B-i-o-g-r-a-p-h-y F-a-m-o-u-s-e P-e-o-p-l-e

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

ritchie valens -Bio

ritchie valens

Ritchie Valens biography Synopsis Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer and songwriter influential in the Chicano rock movement. He recorded numerous hits during his short career, most notably the 1958 hit "La Bamba." Valens died at age 17 in a plane crash with fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J. P. Richardson on February 3, 1959, a day later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean in his song "American Pie." Early Life Born Richard Steven Valenzuela in 1941, Ritchie Valens made history as rock music's first Latino star. His promising career, however, was cut short by tragedy. Along with Buddy Holly and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, he died in a 1959 plane crash while on tour. Growing in Pacoima, California, near Los Angeles, Valens developed a love of music early on and learned to play a number of different instruments. But the guitar soon became his passion. And he found inspiration from various sources, ranging from traditional Mexican music to popular R&B acts to innovative rock performers like Little Richard. At 16, Valens joined his first band, the Silhouettes. The group played local gigs, and Valens was spotted at one of these performances by Bob Keane, the head of the Del-Fi record label. With Keane's help, the young performer was about to have a career breakthrough. Career Highlights Valens auditioned for Keane's record label in May 1958. And before long, he had his first single out on Del-Fi. The song, "Come On, Let's Go," became a minor hit. Keane also encouraged the young singer to shorten his last name to "Valens" to make it more radio friendly. Valens had even greater success with his second single, which featured "La Bamba" and "Donna." "Donna," an ode to his high school girlfriend Donna Ludwig, became a popular ballad, eventually climbing as high as the number two spot on the pop charts. While not as big a hit, "La Bamba" was a revolutionary song that fused elements of a traditional Mexican folk tune with rock and roll. Valens was not a native Spanish speaker and had to be coached on the all-Spanish-language song. Riding the success of his latest single, Valens entertained a national audience on American Bandstand that December. He also appeared on Alan Freed's Christmas Show around that time. In January 1959, Valens went on the road with the Winter Dance Party tour. The tour featured such acts as Buddy Holly, Dion and the Belmonts, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Over three weeks, these performers were set to play 24 concerts in the Midwest. The Day The Music Died On February 2, 1959, the Winter Dance Party tour played the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The tour was set to perform the next day in Moorhead, Minnesota. Holly had chartered a plane to get there after experiencing trouble with his tour bus. According to some reports, Valens won a seat on the plane in a coin toss with Holly's guitarist Tommy Allsup. J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson also traded places with another original passenger, Waylon Jennings. During a light snowstorm, the plane took off but it only traveled about five miles before crashing into a cornfield. All four passengers—Richardson, Holly, Valens and the pilot—were killed. As the news of the accident spread, many were shocked by the loss of these three talents. The tragedy was later memorialized in the Don McLean song "American Pie" as "The day the music died." Legacy Only 17 years old when he died, Valens left behind a few recordings. His first, self-titled album was released shortly after the accident and did well on the charts. A live recording was later released as Ritchie Valens in Concert at Pacoima Junior HIgh. And his life story was memorialized on the big screen in the 1987 hit La Bamba, which introduced a new generation of music fans to the pioneering Latino performer. Lou Diamond Phillips played Valens, and the band Los Lobos recorded the soundtrack. Valens was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

ritchie valens

Quick Facts

NAME: Ritchie Valens
OCCUPATION: Songwriter, Singer
BIRTH DATE: May 13, 1941
DEATH DATE: February 03, 1959
PLACE OF BIRTH: Pacoima, California
PLACE OF DEATH: Clear Lake, Iowa
Originally: Ricardo Esteban Valenzuela Reyes

Best Known For

Mexican-American musician Ritchie Valens is best known for his hit "La Bamba." His successful career was cut short when he died in a plane crash at age 17.

