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The life, much like the music, of Tim Finn has had both its ups and downs. Born in 1952 in New Zealand to working class parents Tim Finn started his passion for music at a young age. He formed his first group 'Split Enz' in 1972, with a bunch of his university buddies. Split Enz were heavily influenced by a popular Australian band of the time ,'Skyhooks', and the crazy costumes, silly songs and other shenannigans were clearly taken directly from Skyhooks, which drew some nasty comparisons by critics. Tim originally planned on calling his band 'Split Ends' but changed it to the 'nz' to point out where they were from, New Zealand. Tim was the lead singer for Split Enz, and while they had minoir hits in both Australia and New Zealand, they did not find the huge success they wanted until they recruited Tim's younger brother Neil, which made Tim feel both happy and slightly jealous of Neil's precociousness. Split Enz lasted for eleven years all up, from 1972 - 1983, and in 1983, Tim released his much acclaimed debut solo album 'Escapade'. This albm received rave reviews from critics, and Tim focused on his solo career over the next few years. In 1983 he started dating actress Greta Scacchi, and he started to write the scores for films, which he always had an avid interest in. His largest acting role is in The Coca-Cola Kid (1985) in which Tim is in for about 5 minutes, but girlfriend Greta helped him get a brief cameo in 'White Mischief' in a blink and you will miss role, as a Bandleader who taps on a few microphones before exiting the stage. In 1989 Tim's much publicised romance with Scacchi ended, much to his dismay. It did not help that his current self-titled solo album as a flop. This launched Tim into a year of depression, in which he claims alcohol was his only friend. However, Tim found his stride again with the help of his brother, Neil. In 1985, after the break up of Split Enz, Neil formed another Band 'Crowded House' with Split Enz drummer Paul Hester and artist/bassist Nick Seymour. Neil and Tim always planned on doing an album together as the Finn Brothers, but had not yet got around to it. Neil claims he was suffering writers block, trying to come up with new songs for the new Crowded House album, and he was also trying to work out when to do the long planned Finn Brothers album. He came up with a great idea: Why not put the Finn Brothers album on hold, and instead recruit Tim as the fourth member of Crowded House, for their new album. Tim loved the idea, as it would finally put him back in the spotlight with brother Neil, and together they wrote most of the songs for Crowded House's most acclaimed album 'Woodface'. This album was a huge hit, which made both Tim and Neil happy, and Tim finally had the confidence to return to his solo career. Crowded House released their final studio album in 1993 (not including compilations) which Tim had a minor involvement in, but not as a fourth member. Since 1993 Tim has mainly focused on his solo career, although in 1996 he helped out ex Split End Keyboarder Eddie Rayner with his critically acclaimed solo album. In 1997 he married a New Zealand TV Personality, Marie Azcona, and they have two children, a son and daughter, together. Tim still records as a solo artist, although his recent releases have not had the same success as those of his early career.- Music Artist
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- Composer
Neil Finn is a songwriter. He was born in Te Awamutu, a small New Zealand town on May 27, 1958, the youngest child to accountant, Richard Finn, and Irish immigrant, Mary Finn (nee Mullane). Neil's happy childhood included parties in the family home, complete with wine and song, catholic priests in attendance, and an obligatory performance from Neil and older brother Tim. Mother, Mary, was known for her enthusiastic songs on the piano...all in the same key, while their father, Richard, though a music enthusiast, was tone deaf. The boys both took music lessons, beginning with piano, and their mother taught them to sing in harmony.
Though Tim was the more reluctant performer of the two, in 1972 he went on to form one of the most successful bands to ever originate from New Zealand, Split Enz. Neil was too young to join the band initially, as he was still in school, but sometimes opened for Split Enz as a solo artist in the band's early years. When Neil left school, because they would not let him major in music, he took a job as a hospital orderly and formed a band called After Hours.
One day, Neil's unexpectedly got a call from older brother Tim, asking him to join Split Enz as lead guitarist. Though Neil only was proficient on acoustic guitar, not electric, he agreed to join...eventually. As the story goes, Tim was surprised when Neil said he would have to think about it....after all, he had his current band to consider. Split Enz was taking a big leap of faith, trusting in his talent and ability to learn, and after a period of keeping his guitar playing low in the mix, and band members refusing to play on the same side of the stage as him (he was that bad) eventually Neil grew into his role. And then some. Not only is Neil a skilled and respected guitarist today, but some of Split Enz's biggest hits are Neil's originals, including "Message to My Girl" and "I Got You". Not long prior to joining Split Enz in 1977, Neil was introduced to Sharon Johnson, who he married in 1982, and with whom he had two children, Liam (1983) and Elroy (1989).
After Split Enz broke up in 1984, Neil and Australian Enz drummer, Paul Hester, formed a band called The Mullanes with Australians Nick Seymour and Craig Hooper. Craig soon left the band, and the name changed to Crowded House, reflecting the cramped quarters in which they lived while in Los Angeles, recording their self titled debut album,. Crowded House managed to break the US market with #2 hit song, "Don't Dream It's Over", something Split Enz had been unable to accomplish. However, in the US, their success was short lived, and they were known as one-hit-wonders, while in the rest of the world, they were just getting started. Crowded House went on to record 3 more albums, "Temple of Low Men", "Woodface" and "Together Alone", which, despite increasing success in Europe, Australia and elsewhere, had little success in North America. Elsewhere in the world, the band continued to have success, their fourth album receiving high critical acclaim. Also, multi-instrumentalist, Mark Hart, who had toured with the band for years, joined as an official member for their fourth album. During the tour for "Together Alone", Paul Hester, after years of suffering with bouts of depression, reached a breaking point and felt the need to leave the band. He was replaced by drummer, Peter Jones for the remainder of the tour, but the band broke up shortly after. Their final concert, entitled Farewell to the World, took place on the steps of they Sydney Opera House in 1996, before an audience of an estimated 150 thousand people.
