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Judy Garland was an American singer and actor, without doubt one of the greatest stars of Hollywood`s Golden Era of musical film. As a child, Garland made the song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” famous in the 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz."Birth and youthful careerJudy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on June 10, 1922, to Frank and Ethel Gumm. Frances performed with her sisters, known as the “Gumm Sisters," and was called "Baby Gumm" until she named her name to Judy. George Jessel changed the girls` performing name to the "Garland Sisters," at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago during the 1934 World`s Fair.Judy was signed with MGM at the age of 13. Her role in “Broadway Melody of 1938” with Clark Gable brought her to the public eye. Judy made several films with Mickey Rooney, but it was her role as Dorothy in "Oz" that made her famous. She won an honorary Oscar as an outstanding screen juvenile.
Too much workGarland shone in numerous movie performances. Highlights of her career include “Meet me in St. Louis” (1944), “Easter Parade” (1948), “A Star is Born” (1954), and “Judgment at Nuremburg” (1961). She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Nuremburg” and Best Actress for her role in "Star is Born."To keep up with the frantic pace of making movie after movie, Garland, Rooney, and other young performers were given amphetamines to keep them going, and barbiturates before bedtime. That constant regimen of drugs led to Garland`s lifelong struggle with addiction — and her eventual death.When Garland`s contract was up in 1950, she turned to live concert appearances, then television. Her concert at ^Carnegie Hall, on April 23, 1961, was a huge success. The live recording of that concert was on the top of the Billboard chart for 13 weeks, and remained on the chart for 73 weeks. The recording won an unprecedented five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal of the Year.In the early 1960s, CBS offered Garland a weekly television series of her own. “The Judy Garland Show” garnered praise from the critics, but it was placed in the time slot opposite “Bonanza.” Despite winning four Emmy nominations, the show was canceled in 1964 after one season. The cancellation had a devastating impact on Garland, emotionally and financially.
Fighting addictionGarland sought solace in alcohol, prescription sedatives, and stimulants. There were, however, short periods in her life when she attempted to get "clean," but she was never able to stay off the drugs and alcohol. Garland spent her life struggling to overcome many personal problems, including addiction, to no avail.She was found dead by her last husband, Mickey Deans, on June 22, 1969. She was living in Chelsea, London, when she died at the age of 47. The cause of death was an accidental overdose of barbiturates. Garland`s remains were buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.Garland was married five times and had three children. Liza Minnelli was her first child from her second marriage. Lorna and Joey Luft were from her third marriage. She was married to Deans for just three months when she died.Judy Garland appeared in more than 40 movies and short films, and recorded 10 albums in her lifetime.
A good drug treatment center locator could have come in handy for Hollywood legends who have suffered from drug addiction at the height of their fame.
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Judy Garland, original name Frances Ethel Gumm, (born June 10, 1922, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.—died June 22, 1969, London, England), American singer and actress whose exceptional talents and vulnerabilities combined to make her one of the most enduringly popular Hollywood icons of the 20th century.
What was Judy Garland’s childhood like?
Born Frances Gumm, Garland was the daughter of former vaudevillians who operated a theatre in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She made her stage debut at age 2½, received her first review in Variety as a 10-year-old singing sensation, and became a juvenile film star as a contract player for MGM, frequently paired with Mickey Rooney.
How did Judy Garland get famous?
Although Garland had gained popularity in her first motion pictures with Mickey Rooney, she became an international star by playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939), in which she sang one of her signature songs, “Over the Rainbow,” and for which she won a special Academy Award for “outstanding performance by a screen juvenile.”
What were Judy Garland’s major accomplishments?
Garland gave iconic film performances in The Wizard of Oz (1939), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948), and A Star Is Born (1954). She is also remembered as the singer of “You Made Me Love You” and “Over the Rainbow” and for the concert album Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961).
What did Judy Garland die from?
Garland died from an accidental barbiturate overdose in London on June 22, 1969, less than two weeks after her 47th birthday. Her exceptional talents and vulnerabilities had made her one of the most enduringly popular Hollywood icons of the 20th century, and her funeral in New York City drew some 22,000 mourners.
Frances Gumm was the daughter of former vaudevillians Frank Gumm and Ethel Gumm, who operated the New Grand Theatre in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where on December 26, 1924, at age 2 1 /2 , Frances made her debut. In 1932—by that time a 10-year-old singing sensation—she received her first rave review from the entertainment news magazine Variety, and two years later, at the suggestion of the comedian George Jessel, she adopted the surname Garland. (She chose the first name Judy shortly thereafter, from the popular 1934 Hoagy Carmichael song of that name.) In September 1935, Judy Garland was signed by the world’s largest motion-picture studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), without a screen test.
Her first film appearance as a contract player for MGM was in the short Every Sunday (1936). Her other early films included Pigskin Parade (which she made while on loan to Twentieth Century-Fox in 1936) and Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937), in which she sang “You Made Me Love You.” That was the first of many trademark songs. She began her popular screen partnership with Mickey Rooney in Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry (1937) the pairing continued through Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), Babes in Arms (1939), Strike Up the Band (1940), Babes on Broadway (1941), and Girl Crazy (1943).
Garland’s winning combination of youth, innocence, pluck, and emotional openness is seen to good advantage in two of her best-known films: The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). In the former, her heartfelt expression of vulnerability and youthful longing in what would become another signature song, “ Over the Rainbow,” helped make the film one of the most beloved movie classics. It also brought Garland her first and only Academy Award, a special award with a miniature statuette for “outstanding performance by a screen juvenile.” She played her last juvenile role in Meet Me in St. Louis, directed by her future husband Vincente Minnelli (with whom she had a daughter, Liza). In it she sang such hits as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “The Boy Next Door.”
Of the 21 additional films she made in the 1940s, perhaps The Harvey Girls (1946) and Easter Parade (1948) are the best known. Despite placing in the Top Ten box office three times during the 1940s, making more than $100 million for the studio, and being considered the studio’s greatest asset, Garland was granted an early release from her MGM contract in September 1950, following completion of Summer Stock (1950). The following year she returned to the stage, with triumphant performances at the London Palladium and New York’s Palace Theatre. Her comeback was capped with the Warner Bros. musical A Star Is Born (1954), a three-hour showcase for all of Garland’s talents. It was in this film, the last of the three with which she is most associated, that Garland’s persona achieved maturity. Pitted against Dorothy Dandridge (Carmen Jones), Audrey Hepburn (Sabrina), Jane Wyman (Magnificent Obsession), and Grace Kelly (The Country Girl) for the best actress Oscar that year, Garland was favoured to win, but she lost to Grace Kelly in what comedian Groucho Marx (see Marx Brothers) called “the greatest robbery since Brinks” (a reference to the 1950 robbery of the Brinks Building in Boston, which was then the largest U.S. armed robbery).
Garland appeared in five more films, including Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), for which she garnered an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress, and the somewhat autobiographical I Could Go On Singing (1963), her only movie shot outside the United States.
Her film career has long overshadowed her success as a recording artist, but from 1936 to 1947 she cut more than 90 tracks for Decca Records, and she made a dozen record albums for Capitol Records between 1955 and 1965. She frequently made the best-seller charts from 1939 to 1967, working with such top arrangers as Mort Lindsey, Nelson Riddle, Jack Marshall, and Gordon Jenkins. These recordings reveal her sensitivity and intelligence as an interpreter of popular song.
After doctors told her in 1959 that decades of stress from overwork would prevent her from further performance, Garland staged her greatest comeback ever, with a 1960–61 series of one-woman concerts around the world, culminating in New York’s Carnegie Hall. The two-record recording of this concert, Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961), revealed her intense connection to her audiences and proved to be her biggest-selling album. It won five Grammy Awards—including album of the year and best female vocal performance—and spent about a year and a half on the charts, staying at number one for 13 weeks. The album has never gone out of print, and a Fortieth Anniversary Edition was issued on compact disc by Capitol Records in 2001. Further, in 2003 the album was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically” significant and placed on the National Recording Registry.
In the early 1960s Garland appeared often on television, hosting a weekly hour-long variety series, The Judy Garland Show, for 26 episodes during the 1963–64 season. Although she had been signed for a record amount of money, and the show revealed a concert artist at her peak, it was canceled after half a year.
During the mid- to late 1960s, Garland concentrated on concert performances and made appearances on the top television variety and talk shows of the day. A month-long third engagement at the Palace Theatre resulted in another popular album, At Home at the Palace (1967). Garland continued working until her death at age 47 by accidental barbiturate overdose. Her funeral in New York City drew 22,000 mourners.
Over the decades since her death and as the star of The Wizard of Oz, the movie seen by more people than any other in film history, Garland has remained an iconic American entertainer. Singer Frank Sinatra expressed the feelings of countless fans when he said, “She will have a mystic survival. She was the greatest. The rest of us will be forgotten, but never Judy.”
She became a child star with MGM, but her success largely robbed her of a childhood
Born Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minn., in 1922, Garland came from a showbiz family. She was already performing by the age of four, and at 7 she joined the successful singing-and-dancing act her older sisters had cultivated &mdash all at the insistence of their mother, Ethel. The family moved to California in 1926 in search of greater fame for the Gumm sisters, who had, by this time, been reinvented as the Garlands.
It was at 13 that a young Judy would commit to a contract with MGM, one of the world’s biggest film studios. According to Hollywood legend, studio boss Louis B. Mayer signed her on the spot without a screen test. These early MGM days saw the beginning of Garland’s lifelong struggles with addiction, body image and mental health, largely fueled by the studio’s determination to mold her into a profitable box-office star. These difficult times are depicted in flashbacks in the movie in one, Judy is made to celebrate her 16th birthday two months early, because that’s the only time that will work with her schedule, and she’s not allowed to go anywhere near her cake.
Unlike other glamorous actors of the time, like Lana Turner, Garland was marketed as more of an “ugly duckling,” according to Petersen. Her on-screen storylines and frequent partnership with fellow teen actor Mickey Rooney would often reflect this status, with Garland’s girl-next-door character harboring some kind of unrequited crush on Rooney’s all-American boy. “She didn’t look like the rest of those MGM stars…she becomes this kind of avatar for the rejected, not sexy enough, not pretty enough person,” said Petersen on a 2014 episode of film historian Karina Longworth’s podcast You Must Remember This.
It was widely reported that MGM also used drugs to modulate young performers on set, as depicted in Judy, plying its young actors with “pep pills,” otherwise known as amphetamines, to power them through the exhausting demands of shooting schedules, as well as “downers,” or barbiturates, to force them to get enough sleep. The reliance on drugs, as well as the constant pressure and comments about Garland’s appearance (Louis B. Mayer reportedly nicknamed her “my little hunchback”), led to Garland’s unhealthy relationship with her weight.
In the film, she is photographed sharing a milkshake with Rooney, but she’s not allowed to eat the food on the table between them despite expressing her hunger. Indeed, tabloid gossip magazines reported at the time that studio minders at MGM, as well as Louis B. Mayer himself, insisted that she “reduce.” One widely-circulated anecdote tells of Garland attempting to order a normal lunch at the studio canteen, only to be brought a bowl of soup and a plate of lunch by staff. “My life was a combination of absolute chaos and absolute solitude,” Garland later said, reflecting on her unusual, and troubled, adolescence.
One biography of Garland also alleged that she was sexually harassed by Mayer, starting around the time when The Wizard of Oz was released, when Garland was 16. Using notes from a partial memoir written by Garland herself, former TIME writer Gerald Clarke writes in Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland that “between the ages of sixteen and twenty, Judy herself was to be approached for sex &mdash and approached again and again,” by Mayer himself and other studio executives.
A History of Addiction
The third daughter of vaudevillians Frank and Ethel Gumm, the woman who would become an icon was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. At the age of two and a half, she made her stage debut performing alongside her older sisters Mary Jane and Virginia as the Gumm Sisters.
Ethel, an aggressive and critical stage mother, was the first to give Garland pills&mdashboth to keep her energy up for the stage as well as to bring her down and sleep afterwards&mdashstarting as early as age ten, according to the biography Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland by Gerald Clarke.
It was a problem that worsened when Garland signed on as an actress with MGM in 1935. The actress later spoke about the breakneck pace at which she was expected to work&mdashshe starred in more than two dozen films for the studio&mdashand executives, including founder Louis B. Mayer, would have the actors medicated with both uppers and downers to maintain the schedule.
"They had us working days and nights on end. They&rsquod give us pills to keep us on our feet long after we were exhausted. Then they&rsquod take us to the studio hospital and knock us out with sleeping pills&ndash[co-star Mickey Rooney] sprawled out on one bed and me on another," Garland said, according to Paul Donnelley's biography of the actress. "Then after four hours they&rsquod wake us up and give us the pep pills again so we could work 72 hours in a row. Half of the time we were hanging from the ceiling but it was a way of life for us."
(It is worth noting that Rooney denied that the actors were forcibly medicated by the studio.)
Liza Minnelli shades Renée Zellweger, won't see 'Judy' biopic about her mom
Onstage and on screen, Judy Garland boasted big, beautiful eyes and one of the most iconic singing voices in Hollywood history. She was Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” and Esther in “A Star Is Born,” the singer of “The Man That Got Away” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Behind the scenes, however, Garland was somewhere over the cuckoo’s nest.
The actress, who died from a drug overdose on June 22, 1969, at just 47 years old, is the subject of a new movie called “Judy,” which hits theaters Sept. 27. The film, starring Renée Zellweger, depicts Garland’s final weeks performing a series of acclaimed concerts in London. But years before her untimely demise, she was already drug-addicted, alcoholic, sex-obsessed and suicidal.
Stevie Phillips, who began as a secretary at the New York-based Freddie Fields Associates, worked her way up to become Garland’s manager from 1961 to 1964, accompanying the singer on her cross-country concert tours and witnessing all her bizarre behavior along the way.
There was the Caribbean vacation where a nearly naked Garland serenaded rowdy longshoremen in the Bahamas with “Over the Rainbow” from her hotel balcony. The time when she broke the mirror on her makeup compact and used the shards to slice up her face. And another time when she faked passing out in her house, only to angrily jump off the hospital gurney because the paramedics were too rough, screaming, “How dare you f–king morons handle me like a f–king side of beef!”
Toward the end of the tour, Garland generously brought her manager onstage to duet with her, then aggressively shoved her back into the wings when it turned out Phillips could carry a tune. Garland’s life was a roller coaster, and Phillips was screaming in the front car.
'Judy' review: Renée Zellweger delivers gut-wrenching portrayal of Garland
“Although the concerts were always wonderful, what came before and after was not,” Phillips wrote in her 2015 memoir, “Judy & Liza & Robert & Freddie & David & Sue & Me” (St. Martin’s Press). “Sometimes it was plain awful, and a few times almost tragic.”
One disaster nearly ended fatally for both women.
Garland was performing a two-week stint at the Sahara hotel in Las Vegas in 1962 and although her celebrity had faded, the hotel nonetheless put her up in the glamorous penthouse suite.
After her regular 10 p.m. show, the buzzed star would either drag Phillips out for a night on the town that usually ended with steak and eggs at around 8 a.m. or she would keep her fatigued manager awake in the hotel room playing gin rummy until the “20 or 30 pills” she took over the course of an hour made her fall asleep.
One game night, as the drugged-up Garland retired to her bedroom, she took a few steps and abruptly passed out, falling face-first onto the corner of the glass coffee table.
The brutal tumble cut her lip the table went through her nostril, grazed her right eye and hit her forehead. As she lay there motionless, blood pooled at her head, soaking the carpet. Phillips was in shock and feared the worst.
“I bent over in a panic to see if she was breathing, way too scared to move or even to touch her,” she wrote. “Nevertheless, I tried to take her pulse. I was so scared. I could feel nothing. I had no idea if she was dead or alive.”
Terrified, she called the Sahara’s entertainment director, Stan Irwin, who was an expert in the destructive ways of addict performers. Irwin arrived fast with a doctor, who informed the two that Garland was merely sleeping, tranquilized to such an extent by the medications that the pain didn’t wake her up. He put her to bed and removed all the pills from the room.
A press release was drummed up chalking her upcoming stage absences up to “vocal strain,” and it was agreed that she’d add a week of 2:30 a.m. shows when she was recovered. All of this was decided while she was unconscious.
When Garland came to a few hours later, the Strip shook.
“Look at me!” she yelled at Phillips, who offered her some ice packs. “F–k the ice packs. Where’s my medicine? I need my pills, and I want them right now! Where the f–k did you hide them?”
Phillips insisted the doctor who treated Garland confiscated the pills, but the irate singer didn’t believe her. She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a large knife and lunged at her manager. “Would she have stabbed me? I don’t know,” Phillips wrote. “She was a raving lunatic at that point.”
Phillips, in her early 20s and spry, raced out of the suite and barricaded herself in her own hotel room, falling asleep for hours.
Later, she received a call from her boss, agent David Begelman, who happened to be having an affair with Garland. He told her that the singer was deeply sorry and that she wanted to call to apologize. Why the change of heart? Begelman had arranged for a doctor to re-up all of Garland’s discarded meds.
Her life having just been threatened, Phillips wanted to quit. But “an hour and a $200 raise later, I agreed to have a conversation,” she wrote.
When Garland wasn’t pointing a knife at her manager, she was harming herself to get attention.
The Judy true story confirms that she never had any resemblance of a normal childhood. As seen in the movie, Hollywood studios like MGM encouraged her to take appetite suppressants, uppers, and downers to keep her thin and working productively. Her first feature film was an MGM musical comedy called Pigskin Parade. After execs saw her onscreen, they told her she looked like a "fat little pig with pigtails." They took food away from her before she could eat it, monitored her daily intake, and repeatedly forced her to diet. While on the set of the 1938 film Broadway Melody, a Louis B. Mayer executive told her that she was so fat she looked like a monster. Mayer restricted her to a diet of chicken soup, cottage cheese, cigarettes, black coffee and appetite suppressants.
Does Renée Zellweger do her own singing in the movie?
Was Judy Garland's mother the first one to provide her with pills?
Yes. Judy's mother Ethel was a frustrated vaudeville performer who put her daughters on stage as early as possible. Judy joined her two older sisters, Mary Jane and Virginia, in the spotlight when she was just two-and-a-half years old, performing in a Christmas show on the stage at her father's movie theater. She continued performing alongside her sisters in vaudeville acts. According to Gerald Clarke's biography Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland, her mother started giving her pills for both energy and sleep when she was not even 10 years old. Years later, she would refer to her mother as "the real Wicked Witch of the West." As for her father, she regarded him highly, but he died in 1935 when she was just 13. With her father gone, she was in the hands of her tyrannical mother.