ritchie valens

jane lynch -Bio

jane lynch

Jane Lynch biography Synopsis Jane Lynch is an American screen actress who started off in theater. She has played roles for both television and film. In 2009, she won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for her role as Sue in the TV series Glee. Her breakthrough role was that of a butch lesbian personal dog handler in the Christopher Guest directed mocumentary Best in Show. Lynch is openly lesbian and married to Lara Embry. Early Life Actress. Born on July 14, 1960, in Dolton, Illinois. Raised outside of Chicago, she discovered her love for acting in the third grade while playing a candle in a school production. In high school, Lynch participated in the choir. She loved singing and performing in school plays, but much of the time she preferred to keep a low profile. "I would step out occasionally and show what I had, and people would go, 'Wow, that's something.' And then I would kind of recede back," she explained to Time magazine. Socially, "I traveled within all the groups," Lynch explained to The New York Times. That "started that pattern of don't stay long enough for anyone to get to know you, to see the chinks in your armor." After graduating high school, Lynch studied acting at Illinois State University. She then continued to hone her craft at Cornell University's graduate program for acting. "I think learning how to act is pretty important," Lynch later told Curve. "I have some techniques and skills I learned when I was 21 that have been hammered into my consciousness, that are now second nature." After some time in New York, Lynch moved back to Illinois and immersed herself in the Chicago theater scene. She worked with such famous groups as the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Second City Touring Company. One of her most famous theatrical roles was playing TV mom Carol Brady in the underground sensation The Real Live Brady Bunch. Lynch enjoyed the experience, describing it as "a joy, it was a real gift and a lot of fun. Very little work. But I really learned how to nail the sitcom format and grew to love that," she told Curve magazine. Mainstream Success One of Lynch's first film roles was in the 1988 comedy Vice Versa with Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage. More small parts followed in such movies as Straight Talk and The Fugitive. On television, Lynch made guest appearances on a number of sitcoms, including 3rd Rock from the Sun and Married with Children. She also did some voice-over and commercials. For one ad, Lynch worked with director Christopher Guest to create a cereal commercial. Months later, the two met up again by accident at a Beverly Hills restaurant, and he asked her to stop by his office. At the time, he was casting his spoof of the dog show world, Best in Show (2000). Lynch signed on to play Christy Cummings, a tough dog trainer who gets involved with a dog owner (played by Jennifer Coolidge). The actors in Guest's films work in an improvisational style. "They give us a really good thumbnail sketch, and then we just take it from there," Lynch explained to The Advocate. "We improvise all the dialogue; there's no written dialogue." With the success of Best in Show, Lynch soon landed a leading role on television, playing a nurse in the 2002 medical drama MDs. The show only lasted for two months before being canceled. She also lent her voice to a recurring character on the animated comedy The Family Guy. Reuniting with Christopher Guest, Lynch appeared in the folk music comedy A Mighty Wind (2003) as a singer with a past in the adult film industry. Big and Small Screen While often tackling small parts, Lynch made the most out each role she took on. She made a number of memorable guest appearances on such shows as Arrested Development, Desperate Housewives, and Weeds. On the big screen, Lynch appeared as a raunchy store manager in The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) with Steve Carell, stealing nearly every scene she appeared in. The following year, Lynch played the mother of a race car driver in the comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby starring Will Farrell. She also starred in her own sitcom, Lovespring International, which aired on the Lifetime television network. On the show, Lynch played the owner of a dating service. The series only lasted for 13 episodes. Lynch had better luck with her recurring role on the popular dramatic series The L Word, which followed the lives of several gay women. On the show she played Joyce Wischnia, a tough lawyer who falls for her client (Cybill Shepherd) while handling her divorce. As a lesbian herself, Lynch especially admired how the series depicted life in the lesbian community. On the show, "we just tell stories about people. That's what I love about The L Word. No one's tortured over their sexuality; it's just accepted," she told The Advocate. Glee Success Around this time, Lynch also had another, very different recurring role, playing Charlie Sheen's therapist on the hit sitcom Two and a Half Men. She then starred in the critically admired, but ratings deprived comedy Party Down in 2009, a show about a group of aspiring creatives who work for a Los Angeles catering company. That same year, Lynch got her most famous role to date: She began her run as Sue Sylvester, a super-intense cheerleading coach, on Glee. This musical comedy explores the ups and downs of a high school glee club run by teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison). Sylvester views Schuester as her archenemy, and continuously plots to ruin the club. Lynch relishes playing the role, saying that Sylvester "is so cold and ruthless." She utters some of the show's most memorable dialogue. "Jane's unparalleled at her one-liners," series creator Ryan Murphy told The New York Times. Glee has developed quite a following among television audiences, winning over fans with its catchy musical numbers. Many of these performances are done by glee club members, including Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), a latest-generation Barbra Streisand wanna-be. Lynch, however, has not missed out on all of the fun. She sang "Vogue" during a special episode that incorporated the songs of Madonna. For her efforts, Lynch received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2010. She also received a nomination for her guest appearance on Two and a Half Men. As her latest series has taken off, Lynch has started to settle down. She and her partner, clinical psychologist Lara Embry, married in June 2010. The couple met at a fundraiser in 2009. Lynch is thrilled about her new role as parent to Embry's 8-year-old daughter Haden. "I'm almost 50, and I thought that possibility was behind me, so this is a real delight," she told The New York Times.