Neil went on to release two solo albums, "Try Whistling" This and "One Nil" (known in some parts of the world as "One All", which has an alternate track listing). Both albums, fan favorites, received higher critical acclaim than commercial success. The same is true for the two Finn Brothers albums with brother Tim, "Finn" and "Everyone is Here". Neil's other projects include a soundtrack for New Zealand movie, Rain, and various collaborations. Of particular note is the 7 World Collide projects, which featured Neil and friends in a super band of sorts, and including Johnny Marr, Eddie Vedder, Phil Selway, Ed O'Brien, Lisa Germano, Sebastian Steinburg and others. The second project did not include Eddie Veddier, but saw the addition of Wilco, including Jeff Tweedy, KT Tunstall, and New Zealanders Don McGlashan and Bic Runga. Both projects saw the involvement of Neil's brother Tim and Son, Liam, with the second involving, as well, Neil's younger son, Elroy, and wife, Sharon. In fact, the second project was a family affair all around with other band members' families getting involved.
After the suicide of drummer Paul Hester in 2004, Neil felt drawn to rekindle his musical and personal relationships with Nick Seymour and Mark Hart, and the result was a new Crowded House album, "Time on Earth", with Beck drummer, Matt Sherrod. The album is laden with echos of the grief and loss regarding the death of their former band-mate. The second album from reformed Crowded House, "Intriguer", showed a new band, carving a new identity. Both albums included world tours.
After the second reformed Crowded house tour, Neil and Sharon Finn found themselves dealing with the new experience of "empty nest", and began having late night jams in their pyjamas. Sharon was a novice on bass guitar, and, so, Neil, so as not to place himself as the "superior" musician in the duo, chose an instrument where he was not proficient, the drums. The recording that came out of these jams evolved, with the the help of friend, Sean Donnelly, into tracks for an album under the name Pajama Club, the spelling reflecting the origin of the band: Pa and Ma having a jam...in their pyjamas! The original name was to be Pajama Party, but the name was already taken. The band did little touring, with drummer Alana Skyring, before it's current hiatus, with no word on whether it may reemerge.
Neil's third solo album, due out mid to late 2013, which involves his wife and both sons - a true family affair. Also, Neil has co-written and performed the song for the closing credits for the movie "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", due for release December, 2012.- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
Vincent Clarke began his career in 1979 when he formed a band with school mates Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher. That original band was named Composition of Sound and was primarily interested in using guitars for their source of music. By 1980 the band decided to trade in the guitars for some synthesizers which they felt would give them a wider range of possibilities on the musical front. Until this point Vince had provided the vocals for the band but had really never felt comfortable in the fronting role. They decided to recruit a front man and consequently heard a fellow Basildonian named Dave Gahan singing David Bowie covers in a night club. Following a short talk with Gahan they decided he was the right man for the job and musical history was made. Shortly after recruiting their new lead singer, they were practicing in Vince's garage and Dave saw a fashion magazine that was named Depeche Mode (which is still around today). He really liked the title and the band decided to change their name. Shortly after this point, Vince met a gentleman named Daniel Miller who had started his own independent music label called Mute records. The band had released the song 'Photographic' on a 'Some Bizarre' compilation album and at this point were being courted by several large labels to sign with them. Vince however, was convinced that 'Mute Records' was the label for them and they decided to release their first single and album with Daniel Miller's new company. The first single was Dreaming of Me and it did very little in the charts. The album was also fairly unsuccessful and the following single 'New Life' also barely made a dent in the charts. The band at last struck gold with their third single 'Just Can't Get Enough' and were soon playing on Top of the Pops (1981). At this point Vince had decided to part ways with Depeche Mode as he felt that they were in favor of taking a different musical direction than the one he wanted to pursue. He initially felt quite guilty about leaving because he knew the other three weren't musicians and had no idea how to program synthesizers (they would eventually bring in musician Alan Wilder to fill this gap). To ease his guilt he offered them two songs that he had just written ('Only You', and 'Don't Go'), however the band didn't think they could perform those songs and decided not to take the songs from Vince.
A few months later Vince saw an ad from another school mate named Alison Moyet who had seen time playing the Punk and R&B circuits in small no-name bands. The ad called for a "Rootsy blues musician". Vince decided to answer the ad in his typical subtle comedic way (he is neither rootsy, nor blues) and the unlikely duo of Yazoo came into being. Vince originally asked Alison to sing on a demo of 'Only You' (One of the songs he had offered Depeche Mode). A few weeks later, the song was at the top of the charts. Soon Vince and Alison cut their first album together 'Upstairs At Eric's'. At this point they released a few more singles that had very good chart placings and were being hailed as one of the most original bands in music history (indeed, a designation that can still be used about them to this day). Unfortunately, such brilliance often has a tendency to go south very quickly and shortly after recording their second album together 'You and Me Both', Yazoo split up.
At this stage Vince decided to create a band with his good friend and Yazoo producer Eric Radcliffe (EC) . He decided to call the band The Assembly and release singles with different vocalists for each song. Their first and only foray into this project was with Feargal Sharkey and the single was called Never Never. After this single Vince decided to do some production and early in 1985 released a single with Paul Quinn called 'One Day'. Later in 1985 Vince got together with producer Flood and began auditioning for vocalists for a new project. The 42nd vocalist to try-out was a young man named Andy Bell who was working as a butcher. The two hit it off immediately and Vince's longest running, and most successful band to date was born, Erasure. Erasure released their first album to very little critical or commercial success. Indeed Andy Bell thought that it was over before it began. However, Vince and he kept at it and recorded a second album which went straight to the top of the charts. The pair have since penned a series of 31 singles and 11 albums. Erasure have in fact become one of the most influential and commercially successful electronic bands in history. In 2000 Erasure released the album 'Loveboat'. This record was a very experimental and dark sounding album that saw Erasure pushing ahead into more distant musical arenas yet again.
