Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
Name	Captain Sinbad
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Carl Dwyer
Born	c.1955
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Genre	Reggae, dancehall
Occupation	Deejay, record producer
Years active	Late 1970s–present
Label	Greensleeves, Oak Sounds, CSA, Sinbad

Captain Sinbad was the deejay alter ego of Jamaican record producer Carl Dwyer (born c.1955).

Biography

Dwyer was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and entered the music industry as a deejay under the name Captain Sinbad on the Sound of Silence sound system, which at the time also featured Sugar Minott, with whom he recorded the "Pressure Rock" single. Minott had been assiciated with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label and studio for some years and took Dwyer there to record. He also recorded for Dillinger's Oak Sound label, these recordings compiled on the Again album in 1983. Although he recorded for several producers, including Minott and Linval Thompson, his debut album release was the Lawes-produced The Seven Voyages of Captain Sinbad (1982). This was followed in 1983 with a collaboration with Peter Metro and Little John on Sinbad and the Metric System. His productions in the 1990s included the Romantic ragga series of albums.

Discography

The Seven Voyages of Captain Sinbad (1982), Greensleeves

Sinbad and the Metric System (1983), CSA - with Peter Metro and Little John

Again (1983), Oak Sounds

;Productions:

Sin Badda Than Them (1992), Sinbad

Gangster (1992), Sinbad

Romantic Ragga Volume 1 (1993), Sinbad

Ambush (1993), Sinbad

Romantic Ragga Volume 2 (1994), Sinbad

Notes

References

Jeffries, David "[ Captain Sinbad Biography]", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation

Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9

Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8

Category:Living people Category:people from Kingston, Jamaica Category:Jamaican reggae musicians Category:Jamaican record producers

Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
Name	Don LaFontaine
Birth name	Donald Leroy LaFontaine
Birth date	August 26, 1940
Birth place	Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.
Death date	September 01, 2008
Death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Voice actor
Years active	1962–2008
Spouse	Joan Studva (1967–1988)Nita Whitaker (1989–2008)
Children	Christine LaFontaine (age 40)Skye LaFontaine (age 20)Elyse LaFontaine (age 16)
Website	http://www.donlafontaine.com/

Donald Leroy "Don" LaFontaine (August 26, 1940 – September 1, 2008) was an American voiceover artist famous for recording more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, network promotions, and video game trailers. His nicknames included "Thunder Throat" and "The Voice of God". He became identified with the phrase "In a world…", which has been used in movie trailers so frequently that it has become a cliché. He parodied his career several times, most recently in commercials for GEICO insurance and the Mega Millions lottery game.

Life and career

LaFontaine was born August 25, 1940, in Duluth, Minnesota, to Alfred and Ruby LaFontaine. According to LaFontaine himself, his voice cracked at the age of 13 in the middle of a sentence, giving him the bass tones that would later bring him much fame and success. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Army, and worked as a recording engineer for the Army Band and Chorus. He continued in that field after discharge and began working at the National Recording Studios in New York City, where, in 1962, he had the opportunity to work with producer Floyd Peterson on radio spots for ''. Peterson incorporated many of LaFontaine’s ideas for the spots and, in 1963, they went into business together producing advertising exclusively for the movie industry. LaFontaine claimed that it was this company that first came up with many of the famous movie trailer catch phrases, including his own future trademark, "in a world..."

While working on the 1964 western Gunfighters of Casa Grande, LaFontaine had to fill in for an unavailable voice actor in order to have something to present to MGM. After MGM bought the spots, LaFontaine began a career as a voiceover artist.

He became the head of Kaleidoscope Films Ltd., a major movie trailer producer before starting his own company, Don LaFontaine Associates, in 1976. Shortly thereafter, he was hired by Paramount to do their trailers, and was eventually promoted to a vice president. However, he decided to get back into trailer work and left Paramount, moving to Los Angeles in 1981. LaFontaine was contacted by an agent who wanted to promote him for voiceover work. Thereafter, LaFontaine worked in voiceovers. At his peak, he voiced about 60 promotions a week, and sometimes as many as 35 in a single day. Once he established himself, most studios were willing to pay a high fee for his service. His income was reportedly in the millions.

LaFontaine often had jobs at a number of different studios each day, and famously hired a driver to take him from studio to studio in order to save time finding parking. With the advent of ISDN technology, LaFontaine built a recording studio in his Hollywood Hills home and began doing his work from home.

