Sunday, May 30, 2010

Barack Obama Biography

President of the United States. Born Barack Hussein Obama on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Wichita, Kansas, where her father worked on oil rigs during the Depression. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dunham's father, Stanley, enlisted in the service and marched across Europe in Patton's army. Dunham's mother, Madelyn, went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, the couple studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program and, after several moves, landed in Hawaii.

Obama's father, Barack Obama, Sr., was born of Luo ethnicity in Nyanza Province, Kenya. The elder Obama grew up herding goats in Africa, eventually earning a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya and pursue his dreams of college in Hawaii. While studying at the University of Hawaii in Manoa, Obama, Sr. met fellow student, Ann Dunham. They married on February 2, 1961. Barack was born six months later.

Obama's parents separated when he was two years old, later divorcing. Obama, Sr. went on to Harvard to pursue Ph.D. studies, and then returned to Kenya in 1965. In 1966, Dunham married Lolo Soetoro, another East–West Center student from Indonesia. A year later, the family moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, where Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro Ng was born. Several incidents in Indonesia left Dunham afraid for her son's safety and education so, at the age of 10, Barack was sent back to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents. His mother and sister later joined them.

While living with his grandparents, Obama enrolled in the esteemed Punahou Academy, excelling in basketball and graduating with academic honors in 1979. As one of only three black students at the school, Obama became conscious of racism and what it meant to be African-American. He later described how he struggled to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage with his own sense of self. "I began to notice there was nobody like me in the Sears, Roebuck Christmas catalog...and that Santa was a white man," he said. "I went to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror with all my senses and limbs seemingly intact, looking the way I had always looked, and wondered if something was wrong with me."

Obama also struggled with the absence of his father, who he saw only once more after his parents divorced, in a brief 1971 visit. "[My father] had left paradise, and nothing that my mother or grandparents told me could obviate that single, unassailable fact," he later reflected. "They couldn't describe what it might have been like had he stayed." Obama, Sr. eventually lost his legs in an automobile accident, also losing his job as a result. In 1982, he died in yet another car accident while traveling in Nairobi. Obama, Jr. was 22 years old when he received the news of his father's passing. "At the time of his death, my father remained a myth to me," Obama said, "both more and less than a man."

After high school, Obama studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years. He then transferred to Columbia University in New York, graduating in 1983 with a degree in political science. After working in the business sector for two years, Obama moved to Chicago in 1985. There, he worked on the South Side as a community organizer for low-income residents in the Roseland and the Altgeld Gardens communities.

It was during this time that Obama, who said he "was not raised in a religious household," joined the Trinity United Church of Christ. He also visited relatives in Kenya, which included an emotional visit to the graves of his biological father and paternal grandfather. "For a long time I sat between the two graves and wept," Obama said. "I saw that my life in America—the black life, the white life, the sense of abandonment I felt as a boy, the frustration and hope I'd witnessed in Chicago—all of it was connected with this small plot of earth an ocean away."

Obama returned from Kenya with a sense of renewal, entering Harvard Law School in 1988. The next year, he met Michelle Robinson, an associate at Sidley & Austin law firm in Chicago. She was assigned to be Obama's adviser during a summer internship at the firm, and soon the couple began dating. In February 1990, Obama was elected the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review, and he graduated magna cum laude in 1991.

After law school, Obama returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer, joining the firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School, and helped organize voter registration drives during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. On October 3, 1992, he and Michelle were married. They moved to Kenwood, on Chicago's South Side, and welcomed two daughters: Malia (born 1998) and Sasha (born 2001).

Obama published his autobiography in 1995 Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. The work received high praise from literary figures such as Toni Morrison and has since been printed in 10 languages, including Chinese, Swedish and Hebrew. The book had a second printing in 2004, and is currently being adapted into a children's version. The 2006 audiobook version of Dreams, which was narrated by Obama, received a Grammy award for Best Spoken Word Album.

Obama's advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He won election in 1996. During these years, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting legislation on ethics, expanded health care services, and early childhood education programs for the poor. He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the working poor. Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee as well, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, he worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In 2000, Obama made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the U. S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush. Undeterred, Obama created a campaign committee in 2002, and began raising funds to run in the 2004 U.S. Senate Race. With the help of political consultant David Axelrod, Obama began assessing his prospects of a Senate win.

Following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, Obama was an early opponent of President George W. Bush's push to war with Iraq. Obama was still a state senator when he spoke against a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq during a rally at Chicago's Federal Plaza in October 2002. "I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars," he said. "What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other arm-chair, weekend warriors in this Administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne." Despite his protests, the war with Iraq began in 2003.

Obama, encouraged by poll numbers, decided to run for the U.S. Senate open seat vacated by Republican Peter Fitzgerald. In the 2004 Democratic primary, he won 52 percent of the vote, defeating multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes. That summer, he was invited to deliver the keynote speech in support of John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Obama emphasized the importance of unity, and made veiled jabs at the Bush administration and the diversionary use of wedge issues.

After the convention, Obama returned to his U.S. Senate bid in Illinois. His opponent in the general election was supposed to be Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, a wealthy former investment banker. However, Ryan withdrew from the race in June 2004, following public disclosure of unsubstantiated sexual deviancy allegations by Ryan's ex-wife, actress Jeri Ryan.

In August 2004, diplomat and former presidential candidate Alan Keyes accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan. In three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell research, abortion, gun control, school vouchers and tax cuts. In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70 percent of the vote to Keyes' 27 percent, the largest electoral victory in Illinois history. With his win, Barack Obama became only the third African-American elected to the U.S. Senate since the Reconstruction.

Sworn into office January 4, 2005, Obama partnered with Republican Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana on a bill that expanded efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia. Then, with Republican Senator Tom Corburn of Oklahoma, he created a website that tracks all federal spending. Obama also spoke out for victims of Hurricane Katrina; pushed for alternative energy development; and championed improved veterans' benefits.

His second book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, was published in October 2006. The work discussed Obama's visions for the future of America, many of which became talking points for his eventual presidential campaign. Shortly after its release, it hit No. 1 on both the New York Times and Amazon.com bestsellers lists.

In February 2007, Obama made headlines when he announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He was locked in a tight battle with former first lady and then-U.S. Senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton. On June 3, 2008, however, Obama became the presumptive nominee for the Democratic party, and Senator Clinton delivered her full support to Obama for the duration of his campaign. On November 4th, 2008, Barack Obama defeated Republican presidential nominee John McCain for the position of U.S. President, 52.9 percent to 45.7 percent. On January 20, 2009, Obama became the 44th president of the United States—and the first African-American to hold this office.

When Obama took office, he inherited a global economic recession; two on-going foreign wars; and the lowest international favorability rating for the United States ever. He campaigned on an ambitious agenda of financial reform, alternative energy, and reinventing education and health care—all while bringing down the national debt. Because these issues were intertwined with the economic well-being of the nation, he believed all would have to be undertaken simultaneously. During his inauguration speech, Obama summarized the situation by saying, "Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met."