Twenty years after beginning, Vince is still going strong. Besides Erasure, Vince has recently ventured into some other musical territory in such bands as Family Fantastic who have released one album 'Nice!', and currently have another album awaiting release 'Wonderful'. Another project that Vince devotes a lot of time to is The Clarke And Ware Experiment who have currently released two albums (1999's 'Pretentious', and 2001's 'Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle'). The Radioactivators released a double A side single 'Knock On Your Door/Bopp' in December of 2001 and represent the newest side project for Vince Clarke. Vince has also recently formed a new company with Martin Ware named The Illustrious Company. They are involved in several different musical ventures providing ambient soundscapes for various companies and events. In December 2001 Erasure released the single 'Moon & The Sky' from the Loveboat album as well as two new box sets compiling their second 10 singles together. Erasure are currently in the studio recording a follow up to the 2000 Loveboat album. The new album is going to consist of cover songs done in a 'Chorus' era style with a strong contemporary sound.- Music Artist
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David Bowie was one of the most influential and prolific writers and performers of popular music, but he was much more than that; he was also an accomplished actor, a mime and an intellectual, as well as an art lover whose appreciation and knowledge of it had led to him amassing one of the biggest collections of 20th century art.
Born David Jones, he changed his name to Bowie in the 1960s, to avoid confusion with the then well-known Davy Jones (lead singer of The Monkees). The 1960s were not a happy period for Bowie, who remained a struggling artist, awaiting his breakthrough. He dabbled in many different styles of music (without commercial success), and other art forms such as acting, mime, painting, and play-writing. He finally achieved his commercial breakthrough in 1969 with the song "Space Oddity", which was released at the time of the moon landing. Despite the fact that the literal meaning of the lyrics relates to an astronaut who is lost in space, this song was used by the BBC in their coverage of the moon landing, and this helped it become such a success. The album, which followed "Space Oddity", and the two, which followed (one of which included the song "The Man Who Sold The World", covered by Lulu and Nirvana) failed to produce another hit single, and Bowie's career appeared to be in decline.
However, he made the first of many successful "comebacks" in 1972 with "Ziggy Stardust", a concept album about a space-age rock star. This album was followed by others in a similar vein, rock albums built around a central character and concerned with futuristic themes of Armageddon, gender dysfunction/confusion, as well as more contemporary themes such as the destructiveness of success and fame, and the dangers inherent in star worship. In the mid-1970s, Bowie was a heavy cocaine abuser and sometime heroin user.
In 1975, he changed tack. Musically, he released "Young Americans", a soul (or plastic soul as he later referred to it) album. This produced his first number one hit in the US, "Fame". He also appeared in his first major film, The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). With a permanently-dilated pupil and skeletal frame, he certainly looked the part of an alien. The following year, he released "Station to Station," containing some of the material he had written for the soundtrack to this film (which was not used). As his drug problem heightened, his behavior became more erratic. Reports of his insanity started to appear, and he continued to waste away physically. He fled back to Europe, finally settling in Berlin, where he changed musical direction again and recorded three of the most influential albums of all time, an electronic trilogy with Brian Eno "Low, Heroes and Lodger". Towards the end of the 1970s, he finally kicked his drug habit, and recorded the album many of his fans consider his best, the Japanese-influenced "Scary Monsters". Around this time, he appeared in the title role of the Broadway drama The Elephant Man, and to considerable acclaim.
The next few years saw something of a drop-off in his musical output as his acting career flourished, culminating in his acclaimed performance in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983). In 1983, he released "Let's Dance," an album which proved an unexpected massive commercial success, and produced his second #1 hit single in the United States. According to producer Nile Rodgers, the album was made in just 17 days and was "the easiest album" he'd ever made in his life. The tour which followed, "Serious Moonlight", was his most successful ever. Faced with this success on a massive scale, Bowie apparently attempted to "repeat the formula" in the next two albums, with less success (and to critical scorn). Finally, in the late 1980s, he turned his back on commercial success and his solo career, forming the hard rock band, Tin Machine, who had a deliberate limited appeal. By now, his acting career was in decline. After the comparative failure of Labyrinth (1986), the movie industry appears to have decided that Bowie was not a sufficient name to be a lead actor in a major movie, and since that date, most of his roles have been cameos or glorified cameos. Tin Machine toured extensively and released two albums, with little critical or commercial success.
In 1992, Bowie again changed direction and re-launched his solo career with "Black Tie White Noise", a wedding album inspired by his recent marriage to Iman. He released three albums to considerable critical acclaim and reasonable commercial success. In 1995, he renewed his working relationship with Brian Eno to record "Outside." After an initial hostile reaction from the critics, this album has now taken its place with his classic albums. In 2003, Bowie released an album entitled 'Reality.' The Reality Tour began in November 2003 and, after great commercial success, was extended into July 2004. In June 2004, Bowie suffered a heart attack and the tour did not finish its scheduled run.
After recovering, Bowie gave what turned out to be his final live performance in a three-song set with Alicia Keys at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York in November 2006. He also returned to acting. He played Tesla in The Prestige (2006) and had a small cameo in the comedy David Bowie (2006) for fan Ricky Gervais. In 2007, he did a cartoon voice in SpongeBob SquarePants (1999) playing Lord Royal Highness. He had a brief cameo in the movie ''Bandslam'' released in 2009; after a ten year hiatus from recording, he released a new album called 'The Next Day', featuring a homage cover to his earlier work ''Heroes''. The music video of ''Stars are Out Tonight'' premiered on 25 February 2013. It consists of other songs like ''Where Are We Now?", "Valentine's Day", "Love is Lost", "The Next Day", etc.