LaFontaine lent his very distinctive voice to thousands of movie trailers during his career, spanning every genre from every major film studio, including The Cannon Group, for which he voiced one of their logos. For a time, LaFontaine had a near-monopoly on movie trailer voiceovers. Some notable trailers which LaFontaine highlighted in the intro on his official website include: , Shrek, Friday the 13th, Law & Order and Batman Returns. LaFontaine stated in 2007 that his favorite work in a movie trailer was for the hit biographical film The Elephant Man, though according to a response to the question on his website, he had several trailers which stood out in his mind, and he didn't like to choose one.

LaFontaine also did other voice work, including as the announcer for the newscasts on WCBS-TV New York, from 2000 to 2001. LaFontaine was a recurring guest narrator for clues on the game show Jeopardy! and appeared on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! on May 14, 2005, where he played "Not My Job" (a game in which famous people have to accurately answer questions totally unrelated to their chosen professions). The prize (for a listener, not the contestant) is "Carl Kassell's voice on your home answering machine". LaFontaine did not win the game, and offered to record the listener's answering machine message himself. LaFontaine once claimed that he enjoyed recording messages like these because it allowed him to be creative in writing unique messages, and said that he would do so for anyone who contacted him if he had the time. However, by 2007, he found the requests to be too numerous for him to take on, and stopped providing the service.

In 2006, GEICO began airing an ad campaign in which actual customers told their own stories of GEICO experiences, accompanied by a celebrity who helped them make the story interesting. LaFontaine was featured as the celebrity in one of these ads which began airing in August 2006. In the commercial, he was introduced as "that announcer guy from the movies", with his name printed on-screen to identify him. He began his telling of the customer's story with his trademark "In a world...". LaFontaine credited the spot as life-changing for having exposed his name and face to a significant audience, noting, "There goes any anonymity I might have had..."

Death

On Friday, August 22, 2008, LaFontaine was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California with a pulmonary embolism and was reported to be in critical condition the following Tuesday. His family made a public appeal for prayers on the Mediabistro.com site. LaFontaine died on September 1, 2008, six days after his 68th birthday, following complications from a pneumothorax. He is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. His final television voice over role was for the Phineas and Ferb episode "The Chronicles of Meap" in which he parodied himself. The episode also ended with a short tribute to him. His final movie trailer voice-over was for Call + Response, a documentary about global slave trade, for which he donated his talent.

Dedications

On September 6, 2008, America's Most Wanted showed a visual with a picture of him with words below that said "In Memoriam: Don LaFontaine August 26, 1940 - September 1, 2008. John Walsh had announced, prior to the dedication sign, that LaFontaine - who had been the show's announcer since 1988 - had died at the age of 68.

On the evening of September 7, 2008, Adult Swim had a banner sign that said: Don LaFontaine [1940-2008].

At the end of the credit sequence in the Phineas and Ferb episode "Chronicles of Meap" there is a message on screen saying "In Memoriam... Don LaFontaine 08/26/40 - 09/01/08. One man, in a land, in a time, in a world... All his own." The credit sequence had been designed as a trailer for the "next" Meap episode, or as LaFontaine put it, "Episode 40 -- Meapless in Seattle". As the Disney Channel Original vanity card appears, you hear him say, "In a world...there, I said it. Happy?"

"The Apprentice Scout", an episode of Chowder, is dedicated to LaFontaine. The episode dedicated his memory and said "To Don LaFontaine 1940-2008"

Satire and other appearances

His voice has been the subject of homage and parody, as seen in a Cartoon Network commercial for The Powerpuff Girls, and the stand-up comedy of Pablo Francisco. Comedian-actress Janeane Garofalo formerly performed "an impression of every movie trailer ever made" with the words, "In a WORLD!…" saying that every movie trailer seems to begin with LaFontaine saying, "In a world…" or "In a city…"

One trailer for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy defines what a trailer is, saying the narrator “will normally employ a deep voice that sounds like a seven-foot-tall man who has been smoking cigarettes since childhood” and speaks in a clear parody of LaFontaine. The trailer is voiced by fellow voiceover artist Stephen Fry.

LaFontaine's voice was used in Family Guy episodes "North by North Quahog", and "Brian Sings and Swings", and version of "Stewie B. Goode", and has been featured in musical tracks.

In the late 1990s, LaFontaine made an appearance as himself in a commercial for the Hollywood Video

On February 16, 2008, LaFontaine appeared in the VH1 series Free Radio episode "Lance Gets a Manager" as himself, being interviewed by the radio deejay characters. He briefly touches on his early career, and is tricked into providing free voice work.

In March 2008, Don appeared in a short comedy sketch called “Dream-A-Wish” produced by online comedy group Magic Hugs.