jane lynch

Quick Facts

NAME: Jane Lynch
OCCUPATION: Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress
BIRTH DATE: July 14, 1960 (Age: 52)
EDUCATION: Illinois State University, Cornell
PLACE OF BIRTH: Dolton, Illinois
ZODIAC SIGN: Cancer

Best Known For

Jane Lynch is an American screen actress. Notably, she has played Sue Sylvester in the comedic TV series Glee.

jane lynch

leonard cohen -Bio

leonard cohen

Leonard Cohen biography Synopsis Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen was born on September 21, 1934. An early writer and guitarist, Cohen began to compose and release folk-rock and pop songs by the mid-1960s. One of his most famous compositions is "Hallelujah," a song released on 1984's Various Positions. Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, and he received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2010. Early Life Leonard Norman Cohen was born on September 21, 1934 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. As a teenager, Cohen learned to play guitar, and around the same time, he began writing poetry and novels. Not long after graduating from McGill University, in 1955, Cohen decided to move to New York City. By the mid-1960s, Cohen had become intrigued by the Greenwich Village folk scene and, with his background in music and writing, music composition was a natural step. He soon began to compose and release folk-rock and pop songs, and in 1967, made his musical debut at the Newport Folk Festival. The event spurred Cohen's fame, and he continued to perform publicly, at concerts in New York City, as well as on the television program Camera Three, a cultural affairs program that aired weekly on CBS at the time. Musical Career Also in the mid-1960s, Cohen began receiving praise for songs made popular by other singers. In 1966, folk singer Judy Collins released her album In My Life, which included two singles that were written by Cohen: "Suzanne" and "Dress Rehearsal Rag." In 1967, Noel Harrison released his own, pop rendition of Cohen's "Suzanne." By the end of that year, Cohen had released his first album, The Songs of Leonard Cohen, which included his version of the song "Suzanne." The album also included the popular songs "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" and "Master Song," among others. Two years later, Cohen released Songs from a Room (1969), featuring the now-famous single "Bird on a Wire." That album was followed by 1971's Songs of Love and Hate, which included the singles "Avalanche" and "Famous Blue Raincoat." Cohen produced three other albums before the end of the decade. After co-writing the soundtrack to the musical film Night Magic, with fellow songwriter Lewis Furey, Cohen released 1984's Various Positions. The album included one of Cohen's most popular songs to date: "Hallelujah." The song has been covered countless times, including by John Cale and Jeff Buckley, whose renditions—both considered to be smoother, vocally, than Cohen's—received wide acclaim. From the late 1980s to 2012, Cohen released a handful of albums, including I'm Your Man (1988), The Future (1992), Ten New Songs (2001) and Dear Heather (2004). In 2010, Sony Music released Songs from the Road, an album of songs that were performed live by Cohen in 2008 and 2009. In January 2012, at the age of 77, Cohen released Old Ideas. In his late 70s, Cohen continues to write music and tour, most recently with a 2012 concert series. Legacy Leonard Cohen—whose musical style has been deemed straightforward, prophetic and, at times, seemingly expressionless—has been compared to folk-rock musician Bob Dylan. Though some listeners have strayed away from Cohen's baritone voice and deadpan delivery, he has enjoyed wide critical and commercial acclaim. Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. He received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2010.

leonard cohen

Quick Facts

NAME: Leonard Norman Cohen
OCCUPATION: Songwriter, Singer, Poet
BIRTH DATE: September 21, 1934 (Age: 78)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Montreal, Canada
AKA: Leonard Cohen
ZODIAC SIGN: Virgo

