tom Lehrer, Mississippi John Hurt Similar Artists Dave Van Ronk, Phil Ochs, David Bromberg, Cisco Houston, Guy Carawan, John Denver, Anne Hills, Bob Dylan
Label	Elektra, Vanguard, Rhino, Reprise, Flying Fish, Rounder, Mountain Railroad, Sugar Hill, Appleseed|associated_acts
Website	http://www.tompaxton.com/
Past members	}}

Thomas Richard "Tom" Paxton (born October 31, 1937) is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for fifty years. In 2009, Paxton received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Paxton's songs have demonstrated enduring appeal, including modern standards such as "The Last Thing on My Mind", "Bottle of Wine", "Whose Garden Was This", "The Marvelous Toy", and "Ramblin' Boy". Paxton's songs have been recorded by Pete Seeger and The Weavers, Judy Collins, Sandy Denny, Joan Baez, Doc Watson, Harry Belafonte, Peter, Paul and Mary, Marianne Faithfull, The Kingston Trio, The Chad Mitchell Trio, John Denver, Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, Willie Nelson, Flatt & Scruggs, The Move, The Fireballs, and many others (see covers). He has performed thousands of concerts around the world in such places as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Scandinavia, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and all over the United States; and his songs have been translated into various languages. Paxton enjoys a strong relationship with fans throughout the world.

Paxton's songs can be emotionally affective and cover a wide range of topics, from the serious and profound to the lighthearted and comical. "What Did You Learn in School Today?" mocks the way children are often taught lies. "Jimmy Newman" is the story of a dying soldier and "My Son John" is a moving song about a soldier who comes back home and cannot even begin to describe what he has been through. "Beau John" is a civil rights era song about taking a stand against racial injustice. "A Thousand Years" tells the chilling tale of Neo-Nazi uprising, and "Train for Auschwitz" is about the Holocaust. "On the Road to Srebrenica" is about Bosnian Muslims who were killed in a 1995 massacre in Bosnia and Herzegovina. "The Bravest" is a song about the firefighters who gave their lives while trying to save others on September 11, 2001. Then there are Paxton's "short shelf life songs", which are topical songs about current events and things in the news. These songs can be lighthearted and comical, or serious depending on the situation, and they change all the time as new ones are written and old ones can reappear as things seem to have a way of cycling around in this world. They include: "In Florida", about the 2000 election; "Without DeLay", a song about the former congressman; "Bobbitt", about John and Lorena Bobbitt; "Little Bitty Gun", which lampoons Nancy Reagan; "I'm Changing My Name to Chrysler", about the federal loan guarantee to Chrysler in 1979 (which was rewritten in 2008 as "I Am Changing My Name to Fannie Mae" about the 700 billion dollar "bailout of the U.S. financial system"); "The Ballad of Spiro Agnew", and "Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation" (which became "George W. Told the Nation" in 2007).

Early life

Paxton was born on October 31, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, to Burt and Esther Paxton. His father was "a chemist, mostly self-educated", and as his health began to fail him, the family moved to Wickenburg, Arizona. It was here that young Paxton began riding horses at the numerous dude ranches in the area. It was also here that he was first introduced to folk music, discovering the music of Burl Ives and others.

In 1948, the family moved to Bristow, Oklahoma, which Paxton considers to be his hometown. Soon after, his father died from a stroke. Paxton was about fifteen when he received his first stringed instrument, a ukulele. Paxton was given a guitar by his aunt when he was sixteen, and he soon began to immerse himself in the music of Burl Ives and Harry Belafonte.

In 1955, Paxton enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, where he studied in the drama school. It was here that he first found other enthusiasts of folk music, and discovered the music of Woody Guthrie and The Weavers. Paxton would later note, "Woody was fearless; he'd take on any issue that got him stirred up ... and he became one of my greatest influences." During college, Paxton was in a group known as the Travellers, and they sang in an off-campus coffeehouse. Paxton's first original song was an Elizabethan murder ballad with the title "Robert".

Early career

Upon graduating in 1959 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Paxton acted in summer stock theatre and briefly tried graduate school before joining the Army. While attending the Clerk Typist School in Fort Dix, New Jersey, he began writing songs on his typewriter and spent almost every weekend visiting Greenwich Village in New York City during the emerging early 1960s folk revival.

Shortly after his honorable discharge from the Army, Paxton auditioned for the Chad Mitchell Trio via publisher Milt Okun in 1960. He initially received the part, but his voice did not blend well enough with those of the group members. However, after singing his song "The Marvelous Toy" for Okun, he became the first writer signed to Milt's music publishing company, Cherry Lane Music Publishing.

Paxton soon began performing at The Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village, where he became a mainstay. In 1962, he recorded a privately-produced live album at the Gaslight entitled, ''I'm the Man That Built the Bridges''. During his stay in Greenwich Village, Paxton published some of his songs in the folk magazines ''Broadside'' and ''Sing Out!'', and performed alongside such folksingers as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Eric Andersen, Dave Van Ronk, and Mississippi John Hurt. Paxton met his future wife, Midge, at the Gaslight one night in January 1963 after being introduced to her by David Blue.

Pete Seeger picked up on a few of Tom Paxton's songs in 1963, including "Ramblin' Boy" (which Seeger performed at The Weavers reunion concert at Carnegie Hall) and "What Did You Learn in School Today?" Meanwhile, Paxton had increased his profile as a performer, appearing at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival, which was recorded by Vanguard Records. A month after Newport in 1963, Paxton married Midge. He began traveling the country on the coffeehouse and small-venue circuit before returning to New York. Paxton became involved with causes that promoted human rights, civil rights and labor rights. In 1963, Paxton and a group of other folk musicians performed and offered moral support to striking coal miners in Hazard, Kentucky.

After returning to New York, Paxton signed with Elektra Records in 1964, a label which at that time featured a distinguished roster of folk musicians. He would go on to record seven albums for Elektra. As the folk revival hit its peak, Paxton began getting more work outside of New York City, including benefit concerts and college campus visits. In 1964, he took part in the Freedom Summer and visited the Deep South, with other folk musicians, to perform at voter registration drives and civil rights rallies. His civil rights song "Beau John" was written after attending a Freedom Song Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, and the song "Goodman, Schwerner and Chaney" was written about the unjust and brutal murders of three civil rights activists (Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and James Chaney) in the summer of 1964 by members of the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi. Numerous musicians of various musical genres began recording Paxton's songs as the 1960s progressed.

Of the songwriters on the Greenwich Village scene of the 1960s, Dave Van Ronk said, "Dylan is usually cited as the founder of the new song movement, and he certainly became its most visible standard-bearer, but the person who started the whole thing was Tom Paxton ... he tested his songs in the crucible of live performance, he found that his own stuff was getting more attention than when he was singing traditional songs or stuff by other people... he set himself a training regimen of deliberately writing one song every day. Dylan had not yet showed up when this was happening, and by the time Bobby came on the set, with at most two or three songs he had written, Tom was already singing at least 50 percent his own material. That said, it was Bobby's success that really got the ball rolling. Prior to that, the folk community was very much tied to traditional songs, so much so that songwriters would sometimes palm their own stuff off as traditional."

In 1965, Tom Paxton made his first tour of the United Kingdom. The tour was the beginning of a still-thriving professional relationship that has included yearly performances there.