The use of his voice in film trailers also inspired its use on lots of low budget independent film trailers, using recordings of his voice for other trailers and mixing and matching the lines to suit the particular film using sound boards and voice over databases. An example of this can be seen in the trailer for this independent short film for The Face (2010).

Selected filmography

Fillmore! - Narrator

The Terminator -Trailer Voice-over

- Trailer Voice-over

Cast Away - Trailer Voice-over

Fatal Attraction - Trailer Voice-over

''Darkman -Trailer Voice-Over

- Trailer Voice-over

Batman Returns - Trailer Voice-over

Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) - Trailer Voice-over

Daddy Day Care - TV Spot Voice-over

Chicken Run - Trailer Voice-over

- Trailer Voice-over

- Trailer Voice-over

- Trailer Voice-over

- Trailer Voice-over

PowerSlave (video game) - Narrator

Extreme Makeover Home Edition - Commercial Voice-over

Morrow Road - Trailer Voice-over

Resistance 2 - Trailer Voice-over

The World's Greatest Magic - Announcer

The Land Before Time - Promo Voice-over

79th Academy Awards - Co-announcer of the 79th Oscars.

America's Most Wanted - Announcer

- Announcer

Birds-Eye Steam Fresh frozen vegetables - voice-over

Entertainment Tonight and The Insider (2004–2008) - Announcer

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games - trailer announcer

Days of our Lives (1990) - Promo announcer during the climax of the Cruise of Deception storyline

iZ3D Promotional Video (2008) - Commercial Voice Over

Tomb Raider Underworld - Commercial Voice-Over

Universal Studios Hollywood - 2001 Commercial Voice-Over

MotorStorm - Opening game intro

The Simpsons Movie - Promo voice-over

(1999) - Trailer Voice-Over

Home Alone - Trailer Voice-Over

Starship Troopers - Trailer Voice-over

- Trailer Voice-over

A Christmas Carol (1997) - Trailer Voice-over

- Trailer Voice-over

Random! Cartoons - Announcer

Bof Productions Trailer (2008) - Trailer Voice-over

Metal Gear Solid 4 - Trailer Voice-over

A Man Called Sarge (1990) - Narrator

References

External links

Official site

2008 Interview on World Talk LIVE with host Brett Cohen

The Age (Australia), November 29, 2003: Trailer talk Article about Don LaFontaine by Alan Gelder.

Don LaFontaine - Obituary

New York Times: Don LaFontaine, Voice of Trailers and TV Spots, Is Dead at 68

Los Angeles Times: Don LaFontaine, 68; voice of movie trailers

Washington Post: In a World Without Don LaFontaine, Film Won't Be as Much Fun

Washington Post: In a World of Don LaFontaine, A Reel-Life Figure of Speech

The Daily Telegraph: Don LaFontaine obituary

Category:1940 births Category:2008 deaths Category:American voice actors Category:Radio and television announcers Category:Actors from Minnesota Category:People from Duluth, Minnesota Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Deaths from pneumothorax Category:America's Most Wanted

Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
Name	Oku Nagba Ozala Onuora
Birthname	Orlando Wong
Birthdate	March 1952
Birthplace	Kingston, Jamaica
Occupation	Writer
Nationality	Jamaican
Genre	Poetry, drama

Oku Nagba Ozala Onuora (born Orlando Wong, March 1952), known as the "father of Jamaican dub poetry" is a Jamaican dub poet and performer.

Biography

Orlando Wong was born in Kingston in 1952. He grew up in the slums of Eastern Kingston's Franklin Town and received an informal education from a Rasta named Negus. When a project to provide a ghetto school and community centre to benefit the area's youths hit financial difficulties, Wong began engaging in guerilla activities, based in the hills around Kingston, these including armed robberies. After attempting to escape twice (he was shot five times by the police during the first attempt), instigating a prison riot, and campaigning for prison reform, Wong was classed as a security risk and subjected to a harsh regime at the Fort Augusta prison. He began writing poetry in 1971, and became the first inmate to be allowed to perform with a reggae band in 1974 when Cedric Brooks' band The Light of Saba performed in the prison. Together with Adugo, he founded the "Prugresiv Aartis Muvmant". He ceased to be involved in music in the 1990s due to what he called "negative elements" taking over.

In 2010, Onuora announced a new album with a title of A Movement and announced an intention to return to live performance.