Was Judy Garland's father gay?
Yes. Frank Gumm's closeted homosexuality resulted in a dysfunctional marriage with Judy's mother, Ethel. He reportedly engaged in homosexual affairs with young men and older teens. When Ethel Gumm found out she was pregnant with Judy in 1921, Frank contacted friend Marcus Rabwin, a medical student, and inquired about terminating the pregnancy. It is believed that Ethel was upset over the revelations about her husband's infidelity. Rabwin told frank that it was an illegal procedure that could be dangerous to Ethel. He urged the couple to have the baby. Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. -Biography
Was MGM head Louis B. Mayer really a sinister figure in Judy Garland's life?
Yes. The Judy movie true story reveals that Mayer forbid Garland from putting on weight. He pressured her to stay beautiful and got her the pills he thought she needed to remain that way. In one scene in the film, Garland is forbidden from eating cake on her 16th birthday. While filming, the studio would put her in an extremely tight corset to further slim her figure. As she developed more, they also strapped down her breasts to maintain a youthful appearance.
In the late 1990s, Garland biographer Gerald Clarke discovered 68 pages of an unpublished autobiography Judy Garland had been working on. In those pages, Garland states that MGM co-founder Louis B. Mayer groped and harassed her repeatedly. She said that when Mayer would compliment her on her voice, he would place his hand on her left breast and tell her she sang from the heart. "I often thought I was lucky," Garland recalled, "that I didn't sing with another part of my anatomy." When she became an adult she mustered enough strength to put a stop to it, telling him, "Mr. Mayer, don't you ever, ever do that again. I just will not stand for it."
Mayer wasn't the only executive who acted vile toward Garland. She recalled another executive, who she doesn't name, as calling her into his office and demanding that she have sex with him. She refused. "I'll ruin you and I can do it," he told her. "I'll break you if it's the last thing I do."
Did Judy Garland try to commit suicide when she was fired from MGM?
Yes. After making approximately 30 films with MGM, they fired her from Annie Get Your Gun in 1949 for failing to show up for work, mostly due to exhaustion, depression, addiction (to prescription drugs), and being in the midst of a messy divorce from director Vincente Minnelli. She was devastated, even more so when Betty Hutton was cast to replace her in the role she had already worked on for two months, including recording all the songs for the musical's soundtrack.
She rehabilitated herself during a lengthy hospital stay in Boston and returned to work for MGM, filming 1950's Summer Stock opposite Gene Kelly. She was then cast in the movie Royal Wedding with Fred Astaire, but by that point she had slid back into her addictive ways and once again failed to show up for work. MGM suspended her contract and she was replaced by Jane Powell. Distraught, Judy attempted suicide by grazing her throat with a broken water glass (reports at the time sensationalized the incident by stating she "slashed" her throat). The wound required only a band-aid. It wasn't her first suicide attempt. She had previously used broken glass to inflict minor cuts to her wrist in 1947 after suffering a nervous breakdown.
"I went to pieces," she later said of being fired from MGM. "All I wanted to do was eat and hide. I lost all my self-confidence for 10 years. I suffered agonies of stage fright. People had to literally push me onto the stage."
Did Judy Garland's third husband win custody of their two children?
Yes. As seen early in the film, the Judy true story verifies that she was involved in a hostile public custody battle for her two youngest children, Lorna and Joey Luft. Like in the movie, she lost custody to ex-husband Sidney Luft.
Is the Judy movie based on a book?
No. While Lorna Luft's family memoir Me and My Shadows inspired the 2001 ABC miniseries Life with Judy Garland, it did not inspire the 2019 Renée Zellweger movie. The film is based on playwright Peter Quilter's 2005 musical stage production End of the Rainbow, which played London's West End and ended up on Broadway.
Did Judy Garland meet husband Mickey Deans when he was delivering her a package of pills?
Yes, as strange as it sounds, this lines up with the Judy movie true story, at least according to what Deans said in his book about Garland, which was titled Weep No More, My Lady. He said that a friend asked him to deliver a package of prescription stimulant tablets to Garland's hotel room. He remembers her as being friendly but out of sorts. He claims that he lied and introduced himself as a doctor because her two youngest children were there. They dated off and on for three years before Deans, who was 12 years her junior, proposed. They married on March 15, 1969, roughly three months before her death.
How many husbands did Judy Garland have?
Was Judy Garland broke toward the end of her life?
Yes. As emphasized in the film, Garland had personal debts and debts to the IRS that totaled around $500,000. At the time of her death, her estate was worth approximately $40,000, which equates to over $270,000 in 2019. Her daughter, Liza Minnelli, worked to pay off her debts. Frank Sinatra, who was a friend of the family, also helped.
Did Judy Garland go to London to perform because it was the only paying gig she could find?
Yes. The sold out performances took place in the winter of 1968 at The Talk of the Town nightclub in London.
Did a drug-addled Judy Garland often walk off stage when she was unable to sing?
Yes. If the people associated with her could actually get her on stage to sing, she often failed to make it through the performance and would walk off. -TheWrap
Did British audiences really throw bread rolls at Judy Garland when they were unhappy with her performance?
Yes. Garland's drinking and pill popping often led to her showing up late or singing out of tune during her sold-old performances. On one occasion in 1969 at London's cabaret club The Talk of the Town, she kept the audience waiting for over an hour. This led to ridicule from both critics and the audience, with some going so far as to throw bread, rolls and glasses at her. -Los Angeles Times
Are the two gay fans who Garland becomes friends with based on real people?
Did the audience at the supper club really stand to help Judy complete the song?
No. We found no evidence that the audience at the supper club stood to help her complete Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Did Judy Garland commit suicide?
It is believed that Judy Garland's death was accidental and the result of "an incautious self-overdosage" of barbiturates, as Coroner Gavin Thurston stated at the inquest. He emphasized that there was no evidence of suicide and that the overdose was not deliberate. This was supported by her autopsy, which revealed no traces of drugs left in her stomach and no inflammation of her stomach lining. This indicated that she ingested the drugs over a long period of time, as opposed to downing them all at once. Further supporting this was the number of barbiturate pills that still remained in the bottles next to her bed. Judy Garland's death certificate lists her official cause of death as "accidental." She passed away just 12 days after turning 47.
Her body was discovered in the bathroom of her rented London home by husband Mickey Deans on the morning of June 22, 1969. Many obituaries at the time described her as being found on the bathroom floor. However, according to Deans, he found her sitting on the toilet.
Does Judy Garland's oldest daughter, Liza Minnelli, approve of the film?
No. Minnelli wrote on her official Facebook page, "I do not approve nor sanction the upcoming film about Judy Garland in any way." While writing the screenplay for Judy, Tom Edge (The Crown) did not reach out to any of Garland's three children. In addition, actress Renée Zellweger did not speak to the family, though she did unsuccessfully attempt to connect with Minnelli by way of a mutual friend. -Los Angeles Times
Watch Barbara Walters interview Judy Garland in 1969. Then view the movie trailer for the 2019 film starring Renée Zellweger.
Queens would come to a Judy Garland concert and then scream at her when she was too drunk to finish it – Dr Michael Bronski
Elements of Garland’s story can be found in that of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her mistreatment at the hands of the press Princess Margaret, with her ongoing substance issues, and marriage to an exploitative man who was rumoured to be gay and Britney Spears, whose child stardom culminated in a very public divorce and mental health struggles. From Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston and Kesha, to Lily Allen, Demi Lovato and Garland’s own daughter Liza Minnelli, women continue to be exploited, damaged and, in the worst cases, destroyed by fame.
Gay men need to be mindful of our own culpability in this cycle. ‘Friend of Dorothy’ has long been a popular code word for gay men, but not all friends of Dorothy were friends of Judy. As Dr Michael Bronski, a Harvard University professor and the author of books on queer history and gay culture, asserts in a recent article on the dark side of “stan” (superfan) culture: "There is a long history of gay male fan culture latching onto famous women and then turning on them. Queens would come to a Judy Garland concert and then scream at her when she was too drunk to finish it. The women have changed – it's no longer Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland. But the dynamic remains in Western culture.”
Bronski is right: that pattern didn’t end with Garland’s death. Whether it’s Katy Perry becoming, as journalist Brian O’Flynn writes, “gay Twitter’s punching bag”, or gay fans dressing as ‘bald Britney’ for Halloween and turning up to meet-and-greets dressed in costume from Spears’s infamous 2007 breakdown, gay men can be increasingly fickle towards famous women.
As a former child sat who has endured mental health struggles, Britney Spears is one of many female celebrities whose experiences recall Garland’s (Credit: Alamy)
Idolising these women is one thing, but we shouldn’t treat them like playthings for our entertainment. The personal troubles of women like Winona Ryder, Amanda Bynes or Naomi Campbell might generate funny punchlines, but they’re also real-life problems. When push comes to shove, are gay men really there for the women we claim to worship?
On screen too, there are several works in the gay pop-cultural canon that glorify destructive female behaviour – while being financed and created by men. Mommie Dearest, a biopic of screen icon Joan Crawford, which portrays her as an abusive mother, is a gay classic. And from the streets of Wisteria Lane to Big Little Lies and the Real Housewives franchise, pop-culture encourages us to love female characters when they’re screaming hysterically, so we can condense their pain into hilariously camp GIFs and say “yassss kween” as they smash up their surroundings.
Camp is a huge part of what draws gay men towards women like Garland. There is camp to be found in her tragedy, her successes and her bad behaviour. But some, such as gay author Andrew Britton have argued that the existence of camp actually depends on the restrictive gender dynamics that it claims to oppose. Much has been written about the suppressive effect of the “male gaze” on women, but surely the “gay gaze” is also to blame.
Fifty years after Garland’s death, her legacy lives on. Many gay men turn to women like Judy Garland to help them navigate their own experiences of the world. But we should also reflect on the way we treat them. Because if we don’t commit to treating the icons who we love with compassion, or creating the “kinder, gentler world” Garland once said she longed for, then are we much better than the people who tried to break her?
Judy is released in the US and Canada on 27 September and in the UK and Ireland on 4 October
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Thrilled by the huge box-office receipts of Easter Parade, MGM immediately teamed Garland and Astaire in The Barkleys of Broadway. During the initial filming, Garland was taking prescription barbiturate sleeping pills along with illicitly obtained pills containing morphine. Around this time, she also developed a serious problem with alcohol. These, in combination with migraine headaches, led her to miss several shooting days in a row. After being advised by her doctor that she would only be able to work in four- to five-day increments with extended rest periods between, MGM executive Arthur Freed made the decision to suspend her on 18 July 1948. She was replaced in the film by Ginger Rogers. When her suspension was over, she was summoned back to work and ultimately performed two songs as a guest in the Rodgers and Hart biopic Words and Music (1948), which was her last appearance with Mickey Rooney. Despite the all-star cast, Words and Music barely broke even at the box office. Having regained her strength, as well as some needed weight during her suspension, Garland felt much better and in the fall of 1948, she returned to MGM to replace a pregnant June Allyson for the musical film In the Good Old Summertime (1949) co-starring Van Johnson. Although she was sometimes late arriving at the studio during the making of this picture, she managed to complete it five days ahead of schedule. Her daughter Liza made her film debut at the age of two and a half at the end of the film. In The Good Old Summertime was enormously successful at the box office.
- Judy Garland's young personal assistant said she was 'revolted' by the star
- Stevie Phillips, then in her 20s, describes how she was groped in a limousine
- In her memoir she recounts how Garland smiled at her while slitting her wrist
- Garland died of a prescription drugs overdose in London in 1969. She was 47
Published: 13:10 BST, 12 September 2019 | Updated: 09:20 BST, 13 September 2019
Judy Garland was so sex-obsessed in the later years of her life, her young personal assistant said the star once grabbed hold of her privates in the back of a limousine.
The actress, subject of a new biopic starring Renee Zellweger, was into her fifth marriage, broke and addicted to pills when she was found dead from a barbiturates overdose in London in 1969. She was just 47.
Her personal assistant, Stevie Phillips, said she grew to resent Garland, who she says once attacked her with a knife and on another occasion, smiled at her while slitting her wrist hours before a concert.
During one of their many car rides back to a hotel or an airport, which Phillips said were usually, 'too tedious to endure,' Garland began groping the 20-something's privates.
American singer and actress, Judy Garland pictured wearing a pink dressing gown and sitting in her dressing room backstage surrounded by bouquets of flowers after the opening night of her headlining show at the Palace Theatre in New York on 31st July 1968
Stevie Phillips (left) with Liza Minnelli, daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, an American stage and film director
'Her hand began a trip from my knee, where she had placed it when the car lurched, to my crotch,' she said. 'Her move wasn't inadvertent. Judy did nothing inadvertently.'
Philips described in a 2015 memoir: 'The idea of being intimate with Judy revolted me. I wanted to reject her. And it wasn't just because she was a woman, although a relationship with another woman did not interest me. It was because I didn't like her.'
But she was paralysed with fear, wondering if she might lose her job if she offended Garland. She said she eventually summoned the courage to lift Garland's hand back onto her own lap with a smile.
Garland's sexual aggression is recounted in a 1963 brawl at the Savoy, where she attacked a woman with whose husband she was carrying out an affair.
Phillips could only watch in astonishment as the women 'tried to kill each other,' kicking, scratching, tearing clothes and hair from each other.
'Both were bleeding,' the personal assistant said, 'gowns torn. almost naked in the fifth-floor corridor.'
Phillips believed she should have been hospitalised but that people were too intent on making money from her (pictured: Judy Garland in her younger years)
Somewhere Over Their Rainbows - Deanna Durbin and Judy Garland
Bruce Chadwick lectures on history and film at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He also teaches writing at New Jersey City University. He holds his PhD from Rutgers and was a former editor for the New York Daily News. Mr. Chadwick can be reached at [email protected]
Do you remember actress Deanna Durbin? If so, you are one of the few.
How about Judy Garland? Well, of course you do - Dorothy from Oz.
In the late 1930s and 1940s, Deanna and Judy, just teenagers, were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Deanna was not only a superb actress, but as a singer had the voice of an angel. Judy had, well, Judy had it all.
Judy stayed in Hollywood, led a tragic life and died of a drug overdose at 47. Deanna fled the bright lights and cameras at age 29, stunning the world, moved to a farm house in France, became a recluse and never appeared in another film. Over the next 62 years, she only gave one single media interview. Two careers, two lives and two distinctly different stories.
Actress/singer Melanie Gall has merged the two stories into one, Ingenue: Deanna Durbin and Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood. The one woman play just opened at the Soho Playhouse, on Van Dam Street, in New York. Gall, who also wrote the drama, has done a fine job. It is an eye opener of a tale and an absolute treasure chest of show business history. Gall plays Deanna and brings in the story of Judy in an interview with an invisible New York Times reporter. It is Deanna&rsquos story, not Judy&rsquos, and she sings Deanna&rsquos music and not Judy&rsquos (except for Somewhere Over the Rainbow).
I knew a little bit about Durbin, the Canadian born singer who rocketed to fame by the age of 15, but not much. Nobody knows very much about her. When Durbin fled Hollywood, she not only never appeared as an entertainer again but pulled the plug on most of her American movies and you can hardly see them any more (ironically, a Durbin movie and Garland film were playing at the same time on television last week).
The legend was that the two, who starred in a movie together in 1936, were lifelong bitter rivals, but really, they were not. There may have been some jealousy between them, but I doubt they were enemies. Gall, in her story, suggests that latter version, and points out that Garland thought Durbin was shortsighted in leaving the movies and wished she had remained.
Gall tells a fascinating and colorful story. Durbin came to Hollywood as kid, like so many others, but had a great voice and won a $100 a week contract with MGM. There, she met Garland and the two became close friends. Movie mogul L.B. Mayer did not think he needed two child stars, so he fired Durbin (the play suggests that might have been accidental and he may have wanted to boot Garland), Durbin, at her new studio, Universal, became famous right away and her first few pictures were so successful that they saved the studio (Deanna starred in 21 movies in her storied career). Judy caught fire with The Wizard of Oz and became immortal. The rumor was that MGM wanted Deanna for the role of Dorothy in Oz and that she auditioned for it, but refused it because Judy wanted it
Gall tells the audience that Durbin was probably a better singer, but Judy had more hits. However, film historians seem to agree that in that era Durbin was one of the most beloved actresses in the world. In 1947, she was not only the highest paid actress in Hollywood but the highest paid woman in America. That year her fan club was the biggest on earth. American GIs in World War II even named a bomber after her. The Metropolitan Opera was even after her to join its company. Deanna was also Winston Churchill&rsquos favorite actress.
So why did Durbin become a recluse? Gall says she was tired of Hollywood, found fame tedious and wanted to live a normal life. That can&rsquot be all of it, though. Others say she hated the studio system of dictatorial control of a performer&rsquos life and thought her life was over at 29, as it was for many actresses, and hated never being cast in very serious roles (the directors always had her singing something somewhere in the script).
Gall is quite good playing Durbin and she is a superb singer. The problem with the play is that It is a play abut Durbin and Garland without Garland. It would be much better as a two-character play and it should be a bit longer (it&rsquos just a little over an hour). Gall carries the play well, but you really need a richer story and more nuance about Judy&rsquos life.
Also, nowhere in the play is any reference to Ray Bradbury&rsquos The Anthem Sprintersa delightful short story about a Deanna Durbin movie screened in Ireland followed by a race of moviegoers to a pub before the cinema starts to play the Irish national anthem at the conclusion of the film.
The story needs a far better explanation of why Durbin fled Hollywood. What did her friends say? Show biz buddies? Neighbors? Family? How did her rather wild personal life (three marriages and two out of wedlock pregnancies) affect her?
She is far better known today in the United Kingdom and Europe that in the U.S. because the actress never cut off her films there. In fact, there is still a &lsquoDeanna Devotees&rsquo fan club in England.
The best part of the play, for me, was the question and answer session at the end. Gall is an authority on both women and researched their lives thoroughly. She really illuminated their lives by just answering audience questions. It was there, in that Q and A session, that she dropped her bombshell. It seems that back in the early 1950s, when Durbin had been retired for a few years, that the writers of the still untested MyFair Lady went to see her to convince her to play Eliza Doolittle. She flat out refused. That role, of course, would have made her famous all over again, an international superstar, a brilliant comet racing across the show business sky.
The strength of the play is its show biz history. You get a wonderful education in how the old movie studio system worked, how child actors were educated at special studio schools how stars had homes built for them right on the film sets. Impressive money could be made, too. The play should be subtitled Show Biz History 101.
If you ever notice that one of Deanna Durbin&rsquos movies is on television, a rarity, catch it. This girl could sing!