In 2014, Bowie won British Male Solo Artist at the 2014 Brit Awards, 30 years since last winning it, and became the oldest ever Brit winner. Bowie wrote and recorded the opening title song to the television miniseries The Last Panthers (2015), which aired in November 2015. The theme used for The Last Panthers (2015) was also the title track for his January 2016 release, ''Blackstar" (released on 8 January 2016, Bowie's 69th birthday) was met with critical acclaim. Following Bowie's death two days later, on 10 January 2016, producer Tony Visconti revealed Bowie had planned the album to be his swan song, and a "parting gift" for his fans before his death. An EP, No Plan, was released on 8 January 2017, which would have been Bowie's 70th birthday. The day following his death, online viewing of Bowie's music skyrocketed, breaking the record for Vevo's most viewed artist in a single day.
On 15 January, "Blackstar" debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart; nineteen of his albums were in the UK Top 100 Albums Chart, and thirteen singles were in the UK Top 100 Singles Chart. The song also debuted at #1 on album charts around the world, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the US Billboard 200. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, Bowie won all five nominated awards: Best Rock Performance; Best Alternative Music Album; Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical; Best Recording Package; and Best Rock Song. The wins marked Bowie's first ever in musical categories. David Bowie influenced the course of popular music several times and had an effect on several generations of musicians.- Music Artist
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Annie Lennox was born on 25 December 1954 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK. She is a music artist and actress, known for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Scrooged (1988) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). She has been married to Mitch Besser since 15 September 2012. She was previously married to Uri Fruchtmann and Radha Raman.- Music Artist
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Kris Kristofferson was born in Brownsville, Texas, to Mary Ann (Ashbrook) and Lars Henry Kristofferson. His paternal grandparents were Swedish, and his father was a United States Air Force general who pushed his son to a military career. Kris was a Golden Gloves boxer and went to Pomona College in California. From there, he earned a Rhodes scholarship to study literature at Oxford University. He ultimately joined the United States Army and achieved the rank of captain. He became a helicopter pilot, which served him well later. In 1965, he resigned his commission to pursue songwriting. He had just been assigned to become a teacher at USMA West Point. He got a job sweeping floors in Nashville studios. There he met Johnny Cash, who initially took some of his songs but ignored them. He was also working as a commercial helicopter pilot at the time. He got Cash's attention when he landed his helicopter in Cash's yard and gave him some more tapes. Cash then recorded Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down", which was voted the 1970 Song of the Year by the Country Music Association. Kris was noted for his heavy boozing. He lost his helicopter pilot job when he passed out at the controls, and his drinking ruined his marriage to singer Rita Coolidge, when he was reaching a bottle and half of Jack Daniels daily. He gave up alcohol in 1976. His acting career nose-dived after making Heaven's Gate (1980). In recent years, he has made a comeback with his musical and acting careers. He does say that he prefers his music, but says his children are his true legacy.- Actor
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Olly Alexander was born on 15 July 1990 in Yorkshire, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for God Help the Girl (2014), Bright Star (2009) and The Dish & the Spoon (2011).- Actor
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- Additional Crew
Actor, composer, songwriter, voiceover artist and author. He joined ASCAP in 1956, and his chief musical collaborators included Tony Romano, Ruby Raksin, Walter Gross, and Ed Brandt. His popular-song compositions include "Hollywood Soliloquy", "The Clown", "Drowning My Sorrow", and "Voice in the Wind".- Music Artist
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Linda Ronstadt was born on 15 July 1946 in Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is a music artist and actress, known for The Pirates of Penzance (1983), An American Tail (1986) and The Abyss (1989).- Actress
- Soundtrack
One of the brightest, most tragic movie stars of Hollywood's Golden Era, Judy Garland was a much-loved character whose warmth and spirit, along with her rich and exuberant voice, kept theatre-goers entertained with an array of delightful musicals.
She was born Frances Ethel Gumm on 10 June 1922 in Minnesota, the youngest daughter of vaudevillians Ethel Marian (Milne) and Francis Avent "Frank" Gumm. She was of English, along with some Scottish and Irish, descent. Her mother, an ambitious woman gifted in playing various musical instruments, saw the potential in her daughter at the tender age of just 2 years old when Baby Frances repeatedly sang "Jingle Bells" until she was dragged from the stage kicking and screaming during one of their Christmas shows and immediately drafted her into a dance act, entitled "The Gumm Sisters," along with her older sisters Mary Jane Gumm and Virginia Gumm. However, knowing that her youngest daughter would eventually become the biggest star, Ethel soon took Frances out of the act and together they traveled across America where she would perform in nightclubs, cabarets, hotels and theaters solo.
Her family life was not a happy one, largely because of her mother's drive for her to succeed as a performer and also her father's closeted homosexuality. The Gumm family would regularly be forced to leave town owing to her father's illicit affairs with other men, and from time to time they would be reduced to living out of their automobile. However, in September 1935 the Gumms', in particular Ethel's, prayers were answered when Frances was signed by Louis B. Mayer, mogul of leading film studio MGM, after hearing her sing. It was then that her name was changed from Frances Gumm to Judy Garland, after a popular '30s song "Judy" and film critic Robert Garland.
Tragedy soon followed, however, in the form of her father's death of meningitis in November 1935. Having been given no assignments with the exception of singing on radio, Judy faced the threat of losing her job following the arrival of Deanna Durbin. Knowing that they couldn't keep both of the teenage singers, MGM devised a short entitled Every Sunday (1936) which would be the girls' screen test. However, despite being the outright winner and being kept on by MGM, Judy's career did not officially kick off until she sang one of her most famous songs, "You Made Me Love You," at Clark Gable's birthday party in February 1937, during which Louis B. Mayer finally paid attention to the talented songstress.