Discography

Pressure Drop (1984), Blue Moon - Oku Onoura & AK7, later reissued by Heartbeat

New Jerusalem Dub (1991), ROIR

I a Tell Dubwise and Otherwise (1993), ROIR

Dubbin Away (1999), ROIR

Overdub: Tribute to King Tubby (2000), ION

References

Category:Jamaican dub poets Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:people from Kingston, Jamaica

Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
Name	Guy Williams
Caption	Publicity photo of Guy Williams and June Lockhart from 1965, for the sci-fi TV series  Lost in Space  (note the silver spacesuits & red trim).
Ethnicity	Italian - American
Birth name	Armand Joseph Catalano
Birth date	January 14, 1924
Birth place	New York, New York, U.S.
Death date	May 07, 1989
Death place	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1951–1968
Spouse	Janice Cooper (1948-his death)

Guy Williams (January 14, 1924 – May 7, 1989) was an American actor and former fashion model, who played swashbuckling action heroes in the 1950s and 1960s, but never quite achieved movie-star status despite his appearance (including hazel eyes, 6'3" height, and 190 lb. weight) and charisma,

Williams also played Sir Miles Hendon in the Walt Disney's The Prince and the Pauper in 1962 which was shot in England.

After finishing his contract with Disney, Guy Williams went to Europe to film two movies:

Damon and Pythias (MGM production filmed in Italy in 1962, directed by Curtis Bernhardt), as Damon, classic Greek hero who offers his life as warrant of the word of Pythias, his friend who was condemned to death for political reasons;

Captain Sindbad (MGM production filmed in Germany in 1962, directed by the American adventure director Byron Haskin, based on the classic tale of the Arabian Nights), in the role of Sindbad the Sailor.

Bonanza (1964)

In 1964 Guy Williams returned to Hollywood to resume his career, being added to the cast of the NBC's hit TV series Bonanza (1959–1973) as Ben's nephew Will Cartwright.

Williams found himself forced out of the series after only five episodes despite being originally slated to become one of the four permanent leads. He was to replace Pernell Roberts (Adam Cartwright), who had planned to leave the show at the end of that season, thus allowing the four-Cartwright format to continue. Roberts, however, decided late in the season to stay for one more year, so the woman "Adam" was originally going to marry wound up unexpectedly choosing to leave with Will Cartwright instead, with Adam's selfless blessing. Williams lost his role on the popular series, which ran for nine more years, because of Roberts's decision to remain for one more season.

Lost in Space (1965–1968)

In 1965, Guy Williams returned to weekly television in the popular CBS science-fiction family series Lost In Space.

Guy Williams played Professor John Robinson, expert in astrophysics and geology, who commanded the mission of the Jupiter 2 spaceship, taking his family in a voyage to colonize the Alpha Centauri star system.

His character was place at #42 of the top 100 TV Dad's of All Time.

Retirement in Argentina (1973–1989)

After Lost in Space, Guy Williams decided to retire in order to better enjoy his wealth, which had been largely generated by investments in several businesses, buying and selling on the stock market.

When Guy had first visited Argentina in 1973 he was quite taken by the admiration and fascination the Argentine people expressed for him and his character of 'El Zorro'. In return, Guy fell in love with the culture and people of Argentina. In the 1970s he retired, except for personal appearances, to Recoleta, an upscale neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

In subsequent years Guy Williams also brought to Argentina some of the original cast members of the Zorro series, including Henry Calvin who played Sergeant Garcia. Williams even formed a circus (Circo Real Madrid) with the local fencing champion Fernando Lupiz, traveling all over South America (1977).

Later in 1989, while spending solitary months in Argentina, Guy Williams (then 65 years old) disappeared. The local police searched his apartment in Recoleta on May 7, finding his body. He had suffered a brain aneurysm a week before that day. He was wearing the characteristic Zorro's sideburns and mustache when they found him.

In accordance with his wishes, Guy Williams' ashes were spread over the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, California.

Homages

# In 2000, Guy Williams was the first local celebrity in the Bronx Walk of Fame, of New York City. # In 2001, (August 2) Guy Williams was incorporated in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 7080 Hollywood Blvd (La Brea's corner), after massive petitions of thousands of manifesting admirers in front of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (the previous year). # In 2002, (October) the fans of Guy Williams, with Janice Williams and Guy Williams, Jr in attendance, dedicated to him a bench in New York's Central Park.. # In 2003, (August 2 --also--), Disney enterprise placed a commemorative badge in the mansion of the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia at Oceanside, California, where the Zorro series was filmed in 1957. # The impression of a US Postage Stamp commemorative of Guy Williams was cancelled due to the change of the US Postal Service's protocol, though the fans had been campaigning for the stamp since 1998. #Zorro Television Companion. A meticulously researched book on the making of The Walt Disney Company series. ISBN 0-7864-2058-8 #Guy Williams: The Man Behind the Mask. A thorough bio of the actor. ISBN 1-59393-016-X #Tales of Zorro. edited by Richard Dean Starr. The first collection of original Zorro short stories, many written with Guy Williams specifically in mind. Introduction by Guy Williams, Jr. (with Matthew Baugh). Cover art by Douglas Klauba influenced by Guy Williams. ISBN 978-1933076317