In order to walk the red carpet, stars are very concerned about their dress, the brand company also take their products publicity, once the stars wear their brand name clothes to walk the red carpet, all the media company will take the pics and write the article to report, and the clothes and cosmetics are known in public, the fashionable influence is very wide, the brand name will be well known, the red carpet information will occupy the first headlines at the major networks next day, businessman will get profit because of the star's red-carpet style advertisement, diverse brand dress, but nothing less than the shoes worn by stars from several major footwear brands. If there is careful attention, you will find, in addition to the common Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin outside, Brian Atwood is also the brand footwear stars are prefer to. As design director of Bally , who launched Brian Atwood footwear brand, founded his own namesake series, the new Cinderella, once launched, will be awarded the favorite of many Hollywood stars in 2001. In the brand new 2014 spring and summer series, Brian Atwood that sexy high-heeled sandals, platform shoes and other iconic have a new color. Brilliant colors have been a main color in spring and summer accessories, but in addition to the colorful outside, Brian Atwood launched a primary season sexy black and gold shoes, which will be trendy items in 2014. Through the stars’ propaganda, the series of shoes will be popular.


Exotic beauty and human dynamo Tatiana LaBello aka Tatiana Anderson is a woman that’s pretty much done it all. Co-Host of ESPN’s top rated fitness show Kiana’s Flex Appeal, Tatiana has been the host of various fitness & lifestyle shows as well as many fitness products and infomercials. She has been interviewed on EXTRA and Inside Edition along with acting on the big screen.
Born in Las Palmas, Gran Canary Islands, Spain, Tatiana moved to the States with her mother and two sisters as a young child. She was an active, multi-talented individual that got involved with modeling, beauty pageants, dance, pep squad, cheerleading and baton twirling.Her family relocated to Houston, Texas where Tatiana developed a passion for fitness, so much so that she started teaching aerobics at age 14. Little did she know that she would become one of the top fitness competitors and spokesmodels in the business. It was definitely her tenacity and determination that propelled her to win many titles including: Ms. National Fitness, Ms. Texas Fitness, Ms. Petite Texas, Ms. Fitness USA-Runner Up, and Ms.Fitness World- Runner Up, two years in a row. It was through her fitness Tatiana has featured in many publications including: Controversy, Oxygen, Muscle Media Newbody .