Best Known For

Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen is known for his poetic lyrics and baritone voice. He's received acclaim for such songs as "Hallelujah" and "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye."

leonard cohen

mitt romney -Bio

mitt romney

Mitt Romney biography Synopsis Born in Michigan on March 12, 1947, Mitt Romney is the son of former Michigan Governor George Romney. He founded the investment firm Bain Capital and later ran for the Massachusetts Senate in 1994, losing to incumbent Ted Kennedy. Romney took over the Salt Lake Organizing Committee and helmed a successful 2002 Olympic Games. He became governor of Massachusetts in 2003 and made a run for the Republican nomination in the 2008 election, losing to candidate John McCain. Romney made a second run for the U.S. presidency in 2012, with U.S. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate, but was ultimately defeated by President Barack Obama in a tight race. Early Life Born Willard Mitt Romney on March 12, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Mitt Romney attended the prestigious Cranbrook School before receiving his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in 1971. He attended Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, and received both a law degree and a Master of Business Administration degree in 1975. Romney married Ann Davies in 1969; they have five sons, Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben and Craig. Mitt and Ann Romney are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. Their openness about their faith has brought Mormonism into the national spotlight, creating unique media attention for the Romneys and other famous Mormons. Entry into Politics The son of George Romney, a former governor of Michigan who ran for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 1968 (he was defeated by Richard Nixon), Mitt Romney began his career in business. He worked for the management consulting firm Bain & Company before founding the investment firm Bain Capital in 1984. A decade later, in 1994, he ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, but was defeated by longtime incumbent Ted Kennedy. Romney stepped into the national spotlight in 1999, when he took over as president of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. He helped rescue the 2002 Winter Olympic Games from financial and ethical woes, and helmed the successful Salt Lake City Games in 2002. In 2004, Romney authored the book Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games. Massachusetts Governor Romney parlayed his success with the Olympics into politics when he was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2003. During Romney's term as governor, he oversaw the reduction of a $3 billion deficit. He also signed into law a health-care reform program to provide nearly universal health care for Massachusetts residents. 2008 Presidential Run After serving one term as governor, Romney declined to run for re-election and announced his bid for the U.S. presidency. He made it through Super Tuesday, winning primaries in Massachusetts, Alaska, Minnesota, Colorado and Utah before losing the Republican nomination to Senator John McCain of Arizona. According to reports, Romney spent about $110 million on his campaign, including $45 million of his own money. Romney continued to keep his options open for a possible future presidential run. He maintained much of his political staff and political action committees, and raised funds for fellow Republican candidates. In March 2010, Romney published the book No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, which debuted on The New York Times' best-seller list. 2012 Presidential Election At a farm in New Hampshire on June 2, 2011, Mitt Romney announced the official start of his campaign for the 2012 presidential election. During his campaign, Romney took many standard Republican positions on taxes, the economy and fighting terrorism, while consistently and vocally criticizing his opponent, Democrat President Barack Obama. Specifically, Romney denounced President Obama's health-care reform program—a stance that earned him criticism from the press, as the president's health-care plan is similar to the Massachusetts plan that Romney supported as governor. Additionally, throughout the 2012 presidential race, critics charged Romney with changing his position on several key issues, including abortion; Romney supported Roe v. Wade—the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a woman's right to an abortion—while campaigning for a Senate seat in 1994, but maintained an ardent pro-life stance throughout his 2012 campaign for the presidency. From the start of his campaign, Romney emerged as the front-runner for the Republican nomination. He showed more mainstream Republican appeal than Tea Party-backed competitors like Texas Governor Rick Perry. In January 2012, Romney scored a decisive victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary. He captured more than 39 percent of votes, way ahead of his competitors, including Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman. As the race has continued, Rick Santorum became his greatest competition, winning several states. However, Romney secured a substantial lead in the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination. In April 2012, Romney benefitted from a narrowing of the field when Santorum announced that he was suspending his campaign. Romney publicly paid tribute to his former rival, saying that Santorum "has proved himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation." Following Santorum's departure, Romney only had two opponents left—Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich. Gingrich threw in the towel that May. Romney's campaign met with negative publicity in July 2012, when President Obama's campaign ran ads claiming that Romney was the head of Bain Capital until 2001, not until 1999 as Romney had previously stated. Around that same time, news reports began to circulate regarding economy-stifling practices by Bain Capital; according to the reports, Romney's company had invested in several businesses that specialized in relocating jobs overseas. The reports, along with Obama's ads, were huge blows to the Romney campaign. But Romney's campaign fired back with its own political ads, which claimed that Obama was more interested in helping his donors than looking out for the American public. This was only the beginning of the slinging of barbs and arrows that would occur between the two candidates along the campaign trail. Later in July 2012, Romney made headlines again, this time for comments he made while attending the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London; in an interview with NBC, Romney stated that London's preparations for the Games were somewhat "disconcerting," spurring outrage from citizens of the city and viewers worldwide. According to The Guardian, following the NBC broadcast, David Cameron rebuked Romney's remarks, stating, "We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities in the world. Of course it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere," referencing Romney's leadership over the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. In response to the criticism, Romney later retracted, stating, "I am very delighted with the prospects of a highly successful Olympic Games. What I have seen shows imagination and forethought and a lot of organisation and [I] expect the Games to be highly successful," according to The Guardian. In August 2012, Romney announced 42-year-old U.S. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate for vice president. The announcement ended months-long speculation over the potential vice-presidential candidates of the 2012 election, as media attention began to heavily focus on Ryan, a fiscal conservative and chair of the House of Representatives Budget Committee. On August 28, 2012, Romney became the Republican Party's official presidential nominee, receiving 2,061 delegate votes—nearly double the required 1,144—on the first day of the 2012 Republican National Convention, held in Tampa, Florida. During the convention, election candidates Romney and Ryan received support from several fellow Republican politicians, including Romney's competitor in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries, John McCain. "For four years, we have drifted away," McCain said at the convention. "People don't want less of America, they want more. What they want to know is, whether we still have faith ... Mitt Romney has that faith, and I trust him to lead us." Romney made headlines after the first presidential debate with Barack Obama in early October 2012. He gave a strong performance, receiving praise for his speaking skills from citizens and critics alike. Most critics agreed that Romney won the debate, and that his performance significantly boosted his public perception and status in the presidential race. However, Obama was praised for his performance during the second and third debates, with many critics claiming that the president had won both. As each state announced its election results on November 6, 2012, many Americans clung to the edge of their seats. Just before midnight, the results were announced: In a tight race, Romney was defeated by Barack Obama, with the president receiving just over half of the popular vote and around 60 percent of the electoral vote.