In 1967, the rock group Clear Light recorded a menacing and lengthy psychedelic version of Paxton's song "Mr. Blue" on their only album ''Clear Light''. Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton's recording of "The Last Thing on My Mind" reached the top ten on the U.S. country singles charts in December 1967. Then in 1968, Paxton managed to score a Top 10 radio hit when The Fireballs recorded his song "Bottle of Wine". In the 1960s, Paxton even licensed one of his songs, "My Dog's Bigger than Your Dog", for use in a Ken-L Ration dog food commercial. Not too fazed by the success of some of his songs, Paxton continued writing and performing. Though some of his songs were becoming hits for other people, he hadn't any huge hits of his own recordings. He was not interested in jumping on the folk rock (or, as he once joked, "folk rot") bandwagon though, and continued his folk singer-songwriter style on albums like ''Outward Bound'' (1966) and ''Morning Again'' (1968). On January 20, 1968, three months after the death of Woody Guthrie, Paxton and a number of other prominent folk musicians performed at the Harold Leventhal produced "A Tribute to Woody Guthrie" concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall. Paxton was determined to keep speaking out, writing, and singing songs of social significance. As musical trends changed and people became more experimental with their sound, Paxton decided to try some more elaborate recording techniques, including neo-chamber music with string sections, flutes, horns, piano, various session musicians, as well as his acoustic guitar and vocals, similar to what his labelmate Judy Collins and his friend Phil Ochs were experimenting with around this time. Paxton finally broke into the album pop charts with ''The Things I Notice Now'' in the summer of 1969, and also charted with ''Tom Paxton 6'' in the spring of the following year. His song "Whose Garden Was This", an environmentalist anthem written for the first Earth Day, was later recorded by John Denver and became the title track of Denver's 1970 album. The diverse "Baroque Folk" experimentation on Paxton's recordings was basically short-lived though, and he tended to think that the music was becoming too overproduced and away from the more natural acoustic roots that he loved best. Regarding this time, he said, "the acoustic guitar has always been what I loved the most ... I ''know'' I didn't have that rock mentality or anything. I was still a kid from a small town in Oklahoma. And I just wanted to hear folk songs." Paxton continued to sing and perform his songs on acoustic guitar at his live performances, and it wasn't too long before his albums would once again generally reflect his original traditional-sounding style.

In 1969, Paxton performed at the Isle of Wight Festival and was very well received by the English audience.

During the time Paxton continued to record for Elektra and perform extensively, he and Midge had two daughters.

Middle career

Tom Paxton and his family lived in Holland Park, London for about four years in the early 1970s. After a stay in England due to the professional success and love of the country, Paxton and Midge went on a tour of New Zealand and China, and even appeared on a Chinese talk show. Paxton released ''How Come the Sun'' in 1971, and that album gave him his highest chart ranking in the U.S., but it only got up to number 120, and his next album, ''Peace Will Come'' (1972), barely even reached the charts. Paxton and his family soon returned to New York and the Long Island town of East Hampton. They eventually moved to the Washington, D.C. area around 1977. After recording three albums for Reprise Records and a few for "an English label that didn't pan out well", Paxton signed with Vanguard Records, with whom he recorded a live album with Steve Goodman, ''New Songs From the Briarpatch'' (1977); which contained some of Paxton's topical songs of the 1970s, including "Talking Watergate" and "White Bones of Allende", as well as a song dedicated to Mississippi John Hurt entitled "Did You Hear John Hurt?"

In 1978, Paxton released his album ''Heroes'', which contained a song, "Phil", about his friend Phil Ochs, who had taken his own life in 1976. The album also includes the song "The Death of Stephen Biko", which details the brutal killing of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in South Africa.

Paxton's 1979 album, ''Up and Up'', contains the song "Let the Sunshine", which addresses issues concerning environmentalism and solar energy. Paxton has also performed at the Clearwater Festival, an annual event, started by Pete Seeger, dedicated to environmentalism and cleaning up the Hudson River. His 1983 album ''Bulletin'' includes a song about Woody Guthrie entitled "They Couldn't Take the Music."

In 1984, Paxton briefly was a member of a trio (along with Bob Gibson and Anne Hills) known as the Best of Friends.

After recording for labels like Mountain Railroad and Flying Fish in the 1980s, Paxton started his own label (Pax Records) in 1987.

It was during this time that Paxton continued to suffer from an undiagnosed and deepening depression that affected his work. With some advice from Midge, he began to look for a solution, and he was eventually diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, for which he received ongoing treatment.

Recent career

As the 1990s rolled around, Paxton began delving deeply into children's music, recording nine children's albums during the decade. In July 1994, Paxton was invited to perform at a folk festival in Israel, "Jacob's Ladder", and he played there and a series of concerts around Israel accompanied by folk guitarist and harmonica player Shay Tochner. Paxton recorded a live album in 1996 with his good friend Jim Rooney, and it contained some new comical songs about current events. Eric Weissberg, John Gorka, Robin and Linda Williams, among others, also performed; and the album was titled ''Live: For the Record''. In the mid-1990s, Paxton also began to give more workshops in songwriting.

In 2000, Paxton once again began to write more of the topical songs for which he originally became known. In 2001, he released an album with Anne Hills entitled ''Under American Skies'', and in 2002, he released an album of all new songs entitled ''Looking for the Moon'' (Appleseed Recordings). At the time of its release, Paxton was quoted saying that it might be his best album so far. ''Looking for the Moon'' contains the song "The Bravest", which is about the firefighters who gave their lives while trying to save others in New York City on September 11, 2001. Also, around this time, Paxton began writing and releasing his "Short Shelf Life Songs" about current events for free download on his website. The "short shelf life songs", as he calls them, are about politics and things going on in the news. Paxton wrote a number of topical protest songs that were critical of the Bush administration's actions. For example, the song "Homeland Security" lampooned exaggerated terror threats, and "John Ashcroft and The Spirit of Justice" comically mocked John Ashcroft's prudishness over the Spirit of Justice statue. In 2007, Paxton rewrote a song of his from 1965 entitled "Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation", about the escalation of the war in Vietnam, and transformed it into "George W. Told The Nation", about the surge in the Iraq war.

In 2007, Tom Paxton became one of the founding members of the Copyright Alliance, whose purpose is to promote the cultural and economic benefits of copyrights.

In 2008, Paxton rewrote his song "I'm Changing My Name to Chrysler", about the federal loan guarantee to Chrysler in 1979, as "I Am Changing My Name to Fannie Mae", about the 700 billion dollar "bailout of the U.S. financial system".

Paxton continues to perform yearly tours of the United States and United Kingdom.

Personal life

Tom Paxton married his wife Midge in 1963. They have two daughters, Jennifer and Kate, and three grandsons, Christopher, Sean, and Peter. All have been sources of inspiration for Paxton's songs. Tom and Midge Paxton currently reside in Alexandria, Virginia.

Paxton described his political views in the following way: "My own politics more or less resembled Will Rogers's politics. He had said that he belonged to no organized political party — he was a Democrat ... Being young and impassioned almost automatically put me over on the radical side of most issues. Being older, I find myself still more or less there, somewhat to my surprise."

Awards, honors, and nominations

In February 2002, Tom Paxton was honored with the ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award in Folk Music. A few days later, he received three Wammies (Washington, DC, Area Music Awards); as Best Male Vocalist in the "traditional folk" and "children's music" categories, and for Best Traditional Folk Recording of the Year for ''Under American Skies'' (the duo album he made with Anne Hills in 2001). This was the first Paxton album to receive an award of any kind.

Paxton has been nominated four times for Grammy Awards in his career, all since 2002. He was first nominated in 2002 for his children's album, ''Your Shoes, My Shoes''. The following year, ''Looking for the Moon'' received a 2003 nomination for "Best Contemporary Folk Album". ''Live In The UK'' (2005), received a 2006 Grammy nomination in the "Best Traditional Folk Album" category. Most recently, his 2008 album ''Comedians and Angels'' received a 2009 nomination, also in the "Best Traditional Folk Album" category. Paxton was honored with a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy, and the formal announcement was made during the 51st Annual Grammy Awards telecast, which aired on February 8, 2009.

In 2004, the Martin Guitar Company introduced the HD-40LSH Tom Paxton Signature Edition acoustic guitar in his honor.

In 2005, Tom Paxton received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at BBC Radio 2's Folk Awards at London's Brewery Arts Centre.

In 2006, Tom Paxton received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance.

On January 22, 2007, Paxton was honored with an official Parliamentary tribute at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom at the start of his 2007 United Kingdom tour.

On May 3, 2008, Paxton was honored with a special lifetime tribute from the World Folk Music Association, and a concert was held at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus, in Alexandria, Virginia. In addition to Tom Paxton, the performers who appeared in person included: The Chad Mitchell Trio, Peter Yarrow and Noel "Paul" Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary, Christine Lavin, Anne Hills, The Limeliters, Carolyn Hester and Side by Side.