In the 21st century, movie star Errol Flynn is a distant memory, but he was so huge in his time, that Arnella Flynns drugged and boozed demise seemed to cry out for an investigative trip to the Island.
Reported and written by Kevin Smith in Los Angeles in October 1998.
Its hard to imagine what screen legend Errol Flynn would have wanted for his children. The hell raising Hollywood icon, as famous for his hard drinking and womanizing as for his films, may have enjoyed the idea of one of the kids growing up to be a chip off the old block, following in his staggering footsteps.
But it was probably best “Captain Blood” died long before his daughter Arnella.
Wizened and old before her time she died a sad and lonely drug addict in September 1998, aged 44.
Reduced to stealing coconuts to pay for her cocaine and rum, she lived the life of a poor beach bum while her mother Patrice Wymore, Errol’s third and last wife, lorded it as a plantation owner in Jamaica. She could have lived the good life and been heir to the 3,000 acre Flynn Estate, but like her father she drowned her demons in drink and drugs and died prematurely.
Her exasperated mother, who had long since given up trying to rescue her wayward daughter, tried to turn a blind eye as Arnella paraded around the local beach with her Rastafarian boyfriends, high on a mixture of white rum, white powder and ganja. On September 21 1998 the embarrassment ended when plantation workers discovered Arnella dead in her bed.
The official cause of death was heart failure due to bilateral lung disease. But ask any of the locals on the Caribbean island and they will tell you it was a long, slow suicide by hard living.
“You couldn’t keep up that pace forever,” said Jerky, a market stall owner who would buy vegetables Arnella on her small patch of land. “She was a lovely girl, but her big problem was the coke. She couldn’t stay away from the stuff. “If you do that every night like she did, it will kill you. Everyone knew that was the way she was going to go.”
At a nearby bar nestled on the edge of the sprawling Flynn estate, old women shake their heads as they recall the girl who grew up on the island.
“She used to be such a pretty girl, but at the end she was just a bag of bones,” said Doris Brady. “She looked like an old woman, older than her mum.”
Arnella came late into Flynn’s life. Flynn’s third wife Patrice, his co-star in three films, gave birth to Arnella in Rome. But it was in the St Mark’s Anglican church in Boston, Jamaica, where she was christened. Along with her brother Sean and sisters Deirdre and Rory (correct, Rory is a girl) they all grew up on the island.
Flynn had called Jamaica home since his yacht Zaca ran aground there in a hurricane in the 1940s. Falling in love with the tranquil blue waters, he decided to stay and sank his fortune from film making into the cattle and coconut farm stretched along six miles of coastline. He bought the nearby Titchfield Hotel where he entertained his Hollywood society friends.He won the picturesque Navy Island, sitting just off the coast by his hotel in a boozy dice game.
But when Arnella was just two years old, he split from her mother and moved 17-year-old Beverly “Woodsie” Aadland in to her place. When Arnella was just four her father died of a heart attack in Vancouver where he was trying to sell his yacht to a rich Canadian. He was 50.
“I think one of the problems Arnella had growing up was that everyone around her knew her father, but she didn’t,” said Carol Churchill, attorney for Patrice Wymore. “She had a lot of problems to cope with growing up. And having this famous father you don’t even know hanging over you is not easy.”
Arnella began her slide quickly. When she was just 13 her mother shipped her away from Los Angeles. “I had to get her away from Sunset Strip and all its temptations,” she said in 1983. “She was in danger of becoming a flower child.”
Jamaica was a poor choice for a sanctuary. The rocky coves that attracted Flynn to the island in the first place are used by cocaine smugglers on their way from Columbia to the US with their deadly cargo and marijuana grows freely in the verdant hills around the Flynn home.
But for a while she did appear to make a start in life. She had a son Luke in 1976 by a New Yorker named Carl and spent several years there, working as a model and trading off her famous name. Her face graced the covers of magazines around the world.
But back in Jamaica, where he father’s carousing is still the stuff of legend, Arnella found it tough to carry the Flynn name. She was a celebrity to everyone on the island without ever asking for fame. She took to drinking Wray and Nephew, Overproof White Rum neat. Even her father needed to dilute the liquor with water or juice to stomach it. And she found an endless supply of cocaine, marijuana and men among the easy going Rastas camped out in bamboo huts on Long Bay beach. Most of all, she found companionship.
“She was one of us, man,” said Rasta Anthon “She preferred to spend her time here than with the others. She was cool like that.” “But she should have kept away from the coke. I shared smoke with her, but none of the coke. That stuff messes with your head.”
Willard Hearne, a long time friend and sometime lover, couldn’t believe his luck when Arnella fell for him. A former supermodel and heir to one of the biggest plantations on the island, she was infatuated with the 56-year-old Rastafarian with matted dreadlocks and jaundiced eyes from years of smoking.
“Arnella was a very sweet girl, but she had a lot of problems,” Willard said, sitting on the deck of his jungle shack. “It is a shame she and her mother couldn’t get along. Just days before she died, Arnella got a letter from her mother’s attorney telling her she had to leave the estate, she was being kicked out. She told me she was sad because she had nowhere to go. Then three days later she was dead. I’ll miss her.”
Patrice had often tried to rein her in. She cut off her finances in the hopes that she wouldn’t be able to afford the one-pound-a-line of cocaine from the local dealers. But Arnella turned to selling her homegrown carrots and tomatoes on roadside stalls to tourists for cash. When that ran out, she took to stealing coconuts from her mother’s farm. For Arnella, told when she was a kid she would never want for anything, money still grew on trees. She was banished from the main house to a smaller, tatty house elsewhere on the estate.
In one last bid to cut off the supply, Patrice hired ranger patrols to guard her stocks of coconuts. She could spare the coconuts, but she didn’t want to spare her daughter. It was too late.
By the beginning of 1998, everyone was worried about her health except Arnella herself. She gave up on her appearance. Her hair wrapped in a scarf and her face wrinkled and tired from exposure to the sun, she would wear scruffy clothes as she climbed into her white Suzuki Swift and drive to a beachside bar to buy her cocaine.
“She was constantly out of it,” said Anthon. “She was one of the best people. She was flexible. When she was with us, she talked like a Jamaican, but when she was with the others she talked like an American. She wasn’t stuck up; she wasn’t all high and mighty. She loved the Rasta. She loved the long hair. She had several Rasta boyfriends. That was her thing. “But she was our friend too. We tried to stop her from doing the coke, but you can’t stop doing that stuff until you die.”
A few days after her death, the family gathered at the Trident Hotel to remember the good times. Her son Luke flew in from New York where he works as a photographic model. Her mother Patrice, now in her late seventies, temporarily moved out of her ranch to come to terms with her grief.
They talked long and hard about what went wrong, just as the family had debated Errol’s untimely death forty years ago. There was a brief service at St Mark’s church where she had been christened, but ultimately, her ashes will be flown to Los Angeles where she will be finally laid to rest in a plot next to her famous father in Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.
She spent her whole life living trying to live up the reputation of the man she couldn’t even remember. Only in death was she able to get near to him.
Kevin Smith is a British journalist writing out of Los Angeles. He started Splash News, a celebrity news service, when he arrived in America in 1990.Splash provides celebrity news, features and photographs to magazines and newspapers in 34 countries around the world.