mitt romney

Quick Facts

NAME: Willard Mitt Romney
OCCUPATION: Governor
BIRTH DATE: March 12, 1947 (Age: 65)
EDUCATION: Cranbrook School, Brigham Young University, Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School
PLACE OF BIRTH: Detroit, Michigan
AKA: Mitt Romney
ZODIAC SIGN: Pisces

Best Known For

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney made a run for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election, losing to John McCain. He made another run for the presidency in 2012, but was defeated by President Barack Obama.

mitt romney

neil young -Bio

neil young

Neil Young biography Synopsis Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young arrived in the United States in the mid-1960s and co-founded the band Buffalo Springfield, jump-starting a musical career that has spanned more than 45 years. Young has been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is known for writing and recording such time-transcending songs as "Old Man," "Harvest Moon," "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)," "The Needle and the Damage Done," "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Heart of Gold"—a No. 1 hit. Outside of music, Young is a strong advocate for environmental and disability issues, demonstrated in his co-founding of the Benefit for Farm Aid and Bridge School Benefit Concerts. Early Life Neil Young was born on November 12, 1945 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Rassy and Scott Young. Young grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Before becoming one of the best-known musicans of his generation, he formed his first band, the Jades, while in junior high school. During that time, he also developed his characteristic melodic guitar style and use of the "whammy bar," creating a vibrato effect to accompany his unique and mournful, untrained, yet singular voice. A few years later, in 1963, Young formed an instrumental and folk-rock band called the Squires. Never one for rigidity, he dropped out of high school and began performing in Fort William, and soon began recording demos with his four bandmates. It was during this time that Young first met Stephen Stills, who was touring with his band, the Company. Musical Career By the mid-1960s, Young decided to leave the Squires and begin touring the folk clubs in Winnipeg. While making his cafe rounds, he met fellow folk musician Joni Mitchell—who would later write the song "The Circle Game" in response to the Young's song, "Sugar Mountain." Also during this time, the rock band The Guess Who recorded one of Young's songs, "Flying on the Ground Is Wrong," which would become a Top 40 Canadian hit. In 1966, Young moved to the United States with friend and bass player Bruce Palmer; the two packed their possesions into Young's black hearse and drove the long road to Los Angeles, California. There, Young and Palmer co-founded the band Buffalo Springfield, which also included Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Dewey Martin. Their first album, Buffalo Springfield, which included the Stills-authored hit song "For What It's Worth," was a best-seller and introduced both the band and Young to America. The band grew to attract a large following, and was acclaimed for its experimental and skilled instrumental pieces, inventive songwriting, and harmony-focuses vocal composition. Although Buffalo Springfield fell apart after only a couple of years, the group managed to release two more albums, Buffalo Springfield Again and Last Time Around, in 1967 and 1968, respectively. Despite its short life, Buffalo Springfield was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. It was the first time that Young was enshrined—he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame again in 1995, for his solo work. By the late-1960s, Young had again embarked on a solo career, backed by a group called Crazy Horse. In 1969, while still working as a solo artist, Young joined former Springfield member Stephen Stills and two other musicians, David Crosby and Graham Nash, to form the band Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Through a contractual agreement, Young was able to work as both a solo artist and a member of CSN&Y simulatenously. Just months after bringing Young into the mix, CSN&Y was invited to perform at the famous Woodstock Fesitval—their second live performance. The band's subsequent tour and album release, Déjà Vu, catapulted them to fame—so