Covers

Tom Paxton's songs have been recorded by (among others):

Pete Seeger

The Weavers

Judy Collins

Joan Baez

The Carter Family

Johnny Cash (with Diana Trask)

Doc Watson

Harry Belafonte

Dave Van Ronk

Simon & Garfunkel

Eric Andersen

José Feliciano

Peter, Paul and Mary

The Kingston Trio

The Chad Mitchell Trio

Bob Gibson

Plácido Domingo

John Denver

Arlo Guthrie

Carolyn Hester

Nanci Griffith

Sandy Denny

Marianne Faithfull

Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner

Willie Nelson

Flatt & Scruggs

J. D. Crowe

The Dillards

Hank Snow

Charley Pride

Hank Locklin

Jean Shepard

Bill Anderson

Chet Atkins

Glen Campbell

Tony Rice

Herb Pedersen

Neil Diamond

Mel Tormé

Anne Murray

Dion DiMucci

Tiny Tim

Pat Boone

Bobby Darin

Au Go-Go Singers (featuring Stephen Stills and Richie Furay)

Gene Clark

Gram Parsons

Clarence White

Rick Danko

Hoyt Axton

Mary Hopkin

Marie Fredriksson

Anne Hills

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer

Vera Lynn

Jim and Jean

Glenn Yarbrough

The Highwaymen

Wally Whyton

Cry, Cry, Cry

Dennis Brown

Nana Mouskouri

Fred Åkerström

Joe Dassin

The Pogues

The Fureys

The Rovers

Delroy Wilson

Noel Harrison

The Spinners

Daniel O'Donnell

Val Doonican

Sharon, Lois & Bram

Larry Groce

Chris de Burgh

The Vejtables

The Move

The Seekers

The Fireballs

Clear Light

The Irish Rovers

Paddy Reilly with The Dubliners

Danny Doyle

Bobby Vinton

Kate Wolf

Schooner Fare

List of work

Discography

''I'm the Man That Built the Bridges'' [live] (Gaslight, 1962)

''Ramblin' Boy'' (Elektra, 1964)

''Ain't That News!'' (Elektra, 1965)

''Outward Bound'' (Elektra, 1966)

''Morning Again'' (Elektra, 1968)

''The Things I Notice Now'' (Elektra, 1969)

''Tom Paxton 6'' (Elektra, 1970)

''The Compleat Tom Paxton'' [live] (Elektra, 1971)

''How Come the Sun'' (Reprise, 1971)

''Peace Will Come'' (Reprise, 1972)

''New Songs for Old Friends'' [live] (Reprise, 1973)

''Children's Song Book'' (Bradleys, 1974)

''Something in My Life'' (Private Stock, 1975)

''Saturday Night'' (MAM, 1976)

''New Songs from the Briarpatch'' [live] (Vanguard, 1977)

''Heroes'' (Vanguard, 1978)

''Up and Up'' (Mountain Railroad, 1979)

''The Paxton Report'' (Mountain Railroad, 1980)

''Bulletin'' (Hogeye, 1983)

''Even a Gray Day'' (Flying Fish, 1983)

''The Marvelous Toy and Other Gallimaufry'' (Flying Fish, 1984)

''One Million Lawyers and Other Disasters'' (Flying Fish, 1985)

''A Paxton Primer'' (Pax, 1986)

''Folksong Festival 1986'' (Pax, 1986)

''And Loving You'' (Flying Fish, 1986)

''Balloon-alloon-alloon'' (Sony Kids' Music, 1987)

''Politics Live'' (Flying Fish, 1988)

''The Very Best of Tom Paxton'' (Flying Fish, 1988)

''In The Orchard'' [live] (Sundown Records, 1988)

''Storyteller'' (Start Records Ltd, 1989)

''It Ain't Easy'' (Flying Fish, 1991)

''A Child's Christmas'' (Sony Kids' Music, 1992)

''Peanut Butter Pie'' (Sony Kids' Music, 1992)

''Suzy Is a Rocker'' (Sony Kids' Music, 1992)

''Wearing the Time'' (Sugar Hill, 1994)

''Live: For the Record'' (Sugar Hill, 1996)

''A Child's Christmas/Marvelous Toy and Other Gallimaufry'' (Delta, 1996)

''A Car Full of Songs'' (Sony Kids' Music, 1997)

''Goin' to the Zoo'' (Rounder, 1997)

''I've Got a Yo-Yo'' (Rounder, 1997)

''The Best of Tom Paxton'' (Hallmark, 1997)

''Live In Concert'' (Strange Fruit, 1998)

''Fun Animal Songs'' (Delta, 1999)

''Fun Food Songs'' (Delta, 1999)

''A Car Full of Fun Songs'' (Delta, 1999)

''I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound: The Best of Tom Paxton'' (Rhino, 1999)

''Best of the Vanguard Years'' (Vanguard, 2000)

''Stars in Their Eyes'' (Cub Creek Records, 2000), duet with Mark Elliott

''Live From Mountain Stage'' (Blue Plate, 2001)

''Under American Skies'' (Appleseed and Koch International, 2001)

''Ramblin' Boy/Ain't That News!'' (Warner Strategic Marketing, 2002)

''Your Shoes, My Shoes'' (Red House, 2002)

''Looking For The Moon'' (Appleseed, 2002)

''American Troubadour'' (Music Club, 2003)

''Best of Friends'' [live] (Appleseed Recordings, 2004)

''The Compleat Tom Paxton (Even Compleater)'' [live] (Rhino Handmade, 2004)

''Outward Bound/Morning Again'' (Wea/Rhino, 2004)

''Live in the UK'' (Pax, 2005)

''Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop'' (Shout Factory, 2006)

''Comedians and Angels'' (Appleseed, 2008)

Compilations and other recordings

''1963 Newport Broadside'' [Compilation] [Live] (Vanguard, 1964)

''Broadside Ballads, Vol. 3: The Broadside Singers'' (Folkways, 1964)

''The Folk Box: Various Artists'' (Elektra, 1964)

''Folksong '65'' Elektra 15th Anniversary Commemorative Album (Elektra, 1965)

''Tom Paxton: Tom Paxton'' (7-inch EP released in the UK)(EPK 802) (Elektra, 1967)

''Alive!'' Chad Mitchell Trio album (Reprise, 1967)

''Fantastic Folk: Various Artists'' (Elektra, 1968)

''Select Elektra: Various Artists'' (Elektra, 1968)

''Elektra's Best: Volume 1, 1966 through 1968: Various Artists'' (Elektra, 1968)

''Begin Here: Various Artists'' (Elektra, 1969)

''First Family of New Rock'' Various Artists (Warner Bros., 1969)

''4/71: Various Artists: Elektra EK-PROMO 3'' (Elektra, 1971)

''A Tribute to Woody Guthrie Part One'' [Live 1968] (CBS, 1972)

''A Tribute to Woody Guthrie Part Two'' [Live 1968] (Warner Bros., 1972)

''Broadside Ballads, Vol. 6: Broadside Reunion'' (Folkways, 1972)

''Greatest Folksingers of the '60s'' (Vanguard, 1972)

''Garden of Delights: Various Artists'' (Elektra, 1972)

''Philadelphia Folk Festival'' [Live 1977] (Flying Fish, 1978)

''Bread & Roses Festival 1977'' [Live] (Fantasy, 1979)

''The Perfect High'' Bob Gibson album (Drive Archive, 1980)

''CooP - Fast Folk Musical Magazine (Vol. 2, No. 1) First Anniversary'' (Folkways, 1983)

''Bleecker and MacDougal: The Folk Scene of the 1960s'' (Elektra, 1984)

''Fast Folk Musical Magazine (Vol. 2, No. 10)'' (Folkways, 1985)

''Storytellers: Singers & Songwriters'' (Warner Bros., 1987)

''A Tribute to Woody Guthrie'' (Warner Bros., 1989)

''Folked Again'' (Mountain Railroad, 1989)

''Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival 88'' (Alcazar, 1989)

''All-Ears Review, Volume 7: Still Amazing After All These Years'' (ROM, 1989)

''The Greenwich Village Folk Festival 1989-90'' (Gadfly, 1990)

''Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival, Vol. 2'' (Alcazar, 1990)

''Newport Folk Festival'' (Vanguard, 1991)

''Smithsonian Collection of Folk Song America, Vol. 3'' (Smithsonian, 1991)

''Troubadours of the Folk Era, Vol. 2'' (Rhino, 1992)

''American Folk Legends'' (Laserlight, 1993)