Between Inauguration Day and April 29, the Obama administration took to the field on many fronts. Obama coaxed Congress to expand health care insurance for children and provide legal protection for women seeking equal pay. A $787 billion stimulus bill was passed to promote short-term economic growth. Housing and credit markets were put on life-support, with a market-based plan to buy U.S. banks' toxic assets. Loans were made to the auto industry, and new regulations were proposed for Wall Street. He also cut taxes for working families, small businesses and first-time home buyers. The president also loosened the ban on embryonic stem cell research and moved ahead with a $3.5 trillion budget plan.

During his first 100 days, President Obama also undertook a complete overhaul of America's foreign policy. He reached out to improve relations with Europe, China, Russia and open dialogue with Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba. He lobbied allies to support a global economic stimulus package. He committed an additional 21,000 troops to Afghanistan and set an August 2010 date for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. In more dramatic incidents, he took on pirates off the coast of Somalia and prepared the nation for an attack of the Swine Flu. For his efforts, he was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

On January 27, 2010, President Obama delivered his first State of the Union speech. During his oration, Obama addressed the challenges of the economy, proposing a fee for larger banks, announcing a possible freeze on government spending in 2010, and speaking against the Supreme Court's reversal of a law capping campaign finance spending. He also challenged politicians to stop thinking of re-election and start making positive changes, critisizing Republicans for their refusal to support any legislation, and chastizing Democrats for not pushing hard enough to get legislation passed. He also insisted that, despite current obstacles, he was determined to help American citizens through the nation's current domestic difficulties. "We don't quit. I don't quit," he said. "Let's sieze this moment to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and strengthen our union once more."

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Malawi President Pardons Gay Couple after Talks with UN Chief

Malawi President Pardons Gay Couple after Talks with UN Chief

Photo: AP

Tiwonge Chimbalanga, right, and Steven Monjeza, left back, are led from court in Blantyre, Malawi, 20 May 20, 2010 after a judge sentenced the couple to the maximum 14 years in prison

The president of Malawi has pardoned a gay couple sentenced to 14 years in prison.

President Bingu wa Mutharika said Saturday that he was ordering the release of the men on humanitarian grounds. He made the announcement after meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Last week, a court sentenced Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, to 14 years of hard labor for sodomy and indecency.

The couple was arrested in December after holding a symbolic engagement ceremony.

U.S. officials said the United States was "appalled" by the sentence. A White House spokesman said the case marred Malawi's human rights record.

Homosexuality is illegal in Malawi and many other African countries.

The laws have triggered outrage and concern among Western nations and human rights groups.

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Weary Czechs Vote Amid Economic Concerns

Weary Czechs Vote Amid Economic Concerns

Voters in the Czech Republic are choosing a new government amid concerns about the country's economic crisis and widespread corruption. Some surveys indicate none of the main parties will have a majority in the lower house of parliament. For the first time in two decades the Communist Party is expected to play a role in the general elections.

The purpose of the Czech Republic's two-day election, which began Friday, is to replace an interim government and introduce long delayed economic and social reforms.

Rightist and leftist parties have clashed over how to tackle the budget deficit of over 5 percent of gross domestic product.

The main right-leaning parties have warned that the Czech Republic will face similar economic difficulties as nearly bankrupt Greece unless it reduces spending.

The leftists, who are supported by especially older and poorer voters, also pledge spending cuts. But they want to fund welfare by raising taxes for high income earners and companies.

President Vaclav Klaus, who has to appoint the next cabinet, has told reporters he hopes a strong government can be formed soon.

After casting his ballot, Mr. Klaus makes clear he is pleased that one of the longest and most expensive election campaigns in Czech history has ended because it caused disruptions and internal disputes between the parties.

The two largest parties, the Social Democrats and Civic Democrats, spent most of the roughly 19 million dollars allocated for the election campaign.

Voters can choose from a long list of 25 parties competing for places in the 200-seat lower house of parliament. They include many newcomers riding on public anger over the country's economic meltdown and widespread corruption.

The elections come more than a year after a three-party center-right cabinet collapsed in March 2009, halfway through the country's six-month presidency of the European Union.

Jan Fischer, a technocrat, was appointed as prime minister to lead an interim government. Mr. Fischer, who is not running for re-election, says the next cabinet will deal with difficult issues. Mr. Fischer says he voted for a party that will continue unfinished reforms in areas such as the economy, social affairs and foreign policy while also tackling extremism. He adds that the European Union faces a complicated future and there is a lot to think about and to decide on.

But with none of the parties expected to win a parliamentary majority, analysts and investors expect long coalition talks that they say could further delay crucial reforms.

Several Czech media have expressed concerns that the popular Social Democrats may seek backing for a cabinet from the Communist Party, which autocratically ruled the country for decades and was ousted from power in the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

Analysts say the leftist Social Democrats, who are expected to win the ballot, may also seek a grand coalition with their rightist rival, the Civic Democrats.

The Civic Democrats have, so far, refused to openly back a coalition with the Social Democrats. Observers say the Civic Democrats may attempt to form an alternative coalition with new parties.

There is international concern the Czech Republic will once again face months of political instability. First official results are expected after polls close later Saturday.

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Jamaica Unrest Death Toll Reaches 73

Jamaica Unrest Death Toll Reaches 73

Residents gather outside their bullet-riddled home during a media tour organized by government authorities inside the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood in Kingston, Jamaica, 27 May 2010
Photo: AP

Residents gather outside their bullet-riddled home during a media tour organized by government authorities inside the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood in Kingston, Jamaica, 27 May 2010

Jamaican police say 73 people have been killed since authorities launched an assault Sunday for an alleged drug lord wanted by the United States.

Authorities announced the increased death toll Thursday.

The outbreak of violence was triggered when the Jamaican government moved to extradite Christopher "Dudus" Coke. He is wanted in the United States for alleged cocaine and arms trafficking.

Coke remains at large and authorities say it is not clear whether he is still in Jamaica.

The human rights group, Amnesty International, has called for a thorough investigation into the violence. The group said that while authorities have a responsibility to maintain order, the extraordinary powers given to the Jamaican security forces could lead to human rights violations.

Amnesty said that even during officially declared states of emergency, Jamaica is required under international law to guarantee the rights of everyone detained, including having their detention reviewed by an independent tribunal. This week, authorities took 500 people into custody during the search for Coke. A state of emergency remains in effect for parts of Kingston.

Coke is the alleged leader of the "Shower Posse," named for the practice of showering rivals with bullets during the cocaine wars of the 1980s.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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China's PM Sees 'Urgent' Need to Avoid Conflict on Korean Peninsula

China's PM Sees 'Urgent' Need to Avoid Conflict on Korean Peninsula

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao speaks during the three-nation talks in Seogwipo on Jeju island, South Korea, 29 May 2010
Photo: AP

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao speaks during the three-nation talks in Seogwipo on Jeju island, South Korea, 29 May 2010


Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says there is an "urgent" need to avoid conflict between the Koreas following the sinking of a South Korean warship.

But Mr. Wen, speaking Sunday after a two-day summit with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, gave no indication that China is ready to join them in blaming North Korea for the tragedy.

China is the only major ally of North Korea, which has angrily denied involvement in the Cheonan incident.