Prior to this her film debut in Pigskin Parade (1936), in which she played a teenage hillbilly, had left her career hanging in the balance. However, following her rendition of "You Made Me Love You," MGM set to work preparing various musicals with which to keep Judy busy. All this had its toll on the young teenager, and she was given numerous pills by the studio doctors in order to combat her tiredness on set. Another problem was her weight fluctuation, but she was soon given amphetamines in order to give her the desired streamlined figure. This soon produced the downward spiral that resulted in her lifelong drug addiction.
In 1939, Judy shot immediately to stardom with The Wizard of Oz (1939), in which she portrayed Dorothy, an orphaned girl living on a farm in the dry plains of Kansas who gets whisked off into the magical world of Oz on the other end of the rainbow. Her poignant performance and sweet delivery of her signature song, 'Over The Rainbow,' earned Judy a special juvenile Oscar statuette on 29 February 1940 for Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor. Now growing up, Judy began to yearn for meatier adult roles instead of the virginal characters she had been playing since she was 14. She was now taking an interest in men, and after starring in her final juvenile performance in Ziegfeld Girl (1941) alongside glamorous beauties Lana Turner and Hedy Lamarr, Judy got engaged to bandleader David Rose in May 1941, just two months after his divorce from Martha Raye. Despite planning a big wedding, the couple eloped to Las Vegas and married during the early hours of the morning on July 28, 1941 with just her mother Ethel and her stepfather Will Gilmore present. However, their marriage went downhill as, after discovering that she was pregnant in November 1942, David and MGM persuaded her to abort the baby in order to keep her good-girl image up. She did so and, as a result, was haunted for the rest of her life by her 'inhumane actions.' The couple separated in January 1943.
By this time, Judy had starred in her first adult role as a vaudevillian during WWI in For Me and My Gal (1942). Within weeks of separation, Judy was soon having an affair with actor Tyrone Power, who was married to French actress Annabella. Their affair ended in May 1943, which was when her affair with producer Joseph L. Mankiewicz kicked off. He introduced her to psychoanalysis and she soon began to make decisions about her career on her own instead of being influenced by her domineering mother and MGM. Their affair ended in November 1943, and soon afterward Judy reluctantly began filming Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), which proved to be a big success. The director Vincente Minnelli highlighted Judy's beauty for the first time on screen, having made the period musical in color, her first color film since The Wizard of Oz (1939). He showed off her large brandy-brown eyes and her full, thick lips and after filming ended in April 1944, a love affair resulted between director and actress and they were soon living together.
Vincente began to mold Judy and her career, making her more beautiful and more popular with audiences worldwide. He directed her in The Clock (1945), and it was during the filming of this movie that the couple announced their engagement on set on January 9, 1945. Judy's divorce from David Rose had been finalized on June 8, 1944 after almost three years of marriage, and despite her brief fling with Orson Welles, who at the time was married to screen sex goddess Rita Hayworth, on June 15, 1945 Judy made Vincente her second husband, tying the knot with him that afternoon at her mother's home with her boss Louis B. Mayer giving her away and her best friend Betty Asher serving as bridesmaid. They spent three months on honeymoon in New York and afterwards Judy discovered that she was pregnant.
On March 12, 1946 in Los Angeles, California, Judy gave birth to their daughter, Liza Minnelli, via cesarean section. It was a joyous time for the couple, but Judy was out of commission for weeks due to the cesarean and her postnatal depression, so she spent much of her time recuperating in bed. She soon returned to work, but married life was never the same for Vincente and Judy after they filmed The Pirate (1948) together in 1947. Judy's mental health was fast deteriorating and she began hallucinating things and making false accusations toward people, especially her husband, making the filming a nightmare. She also began an affair with aspiring Russian actor Yul Brynner, but after the affair ended, Judy soon regained health and tried to salvage her failing marriage. She then teamed up with dancing legend Fred Astaire for the delightful musical Easter Parade (1948), which resulted in a successful comeback despite having Vincente fired from directing the musical. Afterwards, Judy's health deteriorated and she began the first of several suicide attempts. In May 1949, she was checked into a rehabilitation center, which caused her much distress.
She soon regained strength and was visited frequently by her lover Frank Sinatra, but never saw much of Vincente or Liza. On returning, Judy made In the Good Old Summertime (1949), which was also Liza's film debut, albeit via an uncredited cameo. She had already been suspended by MGM for her lack of cooperation on the set of The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), which also resulted in her getting replaced by Ginger Rogers. After being replaced by Betty Hutton on Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Judy was suspended yet again before making her final film for MGM, entitled Summer Stock (1950). At 28, Judy received her third suspension and was fired by MGM, and her second marriage was soon dissolved.
Having taken up with Sidney Luft, Judy traveled to London to star at the legendary Palladium. She was an instant success and after her divorce from Vincente Minnelli was finalized on March 29, 1951 after almost six years of marriage, Judy traveled with Sid to New York to make an appearance on Broadway. With her newfound fame on stage, Judy was stopped in her tracks in February 1952 when she became pregnant by her new lover, Sid. At the age of 30, she made him her third husband on June 8, 1952; the wedding was held at a friend's ranch in Pasadena. Her relationship with her mother had long since been dissolved by this point, and after the birth of her second daughter, Lorna Luft, on November 21, 1952, she refused to allow her mother to see her granddaughter. Ethel then died in January 1953 of a heart attack, leaving Judy devastated and feeling guilty about not reconciling with her mother before her untimely demise.