''Put on Your Green Shoes'' (CBS, 1993)

''Animal Tales'' Bill Shontz album (Lightyear, 1993)

''Freedom Is a Constant Struggle (Songs of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement)'' (Folk Era, 1994)

''Folk Song America, Vol. 3'' (Smithsonian Folkways, 1994)

''Folk [Friedman]'' (Friedman/Fairfax, 1994)

''To All My Friends in Far-Flung Places'' Dave Van Ronk album (Gazell, 1994)

''Never Grow Old'' Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen album (Flying Fish, 1994)

''Christine Lavin Presents: Follow That Road: 2nd Annual Vineyard Retreat'' (Philo, 1994)

''A Child's Holiday'' (Alacazam!/Alcazar, 1994)

''The SilverWolf Homeless Project'' (Silverwolf/IODA, 1995)

''LifeLines'' Peter, Paul and Mary album (Warner Bros., 1995)

''Makin' a Mess: Bob Gibson Sings Shel Silverstein'' Bob Gibson album (Asylum, 1995)

''One More Song: An Album for Club Passim'' (Philo, 1996)

''Christine Lavin Presents: Laugh Tracks Vol.2'' (Shanachie, 1996)

''Treestar Revue'' (Beacon, 1996)

''A Child's Celebration of Song, Vol. 2'' (Rhino, 1996)

''A Very Cherry Christmas'' [Box Set] (Delta, 1996)

''Kid Songs'' Roth & Paxton & Young (Sony Special Products, 1996)

''Dog Songs'' (Disney, 1996)

''Vanguard Folk Sampler'' (Vanguard, 1996)

''Vanguard Collector's Edition'' [Box Set] (Vanguard, 1997)

''Christmas Treasures, Vol. 3'' (Delta, 1997)

''Christmas Treasures'' [Box Set] (Laserlight, 1997)

''Christmas for Kids'' (Laserlight, 1997)

''Legendary Folk Singers'' (Vanguard, 1997)

''What's That I Hear? The Songs of Phil Ochs'' (Sliced Bread, 1998)

''Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger'' (Appleseed, 1998)

''Kerrville Folk Festival - 25th Anniversary Album'' (Silverwolf/IODA, 1998)

''Kerrville Folk Festival: Early Years 1972-1981'' [Live] [Box Set] (Silverwolf, 1998)

''Generations of Folk, Vol. 2: Protest & Politics'' (Vanguard, 1998)

''Diamond Cuts'' (Hungry for Music, 1998)

''American Pie'' [Various Artists] (ZYX, 1998)

''Around the Campfire'' Peter, Paul and Mary album (Warner Bros., 1998)

''A Child's Christmas List'' (Delta, 1999)

''Sweet Dreams of Home'' Mae Robertson album (Lyric Partners, 1999)

''Best of Broadside 1962-1988'' [Box Set] (Folkways, 2000)

''Follow the Music: Various'' (Elektra, 2000)

''Kerrville Folk Festival'' (Silverwolf, 2000)

''Soup Happens'' Hot Soup album (Souper, 2000)

''Philadelphia Folk Festival - 40th Anniversary'' [Live] [Box Set] (Sliced Bread, 2001)

''Vietnam: Songs from a Divided House'' (Q. Records, 2001)

''Kids, Cars and Campfires'' (Red House, 2001)

''Washington Square Memoirs: The Great Urban Folk Boom, 1950-1970'' [Box Set] (Rhino, 2001)

''Radio Shows: Greatest Mysteries'' (Radio Spirits, 2001)

''Vanguard: Roots of Folk'' (Vanguard, 2002)

''Kerrville Folk Festival: The Silverwolf Years'' [Box Set] (Silverwolf, 2002)

''Celebration: Philadelphia Folk Festival 40th Festival'' (Sliced Bread, 2002)

''This Land Is Your Land: Songs of Unity'' (Music for Little People, 2002)

''Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 3'' (Appleseed, 2003)

''A Beachwood Christmas'' (Beachwood, 2003)

''Bon Appétit! Musical Food Fun'' Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer album (Rounder, 2003)

''cELLAbration: A Tribute to Ella Jenkins'' (Folkways, 2004)

''Hail to the Thief II: Songs to Send Bush Packing'' (2004)

''Missing Persians File: Guide Cats Blind, Vol. 2'' (Osmosys, 2005)

''Pop Masters: Early Mornin' Rain'' (Carinco AG/Digital Music Works, 2005)

''Christine Lavin Presents: One Meat Ball'' (Appleseed, 2006)

''Forever Changing: The Golden Age Of Elektra Records 1963-1973'' (Rhino/Wea, 2006)

''Sowing the Seeds: The 10th Anniversary'' (Appleseed Recordings, 2007)

* Carolyn Hester released an album entitled ''Tom Paxton Tribute'' (Road Goes On Forever, 1999)

Music books

''Ramblin' Boy and Other Songs by Tom Paxton'' (music book) (Oak Publications, 1965)

''Tom Paxton Anthology'' (music book) (United Artists Music Co., 1971)

''Tom Paxton Folio of Songs'' (music book) (United Artists Music Co., 1972)

''Tom Paxton Easy Guitar'' (music book) (United Artists Music Co., 1975)

''Politics'' (music book) (Cherry Lane Music, 1989)

''I Can Read Now'' (sheet music) (Pax Records / Cherry Lane Music, 1989)

''The Authentic Guitar Style of Tom Paxton'' (music book) (Cherry Lane Music, 1989)

''Tom Paxton's Children's Songbook'' (music book) (Cherry Lane Music, 1990)

''A Car Full of Songs'' (music Book) (Cherry Lane Music, 1991)

''Wearing the Time'' (music book) (Cherry Lane Music, 1994)

''Ramblin' Boy and Other Songs'' (Music Sales Corporation, 1997)

''The Honor of Your Company'' (music book) (Cherry Lane Music, 2000)

Non-music books

''Aesop's Fables'' (William Morrow & Co, 1988)

''Belling the Cat and Other Aesop's Fables'' (William Morrow & Co, 1990)

''Engelbert the Elephant'' (William Morrow & Co, 1990)

''Androcles and the Lion: And Other Aesop's Fables'' (William Morrow & Co, 1991)

''Birds of a Feather and Other Aesop's Fables'' (William Morrow & Co, 1993)

''The Animals' Lullaby (Let Me Read, Level 3)'' (William Morrow & Co, 1993)

''Where's the Baby?'' (HarperCollins, 1993)

''Engelbert Moves the House (Let Me Read, Level 3)'' (Good Year Books, 1995)

''The Story of Santa Claus'' (HarperCollins, 1995)

''The Story of the Tooth Fairy'' (William Morrow & Company, 1996)

''Going to the Zoo'' (William Morrow & Company, 1996)

''Meet Tom Paxton - An Interview With Tom Paxton: Level 3 Reader'' (Good Year Books, 1996)

''Engelbert Joins the Circus'' (HarperCollins, 1997)

''The Jungle Baseball Game'' (Morrow Junior, 1999)

''Jennifer's Rabbit'' (HarperCollins, 2001)

Videos

''Tom Paxton In Concert'' (video) (Shanachie Records, 1992)

*Other appearances:

*''Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest'' (TV show) (1965)

*''BBC's Tonight In Person'' (TV show) (1966)

*''Once More with Felix'' – aka "The Julie Felix Show" (Dec. 30, 1967)

*''BBC's In Concert'' (TV show) (1970)

*''The Mike Douglas Show'' (June 3, 1970)

*''The Val Doonican Show'' (July 3, 1971)

*''Tom Jones Variety Special #5'' (July 15, 1971)

*''Beat-Club'' episode #1.64 (1971)

*''Soundstage: Just Folks'' with Odetta, Josh White, Jr. and Bob Gibson (1980)

*''Chords of Fame'' (1984)

*''Folk City: 25th Anniversary Concert'' with Odetta, Joan Baez, Eric Andersen, Arlo Guthrie (1987)

*''The Folk Music Reunion'' (1988)

*''The Story of the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem'' (1991)

*''Peter, Paul and Mary: Lifelines'' (1996)

*''This Land Is Our Land: The Folk Rock Years II'' (2003)

*''Get Up, Stand Up: The Story of Pop and Protest'' (2003)

*''Peter, Paul and Mary: Carry It On – A Musical Legacy'' (2004)

*''The Ballad of Greenwich Village'' (2005)

*''Pete Seeger: The Power of Song'' (2007)

*''Let's Get Together: Highlights of the 20th Annual World Folk Music Association Benefit Weekend Concert'' (2008)

Tom's songs have been featured in the following movies: ''The Inheritance'' (1964), ''A Time for Burning'' (1966), ''Jennifer on My Mind'' (1971), ''Demolition Man'' (1993), ''The Family Man'' (2000), ''North Country'' (2005), and ''Spike'' (2008).