The leaders began their first day of talks Saturday with a moment of silence for 46 South Korean sailors killed in a March torpedo attack on South Korea's Cheonan warship.

Ahead of Saturday's session, Mr. Lee and Mr. Hatoyama agreed to cooperate in punishing North Korea for the sinking of the Cheonan .

South Korea and Japan both want the U.N. Security Council to punish North Korea for the attack. China is a permanent member of the Council and could block any sanctions with a veto.

Earlier Saturday, Mr. Wen was in Seoul for talks with South Korean Prime Minister Chung Un-chan. The Chinese premier said Beijing condemns any act that destroys the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and offered condolences for the deaths of the sailors.

An international investigation concluded that a North Korean submarine fired the torpedo that sank the Cheonan. Mr. Wen said Beijing will review the findings of the probe and take a position in an "objective and fair manner."

In Saturday's trilateral talks, Mr. Lee, Mr. Hatoyama and Mr. Wen called for speeding up free-trade talks aimed at creating an economic bloc comprising their three nations. They also pledged to boost cooperation in fighting climate change and improving food safety.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Michael Jackson Full Biography

Grammy Award-winning pop singer and dancer known for his controversial behavior on- and offstage, his phenomenal commercial success and his big-budget, flashy videos. He began his career in the 1960s performing with his siblings in the Jackson Five. In 1978, Jackson re-emerged with his solo album Off the Wall and a new persona and appearance. His other recordings include Thriller (1982), Dangerous (1992), and HIStory: Past, Present and Future (1995). He was married to Lisa Marie Presley (1995–1996) and Debbie Rowe (1996–1999), with whom he has two children. His sister is Janet Jackson.

Has sold 170 million albums worldwide.
He was voted the 35th Greatest Artist of all time in Rock 'n' Roll by Rolling Stone.

"I'm just like anyone. I cut and I bleed. And I embarass easily." - Michael Jackson

Name: Michael Jackson
Real Name / Birth Name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Birthdate: 29 August 1958
Birthplace: Gary, Indiana, USA
Profession: Musician / Pop Singer
Genres: Pop
Sometimes Credited As: Jackson 5, The Jackson 5, The Jacksons, John Jay Smith
Nickname: The Gloved One, Wacko Jacko, Jacko, King Of Pop, MJ

Michael Jackson’s extraordinary musical career started at the age of five as the lead singer of the Jackson Five, alongside four of his brothers. These early days saw the Jacksons play the local clubs and bars near their hometown. They were soon discovered by another artist and got to audition for Motown in 1968.
Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indianaon 29 August 1958 and has been entertaining audiences nearly his entire life. His father, Joseph Jackson, had been a guitarist but was forced to give up his musical ambitions following his marriage to Katherine (Scruse). Together they prodded their growing family's musical interests at home. By the early 60s the older boys Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964 Michael and Marlon had joined in.

A musical prodigy, Michael's singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of "The Jackson 5." An opening act for such soul groups as the O-Jays and James Brown, it was Gladys Knight (not Diana Ross) who officially brought the group to Berry Gordy's attention, and by 1969 the boys were producing back-to-back chartbusting hits as Motown artists. As a product of the 70s, the boys had emerged as one of the most accomplished black pop/soul vocal groups in music history, successfully evolving from a Temptations-like group act to a disco phenomenon.

Solo success for Michael was inevitable, and by the 80s he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group. Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, "Thriller." A TV natural, he ventured rather uneasily into films, such as playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz (1978/I), but had better luck with elaborate music videos.

In the 90s the down side as an 80s pop phenomenon began to show. Michael grew terribly child-like and introverted by his celebrity. A rather timorous, androgynous figure to begin with, his physical appearance began to change drastically and his behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a consistent target for scandal-making, despite his numerous charitable acts. Two brief marriages -- one to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley -- were forged and two children produced by his second wife during that time, but the purposes were obviously image oriented. Despite it all, Michael Jackson's skills as a singer, dancer, writer and businessman are unparalleled, and it is these prodigious talents that will ultimately prevail over the extremely negative aspects of his seriously troubled life.

The Jackson 5:
For the period, 1970-74, there was no Soul group - in fact no musical act in the world - that was bigger than the Jackson 5. The five brothers, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael Jackson were household names among people of every age and race, and set the stage for dozens of child and teenage groups that would later emerge (though none would ever match the intense popularity the Jackson 5 enjoyed).

Amid the rough steeltown of Gary, Indiana, the Jackson 5 was a dream of guitarist Joe Jackson, the patriarch of a family of photogenic, extremely talented children. Realizing the talent resident in his five boys, he became a tough taskmaster, working on their musicianship, their singing and their dancing with the goal of creating a tight, Soul singing group in the mold of the Temptations, but composed of a group of teen and pre-teen brothers. By 1966 the Jackson boys were winning local competitions and by the next year, when Michael was only 9 years old, they won at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, bringing them their first attention outside of the Midwest. Over the course of the next year word about the boys from Gary spread, and in 1969 they were summoned to Detroit by Motown leader Berry Gordy, Jr., who signed them almost immediately.

Gordy soon had the Jackson Five touring with Diana Ross and working with the new Motown songwriting team The Corporation (whose leader, Freddie Perren, would later write for Tavares, Peaches and Herb and Gloria Gaynor, among others). The J5's first single, "I Want You Back," was a monster, and began a string of four straight number one Pop and Soul singles for the group from their first two albums, including "ABC," "The Love You Save," and the ballad "I'll Be There" (one of the biggest songs of 1970). At a stressful time of national concern about Vietnam and changes in society, the fresh exuberance of Michael Jackson's incredible young voice, the slick dance moves of the handsome siblings and The Corporation's extremely infectious compositions simply took the U.S. and world by storm, and the new decade's first supergroup was born.

The group's exposure reached a peak in 1971, when the "Jackson Five" cartoon hit the Saturday morning airwaves, and over the period 1970-73 the group released an amazing nine studio albums and toured tirelessly (accompanied in 1971 by a virtually unknown new soul/funk group known as the Commodores). At the same time both Michael and Jermaine were launching solo careers, with Michael scoring major hits with the ballad "Ben" and the upbeat cover of "Rockin Robin." A combination of the passing of time, too much product, group fatigue and adolescent voice changes led to a decline in the J5's popularity in the mid-70s, though they scored a major hit with 1974's "Dancing Machine."
In 1976 the group left Motown for Epic Records, leaving Jermaine (who was married to Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel) behind for a moderately successful solo career and replacing him with talented younger brother Randy. They scored in 1976 with "Enjoy Yourself," but otherwise continued their career slide for the next two years. Then in 1978 and '79, as the group members began taking a more active role in the creation of their records, they found a new credibility in the burgeoning dance music world with such songs as "Blame It On the Boogie" and "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground). But while their popularity and creativity appeared to be again on the rise, nothing prepared them for the immense success of brother Michael's 1979 solo effort, Off the Wall. Working with producer extraordinaire Quincy Jones, Michael created that year's best dance album - yielding four top 10 hits - and paved the way for his 1982 Thriller, until recently the biggest selling album of all time.