much so that they were often referred to as the "American Beatles." Perhaps due to pressure, or perhaps due to his own ambitions, Young's relationship with Crosby, Stills and Nash soon became contentious. Young and Stills were often at odds over the direction of the band, and Young eventually parted ways in the early 1970s. Crosby, Stills and Nash continued on as a trio, and each of the three remaining members, like Young, became two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees; CSN&Y remains the only band to have all of its members inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame twice, though not all with each other. After leaving CSN&Y, Young focused on his solo career, backed up again with Crazy Horse. He released several albums over the next three years, culminating with Harvest (1972), a hallmark work that contains the song "Heart of Gold," a No. 1 hit, and the only No. 1 song of Young's career, to date. CSN&Y reunited in 1974, and released a successful compilation album. In 1979, Young released the album Rust Never Sleeps, which included the anthem "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)," and was both a commercial and critical success. In the 1980s, Young experimented with various styles of music, from computerized sequencers to country music, and most were neither critially nor commercially well-received. In 1989, Young released the album Freedom, which includes the song "Rockin' in the Free World." The alternative song is often credited with starting grunge music, and earned Young the moniker "Godfather of Grunge," especially after the band Pearl Jam adopted the song and performed it with Young at the 1993 MTV Video Awards. The 1990s also found Young playing with Booker T., touring with Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam, and reuniting with Crazy Horse to record Harvest Moon. Young returned to his roots to create the album, which includes a compilation of folk-rock tunes. The 2000s found Young reflecting the souls of America, from the patriotic song, "Let's Roll," inspired by the heroism shown after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, to the antiwar-themed album Living with War. Other Projects In the 1980s, Young was heavily preoccupied with taking care of his son, Ben, who suffered from cerebal palsy, as did his older son, Zeke. Young, an avid model-train collector, created a 700-foot model train track within a barn on his property—an idea he developed as a way to interact with Ben. Young developed special controllers for the train set, allowing his son to control switching and power using a paddle system. The controls later formed the basis for a company called Liontech. In 1995, when the Lionel company was facing bankruptcy, Young put together an investment group to purchase the train company so that he might continue his research and development. Young's experience with cerebal palsy—as well as the epilepsy of his daughter, Amber Jean, which Neil also struggled with—resulted in Neil and his then-wife, Pegi, founding the Bridge School in San Francisco, a center for children with communication disabilities in the 1980s. The yearly concert benefit for the Bridge School, started in 1986, has attracted thousands of concertgoers and featured many major artists, including Eddie Vedder, Beck, Dave Matthews and Carlos Santana. Young also became heavily involved in advocating for environmental issues by participaing in the organization of yearly concerts for Farm Aid. Recent Years In June 2012, following a nine-year break from album-creation, Young released Americana—a collaboration with his longtime back-up band, Crazy Horse, and the 34th studio album of Young's career. Young's prior solo album with Crazy Horse was 2003's Greendale. Americana focuses on electric guitar riffs and features many standard and patriotic folk songs, including "Oh, Susanna," "Clementine" and "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain." Young seems to have always challenged himself musically, and challenged his audience emotionally, by experimenting with musical styles and genres. His musical versatility, as well as his refusal to stay in one place, or with one band, have bolstered his endurance in a culture that is often influenced by the newest fad. Young once said about his growth as a musician, "As I get older, I get smaller. I see other parts of the world I didn't see before. Other points of view. I see outside myself more."