Paxton's song "Going to the Zoo" was included in an episode of ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' entitled "It's the Arts (or: Intermission)" (Season 1, episode 13; aired January 11, 1970; recorded January 4, 1970). "Going to the Zoo" was also featured on an episode of ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show'' entitled "Zoo" (Season 1, Episode 9; aired, November 5, 1984). Paxton's song "Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation" was included in an episode of ''American Experience'' entitled ''LBJ'' (1991). "The Last Thing on My Mind" was included on Bravo Profiles ''Dolly Parton: Diamond in a Rhinestone World'' (aired September 6, 1999). A brief clip of Paxton was shown during the 51st Grammy Awards telecast on February 8, 2009, which announced his Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Paxton contributed original music for the short drama ''The Price of Art'' (2007; release date, June 5, 2009).

Further reading

''The Honor of Your Company'' by Tom Paxton — ISBN 1-57560-144-3 (New York, NY: Cherry Lane Music Company, 2000)

References

External links

Tom Paxton's website

[ allmusic entry]

Music of Tom Paxton

Tom Paxton MySpace Page

Tom Paxton Interview

Fleming Artists

Tom Paxton Bio at Answers.com

Category:1937 births Category:Living people Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:American folk singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American male singers Category:American folk musicians Category:American folk guitarists Category:Musicians from Oklahoma Category:Songwriters from Illinois Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:People from Creek County, Oklahoma Category:University of Oklahoma alumni Category:People from Greenwich Village, New York Category:Civil rights activists Category:American environmentalists Category:American anti–Vietnam War activists Category:American anti–Iraq War activists Category:Vanguard Records artists Category:Fast Folk artists Category:Elektra Records artists

cs:Tom Paxton de:Tom Paxton fr:Tom Paxton nl:Tom Paxton no:Tom Paxton pt:Tom Paxton ru:Пакстон, Том sv:Tom Paxton

name	Craig Ferguson
birth date	May 17, 1962
birth place	Glasgow, Scotland
medium	Stand-up, television, film, music, books
nationality	Scottish
active	1980–present
genre	Observational comedy, satire/political satire/news satire
subject	Everyday life, popular culture, self-deprecation, politics
website	''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''
spouse	Anne Hogarth (1983–86) (divorced)Sascha Corwin (1998–2004) (divorced) 1 childMegan Wallace-Cunningham (2008–present) 1 child
notable work	Host of ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''Nigel Wick on ''The Drew Carey Show''Glaswegian in ''One Foot in the Grave''Gobber in ''How to Train Your Dragon'' }}

Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish-American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'', an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS. In addition to hosting that program and performing stand-up comedy, Ferguson has written two books: ''Between the Bridge and the River'', a novel, and ''American on Purpose'', a memoir. He became a citizen of the United States in 2008.

Before his career as a late-night television host, Ferguson was best known in the United States for his role as the office boss, Nigel Wick, on ''The Drew Carey Show'' from 1996 to 2003. He also wrote and starred in three films, directing one of them.

Early life

Ferguson was born in the Stobhill Hospital in the Springburn district of Glasgow, Scotland to Robert and Janet Ferguson, and raised in nearby Cumbernauld, growing up "chubby and bullied". When he was six months old, he and his family moved from their Springburn apartment to a council house in Cumbernauld. They lived there as Glasgow was re-housing many people following damage to the city from World War II. Ferguson attended Muirfield Primary School and Cumbernauld High School. At age sixteen, Ferguson dropped out of Cumbernauld High School and began an apprenticeship to be an electronics technician at a local factory of American company Burroughs Corporation.

His first visit to the United States was as a teenager to visit an uncle who lived on Long Island, near New York City. When he moved to New York City in 1983, he worked in construction in Harlem. Ferguson later became a bouncer at a nightclub, Save the Robots.

Career

British career

Ferguson's experience in entertainment began as a drummer in a rock band called Exposure. He then joined a punk band called The Bastards from Hell. The band, later renamed "Dreamboys", and fronted by vocalist Peter Capaldi, performed regularly in Glasgow from 1980 to 1982. Ferguson credits Capaldi for inspiring him to try comedy.

After a nerve-wrecking, knee-knocking first appearance, he decided to create a character that was a "parody of all the über-patriotic native folk singers who seemed to infect every public performance in Scotland." The character, "Bing Hitler" (actually coined by Capaldi as Ferguson started with the monogram of "Nico Fulton" but admittedly later stole the name for his "own nefarious ends"), premiered in Glasgow, and subsequently became a hit at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A recording of his stage act as Bing Hitler was made at Glasgow's Tron Theatre and released in the 1980s; a Bing Hitler monologue ("A Lecture for Burns Night") appears on the compilation cassette ''Honey at the Core.''

Ferguson's first television appearance was as Confidence on BBC sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' during the episode "Confidence and Paranoia".

Ferguson made his starring television debut in ''The Craig Ferguson Show'', a one-off comedy pilot for Granada Television, which co-starred Paul Whitehouse and Helen Atkinson-Wood. This was broadcast throughout the UK on 4 March 1990, but was not made into a full series.

He has also found success in musical theatre. Beginning in 1991, he appeared on stage as Brad Majors in the London production of ''The Rocky Horror Show'', alongside Anthony Head, who was playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter at the time. In 1994, Ferguson played Father MacLean in the highly controversial production of ''Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom'' at the Union Chapel in London. The same year, he appeared again at the Edinburgh Fringe, as Oscar Madison in ''The Odd Couple'', opposite Gerard Kelly as Felix and Kate Anthony as Gwendolin Pidgeon, who is now much better known as Aunty Pam in ''Coronation Street''; the play, which was relocated to 1990s Glasgow, later toured Scotland.

After enjoying success at the Edinburgh Festival, Ferguson appeared on ''Red Dwarf'', STV's ''Hogmanay Show'', his own show ''2000 Not Out'', and the 1993 ''One Foot in the Grave'' Christmas special ''One Foot in the Algarve.''

In 1993, Ferguson presented his own series on Scottish archaeology for Scottish Television entitled ''Dirt Detective.'' He travelled throughout the country examining archaeological history, including Skara Brae and Paisley Abbey.

U.S. career

After cancellation of his show ''The Ferguson Theory'', Ferguson moved to Los Angeles in 1994. His first U.S. role was as baker Logan McDonough on the short-lived 1995 ABC comedy ''Maybe This Time'', which starred Betty White and Marie Osmond.

His breakthrough in the U.S. came when he was cast on ''The Drew Carey Show'' as the title character's boss, Mr. Wick, a role that he played from 1996 to 2003. He played the role with an over-the-top posh English accent "to make up for generations of English actors doing crap Scottish accents." In his comedy special "A Wee Bit O' Revolution", he specifically called out James Doohan's portrayal of Montgomery Scott on Star Trek as the foundation of his "revenge". (At the end of one episode, though, Ferguson broke the fourth wall and began talking to the audience at home in his regular Scottish accent.) His character was memorable for his unique methods of laying employees off, almost always "firing Johnson", the most common last name of the to-be-fired workers. Even after leaving the show in 2003, he remained a recurring character on the series for the last two seasons, and was part of the 2-part series finale in 2004.

During production of ''The Drew Carey Show'', Ferguson devoted his off-time as a cast member to writing, working in his trailer on set in-between shooting his scenes. He wrote and starred in three films: ''The Big Tease'', ''Saving Grace'', and ''I'll Be There'', which he also directed and for which he won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Aspen, Dallas and Valencia film festivals. He was named Best New Director at the Napa Valley Film Festival. These were among other scripts that, "... in the great tradition of the movie business, about half a dozen that I got paid a fortune for but never got made." His other acting credits in films include ''Niagara Motel'', ''Lenny the Wonder Dog'', ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'', ''Chain of Fools'', ''Born Romantic'', ''The Ugly Truth'', ''How to Train Your Dragon'', ''Kick-Ass'' and ''Winnie the Pooh''.