Michael's solo triumph created increased buzz for the group's 1980 release, Triumph, which featured the hit "Lovely One" but was overall a disappointment. By the time of the group's 1984 Victory album, Michael was the world's biggest musical star and the album appeared more of a family obligation than a joyful reunion (though for the first time all 6 brothers were involved). It made the top 10 because it had to, but was a creative dud and was quickly forgotten. The group then split up, with Jermaine resuming his solo career on Arista Records and Michael continuing his quest to be the King of Pop while engaging in increasingly erratic, enigmatic behavior that would overshadow his music for the next two decades.
Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Randy reunited with their children, nieces and nephews for one final gasp, 2300 Jackson Street, an album that came and went quickly in 1989. The group then disbanded for good, reuniting onstage only for a pretty good performance at a Michael Jackson tribute television special in 2003.

While the events of the past 20 years, particularly the tabloid stuff that has become Michael Jackson's life, have tended to overshadow the work of the Jackson 5, one only has to listen to the group's music from the early 70s to realize what a unique and amazing package of singing and performing talent that this young group brought, and the road the Jackson Five paved for a generation of "boy bands" that would pop up in waves over the next twenty-five years.

Awards for Michael Jackson:

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA:
Year: 1979
Award: Saturn Award
Category: Best Supporting Actor for: The Wiz (1978/I)
Result: Nominated

CableACE Awards:
Year: 1989
Award: ACE
Category: Music Special
for: Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues (1988) (V)
Shared with: Suzanne De Passe (executive producer), Burl Hechtman (producer), Suzanne Coston (producer), George Paige (producer)
Result: Nominated

Emmy Awards:
Year: 1990
Award: Emmy
Category: Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics
for: Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration (1990) (TV), Shared with Buz Kohan (composer/lyricist) for the song "You Were There".
Result: Nominated

Golden Apple Awards:
Year: 1996
Award: Sour Apple
Category:
Result: Nominated

Grammy Awards:
Year: 1990
Award: Grammy Awards
Category: Best Music Video - Long Form
for: Moonwalker (1988). Shared with Colin Chilvers (video director), Dennis E. Jones (video director), Jerry Kramer (video director), Frank DiLeo (video director), unknown (video producer)
Result: Nominated

Year: 1985
Award: Grammy Awards
Category: Best Video Album for: Michael Jackson: Making Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' (1983) (V)
Result: Won

Image Awards:
Year: 2002
Award: Image Award
Category: Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special for: Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration (2001) (TV)
Result: Won

Year: 1994
Award: Image Award - Special Award
Category: Entertainer of the Year
Result:

MTV Movie Awards:
Year: 1994
Award: MTV Movie Award
Category: Best Movie Song for: Free Willy (1993) for the song "Will You Be There".
Result: Won
Actor Filmography:
Miss Cast Away (2004) .... Agent M.J.
... aka Miss Castaway and the Island Girls (USA: new title)
Men in Black II (2002) .... Agent M
... aka MIB 2 (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka MIIB (USA: promotional abbreviation)
Space Channel 5: Part 2 (2002) (VG) (voice) .... Space Michael
... aka Space Channel 5: Special Edition, Part 2 (USA: reissue title)

Space Channel 5 (1999) (VG) (voice) .... Space Michael
... aka Space Channel 5: Special Edition, Part 1 (USA: reissue title)
Ghosts (1997/I) .... Maestro/Mayor/Ghoul Mayor/Super Ghoul/Skeleton
... aka Michael Jackson's Ghosts

Bad (1987) (V) .... Darryl
Captain EO (1986) .... Captain EO
Thriller (1983) (V) .... Michael
... aka Michael Jackson's Thriller (USA: complete title)

A Special Sesame Street Christmas (1978) (TV)
The Wiz (1978/I) .... Scarecrow
Wiz on Down the Road (1978) .... Scarecrow
Free to Be... You & Me (1974) (TV)

Composer Filmography:
Michael Jackson: The One (2004) (TV)
Mgp 2003 - de unges melodi grand prix (2003) (TV) (song "Don't Blame It on the Boogie")
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) (VG) (song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'") (songs "Billie Jean") ... aka Vice City (USA: short title)
Undercover Brother (2002) (song "Beat It")
Zoolander (2001) (song "Beat It") ... aka Zoolander (Germany)
American Pie 2 (2001) (song "Smooth Criminal")
Rush Hour 2 (2001) (song "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough")
Charlie's Angels (2000) (song "Billie Jean") ... aka 3 Engel für Charlie (Germany)
Kya Kehna (2000) (song) (uncredited) ... aka Friends (India: English title)
Center Stage (2000/I) (song "The Way You Make Me Feel") ... aka Centre Stage (Australia)
"Centre Stage" (2000/II) TV Series (song "The Way You Make Me Feel")
Rush Hour (1998) (song "Another Part of Me")
Ghosts (1997/I) ... aka Michael Jackson's Ghosts
Michael Jackson: HIStory on Film - Volume II (1997) (V) (songs)
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995) (song "Childhood")
... aka Sauvez Willy 2 (France)
Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995) (V)
The Meteor Man (1993) (song "Can't Let Her Get Away")
Free Willy (1993) (song "Will You Be There") ... aka Sauvez Willy (France: dubbed version)
Dangerous: The Short Films (1993) (V) (songs)
... aka Michael Jackson - Dangerous: The Short Films (USA)
Black or White (1991) (V) (song) The Cream of Eric Clapton (1990) (V) (song "Behind the Mask")
Back to the Future Part II (1989) (song "Beat It ")
Otto - Der Außerfriesische (1989) (song "The Way You Make Me Feel")
Moonwalker (1989) (VG) (songs)
Moonwalker (1988) (songs)
... aka Michael Jackson: Moonwalker
Superman (1987) (song "Beat It")
... aka The Indian Superman (India: English title)
Michael Jackson - Mega Star (1987) (TV) (songs)
Bad (1987) (V) (song)
Lola (1986) (songs)
Playing for Keeps (1986) (song "Muscles")
Captain EO (1986) (songs)
We Are the World (1985) (TV) (song "We Are the World")
... aka We Are the World: The Video Event (International: English title: video title)

Producer Filmography:
Michael Jackson: The One (2004) (TV) (executive producer)
Michael Jackson: HIStory on Film - Volume II (1997) (V) (executive producer) (producer) (segment "Thriller")
Michael Jackson: One Night Only (1995) (TV) (executive producer)
Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995) (V) (executive producer) (producer) (segment "Thriller")
Moonwalker (1988) (executive producer)
... aka Michael Jackson: Moonwalker
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues (1988) (V) (executive producer)
... aka Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues (USA: video box title)
Thriller (1983) (V) (producer)
... aka Michael Jackson's Thriller (USA: complete title)

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Elvis Presley Personal Profile & Full Biography

"Before Elvis, there was nothing." - John Lennon
"I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to." - Elvis
Personal Profile:
Full Name / Real Name / Birth Name: Elvis Aaron Presley
Date of Birth: 8 January 1935
Place of Birth: Tupelo, Mississippi, USA
Date of Death: 16 August 1977 (heart attack)
Place of Death: Memphis Tennessee, USA
Family / Parents:
Mother: Gladys Love Smith Presley
Father: Vernon Elvis Presley
Zodiac Sign : Capricorn
Height : 183cm
Education: Graduated from Humes High School there in 1953
Occupation: Rock Musician / Pop - Rock & Roll Singer / Actor
Nickname: Pelvis - because of his sexually
Best known as: The King of Rock and Roll

Elvis Presley was an American singer who had an effect on world culture rivaled only by The Beatles and Chuck Berry. Exposed to gospel music from childhood, Presley began playing guitar before his adolescence. Early in his career he was referred to as The Hillbilly Cat and was soon nicknamed Elvis the Pelvis because of his sexually suggestive performance style. In terms of sheer record sales, Elvis' impact is utterly phenomenal and eclipses any other recording artist. He was famous in life, Elvis Presley has become even more famous in death as an icon of American music and TV-era celebrity.