neil young

Quick Facts

NAME: Neil Percival Young
OCCUPATION: Environmental Activist, Engineer, Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer, Philanthropist
BIRTH DATE: November 12, 1945 (Age: 67)
EDUCATION: Earl Grey Junior High School, Kelvin High School
PLACE OF BIRTH: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nickname: Bernard Shakey
Nickname: Joe Canuck
AKA: Neil Young
ZODIAC SIGN: Scorpio

Best Known For

Neil Young is one of the most influential songwriters and guitarists of his generation, known for writing and recording such time-transcending songs as "Old Man," "Harvest Moon" and "Heart of Gold."

neil young

joan baez -Bio

joan baez

Joan Baez biography Synopsis Joan Baez was born in Staten Island, New York on January 9, 1941. Baez first became known as a folk singer after performing at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. She is known for topical songs promoting social justice, civil rights and pacifism. Baez also played a critical role in popularizing Bob Dylan, with whom she performed regularly in the mid-1960s. Profile Singer, songwriter, social activist. Born on January 9, 1941, in Staten Island, New York. Joan Baez, a singer in the folk tradition, was a crucial part of the genre's rebirth in the 1960s. She got her first guitar in 1956. After her family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, two years later, Joan Baez delved into the city's burgeoning folk scene. Soon she became a regular performer at a local club.The 1960s were a turbulent time in American history, and Joan Baez often used her music to express her social and political views. Her self-titled first album was released in 1960 and not long after its release she met the then-unknown singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.In the early to mid-1960s, Joan Baez became an established folk artist as well as a voice for social change. She sang "We Shall Overcome" at the March on Washington in 1963 organized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In addition to supporting civil rights, Baez also participated in the antiwar movement, calling for an end to the conflict in Vietnam. Beginning in 1964, she would refuse to pay part of her taxes to protest U.S. military spending for a decade. Baez was also arrested twice in 1967 in Oakland, California, for blocking an armed forces induction center. Near the decade's end, her autobiography, Daybreak (1968), was released.Baez continued to be active politically and musically in the 1970s. She helped establish the west coast branch of Amnesty International, a human rights organization, and released numerous albums, including the critically acclaimed Diamonds and Rust (1975). In addition to touring, she also performed at many benefits and fund-raisers for social and political causes around the world.Her most recent studio album was 2003's Dark Chords on a Big Guitar. She followed up with a collection of live tracks in 2005 on Bowery Songs, which featured songs by Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie as well as some traditional folk songs.Once married to David Harris, Joan Baez has a son named Gabriel from that union. She lives in California and continues to speak out for causes that are important to her.

joan baez

Quick Facts

NAME: Joan Chandos Baez
OCCUPATION: Children's Activist, Civil Rights Activist, Environmental Activist, Women's Rights Activist, Anti-War Activist, Guitarist, Singer
BIRTH DATE: January 09, 1941 (Age: 71)
EDUCATION: Boston University
PLACE OF BIRTH: Staten Island, New York City, New York
ZODIAC SIGN: Capricorn

Best Known For

Joan Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter and activist who is best known for her distinctive voice and for her role in popularizing the music of Bob Dylan.

joan baez

bob dylan -Bio

bob dylan

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bob dylan

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bob dylan