Ferguson has been touring the United States and Canada with a stand-up comedy show, and performed at Carnegie Hall on 23 October 2010.

''The Late Late Show''

In December 2004, it was announced that Ferguson would be the successor to Craig Kilborn on CBS's ''The Late Late Show''. His first show as the regular host aired on 3 January 2005. By May 2008, Ben Alba, an American television historian and an authority on U.S. talk shows, said Ferguson "has already made his mark, taking the TV monologue to new levels with an underlying story. But he is only just starting ... He is making up his own rules: It's the immigrant experience."

''The Late Late Show'' averaged 2.0 million viewers in its 2007 season, compared with 2.5 million for ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. In April 2008, ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' beat ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' for weekly ratings (1.88 million to 1.77 million) for the first time since the two shows went head-to-head with their respective hosts.

By the end of 2009, Craig Ferguson topped Jimmy Fallon in the ratings with Ferguson getting a 1.8 rating/6 share and Fallon receiving a 1.6 rating/6 share.

Ferguson's success on the show has led at least one "television insider" to say he is the heir apparent to take over David Letterman's role as host of ''The Late Show''.

Television and appearances

Craig Ferguson has made guest appearances on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', ''Rachael Ray'', ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'', ''The Howard Stern Show'', ''The Daily Show'', ''The View'', ''Loveline'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', ''The Soup'', ''The Talk'' and ''The Dennis Miller Show''. He also co-hosted ''Live with Regis & Kelly'' with Kelly Ripa.

On 4 January 2009 Ferguson was a celebrity player on ''Million Dollar Password''.

thumb|Ferguson in April 2008 In 2009, Ferguson made a cameo live-action appearance in the episode "We Love You, Conrad" on ''Family Guy''. Ferguson hosted the 32nd annual People's Choice Awards on 10 January 2006. ''TV Guide'' magazine printed a "Cheers" (Cheers and Jeers section) for appearing on his own show that same evening. From 2007 to 2010, Ferguson hosted the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on 4 July, broadcast nationally by CBS. Ferguson was the featured entertainer at the 26 April 2008 White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC.

Ferguson co-presented the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama with Brooke Shields in 2008. He has done voice work in cartoons, including being the voice of Barry's evil alter-ego in the "With Friends Like Steve's" episode of ''American Dad''; in ''Freakazoid!'' as Roddy MacStew, Freakazoid's mentor; and on ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' as the robot vampire NOS-4-A2. Most recently, he was the voice of Susan the boil on ''Futurama'', which was a parody of Scottish singer Susan Boyle. He makes stand-up appearances in Las Vegas and New York City. He headlined in the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and in October 2008 Ferguson taped his stand up show in Boston for a Comedy Central special entitled ''A Wee Bit o' Revolution'', which aired on 22 March 2009.

British television comedy drama ''Doc Martin'' was based on a character from Ferguson's film ''Saving Grace'' – with Ferguson getting writing credits for 12 episodes. On 6 November 2009 Ferguson appeared as himself in a ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' special titled ''SpongeBob's Truth or Square''. He hosted Discovery Channel's 23rd season of ''Shark Week'' in 2010. Ferguson briefly appeared in Toby Keith's ''"Red Solo Cup"'' music video released on 10 October 2011.

Literature

Ferguson's novel ''Between the Bridge and the River'' was published on 10 April 2006. Ferguson appeared at the Los Angeles Festival of Books, as well as other author literary events. "This book could scare them", Ferguson said. "The sex, the violence, the dream sequences and the iconoclasm. I think a lot of people are uncomfortable with that. I understand that. It was very uncomfortable to write some of it." ''Publishers Weekly'' called it "a ''tour de force'' of cynical humor and poignant reverie, a caustic yet ebullient picaresque that approaches the sacred by way of the profane." His novel ''Between the Bridge and the River'' is dedicated to his son and to his grandfather, Adam. Ferguson revealed in an interview that he is writing a sequel to the book, to be titled "The Sphynx of the Mississippi". He also stated in a 2006 interview with David Letterman that he intends for the book to be the first in a trilogy.

Ferguson signed a deal with HarperCollins to publish his memoirs. The book, entitled ''American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot'', focuses on "how and why [he] became an American" and covers his years as a punk rocker, dancer, bouncer and construction worker as well as the rise of his career in Hollywood as an actor and comic. It went on sale 22 September 2009 in the United States. On 1 December 2010 the audiobook version was nominated for a Best Spoken Word Album Grammy.

In July 2009, Jackie Collins was a guest on ''The Late Late Show'' to promote her new book ''Married Lovers''. Collins said that a character in her book, Don Verona, was based on Ferguson because she was such a fan of him and his show.

Personal life

As mentioned on ''The Late Late Show'' on 3 August 2009, Ferguson holds an FAA Private Pilot's License issued 31 July 2009. Ferguson announced on the 8 April 2011 broadcast that he is pursuing an instrument rating.

Ferguson is a fan of Scottish football team Partick Thistle F.C. as well as the British television show ''Doctor Who''. He has three tattoos: his latest, the Join, or Die political cartoon on his right forearm; a Ferguson family crest with the Latin motto ''Dulcius ex asperis'' ("Sweeter out of [or from] difficulty") on his upper right arm in honour of his father; and the Ingram family crest on his upper left arm in honour of his mother. He has often stated that his ''Join, or Die'' tattoo is to signal his patriotism.

Family

In an episode of ''The Late Late Show'' that aired 8 December 2008, a somber Ferguson talked about his mother, Janet (3 August 1933 – 1 December 2008). He ended the program by playing her favourite song, "Rivers of Babylon" by Boney M.

Ferguson has two sisters (one older and one younger) and one older brother. His elder sister's name is Janice and his brother's name is Scott. His younger sister, Lynn Ferguson Tweddle, is also a successful comedienne, presenter, and actress, perhaps most widely known as the voice of Mac in the 2000 stop-motion animation film ''Chicken Run''. She is currently a writer on ''The Late Late Show''.

Ferguson has married three times and divorced twice as a result of what he describes as "relationship issues". His first marriage was to Anne Hogarth from 1983 to 1986, during which time they lived in New York. From his second marriage (to Sascha Corwin, founder and proprietor of Los Angeles' SpySchool), he has one son, Milo Hamish Ferguson, born in 2001. He and Corwin share custody of Milo, and live near each other in Los Angeles. On 21 December 2008, Ferguson married art dealer Megan Wallace-Cunningham in a private ceremony on her family's farm in Chester, Vermont. Ferguson announced 14 July 2010 on Twitter that they were expecting a child. He wrote: "Holy crackers! Mrs F is pregnant. How did that happen? ... oh yeah I know how. Another Ferguson arrives in 2011. The world trembles." The child, a boy named Liam James, was born 31 January 2011.

Alcoholism

A recovering alcoholic, Ferguson has been sober since 18 February 1992. Because of this, he declared he wouldn't mock Britney Spears' much-publicized alcohol problems in 2007. He said he had considered committing suicide on Christmas Day 1991, but when offered a drink by a friend for celebrating the holiday, he was distracted from jumping off Tower Bridge in London as he had planned.

Citizenship

Holding dual citizenship, Ferguson is both a naturalized citizen of the United States and a British citizen.

During 2007, Ferguson, who at the time held only British citizenship, used ''The Late Late Show'' as a forum for seeking honorary citizenship from every state in the U.S. He has received honorary citizenship from Nebraska, Arkansas, Virginia, Montana, North Dakota, New Jersey, Tennessee, South Carolina, South Dakota, Nevada, Alaska, Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Indiana, and was "commissioned" as an admiral in the tongue-in-cheek Nebraska Navy. Governors Jon Corzine (New Jersey), John Hoeven (North Dakota), Mark Sanford (South Carolina), Mike Rounds (South Dakota), Rick Perry (Texas), Sarah Palin (Alaska) and Jim Gibbons (Nevada) sent letters to him that made him an honorary citizen of their respective states. He received similar honors from various towns and cities, including Ozark, Arkansas; Hazard, Kentucky; and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Ferguson became an American citizen on 1 February 2008 and broadcast the taking of his citizenship test as well as his swearing in on ''The Late Late Show''.