The Elvis Presley biography reads like the ultimate fulfillment of the American dream. The rags to riches Elvis biography allowed every teenager of the mid 1950's dream that anything is possible. Since then just about every rock star has wanted to re-live the history of Elvis.

Elvis Presley Biography
Elvis Presley was born on January 8. 1935, in a one-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi, the only child of poor sharecroppers; the family moved to Memphis in 1948. The boy from humble beginnings to Elvis Army days, to Elvis in Hollywood to Elvis in Concert to become the King of rock roll.
Childhood of Elvis:
Presley's family moved when he was 13. He had a twin brother (Jesse Garon Presley) who died at birth. They would move to Lauderdale Courts public housing development in 1949. It was here where Elvis would be near Memphis music and cultural influences like Beale Street, Ellis Auditorium, Poplar Tunes record store with Sun Studio about a mile away. It is said that Elvis was a fan of the comic book superhero Captain Marvel, Jr. as a boy, and modeled what would later become his trademark hairstyle on that of the comic book character. Elvis took up guitar at 11 and would practice in the basement laundry room at Lauderdale Courts. He would play gigs in the malls and courtyards of the Courts with other musicians that lived there. After high school he worked at Precision Tool Company and then drove a truck for the Crown Electric Company.

Early Years:
In the summer of 1953 he paid $4 to record the first of two double-sided demo acetates at Sun Studios. The demo consisted of "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin," popular ballads of the time. While Presley claimed to have recorded the demo as a birthday present for his mother, this is probably untrue, since Gladys Presley's birthday was in April and he recorded the acetate in July. Sun Records founder Sam Phillips and assistant Marion Keisker heard the discs and, recognizing Presley's nascent talent, called him in June 1954 to fill in for a missing ballad singer. Although the session did not prove fruitful, Sam put Elvis together with local musicians Scotty Moore and Bill Black to see what might develop. During a rehearsal break on July 5, 1954, Elvis started fooling around with a blues song written by Arthur Crudup called "That's All Right". Philips liked the record and released it as a single backed with Elvis' hopped-up version of Bill Monroe's bluegrass song "Blue Moon Of Kentucky."

Elvis signed with RCA Records on November 21, 1955. On January 27, 1956 the single "Heartbreak Hotel" / "I Was the One" was released. It was the sixth single of his career. Unlike the previous singles, this one did chart, reaching #1 in April 1956. until his death in 1977, Elvis had 146 Hot 100 hits, 112 top 40 hits, 72 top 20 hits and 40 top 10 hits; all of these are the most anyone has yet achieved. "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" topped the pop, black and country charts in 1956.

Elvis Presley's (and Colonel Parker's) aspirations were too big to be limited to records and live appearances. By late 1956, his first Hollywood movie, Love Me Tender, had been released; other screen vehicles would follow in the next few years, Jailhouse Rock being the best. The hits continued unabated, several of them ("Jailhouse Rock," "All Shook Up," "Too Much") excellent, and often benefiting from the efforts of top early rock songwriter Otis Blackwell, as well as the emerging team of Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller. The Jordanaires added both pop and gospel elements with their smooth backup vocals. The Dean Martin influence began rearing his head in smoky, sentimental ballads such as "Loving You"; the vocal swoops became more exaggerated and stereotypical, although the overall quality of his output remained high. And although Moore and Black continued to back Elvis on his early RCA recordings, within a few years the musicians had gone their own ways.

Presley's recording and movie careers were interrupted by his induction into the Army in early 1958. There was enough material in the can to flood the charts throughout his two-year absence (during which he largely served in Germany). When he re-entered civilian life in 1960, his popularity, remarkably, was at just as high a level as when he left.
One couldn't, unfortunately, say the same for the quality of his music, which was not just becoming more sedate, but was starting to either repeat itself, or opt for operatic ballads that didn't have a whole lot to do with rock. Elvis' rebellious, wild image had been tamed to a large degree as well, as he and Parker began designing a career built around Hollywood films. Shortly after leaving the Army, in fact, Presley gave up live performing altogether for nearly a decade to concentrate on movie-making. The films, in turn, would serve as vehicles to both promote his records and to generate maximum revenue with minimal effort. For the rest of the '60s, Presley ground out two or three movies a year that, while mostly profitable, had little going for them in the way of story, acting, or social value.

While there were some quality efforts on Presley's early-'60s albums, his discography was soon dominated by forgettable soundtracks, mostly featuring material that was dispensable or downright ridiculous. In time he became largely disinterested in devoting much time to his craft in the studio. The soundtrack LPs themselves were sometimes filled out with outtakes that had been in the can for years (and these, sadly, were often the highlights of the albums). There were some good singles in the early '60s, like "Return to Sender"; once in a while there was even a flash of superb, tough rock, like "Little Sister" or "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame." But by 1963 or so there was little to get excited about, although he continued to sell in large quantities.

The era spanning, roughly, 1962-1967 has generated a school of Elvis apologists, eager to wrestle any kernel of quality that emerged from his recordings during this period. They also point out that Presley was assigned poor material, and assert that Colonel Parker was largely responsible for Presley's emasculation. True to a point, but on the other hand it could be claimed, with some validity, that Presley himself was doing little to rouse himself from his artistic stupor, letting Parker destroy his artistic credibility without much apparent protest, and holing up in his large mansion with a retinue of yes-men that protected their benefactor from much day-to-day contact with a fast-changing world.

The Beatles, all big Elvis fans, displaced Presley as the biggest rock act in the world in 1964. What's more, they did so by writing their own material and playing their own instruments; something Elvis had never been capable of, or particularly aspired to. They, and the British and American groups the Beatles influenced, were not shy about expressing their opinions, experimenting musically, and taking the reins of their artistic direction into their own hands. The net effect was to make Elvis Presley, still churning out movies in Hollywood as psychedelia and soul music became the rage, seem irrelevant, even as he managed to squeeze out an obscure Dylan cover ("Tomorrow Is a Long Time") on a 1966 soundtrack album.

Elvis' 1968 Comeback:
The 1960s saw the quality of Presley's recorded output drop, although he was still capable of creating records equal to his best and did so on the infrequent occasions where he was presented with decent material at his movie recording sessions. In 1960 the album Elvis is Back was recorded. This, like his first two albums, Elvis Presley and Elvis, are considered by many of his fans to be his best work. With this drop-off, and in the face of the social upheaval of the 1960s and the British Invasion spearheaded by The Beatles, Presley's star faded slightly before a triumphant TV comeback special on NBC (aired on December 3, 1968) that saw him return to his rock and roll roots. His 1969 return to live performances, first in Las Vegas and then across the country, was noted for the constant stream of sold-out shows, with many setting attendance records in the venues where he performed.