After the funeral, Judy signed a film contract with Warner Bros. to star in the musical remake of A Star Is Born (1937), which had starred Janet Gaynor, who had won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Actress in 1929. Filming soon began, resulting in an affair between Judy and her leading man, British star James Mason. She also picked up on her affair with Frank Sinatra, and after filming was complete Judy was yet again lauded as a great film star. She won a Golden Globe for her brilliant and truly outstanding performance as Esther Blodgett, nightclub singer turned movie star, but when it came to the Academy Awards, a distraught Judy lost out on the Best Actress Oscar to Grace Kelly for her portrayal of the wife of an alcoholic star in The Country Girl (1954). Many still argue that Judy should have won the Oscar over Grace Kelly. Continuing her work on stage, Judy gave birth to her beloved son, Joey Luft, on March 29, 1955. She soon began to lose her millions of dollars as a result of her husband's strong gambling addiction, and with hundreds of debts to pay, Judy and Sid began a volatile, on-off relationship resulting in numerous divorce filings.
In 1961, at the age of 39, Judy returned to her ailing film career, this time to star in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but this time she lost out to Rita Moreno for her performance in West Side Story (1961). Her battles with alcoholism and drugs led to Judy's making numerous headlines in newspapers, but she soldiered on, forming a close friendship with President John F. Kennedy. In 1963, Judy and Sid finally separated permanently, and on May 19, 1965 their divorce was finalized after almost 13 years of marriage. By this time, Judy, now 41, had made her final performance on film alongside Dirk Bogarde in I Could Go on Singing (1963). She married her fourth husband, Mark Herron, on November 14, 1965 in Las Vegas, but they separated in April 1966 after five months of marriage owing to his homosexuality. It was also that year that she began an affair with young journalist Tom Green. She then settled down in London after their affair ended, and she began dating disk jockey Mickey Deans in December 1968. They became engaged once her divorce from Mark Herron was finalized on January 9, 1969 after three years of marriage. She married Mickey, her fifth and final husband, in a register office in Chelsea, London, England on March 15, 1969.
She continued working on stage, appearing several times with her daughter Liza. It was during a concert in Chelsea, London, England that Judy stumbled into her bathroom late one night and died of an overdose of barbiturates, the drug that had dominated her much of her life, on June 22, 1969 at the age of 47. Her daughter Liza Minnelli paid for her funeral, and her former lover James Mason delivered her touching eulogy. She is still an icon to this day with her famous performances in The Wizard of Oz (1939), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948), and A Star Is Born (1954).- Actress
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As a kid, Sissy Spacek climbed trees, rode horses, swam, and played in the woods. She was born Mary Elizabeth Spacek on December 25, 1949, in Quitman, Texas, to Virginia Frances (Spilman) and Edwin Arnold Spacek, Sr., a county agricultural agent. Her father's family was of Czech and German origin.
Sissy attended Quitman High School and was homecoming queen. After graduating, she embarked on an acting career, gaining interest in the profession through her cousin, actor Rip Torn. Sissy relocated to New York, and through him, enrolled in the New York branch of the Actors Studio. She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute while also pursuing work as a model and singer, appearing in West Village showcases such as the Bitter End for $10 a night. Sissy eventually broke into film and one of her first roles was as Holly in the classic Badlands (1973). The art director on that film was Jack Fisk, with whom she would marry in 1974 and ultimately collaborate on eight films. Sissy followed this landmark film with a star-making and Oscar nominated performance in Carrie (1976), in which she played a humiliated prom queen who goes postal with her telekinesis. Sissy has had an enduring and award winning career in movies and television, which includes an Oscar as Best Actress for Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). The parents of two grown daughters, Sissy and Jack live on a large horse ranch in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Even though she continued to appear in film and television during the late 1980s and 1990s, Sissy devoted most of those years to her family. Then, in 2001, Sissy returned to the big screen in a major way with a powerful performance in In the Bedroom (2001), which not only earned her a sixth Best Actress Oscar nomination, but a win for Best Actress at the Golden Globes, Independent Spirit Awards, and numerous critics association awards. Sissy continues to work steadily as an actress, but in 2012, her credits expanded even further to include a memoir, My Extraordinary Ordinary Life.- Actor
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The Art of Noise is known for Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) and My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988).- Music Artist
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Louis Armstrong grew up poor in a single-parent household. He was 13 when he celebrated the New Year by running out on the street and firing a pistol that belonged to the current man in his mother's life. At the Colored Waifs Home for Boys, he learned to play the bugle and the clarinet and joined the home's brass band. They played at socials, picnics and funerals for a small fee. At 18 he got a job in the Kid Ory Band in New Orleans. Four years later, in 1922, he went to Chicago, where he played second coronet in the Creole Jazz Band. He made his first recordings with that band in 1923. In 1929 Armstrong appeared on Broadway in "Hot Chocolates", in which he introduced Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin', his first popular song hit. He made a tour of Europe in 1932. During a command performance for King George V, he forgot he had been told that performers were not to refer to members of the royal family while playing for them. Just before picking up his trumpet for a really hot number, he announced: "This one's for you, Rex."- Music Artist
