Robert Sobel (February 19, 1931 — June 2, 1999) was an American professor of history at Hofstra University, and a well-known and prolific writer of business histories.

Sobel was born in the Bronx, in New York City, New York. He completed his B.S.S. (1951) and M.A. (1952) at City College of New York, and after serving in the U.S. Army, obtained a Ph.D. from New York University in 1957. He started teaching at Hofstra in 1956. Sobel eventually became Lawrence Stessin Distinguished Professor of Business History at Hofstra. After his death, the university established the Robert Sobel Endowed Scholarship for Excellence in Business History and Finance.

Sobel's first business history, published in 1965, was The Big Board: A History of the New York Stock Market. It was the first history of the stock market written in over a generation. The book was met with favorable reviews, and solid sales, and Sobel's writing career was launched. Several of his subsequent books were best sellers.

Besides writing more than 30 books, Sobel authored many articles, book reviews, and scripts for television documentaries and mini-series. From 1972 to 1988, Sobel's weekly investment column, "Knowing the Street," was nationally syndicated through New York Newsday. He was also regularly published in national periodicals, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. At the time of his death, Sobel was also a contributing editor to Barron's Magazine. He was a regular guest on financial and other news shows, such as Wall Street Week and Crossfire.

James Fischer (December 27, 1927-July 3, 2004) was an American engineer, who developed high-purity silicon technology for Texas Instruments.

Born in Boaz, Alabama, Fischer grew up in Gentry, Arkansas. Fischer graduated from the University of Arkansas and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Hired by Texas Instruments in 1955, Fischer, with a master's degree in chemical engineering, worked with the technical staff on high-purity silicon, and helped develop the high-purity silicon manufacturing plant. In 1978 he became vice president of the company's worldwide semiconductor operations, and in 1980, became executive vice president of the company.

He retired from Texas Instruments in 1984 and died of cancer in 2004, in Richardson, Texas.

Robert Cray (born August 1, 1953, Columbus, Georgia, United States) is an American blues guitarist and singer. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has led his own band, as well as an acclaimed solo career.

Cray started playing guitar in his early teens. At Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia, his love of blues and soul music flourished as he started collecting records. Originally, he wanted to become an architect, but around the same time that he began to study architectural design, he formed the band Steakface, described as "the best band from Lakewood you never heard of". Cray's guitar and vocals contributed greatly to Steakface's set list of songs by Jimi Hendrix, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Fleetwood Mac, The Grease Band, Blodwyn Pig, Jethro Tull, Spirit and The Faces.

By the age of twenty, Cray had seen his heroes Albert Collins, Freddie King and Muddy Waters in concert and decided to form his own band; they began playing college towns on the West Coast. In the late 1970s he lived in Eugene, Oregon, where he formed the Robert Cray Band and collaborated with Curtis Salgado in the Cray-Hawks. In the 1978 film, National Lampoon's Animal House, Cray was the uncredited bassist in the house party band Otis Day and the Knights. After several years of regional success, Cray was signed to Mercury Records in 1982. His third album release, Strong Persuader, produced by Dennis Walker, received a Grammy Award, while the crossover single "Smokin' Gun" gave him wider appeal and name recognition.

Barry Sobel (born July 11, 1964) is an American actor and comedian.

Sobel grew up in New York City. During the 1980s, he toured the comedy circuit heavily. His routine centered around rapping in a Beastie Boys style.

Barry also had a part in Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise. He adopted his hip-hop comedy rap in 1987 when he was featured on HBO's Uptown Comedy Express. He was the only white performer there amongst an all black line-up and a pre-dominantly black audience. Eddie Murphy and Earvin "Magic" Johnson were attending in the audience, and appeared to laugh at his jokes.

In the 1987 film, Punchline, he had a small part, but played a more prominent off screen role as comedic advisor to Tom Hanks.According to Sobel, Hanks caught his act which stylistically was considered 'dangerous' as was the character Hanks was to play in Punchline.^{[citation needed]}

Sobel starred in the final season of 227, and did voice-over work as himself on Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. He played Chico on the series The Boondocks, and guest starred as an angel on The Parent 'Hood.

Beautiful Creatures (sometimes abbreviated as BC) are a hard rock band formed in 1999 by guitarist DJ Ashba, formerly of BulletBoys, and singer Joe Lesté of Bang Tango. The group's current lineup (as of 2009) is composed of Lesté (lead vocals), Delta Starr (lead guitar), Anthony Focx (rhythm guitar), Lance Eric (bass) and Justin Sandler (drums). Previously the group featured Kenny Kweens (now of L.A. Guns), Alex Grossi (now of Quiet Riot and Bang Tango), Michael Thomas (now of Adler's Appetite) and Glen Sobel among others while founder DJ Ashba is currently the lead guitarist for both Sixx:A.M. and Guns N' Roses.

To date, Beautiful Creatures have released two albums – Beautiful Creatures (2001); Deuce (2005) and have had songs featured on soundtracks for films such as Valentine, Rollerball, The Proposal and also television series such as Smallville and Sons of Anarchy.