References

External links

Official Guy Williams Family Page

Guy's Daughter's Official Website

Guy Williams Webshrine

Zorro with Annette Funicello

Guy Williams in Argentina

Guy Williams - From Zorro to Lost in Space

Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American male models Category:American actors of Italian descent Category:American people of Sicilian descent Category:People from New York Category:1924 births Category:1989 deaths Category:Argentine people of American descent

Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
Name	Barrington Levy
Background	solo_singer
Born	April 30, 1964
Origin	Clarendon, Jamaica
Genre	Reggae, dancehall, reggae fusion
Years active	1976–present
Label	MCA Records
Url	www.barringtonlevy.net

Barrington Levy (born 30 April 1964, Clarendon, Jamaica) Levy established his solo career the next year with "A Long Time Since We Don't Have No Love"; In 1979, Levy met Henry "Junjo" Lawes and Hyman Wright, both record producers, and recorded several singles with the Roots Radics, including "Al Yah We Deh", "Looking My Love", "Englishman", "Skylarking", "Wedding Ring Aside" and "Collie Weed", all of which became hits and established Levy's career. Levy's next few singles were similarly successful, including "Shine Eye Girl", "Wicked Intention", "Jumpy Girl", "Disco Music", "Reggae Music", "Never Tear My Love Apart", "Jah", "You Made Me So Happy" and "When You're Young and in Love". Levy then recorded several duets with Toyan, Jah Thomas and Trinity, and appeared at Reggae Sunsplash in 1980 and 1981.

By the time his 1980 album Robin Hood was released, Levy was one of the biggest Jamaican stars, and saw his international fame growing as well, especially in the United Kingdom. Taking a break from albums, Levy then released a series of hit singles, including "Mary Long Tongue", "In the Dark", "Too Poor", "I Have a Problem", "Even Tide Fire a Disaster", "I'm Not in Love", "You Have It", "Love of Jah", "Under Mi Sensi", "Tomorrow Is Another Day", "Robberman", "Black Roses", "My Woman" and "Money Move". He returned to LPs with Lifestyle and Money Move, followed by a British hit album called Here I Come; Levy received the Best Vocalist prize at the British Reggae Awards in 1984.

In 2004, he contributed to a track on the album White People by Handsome Boy Modeling School, a project by Prince Paul and Dan the Automator. He also did some collaborations with Slightly Stoopid on their 2005 album Closer To The Sun. Most recently, Levy made a guest appearance on the single "No Fuss" by Red-1 of the Rascalz, from his 2007 album Beg For Nothing.

"Here I Come" is also featured in Saints Row 2 and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.

He also appeared on a demo for Jadakiss' latest album The Last Kiss called Hard Times

Discography

Albums

Bounty Hunter (1979) Jah Life

Shine Eye Gal (1979), Burning Sounds

Englishman (1979), Greensleeves

Robin Hood (1980), Greensleeves

Doh Ray Me (1980), JB

Run Come Ya! (1981), Jah Life

21 Girls Salute (1982), Jah Life

Poor Man Style (1983), Trojan

Lifestyle (1983), GG's

Teach Me Culture (1983), Live & Learn

Money Move (1983), Powerhouse

Here I Come (1984), Greensleeves

Barrington Levy Meets Frankie Paul (1984), Ariwa - with Frankie Paul

Barrington Levy (1984), Clocktower

Prison Oval Rock (1985), Volcano

Open Book (1985), Tuff Gong

Clash Of The 80s (1986), Cornerstone - with Cocoa Tea

Love the Life You Live (1988), Time

Live and Learn Presents Beres Hammond and Barrington Levy (1990), Live & Learn - with Beres Hammond

Divine (1991), Island/Mango

Turning Point (1992), Greensleeves

Barrington (1993), MCA

Duets (1995), RAS - also released as DJ Counteraction (1995), Greensleeves

Time Capsule (1996), RAS - recorded 1982

Living Dangerously (1998), Breakaway

Wanted (2005), 2B1 - CD+DVD

Working Title TBA

References

External links

Official website

Discography

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Jamaican songwriters Category:Jamaican reggae singers Category:Reggae fusion artists Category:Jamaican male singers Category:People from Clarendon Parish