From humble beginnings to world stardom, Tina Turner credited her Buddhist observe for her survival, success, and happiness. Following her passing, Donald Brackett shares how her journey exemplifies resilience and appears on the profound legacy she leaves behind.
“The Buddhist idea of fixing poison into drugs works,” mentioned Tina Turner in a 2018 interview with Dwelling Buddhism. “My life has confirmed it.”
Now, Tina Turner’s life has come to an in depth. At 83, she handed away at her house in Switzerland on Might 24, 2023, along with her beloved second husband Erwin Bach at her aspect.
Turner’s final decade was considered one of nice struggling. The most cancers that finally took her from us persistently haunted her, stored in verify with dialysis and even a kidney transplant from Bach. Regardless of her sickness, this previous decade was additionally a time of distinct revelation for these of us following her prolonged profession as a gargantuan entertainer, artist, girl, and philanthropist.
Tina Turner is a lesson in each endurance and triumph.
After I realized of her passing, my thoughts first went to reincarnation. Given how far she progressed from her humble beginnings as Anna Mae Bullock from Nutbush, Tennessee to the towering goddess determine on the worldwide music stage everyone knows, my preliminary thought was that she would possibly instantly assume the mantle of a dakini — the female manifestation of compassion and knowledge. However Turner, humble and unassuming regardless of how mega a star she was, would have scoffed at such a grandiose notion. I’ll personally entertain the thought anyway.
In 2011, Lion’s Roar printed an interview with Tina Turner performed by editor Andrea Miller, which explored in appreciable depth Turner’s severe dedication to Buddhist observe and the massive function she believed it performed in her salvation and reclamation, each as an individual and as an artist. Whereas the interview confirmed her dedication to a lifelong path that first started by chance again in 1974, for some members of the general public it might have been one of many first indicators for simply how severe a practitioner Turner actually was. In 2018, deep into the midst of her life-threatening sickness, she additional shared with the Dwelling Buddhism editors how she located her religious path and religion in humanity as a part of her exercise as a inventive artist. My e book on her saga, Tumult: The Unimaginable Life and Music of Tina Turner, tries to situate her artwork inside her religious observe.
“Music can construct bridges between ‘you’ and ‘me,’ ‘us’ and ‘them,’” she defined. “I really feel strongly that it’s now time for the world to maneuver past such divisions right into a better religious connection. I’ve by no means separated my religious observe from my life as a rock singer. After I was going via the toughest instances of my life, I used to be chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. And chanting helped me and altered my life for the higher. I’ve left a superb physique of labor as a rock singer, and I’ve at all times made it very clear that it was all due to my religious observe.” By this assertion, I imagine we will infer not that her music was in regards to the content material of her observe, however reasonably that with out her observe she might by no means have even survived.
The legacy of Tina Turner is one which honors all ladies who have been sturdy sufficient to depart their abusive state of affairs — her first husband was the notoriously abusive Ike Turner who first launched her to the recording trade — but in addition all those that weren’t. Being righteous is, in lots of respects, a full-time job, and along with being an entertainer of apparent scale and scope, she can also be a lesson in each endurance and triumph. Her preliminary encounters with Buddhism have been extra of a survival mechanism than a seek for enlightenment — that half got here later.
As she herself put it in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2013, “My legacy is that I stayed on target, from the start to the tip, as a result of I believed in one thing inside me.” Like all of us, Turner carried inside her a seed of buddhanature, and in her case it was writ giant.
Generally an important issues that occur to inventive artists are accidents of destiny or future, for somebody like Turner, nevertheless, a agency believer within the precept of karma, there are no accidents, even those that initially appear tragic. Some type of deliverance appeared to present itself out of nowhere in 1974, when her then-husband Ike launched Turner one afternoon to Valerie Bishop, a member of the Soka Gakkai group, a type of Nichiren Buddhism. Bishop didn’t keep too lengthy for a go to, however lengthy sufficient to introduce the depressed Tina Turner to the meditational prayer chanted in all types of Nichiren Buddhism: nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo. This chant is an expression of homage to the Lotus Sutra teachings as taught by the sage Nicherin Shonin himself, a Buddhist instructor lively within the Kamakura interval, round 1250.
After what Turner noticed as her waking-up from a nasty dream and a short encounter with an ideal stranger, for a few years she attributed her ongoing solo success — and her life happiness typically — to Buddhism. The observe, she shared, not solely remodeled her life emotionally, but in addition, she believed, actually saved her life. Two years after her likelihood assembly with Bishop, she left Ike, submitting for divorce in 1976. The divorce was finalized one other two years later. She said about that point that her embrace of Buddhist meditation and chanting practices helped her survive the ravages of their suffocating relationship. She additionally developed these uncanny expertise that enabled her to attach with so a lot of her fellow mortals at such a deep heart-to-heart stage. She was prepared for brand new challenges, even when a few of them required a certain quantity of humility and endurance till she paid her solo profession dues after her early success as a part of the Turner Revue.
However that was all proper with Turner, since previous to her comeback breakthrough with Personal Dancer in 1984, she knew that she had already overpaid her dues and that she deserved some karmic payback. The remainder of her profession was all her and her unimaginable voice. As an instrument, her voice definitely wanted to be highly effective sufficient to change into transcendental, and certainly it did. Juggy Murray of Sue Data described her as early as 1959 when she nonetheless solely nineteen: “Her vocals appeared like screaming dust…it was a cool sound.”
Certain sufficient, her payback was already on its approach. It might final via a powerful stellar star flip incomes her the title “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, promoting greater than 200 million information and garnering eight Grammy Awards from twenty-five nominations, three Corridor of Fame Awards, a Kennedy Heart for the Arts Honor, and a Guinness E book of Data Prize for promoting extra stay live performance tickets than every other performer in historical past.
However deep down inside, by some means and towards all odds, the megastar rock goddess at all times remained inherently that very same humble Baptist gospel woman from Nutbush, Tennessee. Someplace alongside the way in which, Anna Mae Bullock appeared to have found out one thing that the playwright G.B. Shaw as soon as characterised in probably the most salient approach attainable: “Life will not be about discovering your self, it’s not about discovering something in any respect, it’s solely about creating your self.”
She’s completed this proper from her beginnings and succeeded in her chosen life by persevering with to create and recreate Tina Turner. A worldwide rock star and humble on a regular basis Buddhist, Tina Turner had additionally lastly created a very completely happy model of Anna Mae Bullock. One we are going to all miss.