Military
On December 20, 1957 Presley received a draft notice for a 2-year duty with the United States Army. He received no special treatment. He sailed to Europe on the USS General George M. Randall, and served in Germany as an ordinary soldier. He was honorably discharged on March 5, 1960. Many have since wondered why an only child – by then the sole support of his parents and grandmother – was drafted during peacetime, since his services were clearly not critical for the defense of his country. It has long been suspected that Elvis' draft notice was either politically instigated to shunt his "dangerous", "race-mixing" influence, or encouraged by his manager in order to keep the increasingly world-wise Southern lad under his thumb. While in the army, he received a black belt in karate and attained the rank of Sergeant.

1969 onward
After seven years off the top of the charts, Presley's song "Suspicious Minds" hit No. 1 on the Billboard music charts on November 1, 1969. This was the last time any song by Presley hit #1 on the US pop charts while he was still alive, although "Burning Love" got as high as #2 in September 1972. He still reached #1 on charts around the world. For example, "The Wonder Of You" reached #1 in the UK in 1970. Way Down was racing up the American Country Music charts shortly before Presley's death in 1977, it hit #1 on that very chart the week he died. It also topped the UK pop charts at the same time. The mid-1970s saw Elvis becoming increasingly isolated, battling an addiction to prescription drugs and the resulting toll on his appearance, health and performances. Elvis made his last live concert appearance in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Market Square Arena on June 26, 1977.

Elvis and Women: Dating
Elvis was a sex symbol who sent legions of women swooning. He had a string of girlfriends, before and after he became famous, including celebrities such as Mamie Van Doren, Natalie Wood, Tuesday Weld, Cybill Shepherd and Ann-Margret. He lived with Memphis girfriend Anita Woods until he met Priscilla Beaulieu while stationed in the U.S. Army base in Germany.

On May 1, 1967 he married Priscilla Anne Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. Priscilla had been the step-daughter of Presley's commanding officer in Germany during his Army stint. Incredibly, Elvis managed to talk Priscilla's mother and step-father into allowing the underaged girl to live with him at Graceland. In her autobiography, Priscilla recounted how Elvis would stay up all night and sleep most of the day; if he wanted to go out, he'd rent out the venue so no fans would bother him. Although he would spend hours alone with her in her bedroom, Priscilla wrote that Elvis never made any advances toward her. Indeed, their wedding night was the first time they were intimate; their daughter, Lisa Marie, was born exactly nine months later on February 1, 1968.
After their divorce in 1973, Lisa lived with Priscilla but spent a great deal of time with Elvis. Elvis then began a relationship with Linda Thompson who moved into Graceland almost immediately and stayed there for four years until Presley dropped her for Ginger Alden. Alden was living with him at the time of his death.

Apart from these relationships to women, Elvis spent most of his time with men from the so-called "Memphis Mafia", among them Sonny West, Red West, Billy Smith, Marty Lacker, and Lamar Fike. They used to hang with Elvis all day and night. Similar to the real Mafia, there was a code of silence within the group during Elvis's lifetime, and they protected his name and image. After the death of Elvis, several Memphis Mafia members wrote books on his life.

Elvis: The Hollywood Years, a 2002 biography by David Bret, claims Presley was gay. Bret, who has made a career on sensationalized claims of homosexuality of deceased male celebrities, says Colonel Tom Parker "held secret information about a homosexual affair between Elvis and actor Nick Adams over his head like a sword. ... That is why Parker had so much control over him." According to Bret, many journalists' attempts to "out" Elvis in the past were thwarted by his manager. In her manuscript book The Intimate Life and Death of Elvis and an unfavorable article in the National Enquirer, Dee Presley, Elvis's stepmother, also says that Elvis had sexual encounters with men and mentions his affair with Nick Adams. Other testimonies have also been said to point to homosexuality. In Elvis by the Presleys (2005) his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley claims that Elvis was not overtly sexual towards her and that they did not have sex until the night of the wedding. Parts of the lyrics to the song "Jail-house Rock" may also be interpreted as being homo-erotic. Despite these statements, just about every other author, writing in the vein of the worldwide Elvis industry which has a tendency toward supporting only a 'favorable' view of the singer, believes that Elvis was heterosexual.

Death of Elvis:
Elvis Presley died at his home Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee on August 16 , 1977. He was found on the floor of his bedroom's bathroom ensuite by girlfriend Ginger Alden who had been asleep in his bed. He was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead at 3.30pm. He was only 42 years old. It is a popular myth that he died whilst defecating on the toilet.

Numerous examinations of his death by medical personnel have resulted in a final public cause of death; the cause was, in fact, a heart attack, most likely due to lifestyle and his documented extreme misuse of prescription drugs. In an interview for the BBC television programme Hard Talk in 1999, Sam Phillips offered a slightly different explanation, based on his thirty year friendship with the Presley family. He believed that the cause of Elvis death was due to kidney failure. He believed that members of the Presley family had a genetic weakness in their kidneys and he cited similarities between the death of both Elvis and his mother Gladys.

Presley was originally buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis next to his mother but after an attempted theft of his body, his and his mother's remains were moved to Graceland.

In death, Elvis remains a paradox. As Lea Frydman content manager of ElvisPresleyNews.com notes. "His legacy has become a double-edged sword; whereas on one hand, he continues to have a loyal and loving following, and on the other, the media has turned his fandom into myth, with countless 'Elvis is alive' hoaxes and Elvis sightings and clichés of a fat guy in a white jumpsuit."

But even the specter of white jumpsuits, gross obesity, substance abuse and career suicide can't diminish his artistry. Elvis himself recognized his inherent gifts when he announced, upon his arrival at Sun studios that "I don't sing like nobody."

"In that simple, ungrammatical, declarative sentence, Elvis was offering an incomplete but otherwise impeccable definition of his uniqueness as a singer. He did not sound like anybody else then, and he does not sound like anybody else now."

What made him unique was how he broke down musical barriers. Though he's hailed as "The King of Rock and Roll," that's a bit of misnomer. Maybe he should have been called the emancipator. Elvis represented the convergence in one small-town boy, born at the right time, in the right place, in the right environment and under the right circumstances, of all the musical currents of America's subcultures: black and white gospel, country and Western, and rhythm & blues. After 1956 popular music would never be the same again.

Other rock-era contemporaries looked to him as a source of divine inspiration. "When I first heard Elvis' voice, I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody, and nobody was going to be my boss," Bob Dylan once said. "He is the deity supreme of rock 'n' roll religion as it exists in today's form."

Even a long-haired emissary, composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein, paid his tribute to the King. "Elvis Presley was the greatest cultural force in the 20th century. He changed everything--music, language, clothes--it's a whole new social revolution."

Lea Frydman reflects, "The voice, 25 years after his death, continues to astonish even those of us who have spent most of our lives listening to it with its power, range and subtlety but above all, with its very believability."