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Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee and raised in Sevierville, Tennessee to Avie Lee Parton, a housewife & Robert Lee Parton, a tobacco farmer. At 12, she was appearing on Knoxville TV and at 13, she was already recording on a small label and appearing at the Grand Ole Opry. After graduating from high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville to launch her country-singing career. She fell in love with Carl Dean, who ran an asphalt-paving business; they married on May 30, 1966 and are still together. In 1967 her singing caught the attention of Porter Wagoner, who hired her to appear on his program, The Porter Wagoner Show (1961). She stayed with the show for 7 years, their duets became famous, and she appeared with his group at the Grand Ole Opry; she also toured and sold records. By the time her hit "Joshua" reached #1 in 1970, her fame had overshadowed his, and she struck out on her own, though still recording duets with him. She left him for good to become a solo artist in 1974. Dolly gained immense popularity as a singer/songwriter. Dolly won numerous Country Music Association awards (1968, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976). This petite (5'0") beauty was a natural for television, and by the mid-1970s she was appearing frequently on TV specials and talk shows before getting her own, Dolly (1976). In 1977, Dolly got her first Grammy award: Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her song "Here You Come Again." Dolly's movie debut was in 9 to 5 (1980), where she got an Oscar nomination for writing the title tune, and also Grammy awards 2 and 3: Best Country Song, and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for the song "Nine to Five." She got more fame for appearing in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), and in Rhinestone (1984) with the song "Tennessee Homesick Blues". She is the head of Dolly Parton Enterprises, a $100 million media empire, and in 1986 she founded Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, celebrating her Smoky-Mountain upbringing. She appeared as herself in the Dolly (1987) TV series. In 1988, she won another Grammy: Best Country Performance Duo or Group with Vocals, for "Trio". Dolly was in the acclaimed picture Steel Magnolias (1989) with Julia Roberts, and went on to appear in 15 movies and TV-movies for the 1990s, and garnered more more Country Music Association awards. In 2000, Dolly received her 5th Grammy award: Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. She also released a Bluegrass Album. Dolly is known for beautiful songs such as "Coat of Many Colors," "Jolene," and "I Will Always Love You". Dolly said in an interview, "My music is what took me everywhere I've been and everywhere I will go. It's my greatest love. I can't abandon it. I'll always keep making records."- Music Artist
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An out-of-wedlock child, Eartha Kitt was born in the cotton fields of South Carolina. Kitt's mother was a sharecropper of African-American and Cherokee Native American descent. Her father's identity is unknown. Given away by her mother, she arrived in Harlem at age nine. At 15, she quit high school to work in a Brooklyn factory. As a teenager, Kitt lived in friends' homes and in the subways. However, by the 1950s, she had sung and danced her way out of poverty and into the spotlight: performing with the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe on a European tour, soloing at a Paris nightclub and becoming the toast of the Continent. Orson Welles called her "the most exciting girl in the world". She also spoke out on hard issues. She took over the role of Catwoman for the third and final season of the television series Batman (1966), replacing Julie Newmar. Eartha Kitt died of colon cancer in her home in Weston, Connecticut, on Christmas Day 2008.- Composer
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Vangelis was a composer and performer who worked almost exclusively with electronic instruments. With Jean-Michel Jarre and Mike Oldfield in the 1970s, Vangelis was a pioneer in the instrumental music and a main influence in the creation of the musical genre "new age," a style related to spiritual, meditation, relaxing ambient sounds as well as sounds from outer space. He was probably most well known for his Chariots of Fire (1981), Blade Runner (1982), The Bounty (1984) and 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) soundtracks or for the tracks used in the documentary TV series Cosmos (1980) created, produced and hosted by scientist Carl Sagan. Vangelis was involved in many musical collaborations, most famously with British progressive rock band Yes's founding member Jon Anderson.- Actress
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Libby Holman's life was one of early poverty, extraordinary talent, scandal, fabulous wealth and tragedy. She's the stuff books and movies are ripe for. Born into a once-prosperous Jewish family in Ohio, her family's stock brokerage business collapsed in 1904 when her uncle disappeared after embezzling nearly $1 million, leaving her innocent father scandalized and bankrupt. Her mother raised her three daughters in anger over their loss of wealth and position, undoubtedly affecting Libby's ambitious nature.
Primarily known today as a Broadway actress and torch singer of the 1920s-30s, Libby got her start in the theater by touring in "The Fool." The author of the play, Channing Pollock, recognized her talent and advised her to drop out of college and pursue a theatrical career. Joining the Theatre Guild, in 1925 she appeared in the chorus of "The Garrick Gaieties" before gaining notice in "The Greenwich Village Follies" the following year. She continued to appear in "Merry-Go-Round" (1927), "Rainbow," (1928) and "Ned Wayburn's Gambols" (1929). Libby appeared with Clifton Webb in "The Little Show" (a big 1929 hit; Libby singing "Moanin' Low", becoming one of her earliest trademark songs) and "Three's A Crowd" (1930; Libby introducing the standard, "Body and Soul"), which made them both top-ranked musical stars. Her early breakthrough successes would result from her associations with Howard Dietz, one of her greatest benefactors, and Clifton Webb, who complimented her on stage. She and Webb remained longtime friends but ultimately had a falling out of sorts after 1938.
Libby was exceedingly complex. Bisexual, she preferred the company of gay men, but two of the three most significant intimate relationships of her life were with avowed lesbians, the equally fascinating unconventional DuPont heiress Louisa d'Andelot Carpenter Jenny (from 1929) and later, with writer Jane Auer Bowles (from the mid-1940s). However, she periodically sought out men (often sexually conflicted, as with her third most important relationship, actor Montgomery Clift) invariably far younger than herself, only to summarily cast them aside on the basis of some seemingly insignificant slight. She was a fascinating confluence of allure, talent and vanity, masked with a droll sarcastic wit capable of rivaling that of society columnist Lucius Beebe, Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker or Noël Coward, all of whom were in her social circle. Although she wasn't conventionally beautiful, audiences were drawn to her by her voice and stunning figure (she reputedly invented the strapless evening gown, it becoming one of her trademarks). She could have easily succeeded in Hollywood after the advent of talkies, but was decidedly "East Coast", sharing her clique's snobbish disdain for film (although many of them would eventually relent and go on to gain immortality in Hollywood) and harboring some inner insecurity over her looks. To a large degree, however, Libby thrived on the immediate rewards of a live audience, which she could wrap around her little finger with any one of her sexually charged smoky torch songs.