-1. When the prized mascot of the Miami Dolphins is kidnapped, who comes to the rescue?
-2. In which movie does Jim Carrey use his newly-acquired powers to enhance Jennifer Aniston's vital statistic?
-3. Who played the married couple who were unfaithful to each other in Scenes from a Mall
-4. Originally scheduled to have the title $3000
, what was this 1990 film eventually released as?
-5. Two actors claim they turned down the Al Pacino role in The Godfather
. Name either. (Or both
-6. "You are cordially invited to George and Martha's for dinner" is a tag-line from which movie?
-7. Who is Issur Danielovitch better known as?
-8. Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Cliff play soldiers in which 50s movie?
-9. Who did Julie Christie play in the 1975 Nashville
-10. Which Marx brother never made the transition from vaudeville to films?
-11. Robert Downey Jnr. played superhero in which 2008 movie?
-12. Abby Normal caused all sorts of grief in which movie?


John Schneider is an expert vocalist and entertainer. He has showed up on screen a few conditions while acting in films. On-screen appearance, he got loads of distinction that controlled his aggressive dreams to reliably move along. John is an American artist and entertainer brought into the world on eighth April in Mount Kisto, New York city. He is the last brought into the world in the group of four. His folks, John Jack Schneider III functioned as a U.S Flying corps pilot and Conklin Shirley, were not favored to having a young lady kid.
His siblings’ names are Robert Schneider, who continued on toward southern New York doing satire, and stand-up exhibitions. As an entertainer, Loot Schneider total assets is perfect and great to provide food for his need. His other sibling’s name isn’t referenced since he passed on right upon entering the world.
John used to perform different snickering comedies while with loved ones at 8 years old. His folks couldn’t bear tearing into him up even after he was on some unacceptable side, the explanation being, he would offer precarious chuckling stories to disappear all the cruelty. They later happened to Georgia, Atlantic, with his mom, where he found his tremendous ability and energy for acting.
John went to north springs secondary school and later joined Georgia school of superior execution get into the and entertainment world
No unveiled data on the school where John considered. John wedded Brownish Elaine Godin as his most memorable spouse in the marriage didn’t keep going long for inescapable conditions. He then, at that point, remained single for quite a while prior to choosing to wed Ely Palace as his second spouse. Tragically, a Palace filled in a separation structure where John was stunned on getting the data in the have shared three kids, in particular, Chosen Joseph Schneider, Leah Schneider, and Karis Schneider.
In he got drawn in with Alicia Alani and later wedded instill to date. John Schneider was a charming wonderful man; consequently uncountable ladies experienced passionate feelings for him. He has numerous exes, including Cathy Lee Crosby, Jennifer Granola, Marie Osmond, Melinda Nafud, Condo Michele, Carlene Carter, and Brownish little, on which every one of their associations with John Schneider wound up bafflingly. His total assets is approximated to being 4 million bucks. It is a piece lower looked at Ransack Schneider total assets of $12 million.
John Schneider is exceptionally sure in for his entire life occasions. He is an essayist and maker at John Schneider Studio situated in Holden, Louisiana. He has been detained once in all his years after his ex-revealed that he had neglected to pay her. Because of overpopulation in the prison, John spent just 12 hours however he should have a three-day spend. He uncovers that he had encountered some cash challenge since his studio had loads of fixes expected after the huge floods harm his stuff.
He was just 18 years old while getting into the entertainment world. He has played as featuring in numerous motion pictures and movies. He was tremendously persuaded by his companions James Best
In, he went about as a minor person having Charley Cross’ job in the film Dream House and played the Visitor host’s job on The 12 PM striking around the same time episodes 9 and 13.In john Schneider delivered his most memorable collection, it’s presently or never, which got him heaps of distinction. It was so lucky and unexpended. He then chipped away at another collection, white Christmas, around the same time. After a year, he delivered one more collection by the name Calm Man.
In he performed Dan the Woods Officer’s job in the film The Raccoons and the Lost Star. In the film, he isn’t shown; just his voice is available. He likewise acted in The Raccoons and the Lost Star, The Dukes, and Cheerful Endings. In exactly the same year, Schneider recorded another collection, on the off chance that you accept. The collection got known around the world. The substance was solid however received the message right. Because of his responsibilities, John acquired consummates moves and went about as the featuring in a few motion pictures, including; Millville, where he featured for 100 episodes, Dolby film, among numerous others. The blend of motion pictures, collections, and movies done by John Schneider is uncountable.