Listen to Elvis illuminate the joys and sorrows of life on gospel- inflected numbers such as "You Gave Me a Mountain." Or how he rips it up or tears it up on rockers such as "Trying to Get to You" or "Burning Love." Or how he ponders the possibilities of fate in "Follow That Dream" and "If I Can Dream."

Elvis certainly believed in their power: "Every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times."

To many Presley fans, his greatest legacy remains his supreme embodiment of the American dream.

When Elvis stepped behind a microphone, he represented everything the American dream had to offer," Lea Frydman said. "And every teenager on the planet wanted to be part of it. Fifty years later, how can you let go of a dream like that?

The question of Elvis Presley remains as alive as the man himself is dead. He remains the specter of possibility--in rock 'n' roll, pop culture, America, modern life--and he remains the fact of ruin.

Elvis's daughter Lisa Marie Presley was married to pop star Michael Jackson from 1994-1996, and then briefly to Nicolas Cage in 2002... Elvis was married one time, to the former Priscilla Beaulieu, from 1967-73; Priscilla Presley later appeared in the TV soap Dallas and the Naked Gun film series.

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Bob Marley Full Biography

Full Name (Real Name): Robert Nesta Marley
Birth Date: February 6, 1945
Birth Place: Nine Miles, St. Ann, Jamaica
Death Date: Monday May 11, 1981.
Death Place: Miami, Florida

Bob Marley was a legend in his own time. His music inspired the heart of every person that happened to hear a few bars of his songs. Although he is dead, he is one of the lucky few that will live on forever in the hearts of all that loved him. Bob Marley was a hero figure, in the classic mythological sense. He gave the world brilliant and evocative music; his work stretched across nearly two decades and yet still remains timeless and universal. Bob Marley & the Wailers worked their way into the very fabric of our lives.

It is important to consider the roots of this legend: the first superstar from the Third World, Bob Marley was one of the most charismatic and challenging performers of our time and his music could have been created from only one source: the street culture of Jamaica.
Bob's story is that of an archetype, which is why it continues to have such a powerful and ever-growing resonance: it embodies political repression, metaphysical and artistic insights, gangland warfare and various periods of mystical wilderness. And his audience continues to widen: to westerners Bob's apocalyptic truths prove inspirational and life-changing; in the Third World his impact goes much further. Not just among Jamaicans, but also the Hopi Indians of New Mexico and the Maoris of New Zealand, in Indonesia and India, and especially in those parts of West Africa from wihch slaves were plucked and taken to the New World, Bob is seen as a redeemer figure returning to lead this planet out of confusion.

Bob Marley's Life
Robert Nesta Marley was born 6th February 1945 in a small village called Nine Miles in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica. His mother was an eighteen-year-old black girl called Cedella Booker while his father was Captain Norval Marley, a 50-year-old white quartermaster attached to the British West Indian Regiment. Bob had only a scant recollection of his father. This was largely due to the fact that the 'well to do' Marley family did not approve of the relationship Norval had formed with Bobs mother Cedella. His father therefore, despite marrying Cedella, was more an occasional visitor. He did not live to witness the success of his son Bob. In 1962 Bob Marley auditioned for a local music entrepreneur called Leslie Kong. Impressed by the quality of Bob's vocals, Kong took the young singer into the studio to cut some tracks, the first of which, called "Judge Not", was released on Beverley's label. It was Marley's first record.

The other tunes - including "Terror" and "One Cup of Coffee" - received no airplay and attracted little attention. At the very least, however, they confirmed Marley's ambition to be a singer. By the following year Bob had decided the way forward was with a group. He linked up with Bunny and Peter to form The Wailing Wailers. It was the time of ska music, the hot new dance floor music with a pronounced back-beat. Its origins incorporated influences from Jamaica's African traditions but, more immediately, from the heady beats of New Orleans' rhythm & blues disseminated from American radio stations and the burgeoning sound systems on the streets of Kingston. Clement - Sir Coxsone - Dodd was one of the city's finest sound system men.

The Wailing Wailers released their first single, "Simmer Down", on the Coxsone label during the last weeks of 1963. By the following January it was number one in the Jamaican charts, a position it held for the next two months. The group - Bob, Bunny and Peter together with Junior Braithwaite and two back-up singers, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith - were big news. "Simmer Down" caused a sensation in Jamaica and The Wailing Wailers began recording regularly for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One Company. The groups' music also found new themes, identifying with the Rude Boy street rebels in the Kingston slums. Jamaican music had found a tough, urban stance.

Bob Marley in America
Despite their popularity, the economics of keeping the group together proved too much and the three other members - Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith - quit. Bob's mother, Cedella, had remarried and moved to Delaware in the United States where she had saved sufficient money to send her son an air ticket. The intention was for Bob to start a new life. But before he moved to America, Bob met Rita Anderson and, on February 10, 1966, they were married.

Detailed Biography of Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley was born 6th February 1945 in a small village called Nine Miles in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica. His mother was an eighteen-year-old black girl called Cedella Booker while his father was Captain Norval Marley, a 50-year-old white quartermaster attached to the British West Indian Regiment. Bob had only a scant recollection of his father. This was largely due to the fact that the 'well to do' Marley family did not approve of the relationship Norval had formed with Bobs mother Cedella. His father therefore, despite marrying Cedella, was more an occasional visitor. He did not live to witness the success of his son Bob.

Bob Marley's Career: Early Years
In 1962 Bob Marley auditioned for a local music entrepreneur called Leslie Kong. Impressed by the quality of Bob's vocals, Kong took the young singer into the studio to cut some tracks, the first of which, called "Judge Not", was released on Beverley's label. It was Marley's first record.
The other tunes - including "Terror" and "One Cup of Coffee" - received no airplay and attracted little attention. At the very least, however, they confirmed Marley's ambition to be a singer. By the following year Bob had decided the way forward was with a group. He linked up with Bunny and Peter to form The Wailing Wailers. It was the time of ska music, the hot new dance floor music with a pronounced back-beat. Its origins incorporated influences from Jamaica's African traditions but, more immediately, from the heady beats of New Orleans' rhythm & blues disseminated from American radio stations and the burgeoning sound systems on the streets of Kingston. Clement - Sir Coxsone - Dodd was one of the city's finest sound system men.

The Wailing Wailers released their first single, "Simmer Down", on the Coxsone label during the last weeks of 1963. By the following January it was number one in the Jamaican charts, a position it held for the next two months. The group - Bob, Bunny and Peter together with Junior Braithwaite and two back-up singers, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith - were big news. "Simmer Down" caused a sensation in Jamaica and The Wailing Wailers began recording regularly for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One Company. The groups' music also found new themes, identifying with the Rude Boy street rebels in the Kingston slums. Jamaican music had found a tough, urban stance.

A New Life in America
Despite their popularity, the economics of keeping the group together proved too much and the three other members - Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith - quit. Bob's mother, Cedella, had remarried and moved to Delaware in the United States where she had saved sufficient money to send her son an air ticket. The intention was for Bob to start a new life. But before he moved to America, Bob met Rita Anderson and, on February 10, 1966, they were married.