Filmography

+ Film
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1992	''The Bogie Man''
1998	''Modern Vampires''	Richard
1999	''The Big Tease''	Crawford Mackenzie	Writer
2000		Melander Stevens
2000	''Born Romantic''	Frankie
2000		Matthew Stewart	Writer
2002	''Life Without Dick''	Jared O'Reilly
2002	''Prendimi l'anima'' (''The Soul Keeper'')	Richard Fraser
2003		Paul Kerr	Director, Writer
2004	''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events''	Person of Indeterminate Gender
2004	''Lenny the Wonder Dog''	Dr. Wagner
2005		Fisherman
2006	''Niagara Motel''	Phillie
2007		Ted Truman
2008	''Craig Ferguson: A Wee Bit O' Revolution''
2009		Himself
2010	''The Hero of Color City''
2010		Gobber	Voice only
2010		Himself
2011			Voice only
2011	''Totally Framed''	Jeffrey Stewart
2012		Lord Macintosh	Voice only
2012		David	Post-production
2014	''How to Train Your Dragon 2''	Gobber	Voice only

+Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1988	''Red Dwarf''	Confidence
1989	''The Big Gig''	Himself	Regular Comic
1993	''One Foot in the Grave''	Glaswegian beach bully	Christmas Special "One foot in the Algarve"
1994	''The Dirt Detective: A History of Scotland''	Travel documentary series	Host
1994	''The Ferguson Theory''	Himself	Host
1995–1996	''Maybe This Time''	Logan McDonough	18 episodes
1995–1997	''Freakazoid!''	Roddy MacStew	7 episodes
1996–2004	''The Drew Carey Show''	Nigel Wick	170 episodes
2000	''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command''	NOS 4 A2	Voice only, 5 episodes
2005		Oliver Davies	1 episode
2005–present	''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''	Himself	Host
2006	''American Dad!''	Evil Barry	Voice only, Episode: ''With Friends Like Steve's''
2009	''Family Guy''	Himself	Episode: ''We Love You, Conrad''
2009	''SpongeBob's Truth or Square''	Himself	TV movie
2010	''Futurama''	Susan Boil	Episode: ''Attack of the Killer App''
2010	''Shark Week''	Himself	Host
2010	''Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon''	Gobber	Voice only, TV short film

Bibliography

Comedy specials

''A Wee Bit o' Revolution''. Comedy Central. 2009.

''Does This Need to Be Said?'' EPIX, Comedy Central. 2011.

Discography

''Live At The Tron'' (as Bing Hitler). Jammy Records. 1986. Catalogue number JRLP 861.

References

External links

Craig Ferguson on Twitter

Craig Ferguson Interview on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos

Craig Ferguson and Megan Wallace Cunningham

''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''

Category:1962 births Category:American aviators Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American memoirists Category:American novelists Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Glasgow Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:Scottish comedians Category:Scottish emigrants to the United States Category:Scottish memoirists Category:Scottish novelists Category:Scottish screenwriters Category:Scottish television actors Category:People from Cumbernauld Category:Actors from New York City Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California Category:Scottish male comedians

de:Craig Ferguson es:Craig Ferguson fr:Craig Ferguson it:Craig Ferguson ja:クレイグ・ファーガソン no:Craig Ferguson pl:Craig Ferguson ru:Фергюсон, Крейг simple:Craig Ferguson fi:Craig Ferguson sv:Craig Ferguson zh:克雷格·费格斯

name	Sara Paxton
birth date	April 25, 1988
birth place	Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
occupation	Actress, singer, model
years active	1996–present
website	MySpaceTwitter]Official Website] }}

Sara Paxton (born April 25, 1988) is an American actress, model and singer. She grew up in California and began acting at an early age, appearing in many minor roles in both films and television shows, before coming to wider renown in 2004, after playing the title role in the series ''Darcy's Wild Life'' and Sarah Borden in ''Summerland''. Paxton has also starred in the films ''Sleepover'', ''Aquamarine'', ''Return to Halloweentown'', ''Sydney White'', ''Superhero Movie'', ''The Last House on the Left'', and ''Shark Night 3D''.

Early life and education

Paxton, an only child, was born in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, to what she has described as "a very mixed family." Her father, Steve, is of Irish, Scottish, and English descent, and is distantly related to actor Bill Paxton. Her mother, Lucia, was born in Monterrey, Mexico and raised in Ciudad Acuña. Paxton's mother is Jewish and Paxton's father converted to Judaism upon marrying her mother. Both her parents are dentists.

During her childhood, Paxton put on shows and wanted to perform, sometimes dressing up in costume and coming to school as a particular character. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley, choosing to attend a public high school instead of accepting home-schooling. Paxton graduated from high school in May 2006.

Career

Film career

Paxton has said that singing and acting "went hand in hand" during her early years, though she initially began working as an actress, appearing in musical theater and later in television commercials at a young age. Her first film role was a small part in the 1997 Jim Carrey comedy, ''Liar Liar''. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, she appeared in a number of minor television and film roles, including a part on the soap opera ''Passions'', regular roles on the series ''Greetings from Tucson'' and ''Action'', and a guest starring role on the Disney Channel show, ''Lizzie McGuire'' starring Hilary Duff playing an ex-president of Lizzie's school. In 2003, Paxton starred in R. L. Stine's ''Haunted Lighthouse'', a short 3-D film attraction that still plays at several theme parks across the United States. She also appeared as Lana on ''CSI: Miami''.and as Marnie Piper in ''Return to Halloweentown''.

Paxton's first major role was in the teen-oriented film ''Sleepover'', which opened in July 2004 to negative reviews and low box office revenue; during the same summer season, she appeared in several episodes of the series, ''Summerland'', playing Sarah Borden, a mentally troubled teen who experimented with drugs and sex with Jesse McCartney's character. Paxton was subsequently cast in the lead role of the Discovery Kids television series, ''Darcy's Wild Life'', playing Darcy Fields, a girl who works at a rural veterinary; the series was filmed on a farm in Toronto and aired from 2004 to 2006, often featuring Paxton's music track, "Take a Walk". Paxton received an Emmy nomination for the role in 2006.

In 2005, Paxton spent three months working on the Australia-filmed ''Aquamarine'', in which she played a mermaid, opposite Emma Roberts and JoJo, whom she befriended while filming. Paxton has said that she felt a sense of "female empowerment" while on set because "almost everyone" on set was female. The film opened on March 3, 2006 and grossed approximately $7.5 million in its opening weekend. Reviewers of the film compared Paxton, whose inspiration is Goldie Hawn, to actress Reese Witherspoon, saying that she has an "infectious, nutty energy." Paxton recorded a song for the film's soundtrack titled "Connected", an English version of the Mexican group RBD's song ''Tenerte y Quererte'' from their 2004 album Rebelde, which has been used in ''Barbie and the Diamond Castle'' and covered by Katharine McPhee.

Paxton hosted ''The Secret Life of Water'', the first episode of the series ''Planet H2O'', which premiered in April 2006 on public television stations. In May of the same year, she made an appearance on the television series ''Pepper Dennis'', playing a teen actress. Paxton, who sees herself as an "evolving actress," then appeared in ''Return to Halloweentown'', replacing Kimberly J. Brown in the fourth installment in Disney Channel's Halloweentown series; she dyed her hair brown for the role. The film aired on October 20, 2006. During the summer and early fall of 2006, Paxton filmed ''The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker'', a Lifetime Television film, in Vancouver Island. In the film, she plays Jessie, a college student who falls victim to binge drinking. Paxton has described it as "very different" from her previous roles, and has specified that she was looking for a role that would be a "challenge". The film aired in March 2007. Paxton's next film role was in ''Sydney White'', a college-set comedy starring Amanda Bynes and Matt Long; filming began on February 12, 2007 in Orlando, Florida and the movie was released on September 21, 2007. She next starred in ''Superhero Movie'', a parody on superhero films which began filming in September 2007 and was released on March 28, 2008. She also helped co-star Drake Bell record his theme song for the movie, ''Superhero! Song''.