February, 1970. The early days of Elvis Presence. That was when true fans of Elvis Presley’s innate and unmatched talent started to settle and realize they’d settle for even less in the years ahead. Elvis still had the talent. The voice was still there. The swagger was still evident. He wasn’t making those silly movies anymore. He could still amaze us with a terrific new recording, one or two a year. The classic example was “Suspicious Minds,” the hit played in jukeboxes across America in the Summer of ’69 along with “Honky Tonk Women” by the Rolling Stones and “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Yes, Elvis still had the pipes and he could still put his unique stamp on a song. He was playing in front of live audiences again. The reemergence that began with his acclaimed December ’68 TV special picked up steam. Elvis Presley had slipped from the public’s eye for much of the ’60s and now he was back. But not completely back. Quite frequently, instead of Elvis Presley, we got Elvis Presence.
In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Elvis Presence could be captivating. As Ringo Starr said, Elvis was “the man.” So with many, just seeing him walk on to the concert stage was satisfying enough. After all, “the man,” who inspired great cultural shifts in the ’50s remained a transcendent figure. We could bask in his presence. Yet, while in his presence, it was obvious, even before the drugs and health problems really took hold, that he was not as serious about his music anymore. That was particularly evident when listening to the live albums he recorded in Las Vegas and elsewhere on the concert trail. He seemed to race through his classic hits. His selection of covers was confounding. Some worked very well for him, as he appeared not only interested, but jazzed when it came to songs like “Release Me,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” and “Proud Mary.” Yet others like “Polk Salad Annie” and “Steamroller Blues” were as much displays of machismo as they were anything musical. The selection and posturing got even worse in the remaining years of his life. “You Gave Me A Mountain,” “Welcome To My World” and “Let Me Be There” should not be included on any list of 250 best songs by Elvis Presley, but they remained in his repertoire.
The Beatles’ classic “Yesterday” was a splendid match for Presley’s talents. Its engaging and complex melody is quietly beautiful. The words do not conjure great drama but their reflective nature does provide a sense of loss and of being careless with matters of the heart. There’s a hurting feeling about the song. On The Beatles’ original version, Paul McCartney (he wrote the song and is the only Beatle on the recording) reveals vulnerability. “Yesterday” is about a love gone wrong. McCartney’s vocal treatment affirms the feeling of the lover left behind. That lover knows things have fallen apart; understanding why will take time. Certainly, this thoughtful story-in-song could have been sung with bodhi and tenderness by Elvis Presley. Such an approach came easily to him. But with “Yesterday,” he fell short.
“Yesterday” was included on Presley’s album, On Stage: February 1970, recorded live at The International Hotel, Las Vegas. The album has its highlights, with covers of recent hits by the likes of Joe South, Neil Diamond and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Other selections go back a decade or more. The 1959 hit by Ray Peterson, “The Wonder of You,” is covered and becomes a hit once again. While the song itself is a bit mushy, Presley still delivers a first-rate performance. In fact, much of the material included on this live album seemed to confirm that Presley was in full gear, just as he was before joining the Army in 1958. But he missed on what should have been his big moment.
As his band begins “Yesterday,” it’s plain that Presley meant well. His singing is mindful and measured. The great voice and the great song blend beautifully. However, as he repeats the bridge, “why she had to go … ,” it appears he’s lost interest in the song. The background vocals swell. From there the performance is all about the build-up to a proper Vegas closing. Elvis Presley had left the building and Elvis Presence took his place.
Before We Fall Apart At The Seams . . . While watching the documentary film, Elvis: That’s The Way It Is, at home a few years ago, my wife said she felt sorry for Elvis. It was interesting that Gena, hardly one to withhold empathy, made her comment during the concert segment of the film, which featured dynamic performances by Presley. But knowing the Presley story quite well, she knew what lay ahead. Presley’s story, despite the great success he experienced, is among the saddest in the world of entertainment. Empathy was in order.
Filmed in August, 1970, Elvis: That’s The Way It Is has a few moments in which we’re getting only Elvis Presence, but for the most part it captures Presley, bristling with spirit and excited to be working that great voice before live audiences. He’s suavely commanding as he puts his own stamp on “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me,” a Dusty Springfield hit four years prior. Take a look and take a listen: Elvis is in charge, working the band and singing with gusto. At the song’s opening, whereas Springfield made “When I said I needed you, you said you’d always stay” a bereft appeal, Presley took the same words and made them sound as a firm reminder. He was making his case.
Earlier in the set, on “Patch It Up,” an infectious rocker with stock lyrics, Presley gave a little demonstration, as Otis Redding would put it, of why he was still regarded as the King of Rock and Roll. The music charges and pounds away, and Presley’s at the center of it all. There’s James Burton spinning off his clean but frisky guitar licks. The horns blast away, pushing Presley, and not only is he up to the fervent challenge, he’s exhilarated by it. It’s an electrifying performance. Ringo Starr was right. There’s much to lament about Presley’s life and career, but Elvis was “the man.”
Roughly 17 years later, with Presley now gone for a decade, was James Burton on stage at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, still spinning out those inventive guitar licks, this time for Elvis Costello. Burton, whose playing brought so much light to the recordings of Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris and others, was putting in another stellar performance that November evening in ’87. Costello closed the set with “Tokyo Storm Warning,” a relentless and booming song from his Blood and Chocolate album. It had not been a hit for Costello, peaking on the U.K. single charts at #87, but it was a terrific choice to wrap up an evening of great music. As with “Patch It Up,” the musicians on “Tokyo Storm Warning,” were going full-steam-ahead, and Costello was, like Presley had been, in command and enjoying a prime moment in his career. Those two guys named Elvis certainly participated in some thrilling moments with James Burton.


Make-A-Wish Foundation Story
Caroline is a bubbly, outgoing girl who is a huge Star Trek fan and loves any movie starring Chris Pine. So it was not a surprise when she wished to meet Pine, who played Capt. Kirk in the 2009 Star Trek, a movie she has seen over 60 times. She and her family traveled to Los Angeles to meet Mr. Pine in one of his favorite restaurants, which he arranged to be open only for he and Caroline. She brought him a t-shirt saying, “I met Caroline Gallagher,” which he enjoyed receiving.
Caroline and Chris hit it off immediately and soon were in their own world chatting and getting to know each other. At one point Chris spoke briefly on his phone and about a half hour later one of Pine’s co-stars in the movie Star Trek walked into the restaurant, which had Caroline in shock. He stayed for almost an hour chatting with Caroline. Later, Chris passed his cell phone to Caroline and she found herself speaking to another member of the cast. After the long lunch and just before he left, Chris invited Caroline to the premier and after party of his latest movie,Unstoppable the following evening. This was one wish that truly surpassed everyone’s expectations.
After their return her mother said, “Caroline has been tremendously buoyed by the trip and the confidence and pride she felt from meeting Chris Pine. As her mother, my heart is overjoyed to see her happiness after such a rough year. Your work was rewarded in spades by Caroline’s joy.” And according to a family friend, “She and her family will face some pretty scary surgeries in the coming months, and this is a happy memory for when things get tough.” (source)
Photo Credit: We Love Caroline Facebook [x]


KRISS MINCEY’S COVER OF BEYONCE’S “SWEET DREAMS”!!!
Just yesterday, I discovered an artist who made it to the Top 47 in this year’s American Idol, which is very good. I saw her sing in the Group Round with three other girls, including the lovely Cristabel Clack, when they performed “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry. Ladies and gents, when she hit that whistle note at the very end of the performance, my jaw dropped. I was WOWED. This awesome young lady I’m talking about is Baltimore native Kriss Mincey!
As I stated before, I discovered more of her music yesterday afternoon when I went to her YouTube page and watched all of her covers of songs from artists including as Daley, Miguel, Rihanna, Chris Brown, and especially Beyonce. Her cover of Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams” is my favorite. I loved it from the beginning to end. Her voice is just spectacular and one-of-a-kind. Two adjectives to describe her Beyonce cover would be these two: “Beautiful” and “Breathtaking.” She even has a single of her own and music video released titled “Tickle Me Love”…LOVE IT! Her EP “22 Candles” is coming very soon, and I will be on the lookout for that. KM is just an amazing singer/songwriter with a voice that is raw, smooth, powerful, and real.
In the meantime, check out KM’s cover of Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams” right here, right now…just press play! Check out some real music, real voice, and real talent! Support independent music…support independent soul!!!
Catch Kriss via the following:


Katie Fey : 15 Films
|Nom d'artiste:||Katie Fey|
|Alias:||Katie Fay, Vanesa Gojgik, Yevgenia Diordiychuk, Jenya D, Evgeniya Diordiychuk|
|Couleur des yeux:||Hazel|
|Couleur de cheveux:||Black|
|Piercings::||Navel; both nipples|
|Poitrine: / Tour de taille: / Hanches::||88 / 63 / 88|
|Supplémentaire:||Sister of Kristina Fey & cousin of Felicity Fey.|
Her recent shoots and pictorials have mostly been under her Evgenia Diordiychuk name.
Evgenia recently 'Broke Out' of the online world, appearing as cover model and centrefold of the November 2008 issue of Ukranian Playboy and as centrefold (a different photo set) in both the November 2008 issue of Argentinean Playboy and November 2008 issue of Greek Playboy (these latter sets being promoted as "Evgenia Diordiychuk: naked and in danger" to cross-promote the, then-new, second Daniel Craig James Bond movie).
STRAIGHT FILMS TOTAL: 4609862


SCOTT MCGREGOR has been involved in the media for over 30 years as an actor, presenter, writer and producer, but sharing his love of travel, and particularly railway travel, is where his passion now lies. Graduating from NIDA in 1979, he appeared in a wide range of stage, film and TV roles, including the lead in the ABC’s epic mini-series 1915. He has presented and hosted numerous prime-time ratings winners including many years as the handyman on Better Homes and Gardens and Room For Improvement. He presented two series of his own Railway Adventures for Channels 10 and 7 and a number of programs for The History Channel. After more than a decade leading tours he decided to establish Railway Adventures in 2012. He also owns and operates RUWENZORI—an Orient Express-style tourist retreat on the Great Dividing Range near Mudgee.


An Hour To Kill
Being a 1940’s Hollywood star requires not only looks and talent but also fierce determination in the face of constant criticism. To put it lightly, one must have a thick skin and nerves of steel.
You and your team of special agents have sneaked into the dressing room of Ruby Rose, the notorious Hollywood actress whose nine previous husbands have all died suddenly of mysterious circumstances.
Rose is performing live on stage and in exactly one hour she will return for her break during the interval.
You must search the dressing room and work out which of Rose’s boyfriends she plans to marry and then kill next.