One smitten fan was tobacco heir Zachary "Smith" Reynolds, who caught her act on a lark and spent a fortune following her around the world. As the youngest son of tobacco magnate R.J. Reynolds, the 20-year-old playboy was the real-life "Roaring '20s" manifestation of a character, drawn straight from an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. He had complete disinterest in the family business, an inexhaustible allowance and a volatile temper. Smith, whose one real accomplishment was learning how to fly, also owned a plane, and he literally stalked Libby with it. He wore the 27-year-old singer down and, encouraged by Louisa (herself briefly married) who saw him as a convenient veil of wealth and propriety, Libby married him in 1931. Their marriage was a clash of wills, however; Smith wanted her to leave Broadway and she had no intention of doing so. They agreed on a one-year sabbatical at the family's vast North Carolina estate, Reynolda. Libby, who was born into poverty had always aspired to be wealthy, quickly grew tired of the kind of idle life expected of her. She invited a stream of her flamboyant theatrical friends to the estate and they clashed headlong with the conservative Reynolds family. There were accusations of lesbianism and hedonism that her in-laws could barely stomach. In 1932, over the family's annual alcohol-fueled July 4th holiday party held at the estate, she told her husband she was pregnant and there was reportedly a tense confrontation - stories differ, but there was a gunshot and Libby and Ab Walker (whispered to be her lover), a close friend of Smith's, were indicted for murder. Fearing scandal over their son's activities, the intensely secretive Reynolds family persuaded local authorities to drop the charges; the death was ruled a suicide. The scandal stuck to Libby and her career suffered. Her son Christopher (or "Topper", as she called him) received a large inheritance and Libby received a sizable maintenance agreement that left her independently wealthy for the rest of her life. After the Reynolds debacle was legally settled, Libby and her son went to live with Louisa (who herself had adopted a daughter) and the couple lived openly throughout the remainder of the 1930s in what was then called a "Boston Marriage" in local gossip. Their relationship eventually changed, but Louisa would remain a lifelong friend and confidant. Libby also continued to pursue a Broadway career, with ever-diminishing returns. Despite her undeniable talent, she was keenly aware that producers hired her in hopes that her scandalized personal life would increase the box office. One of her most ardent supporters during this period was the unabashedly gay Herald-Tribune columnist Lucius Beebe, who never missed an opportunity to document her moves within New York's café society, always portraying her in the best possible light. His support of her came as a welcome relief during this first dark period of her career, although she certainly didn't need the money.
From the early to mid-'30s she gained dramatic experience in 'Jasper Deeter''s Hedgerow Theatre and returned to Broadway in "Revenge With Music," (1934; singing "You and the Night and Music") along with performing in nightclubs in New York and London. Despite her excellent performances, the Reynolds scandal dogged her and she was often hissed and booed. She received star billing (singing the title song as Mme. Baltin/Jeanne Montaigne) in the 1938 Cole Porter musical flop, "You Never Know" with Clifton Webb, Lupe Velez (whom she despised) and Toby Wing. Not content to live the life of the typical millionaire grand dame, she became a yoga enthusiast and financed experimental theater (1942's "Mexican Mural" starring one of her obsessions, Montgomery Clift, who would become a lifelong friend and infrequent lover), continued to sing and record smoky torch songs. She traveled extensively and was unhappily married two more times (her second husband, sometime-actor Ralph Holmes or "Rafe" to his friends, committed suicide shortly after returning from duty in WW II; her third husband survived her) and adopted two sons. In the mid-40s she met writer Jane Auer Bowles and their attraction was immediate. The unconventionally married writer, married openly homosexual author Paul Bowles ("The Sheltering Sky"), shared Libby's disdain for their common Jewish heritage -- another one of Libby's psychological quirks -- and, as in the case of Louisa, lived together openly. Enamored by the blues, she caused a stir in the 1940s nightclub scene by touring with famed black guitarist Josh White (ironic, given her sexual ambivalence toward men in general). Together they appeared in her sole IMDB film credit, the experimental and aptly-yet-coincidentally named, Dreams That Money Can Buy (1947) in 1947.
Tragically, her son died with a friend climbing California's Mt. Whitney in 1950. She channeled her grief into a foundation dedicated to promoting racial understanding and equality. She continued to record and perform in a one-woman show, "Blues, Ballads and Sin Songs" with pianist Gerald Cook into the 1950s. Although she could still belt out a tune, her later renditions of her standards were seldom recorded and are not generally well known today, having been banned on the radio for decades due to their sexual overtones. She fell into a deep depression in 1957 and broke out of it by taking courses in Zen Buddhism at the New School, and through a mutual friend met an art teacher and sculptor, Louis Schanker. The two met infrequently over the next few weeks before seeing each other on a regular basis. Whatever attracted Libby to him eluded her friends. Schanker was older than Libby--uncharacteristically for her--and, despite having a reputation as an important abstract expressionist, he was unworldly, inarticulate and not exactly handsome. In fact, during most of their courtship he was living with a much younger woman. For her part, Libby seemed to be living in fear that this was her last chance at love, and sought someone to anchor her life; companionship, on her terms. His entry into wealth by marriage stifled whatever artistic ambitions he possessed. His standing in the art world quickly evaporated, he increasingly drank and clashed with her teenage sons. It was an unhappy marriage, but one that would take. The 1960s were marked by Schanker's banishment of most of her old friends (like her previous husbands, he banned homosexuals from their homes and was intensely jealous of anyone she ever slept with, male or female), Jane Bowles' debilitating stroke and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, whom she and her foundation actively supported, affected her deeply. Increasingly emotionally isolated from her friends and depressed, Libby sank into alcoholism after 1968. Sadly, she herself committed suicide in June, 1971, found slumped over in her Rolls-Royce at her Connecticut mansion. Coretta Scott King attended her funeral. Jane Bowles, blind and schizophrenic, died in a sanitarium in 1973 and Louisa was killed flying her private plane on February 8, 1976.