Marley stayed in America for a short time. He worked just enough to finance his real ambition: music. In October 1966 Bob Marley, after eight months in America, returned to Jamaica. It was a formative period in his life. The Emperor Haile Selassie had made a state visit to Jamaica in April that year. By the time Bob re-settled in Kingston the Rastafarian movement had gained new credence.

Marley was increasingly drawn towards Rastafari. In 1967 Bob's music reflected his new beliefs. Gone were the Rude Boy anthems; in their place was a growing commitment to spiritual and social issues, the cornerstone of his real legacy.

Marley joined up with Bunny and Peter to re-form the group, now known as The Wailers. Rita, too, had started a singing career, having a big hit with "Pied Piper", a cover of an English pop song. Jamaican music, however, was changing. The bouncy ska beat had been replaced by a slower, more sensual rhythm called rock steady.

Much of Marley's early work was produced by Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. That relationship later deteriorated due to financial pressure, and in the early 1970s he produced what is believed by many to be his finest work with Lee Perry. This pair also split apart, this time over the assignment of recording rights. They did work together again in London, though, and remained friends until Marley's death.

In 1970 Aston 'Family Man' Barrett and his brother Carlton (bass and drums respectively) joined the Wailers. They had been the rhythm nucleus of Perry's studio band, working with the Wailers on those ground-breaking sessions. They were also unchallenged as Jamaica's hardest rhythm section, a status that was to remain undiminished during the following decade. The band's reputation was, at the start of the Seventies, an extraordinary one throughout the Caribbean. But internationally the Wailers were still unknown.

In the summer of 1971 Bob accepted an invitation from Johnny Nash to accompany him to Sweden where the American singer had taken a filmscore commission. While in Europe Bob secured a recording contract with CBS which was also, of course, Nash's company. By the spring of 1972 the entire Wailers were in London, ostensibly promoting their CBS single "Reggae on Broadway". Instead they found themselves stranded in Britain.

Marley's work was largely responsible for the mainstream cultural acceptance of reggae music outside of Jamaica. He signed to Chris Blackwell's Island Records label in 1971, at the time a highly influential and innovative label. Island Records boasted a retinue of successful and diverse artists including Free, John Martyn and Nick Drake. Though many people believe that Blackwell interfered with what Marley wanted to do with his own music, others think that the knowledge this producer brought to the scene was critical in Marley's wish to bring reggae to the world. It was his 1975 hit No Woman, No Cry that first gained him fame on a wider level.

Marley and the band came to London in April 1973, embarking on a club tour which hardened The Wailers as a live group. After three months, however, the band returned to Jamaica and Bunny, disenchanted by life on the road, refused to play the American tour. His place was taken by Joe Higgs (original singing teacher of The Wailers).

In 1973 The Wailers also released their second Island album, Burnin, an LP that included new versions of some of the band's older songs: 'Duppy Conqueror', for instance, "Small Axe" and "Put It On" - together with such tracks as 'Get Up Stand Up' and "I Shot The Sheriff". The latter, of course, was a massive worldwide hit for Eric Clapton the following year, even reaching number one in the U.S. singles' chart.

In 1974 Marley spent much time of his time in the studio working on the sessions that eventually provided Natty Dread, an album that included such fiercely committed songs as 'Talkin' Blues', "No Woman No Cry", "So Jah Seh," "Revolution", "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" and "Rebel Music (3 o'clock Roadblock)". By the start of the next year, however, Bunny and Peter had quit the group; they were later to embark on solo careers (as Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh) while the band was re-named Bob Marley & The Wailers.

Later Years
Natty Dread was released in February 1975 and, by the summer, the band was on the road again. Bunny and Peter's missing harmonies were replaced by the I-Threes, the female trio comprising Bob's wife Rita together with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt. Among the concerts were two shows at the Lyceum Ballroom in London which, even now, are remembered as highlights of the decade. The shows were recorded and the subsequent live album, together with the single "No Woman No Cry", both made the charts. Bob Marley & The Wailers were taking reggae into the mainstream. By November, when The Wailers returned to Jamaica to play a benefit concert with Stevie Wonder, they were obviously the country's greatest superstars.

The follow-up album in 1976, Rastaman Vibration, cracked the American charts. It was, for many, the clearest exposition yet of Marley's music and beliefs, including such tracks as "Crazy Baldhead", "Johnny Was", "Who the Cap Fit" and, perhaps most significantly of all, "War", the lyrics of which were taken from a speech by Emperor Haile Selassie.

Bob Marley left Jamaica at the end of 1976, and went to England, where he recorded both Exodus and Kaya, and where he was famously arrested for possession of a joint of marijuana.

It was to be Marley's last appearance in Jamaica for nearly eighteen months. Immediately after the show he left the country and, during early 1977, lived in London where he recorded his next album, Exodus. Released in the summer of that year, Exodus properly established the band's international status. The album remained on the UK charts for 56 straight weeks, and its three singles - "Exodus", "Waiting in Vain" and "Jammin" - were all massive sellers. The band also played a week of concerts at London's Rainbow Theatre; their last dates in the city during the seventies.

In 1978 the band capitalised on their chart success with Kaya, an album which hit number four in the UK the week after release. That album saw Marley in a different mood; a collection of love songs and, of course, homages to the power of ganja. The album also provided two chart singles, "Satisfy My Soul" and the beautiful "Is This Love".

Bob Marley's ninth album for Island Records, Survival, was released in the summer of 1979. It included "Zimbabwe", a stirring anthem for the soon-to-be liberated Rhodesia, together with "So Much Trouble In The World", "Ambush In The Night" and "Africa Unite"; as the sleeve design, comprising the flags of the independent nations, indicated, Survival was an album of pan-African solidarity.

At the start of the following year - a new decade - Bob Marley & The Wailers flew to Gabon where they were to make their African debut. It was not an auspicious occasion, however, when the band discovered they were playing in front of the country's young elite. The group, nevertheless, was to make a quick return to Africa, this time at the official invitation to the government of liberated Zimbabwe to play at the country's Independence Ceremony in April, 1980. It was the greatest honour ever afforded the band, and one which underlined the Wailer's importance in the Third World. Next album, Uprising, was released in May 1980. It was an instant hit, with the single, "Could You Be Loved" a massive worldwide seller. Uprising also featured "Coming In From the Cold", "Work" and the extraordinary closing track, "Redemption Song".

Death of Bob Marley
At the end of the European tour Marley and the band went to America. Bob played two shows at Madison Square Garden but, immediately afterwards, was taken seriously ill.

Three years earlier, in London, Bob hurt a toe while playing football. The wound had become cancerous and was belatedly treated in Miami, yet it continued to fester. By 1980 the cancer, in its most virulent form, had begun to spread through Marley's body. He fought the disease for eight months, taking treatment at the clinic of Dr. Joseph Issels in Bavaria. Issels' treatment was controversial and non-toxic and, for a time anyway, Bob's condition seemed to stabilise. Eventually, however, the battle proved too much. At the start of May Bob Marley left Germany for his Jamaican home, a journey he did not complete.

He died in a Miami hospital on Monday May 11, 1981.

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