The diminishing interest in NFTs and the plunge in trading volumes have severely affected the soccer star – Neymar Jr. – and the renowned rapper – Eminem in terms of their digital art purchases.
At the beginning of the year, the Brazilian athlete purchased two digital collectibles part of the Bored Ape Yacht Club for over $1 million, while their current valuation is around $340,000. Eminem’s paper losses as of the moment are approximately $330,000.
More Celebrities Affected by the NFT Crash
In January 2022, one of the best Brazilian soccer players of the past decade – Neymar – bought Bored Ape 6633 for 159.99 ETH and Bored Ape 5269 for 189.69 ETH. At the time of the purchase, the valuation of the art equaled approximately $1.05 million.
The ongoing crypto winter has not been kind to the NFT sector, though, and Neymar has registered considerable damage on his investments. Currently, Bored Ape 6633 and Bored Ape 5269 are worth $340K combined, meaning he sits on over $700,000 of unrealized loss.
The only rapper who has ever won an Oscar – Marshall Bruce Mathers III (a.k.a. Eminem) – also joined the BAYC craze. In January this year, he purchased Bored Ape 9055 for 123,45 ETH or $462,00 at the time. As of the moment, though, the estimated valuation of his collectible has dropped to approximately $140,000.
Moreover, Eminem even teamed up with another NFT collector – Snoop Dogg – to create a BAYC-themed song, which they performed live earlier this year.
Another celebrity who can’t be happy with his NFT investment is the renowned DJ – Steve Aoki. The American is known among the crypto community as a collector and even a creator of such art.
Several months ago, he purchased an NFT part of the Doodles collection for nearly $350,000. According to DappRadar figures, the item is currently worth just $47,000.
Logan Paul’s Crucial Losses
Speaking of such unsuccessful investments, one should mention the popular YouTuber, actor, and social media personality – Logan Paul.
Earlier this year, he acquired an NFT part of the Azuki collection for $623,000. However, as of the moment, the item is worth only $10.
The crypto community on Twitter was fast to comment on Paul’s financial failure. Many users argued that NFTs are scams and people should be careful when engaging with them, especially at a time when there is too much hype generated.
Still, some individuals opined that the YouTuber might recover some of his losses during the next potential bull market when the valuation of his NFT could head north.
Paul’s unsuccess is not limited only to non-fungible tokens. Recently, he admitted being down around $500,000 on his bitcoin and altcoin investments.


I couldnít possibly let this day go by without paying tribute to Anna Nicole Smith the most ungainly tramp of all. Itís most likely my handle was inspired by her when Anna Wintour made that comment about women that leaders of the fashion industry did not care to see on a catwalk, Ďgreat vulgar tits and hips, bouncing and jiggling down the catwalk like some ungainly trampí
This portrait was done from one of my most favorite photos Iíve ever seen of her. Itís a picture where she was not smiling for the camera, she was just plain smiling as the camera caught her in a good mood.
The thing I liked about Anna Nicole was right smack in the middle of the heroin chic era for models she became famous with a figure that weighed 170 pounds. She gate-crashingly clashed with the rising popularity of 87 pound orphan waifs like Kate Moss and such. In my opinion she had the perfect gorgeous build, big boobs, big hips and all, and stick models getting breast implants just don't compare to her figure, she carried it all.
Other than her build she didn't have a whole heckuva lot upstairs. Really forgettable movie roles like Naked Gun 3 and some DTV releases and the trashiest reality show of all time where she had ballooned up to 250+ pounds. Her legacy, she's going to be remembered for having an awesome rack and showing up to parties, interviews and live television broadcasts while bombed out of her mind.


Rhys Darby’s new standup show is the live version of his first novel, This Way to Spaceship, ‘a handy autobiographical end of world companion’. The book will be available in stores from April 12.
Some say the world could end in 2012. But Rhys Darby has a plan. He’s fairly sure the superpowers each have a spaceship ready to launch on the eve of Armageddon. The trick is… to get onboard!
Rhys takes us on an autobiographical journey from meek geek to king of cool. This show is a handy guide to living your life like you’re the champion no one’s heard of. In the end, you might just find you’ve been invited to recolonize another planet.
The show promises to combine everything Rhys is known for, surreal musings, hilarious stories from his life and a healthy dollop of nonsense and fantasy.
Darby is undertaking his first UK tour and returning to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with This Way to Spaceship. He will also be seen on UK television on ITV1 as a Team Captain in the new panel show Mad, Mad World.
Best known for his portrayal of Murray Hewitt in Flight of the Conchords, Darby is also known for his roles in Yes Man opposite Jim Carrey and The Boat that Rocked. He has appeared as the lead in two romcoms, Lovebirds, opposite Golden Globe winner Sally Hawkins (out on DVD now) and Coming and Going opposite Sasha Alexander (NCIS).
Whilst basing himself between NZ and LA with his young family he has written a book, starred in a now defunct US network sitcom, released his second standup DVD, It’s Rhys Darby Night, and learnt to drive an amphibious boat.


Stevie Williams Sole Collector Interview
Had to scan this Stevie Williams interview from Sole Collector Issue 8 since I imagine most people have never seen it. Also me being a huge Stevie fan might’ve had something to do with it. It’s from the mid 2000s, and in it Stevie talks about the Dirty Ghetto Kids, his partnership with Reebok, and a bit more. Good stuff.


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ON PT. HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA
internationally acclaimed flautist of India, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is a very popular
and eminent artiste who is known for his outstanding contribution in popularising Indian
Classical Music abroad. His consummate artistry has distinguished him as the
greatestliving master of the North Indian bamboo Flute, acclaimed both at home and abroad.
Unlike many other great Indian artists, Pt. Chaurasia does not come from a family of musicians. Rather, music is the path he found for himself. Born on July 1, 1938 in Allahabad, he began his musical pursuit at the age of 15, learning classical vocal technique from Pt. Rajaram. Within a year, however, he had switched to flautist from Varanasi. He tutored under Pt. Bholanath for eight years. In 1957 barely out of his teens, he became a regular staff member of All India Radio in Cuttack, Orissa, where he worked both as a performer and as a music composer.
Transferred by All India Radio to Bombay in 1952, he received further guidance from surbahar player Shrimati Annapurna Devi, daughter of late Ustad Allaudin Khan, sister of Ali Akbart Khan, Under her guidance his music acquired a new depth and he left All India Radio to pursue his performing career.
Since that time Pt. Chaurasia has concertized internationally winning acclaim from the varied audiences and from fellow musicians like Yewhudi Menuhin and Jean Pierre Rampal, among others. In 1984, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music, he was given the National Award of the Sangeet Natak Academy. Pt. Chaurasia tours regularly in the U.S. and Europe and was a featured artist in the U.S. Festival of India in 1985. He has made numerous recordings of north Indian Classical Music.
In 1990 the Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar was bestowed upon Pt. Chaurasia.
As a musician Pt. Chaurasua is a rare combination of innovator and traditionalist. He has significantly expanded the expressive possibilities of classical North Indian flute playing through his masterful blowing technique and his unique adaptation of alap and jor to the flute. He is immensely popular in India. According to the magazine " India Today ", " Chaurasia is among a few but growing classicists who have made a conscious effort to reach out and expand the audience for classical music." Pt. Chaurasia's horizons also extend beyond North Indian classical music to Indian Folk and popular music for many Indian films. The famous "Silsila" which he collaborated on with Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma was a platinum disc in India, as was his experimental album "Eternity" which incorporated many western elements alongside of North Indian Classical ones.
Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia has recorded a compact disc at Oslo alongwith Western Artists John Mclaughlin and Jan Garbarek which has gained international popularity and was released by the ECM company.
In addition to his performance and composition, Pt. Chaurasia is a serious teacher with several dedicated classical students who are beginning to make their mark on the Indian concert stage.
For the first time in Indian History the year 1992 has seen a flautist, Pt. Hariprasad Chau rasia being awarded the Padma Bhushan and also the flute as an instrument gaining recognition.
Pt. Chaurasia has also been honoured by being the second recipient of the 'Konark Samman' awarded by the Orissa State Goverment in the year 1992.
In the year 1994, the Government of Uttar Pradesh had bestowed upon Panditji the 'Yash Bharati Sanman'.


Harry Potter and The Ongoing Concern
Updated: Jan 30
It appears that J.K. Rowling has once again stated an opinion, to the dismay of some of her fans. Daniel Radcliffe has sought most gently to differ.
And a parody by The Babylon Bee is here: https://babylonbee.com/news/jk-rowling-releases-the-controversial-harry-potter-and-the-basic-biology-class
I have no opinion on the words or behavior of anyone involved.


R.I.P. Phil Kubicki, wonderful man, brilliant bass maker
Season One of I Believe To My Soul features John’s former New Grass Revival band mate and world-renowned banjo innovator Bela Fleck; beloved singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell; Justin Hayward, lead singer and songwriter of Moody Blues fame; Gordon Stoker of the Jordanaires; founding member and lead singer & principal songwriter of the iconic group Chicago, Robert Lamm; and many more.
This series, unlike any other today, is presented in the fashion of a fireside chat, artist to artist and John explores previously untapped stories to give his listeners a glimpse into the lives and mind of some of the more famous and fascinating artist of our time. And the best part is, he knows them all well and calls them friends.


Brice Long & Phillip White
Doors open at 6PM | Show starts at 7PM
ABOUT BRICE & PHILLIP
As a 25+ year veteran of the country music scene, Brice Long continues to blow people away with his unbelievable talent and passionate songwriting. He’s worked with numerous country legends over the years, developing his sound and style along the way. With both ballads and honky-tonk tunes to tout, Brice is a true country professional.
With over two decades of songwriting and performing experience, Phillip White is a country artist through-and-through. He’s an Academy of Country Music Award winner as well as a Grammy-nominated artist, making him a truly accomplished figure in the music industry.