Paxton starred in the remake of ''The Last House on the Left'', playing the lead female character, Mari. The film opened March 13, 2009. Her next film may be ''Gravy'', a horror-comedy with Jena Malone and Winona Ryder, and she will also guest star on the show ''Jonas''.

Paxton starred in the CW drama series ''The Beautiful Life'' alongside Corbin Bleu, Mischa Barton and Elle Macpherson. The show premiered on September 16, 2009, but was cancelled after 2 episodes. It was later aired online on YouTube. Paxton will next co-star with Scott Eastwood in the thriller ''Enter Nowhere'', and will also play one of the lead roles in the Ti West film ''The Innkeepers''.

Music career

Paxton was signed to a record deal with Epic Records during the time she was cast in ''Aquamarine''. Her debut music CD, ''The Ups and Downs'', featuring the titled single "Here We Go Again", is due for release by Epic at some point "in the future"; as of March 2007, Paxton has not completed work on it. She has described the sound as "pop/rock. It is believed Sara's debut album has been shelved and she has no plans to continue her music career as she has not made any announcement of any plans to further her career in the music industry. "

Personal life

Paxton has said that attending college is "very important" to her because "it is important to expand your mind." In 2006, Paxton applied to the University of Southern California's film studies program. She has noted that she would like to major in business administration with a minor in history (as she is a "history fanatic") and to start a production company.

Paxton has credited her Jewish religion for feeling "very connected" to her family, who keep her "grounded" and are "always number one" in her life. She did not have a Bat Mitzvah because she was busy filming, though she has said that she "wanted to [have one] so bad".

Filmography

Films

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" border="1" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Film ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- |1997 | ''Liar Liar'' | Child at Party and School | |- |rowspan="3"| 1998 | ''Music from Another Room'' | Young Karen | |- | ''Soldier'' | Angie | |- | ''Tunnel Vision'' | Shauna | |- | 1999 | ''Durango Kids'' | Hilary | |- | 2000 | ''Perfect Game'' | Sydney | Supporting role |- |rowspan="2" | 2001 | ''The Ruby Princess Runs Away'' | Princess Sabrina | |- | ''Hounded'' | Tracy | Supporting role |- | 2003 | ''Haunted Lighthouse'' | Ashley | 4D |- | 2004 | ''Sleepover'' | Stacie Blake | Main role as antagonist |- | 2006 | ''Aquamarine'' | Aquamarine | Main role |- | 2007 | ''Sydney White'' | Rachel Witchburn | Supporting role |- | 2008 | ''Superhero Movie'' | Jill Johnson | Main role |- | 2009 | ''The Last House on the Left'' | Mari Collingwood | Main role |- | rowspan="1"| 2011 |''Shark Night 3D'' | Sara | |- | rowspan="6"| 2012 | ''Liars All'' | Katie | Filming |- |''The Briar Lake Murders'' | Blake | Pre-production |- |''The Lowenfish Party'' | Missy | Pre-production |- | ''The Innkeepers'' | Claire | Main role |- | ''Enter Nowhere'' | Samantha |Post-production |- |''The Big Valley'' | Audra Barkley | Post-production |- |- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"|Films made for television or video |- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" ! style="text-align:center;"| Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes |- | 1997 | ''You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's... Christmas Party'' | Patty | Video |- |2000 | ''Geppetto'' | Featured | TV musical |- | 2002 | ''Generation Gap'' | | |- |2006 | ''Return to Halloweentown'' | Marnie Piper
Young Splendora Agatha Cromwell | Main role |- | 2007 | ''The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker'' | Jesse Brenner | Main Role |- | 2012 | ''Blue-Eyed Butcher'' | Susan Wright | Main Role |}

Television

Starring and recurring roles
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1996		Herself, Panelist #1	TV series, 10 episodes
1999–2004	''SpongeBob SquarePants''	Kid Fish/Baby Fish	Recurring role, 12 episodes
2002–2003	''Greetings from Tucson''	Sarah Tobin	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2004		Sarah Borden	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2004–2006	''Darcy's Wild Life''	Darcy Fields	Lead role, 33 episodes
2009	''The Beautiful Life: TBL''	Raina Marinelli	Main role, 5 episodes
Television guest appearances
Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1997	''NewsRadio''	Sara	TV series, 1 episode
1998		Homeless Girl	Episode: "A Very Carrie Christmas"
		Amanda Baines	TV series, 1 episode
''Passions''	Young Sheridan	TV series, 1 episode
	Georgia Dragon	TV series, 2 episodes
2001	''Lizzie McGuire''	Old Class President
	''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Jody Bradley	Episode "Burden of Proof"
''Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction''	Spirit of little girl	"The Wailing"
2003	''CSI: Miami''	Lana Walker	TV series, 1 episode
	''Will & Grace''	Melanie	TV series, 1 episode
''Malcolm in the Middle''	Angela
''Quintuplets''	Chelsea	1 episode
	''Pepper Dennis''	April May/Chrissy Tyler	TV series, 1 episode
''Skater Boys''	Kayla Gordon	TV series, 1 episode
2008	''Wizards of Waverly Place''	Millie	Episode "Credit Check"
2009		Fiona Skye

Discography

Singles

! Year !! Song
	"Here We Go Again"
	"Temporary"
	"Kiss Me Like You Mean It"

Soundtracks

! Year	! Song	! Soundtrack
	"Take a Walk"
"There For You"	''Darcy's Wild Life soundtrack''
"Don't Wanna Be Alone" (with Jesse McCartney)	''Summerland soundtrack''
	"Connected"	''Aquamarine soundtrack''
"Can You Feel The Love Tonight"	''Disneymania 4''
	"I Need a Hero"	''Superhero! Movie''

References

External links

Category:1988 births Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California Category:American child actors Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Mexican descent Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Mexican-Jewish descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Jewish singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from California Category:People from Woodland Hills, Los Angeles

ar:سارة باكستون cs:Sara Paxtonová de:Sara Paxton es:Sara Paxton fa:سارا پاکستون fr:Sara Paxton ko:사라 팩스턴 hy:Սառա Փեքսթոն id:Sara Paxton it:Sara Paxton he:שרה פקסטון hu:Sara Paxton nl:Sara Paxton ja:サラ・パクストン pl:Sara Paxton pt:Sara Paxton ru:Пэкстон, Сара simple:Sara Paxton fi:Sara Paxton sv:Sara Paxton vi:Sarah Paxton

Michael Paxton (born March 29, 1957) is an American filmmaker whose feature documentary, ''Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life'' received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Satellite Award for Best Feature Documentary of 1997.

Background

In 1979, Paxton graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. He then attended New York University's Graduate Institute of Film and Television, where his thesis film, ''Forbidden Fruit'', won awards for Best Screenplay and Best Editing at the 1988 NYU Film Festival.

Career

In 1989, Paxton co-produced and directed the world premiere of Ayn Rand' play ''Ideal'' at the Melrose Theater in Hollywood. In 1991, he adapted and directed a dramatic presentation of Rand's futuristic novella, ''Anthem''. In 1995 he was the Assistant Director on the live-action/animated feature, ''The Pagemaster'', for Turner Pictures. In addition to his film and theater work, he has written four books: ''Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life (The Companion Book)'' and three children's books for Disney based on their classic animated features (''Cinderella'', ''The Rescuers Down Under'' and ''The Aristocats''). He has also co-produced the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to ''Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life'' and was a Visual Effects Supervisor on ''Stuart Little 2''. He was the Associate Producer on ''The Lion King 1½'' for Disney, ''Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows'' for Miramax, and ''Smallville Legends: Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton'' for The CW.

Partial filmography

''Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life'' (1997) writer/director/producer

''Ideal'' (2004) (V) writer/director/producer

''Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows'' (2005) associate producer

''Smallville Legends: Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton'' (2008 (V) line producer

;Animation projects

''Rover Dangerfield'' (1991) production coordinator

''The Pagemaster'' (1994) assistant director

''Roxy Hunter and the Mystery of the Moody Ghost'' (2007) (TV) associate producer

''Roxy Hunter and the Myth of the Mermaid'' (2008) (TV) associate producer

''Roxy Hunter and the Secret of the Shaman'' (2008) (TV) associate producer

''Roxy Hunter and the Horrific Halloween'' (2008) (TV) associate producer

References

External links

''Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life''

Category:Living people Category:American film producers Category:New York University alumni Category:1957 births